New Mexico Up First for Cougars at MWC Tournament
PROVO -- The BYU women's softball team will face New Mexico in their first game of the 2002 Mountain West Conference Tournament Thursday at 2 p.m. The Cougars earned the right to host the tournament after winning the conference title last season in only the second season as a NCAA sanctioned sport. The game will be broadcast live on BYU-TV via satellite and rebroadcast locally on KBYU channel 11 at 11 p.m. Thursday.
The Cougars earned a number five seed in the tournament after being swept at New Mexico last Saturday. New Mexico holds a 3-1 edge in head-to-head play this season over the Cougars and are 6-7 against the Lobos all-time. BYU will be hoping to avenge the losses suffered last weekend.
"We are looking to start our second season," head coach Mary Kay Amicone said. "We need to get some momentum early in the game and not look back."
The game will follow the opener of the MWC Tournament featuring No. 3 seeded UNLV taking on No. 6 seed Colorado State at 11:30 a.m. If BYU wins the game, they will play No. 1 seed San Diego at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. If BYU loses, then they will play the loser of the Utah vs. UNLV/CSU game on Frday at 2 p.m.
Leading the way for the Cougars is sophomore All-American Oli Keohohou. Keohohou leads the conference in batting average (.433), runs scored (53), alugging percentage (.933), walks (65), RBI (44), and home runs (18). She is currently tied for second in the nation in home runs and her batting average ranks her tenth nationally.
Freshman Niki Andersen leads the team in ERA (2.98) and strikeouts (66). Junior Cynthia Fallowfield leads the team in wins with a 12-6 record. Brooke Cadiente leads the team in doubles with 11 while senior Liz VanderLinden leads the team in triples with four.
The cost for a three-day pass is 15 dollars for adults and 10 dollars for students, seniors, and children under 18 years of age. For a one-day pass the cost is eight dollars for adults and five dollars for students, seniors, and children under 18.
All games of the MWC Tournament will be available via webcast under the webcast link on the BYU softball home page at www.byucougars.com
