Utah Valley vs. BYU
Wednesday, April 20   |   3 p.m. MT
Orem, Utah   |   Wolverine Field
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OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team will open its final homestand of the season on Wednesday afternoon when neighboring rival BYU comes to town for a midweek game. The non-conference contest will begin at 3 p.m. from UVU's Wolverine Field.
 
The Wolverines will enter the contest with a 6-32 overall record and a 2-7 clip in Western Athletic Conference play after taking one out of three games at Missouri-Kansas City over the weekend. In the league series with the Kangaroos, Utah Valley found itself on the wrong end of a one-run extra-inning ballgame in the opener before battling back to take Friday's second game by a score of 4-3. In another tightly contested contest, UMKC managed to drive home a pair of late insurance runs to take the series finale by a score of 9-6 and the series two games to one.
 
Sophomore Breezy Roth and junior Brittney Vansway delivered the big hits for Utah Valley in last Friday's victory over the second-place UMKC 'Roos. Roth blasted out a three-run home run in the fifth and Vansway drove home the go-ahead run in the seventh with a two-out RBI double down the left field line. Junior right-hander Kelsey Ensign came on in relief to record her first victory of the season, pitching an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief to help preserve the win for the Wolverines.
 
Vansway paced the UVU offense in the series by going 6-for-11 (.545 batting average), with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs and a run scored. Fellow junior Brianna Gatlin was next after hitting .444 (4-for-9) with a pair of runs batted in and two runs scored.
 
Gatlin leads the Wolverines on the season with a .326 average and 24 walks, while Vansway is right behind her with a .310 clip and a team-high five homers, 12 doubles and 24 RBIs. Sophomore right-hander Makayla Shadle fronts the UVU pitching staff with a 5.15 ERA and a 1-5 record.
 
Wednesday's contest will mark the first of a four-game homestand for Utah Valley and will also be the second and final meeting between UVU and BYU on the season.
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
The Cougars will come to town with a 23-17 record and off to a 1-2 start in West Coast Conference play after dropping two of three to Loyola Marymount in their opening league series of the season. BYU will enter Wednesday's game off of a 4-1 win over fellow in-state foe Utah State at Gail Miller Field last week. Brigham Young was picked to win the West Coast again this season after claiming the league title a year ago with a 13-2 conference clip.
 
On the season, Lauren Bell leads the Cougars with a .376 average while Libby Sugg tops the club with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. McKenna Bull paces the BYU pitching staff with a 17-11 record, a 2.58 ERA and 22 complete games.
 
Wednesday's contest will mark the 38th all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Cougars on the diamond. BYU will enter play holding a sizable 33-4 series advantage but UVU has won three of the last 10 meetings, including splitting a four-game series at Wolverine Field in 2013 and a 13-0 run-rule win in Provo a year ago behind a no-hitter from junior Bailey Moore.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
Following Wednesday's meeting against BYU, Utah Valley will return to conference play this weekend (April 22-23) when Grand Canyon comes to town for a three-game league series. The final home series of the season for UVU will open with a single game on Friday at 2 p.m., before concluding with a Saturday doubleheader (12 p.m. & 2 p.m.).
 
PROMOTIONS
Wednesday will mark the Pink for a Purpose game for UVU. Fans wearing pink attire will gain free admission and free pink t-shirts will be handed out to the first 150 fans in attendance.