SAN MATEO, Calif. – BYU third baseman Austin Deming was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week on Monday for his performance last week in leading BYU to four-straight road wins.

The Cougars defeated Cal State Fullerton 10-5 in a midweek game before sweeping Pepperdine in a three-game WCC series (4-2, 6-3, 4-2) on the weekend. Deming went 8-of-16 at the plate and had at least one hit in all four games. His three-hit, two-run, two RBI-game against Fullerton was the difference in the BYU 10-5 win. In game three at Pepperdine, Deming broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with a two RBI single down the left field line to give BYU the lead and eventually the win. In four games he hit .500, had four RBI, scored three times, had a home run, a double and led the Cougars with an on-base percentage of .566 and a slugging percentage of .750.

The junior from Santa Clara, Utah, is currently leading BYU in batting average (.312) and runs scored (31) and is second in several others statistical categories including hits (48), doubles (12), home runs (5), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.500) and on base percentage (.394).

BYU returns home this week for four games at Miller Park. The Cougars take on Dixie State on Tuesday, May 10 at 5 p.m. MDT, before welcoming Pacific to Provo for a three-game WCC series on Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Cougars sweep WCC softball awards

MURRIETA, Calif. — Violet Zavodnik and Autumn Moffat-Koth swept the West Coast Conference weekly honors, the conference announced Monday. Zavodnik was named player of the week with Moffat-Korth taking home pitcher of the week honors.

During BYU’s four wins last week, including a three-game shutout sweep over Pacific, Zavodnik hit a .667 batting average, with eight hits, five runs, six RBI and one triple. In four games, she hit five home runs, taking her season total to 17. Against UVU, she was a perfect 3-of-3 including a pair of home runs.

With four games still left in the regular season, Zavodnik has already surpassed multiple career records from her WCC Player of the Year rookie season last year. In 2021, she finished with 64 hits, 44 runs, 48 RBI and 14 home runs. Right now, Zavodnik is hitting .397 with 56 hits, 42 runs, 50 RBI and 17 home runs.

Moffat-Korth went the distance in both wins last week, improving her season record to 16-7. Against UVU on Tuesday, she allowed four runs, but all were unearned. In the series versus Pacific, Moffat-Korth allowed zero runs and just one walk in the 14 innings she pitched. She had eight strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings of work.

Women’s golf ninth after first round of Franklin Regional

The BYU women’s golf team is in ninth place after Day 1 at the Franklin Regional of the NCAA Golf Tournament, carding a 298 (+10) on the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., on Monday.

Duke and Alabama are tied for first with scores of 287 (-1) and Vanderbilt is third at 288 (even).

Lila Galeai was the top individual scorer for BYU, shooting an opening round 73 (+1) to tie with eight others at 19th. Allysha Mae Mateo is tied for 28th at 74 (+2), Annik Haczkiewicz is tied for 38th at 75 (+3), Adeline Anderson is tied for 43rd at 76 (+4) and Kerstin Fotu is tied for 54th at 78 (+6).

ALabama’s Polly Mack has a one stroke lead by shooting a 65 (-7) on Day 1, followed by East Tennessee State’s Hollie Muse at 66 (-6). Jennie Park of Texas A&M (69, -3), Boston University’s Flair Kuan (70, -2) and Wake Forest’s Rachel Kuehn (70, -2) round out the top five.

Second round action begins Tuesday and the final round is Wednesday. The top four teams and two individuals (not on an advancing team) will move on from each on the six regionals to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the national championships.

Women’s basketball adds shooting guard

BYU women’s basketball signed guard Sophia Lee out of St. Mary’s High School in California to join the program for the 2022-23 season.

A 5-foot-7 shooting guard out of Stockton, California, Lee joins a recruiting class that included early signees Shayla Gillmer, a 6-foot-1 player out of Aliso Viejo, California, and Alyssa Blanck, a 6-foot-2 local product out of Olympus High School in Utah.

Lee helped St. Mary’s to a 21-8 record as a senior and a No. 11 ranking in the state. The Rams made a run to the state’s regional semifinals with Lee in 2022, averaging 4.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals as a senior. As a junior, Lee put in 8.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

A multi-sport student-athlete, Lee also competed in cross country and served as the student-body president for St. Mary’s while playing for NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd’s AAU team, Jason Kidd Select.

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