BYU sophomore guard Shaylee Gonzales was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season on Wednesday.

After a 2-0 start to league play, Gonzales earned her second weekly honor with a week averaging 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game. She leads the conference in scoring at 18.5 points per game this season.

Gonzales helped the No. 18 Cougars (12-1) to their first WCC win on the road at San Francisco and then filled the stat sheet with 22 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals against Pacific in a 94-68 win at the Marriott Center last Saturday.

BYU hosts Saint Mary’s on Thursday and travels to LMU on Saturday.

UVU men’s soccer star drafted

Utah Valley University junior Jojea Kwizera was selected as the 15th overall pick of the first round by CF Montréal in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday. Kwizera makes program history as Utah Valley’s first player ever taken in the MLS SuperDraft.

“We’re very happy for Jojea and what he’s accomplished. He has a bright future in this sport,” said UVU head coach Kyle Beckerman. “This is also a great achievement for our program. In addition to winning championships and being successful academically, preparing guys to compete at the next level is also something we want UVU soccer to be known for.”

Kwizera led the WAC and tied for fifth in the nation with 11 assists this past fall. He also scored five goals and finished with a team-high 21 points. He had a goal and two assists in the WAC Tournament quarterfinal and was named to the All-Tournament team in November. Kwizera was also a second-team All-WAC selection last spring.

Former Wolverine Ahmed Longmire, who finished his career at UCLA, was also selected in the first round at No. 10 by Nashville SC. Longmire was an All-WAC defender at Utah Valley in 2019 and spent two seasons with the Wolverines.

Wolverine baseball releases 2022 schedule

First-year head baseball coach Eddie Smith has announced his inaugural schedule at Utah Valley University for the 2022 season and it features a full 56 contests, 30 WAC games, 11 in-state battles, and seven ballgames against Pac-12 Conference foes.

“We are so excited about the schedule this season. Our schedule is the toughest in the conference with 21 of our 30 league games against opponents who have won a WAC Championship in the last two full seasons,” Smith said. “For non-conference play we will be road warriors with trips to Texas, Washington, and twice to California. It will also be great to have the University of Utah on our home field twice and BYU here in March for the UCCU Crosstown Clash. There is no doubt that this schedule will be a great opportunity to compete against stiff competition that will make us better.”

The Wolverines will open their 2022 campaign with a four-game series at Texas State Feb. 18-20 in San Marcos, Texas. UVU will then return to UCCU Ballpark for its earliest scheduled home game at the NCAA Division I level when it welcomes in-state foe Utah to town on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The contest will mark the first of three season meetings between the Wolverines and Utes, as UVU will face Utah on March 29 at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City, as well as host the Utes again at UCCU Ballpark on April 5.

UVU will then head to the Bay Area for a four-game non-conference series at the University of San Francisco Feb. 25-27. The following weekend, the Wolverines will open WAC play with a three-game road series at in-state foe Dixie State on March 4-6 in St. George. UVU will continue the trip with a pair of midweek non-conference contests at UNLV on March 7 and 8 Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas. Utah Valley will then host its first of five home conference series the following weekend by welcoming the 2021 WAC Co-Champion California Baptist Lancers at UCCU Ballpark March 11-13.

UVU will then hit the road March 18-20 for a WAC series at the other 2021 WAC Co-Champions in the Grand Canyon Lopes in Phoenix. The Wolverines will then return home for a UCCU Crosstown Clash against neighboring rival BYU on Tuesday, March 22. UVU will return the favor and head to Provo a month later as the two foes will again meet up at Miller Park on April 26.

The Wolverines will step out of league play March 25-27 for a four-game non-conference series at former WAC foe CSU Bakersfield. After a game in Salt Lake City against the Utes on March 29, UVU will return to UCCU Ballpark for a three-game league series against Sacramento State April 1-3. The Wolverines will then host the Utes on April 5 before heading to the Pacific Northwest for three games at WAC foe Seattle University April 8-10. UVU will cap the trip with a midweek game at Washington of the Pac-12 Conference on April 11.

The Wolverines will host Dixie State for three games April 14-16, before heading to Southern California then following week for a midweek game at UC Riverside on April 20 followed by a WAC series at California Baptist April 22-24. After the final game of the year against BYU in Provo on April 26, UVU will then host GCU for three games at UCCU Ballpark, April 29-May 1, before embarking on an eight-game road trip beginning May 6-8 with a three-game non-conference series at Washington State. During the trip, UVU will also make a stop in Portland for a midweek game against the Portland Pilots on May 11, followed by a three-game league series at Sacramento State May 13-15. The Wolverines will then cap the trip with a midweek game at Pacific in Stockton, California on May 16.

After the long trip, UVU will close its 2022 regular season by hosting New Mexico State at UCCU Ballpark for a three-game WAC series May 19-21.

The 2022 WAC Baseball Tournament will then follow May 25-28 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. The top four postseason eligible teams from each division will qualify to compete at this year’s WAC Tournament with four from the West and four from the Southwest. UVU last won the WAC Baseball Tournament in 2016 and went on to play in the program’s inaugural NCAA Regional that season by taking part in the Baton Rouge Regional.

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