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BYU softball: Another tall task awaits Cougars in NCAA softball tourney

BYU softball • Team is confident despite drawing No. 2 seed Oregon in Eugene.

Eugene, Ore. • When it comes to the NCAA softball tournament, BYU can't seem to get out of playing one of the best teams in the country on its home field.

For the third time in the past four years, the Cougars face the Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks, the No. 2 overall seed, in the first round of the tournament in Eugene, Ore.

First pitch is at 6 p.m. MDT, or about a half-hour after the Fresno State-North Dakota State contest wraps up at Howe Field.

Thursday's winners will meet Friday at noon MDT, while the losers will tangle at 3 p.m.

"We are optimistic that we can compete in this very strong regional," said BYU coach Gordon Eakin. "We start out against one of the best teams in the NCAA this year. If we play to our potential, it should be a great game."

BYU (39-12, 13-2 WCC) has won seven straight conference championships and needs one more win to post its ninth season of 40 or more wins. Oregon (46-6, 21-3 Pac-12) defeated BYU in the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Tournaments in Eugene.

The Cougars are making their 11th straight NCAA appearance, and 12th overall. Last year, they opened with a 7-3 win over Northwestern before falling 9-0 to Washington and 8-3 to Northwestern in an elimination game.

Offensively, BYU is led by junior center fielder Gordy Bravo, whose .463 batting average is 11th-best in the nation. Senior Lacey Hofstedt, who was recently named to the All-District 8 team for here achievements in softball and in the classroom, is hitting .443 and has stolen 24 bases, one short of the school record she set in 2013.

Oregon, which lost 6-5 to BYU last year in Provo, is led by pitcher Cheridan Hawkins. She has a 27-3 record with 17 complete games and nine shutouts.

drew@sltrib.com

Twitter: @drewjay