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BYU softball prepares for NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday

The BYU softball team will open up NCAA Tournament play on Thursday afternoon against Drake, with a potential second-round matchup looming against No. 1 seeded Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.

The Cougars (35-20) are in the NCAA Regionals for the 14th consecutive season, having won the West Coast Conference championship Saturday to secure an automatic bid.

“We are excited to be playing in the NCAA Tournament again this season,” BYU coach Gordon Eakin said in a release. “Oregon has passionate fans and one of the best softball venues in the country. It’s a strong regional and will be a great test. We are ready.”

The Cougars won the WCC championship for the fifth straight year and the 10th title in a row, spanning four different conferences.

Drake won the Missouri Valley Conference and is 43-10. BYU won the previous two games between the schools, most recently 2-1 in 2008.

Thursday’s play starts with BYU against Drake at 4 p.m. MDT, followed by No. 1 Oregon against Albany. Should BYU win, it would play at 4 p.m. MDT Friday; should BYU lose, it would play at 6:30 p.m. MDT Friday.

Cougars golf qualifies for NCAAs

At Norman, Oklahoma, Patrick Fishburg and Peter Kuest finished in the top five individually and BYU tied for second place as a team at the NCAA Norman Regional on Wednesday, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2006.

The Cougars closed the 54-hole event with a 278 for a three-round total of 13- under 851, tied with North Florida and one shot behind the host Sooners.

Fishburn shot a 3-under 69 to finish in second place at 10 under, one shot behind North Florida’s Travis Trace. Kuest shot a 6-under 66 and finished in a tie for fifth.

The NCAA Tournament will be in Stillwater, Oklahoma, from May 24-30.