Following a 2-2 split last week, Utah Valley (14-19, 8-5 WAC) closes out its homestand with a Tuesday non-conference game against the BYU Cougars (21-16, 4-11 Big 12). First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. MT, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
After last weekend's WAC action, Utah Valley sits in third place in the league standings just past the halfway mark of the conference season. GCU sits in first at 12-2, followed by CBU at 9-3. UVU holds a slim half-game lead over Seattle U in fourth, who is 8-6. The top four teams at the end of the season will advance directly to the double elimination portion of the bracket.
As of April 8, only the top four teams in the WAC are above .500 in league play. UT Arlington — who the Wolverines will play this weekend — is the closest to this mark in fifth place at 5-6, and will play a doubleheader on Tuesday at home against SFA.
LAST TIME OUT
After sweeping a doubleheader on Tuesday against Seattle U, the Wolverines were swept in Friday's doubleheader against California Baptist. Saturday's game was canceled due to winter weather.
Payge Armendariz had a career week at the plate, going 8-for-12 with a home run, six doubles, nine RBIs, and three walks. Armendariz has an extra-base hit in four straight games and in six of her last seven.
Halle Morris extended her reached-base streak to 16 games on Friday. Morris has a team-best .486 on-base percentage, which ranks as third-best in the WAC. Morris also leads the WAC in innings pitched at 98.2 and leads the Wolverine pitching staff with a 4.54 ERA.
Megan Gibbs continues to build upon her best hitting season as a Wolverine. The redshirt junior hit her 9th home run of the season on Friday against CBU, and currently leads the team's qualified players with a .729 slugging percentage. Gibbs also has a career-best .365 batting average and leads the team with 31 hits and 32 RBIs.
On Friday, freshman UTL Mikayla Garrison picked up her first collegiate hit and RBI in one swing of the bat. Garrison lined a single into left field as part of a seven-run rally in the first game against CBU.
SERIES HISTORY vs BYU
The Crosstown Clash is the second-most played game in UVU Softball's D-I history (53 games), behind only the series against Northern Colorado (55 games). The Wolverines and Cougars have played at least twice every season (excluding 2020) since 2004 when UVU began its transition to full D-I status.
UVU holds a 5-48 record all-time against the Cougars, including a 4-20 mark at Wolverine Softball Field. BYU won the first meeting this year, 9-7 in Provo. The Wolverines last win in the series came in 2021, when UVU beat the Cougars 8-1 at home.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley heads back to the Lone Star State for a three-game series against the UT Arlington Mavericks. This will be the two teams' first meeting as conference opponents and the first meeting overall since 2015. Friday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 3 p.m. MT, and Saturday's series finale is scheduled for 11 a.m. MT. All three games will be streamed on WAC International.
