One of the burning questions ahead of the first season of a rekindled Big 12 Conference softball landscape last season was how BYU — a strong program historically in mid-major conferences — would handle the jump up to one of the most brutal leagues in college softball.

The answer to that question was that the Cougars proved they belong.

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A winning season with a trio of big-time upsets saw BYU put the rest of its new league on notice, and now that the initial season of Big 12 play is out of the way for the Cougars, they’ll be focused on getting comfortable in their surroundings and challenging the top-tier teams more often.

Still, that’s much easier said than done, especially when you’re seeing the likes of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and others in your conference multiple times per year. However, as the Cougars have tended to do on the diamond since first stepping onto the field 25 years ago, they eventually figured it out and began to thrive.

Here’s a look ahead at what to expect out of BYU softball at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge next month, which is to be streamed live and exclusively on FloCollege:

How Did BYU Softball Do In 2024?

After stretches of dominance in prior conferences in its history, most notably in the Mountain West Conference from the late 2000s/early 2010s and the West Coast Conference from the mid-2010s/early 2020s, BYU softball was thrown into the fire for its toughest test yet last season as the Cougars made their debut in the Big 12, home to four-time defending national champion Oklahoma and a whole host of other national powers. 

The verdict after one year in the Big 12 is that BYU absolutely held its own against some of the biggest beasts in the sport. The Cougars finished a respectable sixth, even beating the juggernaut Sooners in Norman in mid-April and Oklahoma State — which made the Women’s College World Series for the fifth straight time a year ago — twice, giving them three top-10 wins on the season and a reputation not to be underestimated. 

BYU was unable to stretch all of those good vibes into an NCAA Tournament trip as OU ended the Cougars’ season in the Big 12 tournament, but shortstop/pitcher Ailana Agbayani and first baseman Huntyr Ava both earned All-Big 12 First Team selections for their play throughout the year to rack up some individual honors.

Who Coaches BYU Softball?

Essentially, Gordon Eakin is BYU softball. 

The former Utah and professional baseball player was an assistant for the program’s first three seasons of existence from 2000-02 under Mary Kay Amicone, then was promoted to head coach after Amicone resigned following the 2002 season. All Eakin has done since then has been taking BYU to new heights after new heights across a tenure spanning more than two decades. 

A winner of over 800 games while never having a losing season, Eakin has won 15 conference championships across four different leagues in his career and is a nine-time conference coach of the year, all while also being the hitting coach for Team USA from 2009-10. 

Eakin’s first season in the loaded Big 12 Conference last year was his first time ever finishing lower than third in the league, yet he still was able to continue an ongoing streak of 30-plus win seasons dating back to his hiring (minus the midway-canceled 2020 campaign).

Has BYU Softball Ever Won The Women’s College World Series?

No, BYU softball has never won the Women’s College World Series and is yet to make it to the grandest stage in college softball in its program's history. That being said, BYU is a consistent fixture at the NCAA Tournament, having made the regional round 17 times (all since 2001), advanced to the Super Regional round in 2010, and qualified for the tourney every season from 2005-21, minus the pandemic-canceled 2020 tournament.

Who Will BYU Softball Play At The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge?

BYU softball will square up against North Dakota State (1 p.m. ET Feb. 12), Illinois State (5 p.m. Feb. 13), Boise State (9:30 p.m. Feb. 14), Indiana (2 p.m. Feb. 15) and Florida International (5 p.m. Feb. 15) across four days of play at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, played entirely at Nancy Almaraz Field in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and streamed live and exclusively on FloCollege. 

It is the ninth time that event — which was the first college softball event ever to take place outside the United States upon its launch — has taken place in the sunny resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, and BYU will take part in Session #2 of the event to be held from Feb. 12-15. 

All games from both sessions at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge will be streamed live and only on FloCollege.

Notable BYU Softball Returning Players

Lily Owens, INF

Having transferred into BYU last offseason from Lehigh, Owens immediately hit the ground running in her first season in Provo and dramatically improved her numbers from her freshman to sophomore year, even with the major jump in competition from the Patriot League to the Big 12. Slashing .348/.366/.529 a season ago — compared to .305/.354/.449 at Lehigh — Owens is the Cougars’ leading returning batter as well as the only Cougar to be named to Softball America’s Preseason Top 100 list, where the Californian (who earned a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Midwest Region First Team selection as a utility player in 2024) ranks as the No. 74 player in the country entering the 2025 season. 

BYU should lean on her heavily at the plate, especially early on in the season, with two All-Big 12 First Team nods gone from the squad, but all signs point to Owens being able to step up to the challenge and evolve herself into one of the best players in a stacked conference. 

Kate Dahle, RHP

The younger sibling of two professional baseball players — with brother Jake having spent last season with the Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League — Kate has the genes to succeed and a breakout season could be on the horizon for the right-hander, who impressed in spurts on the mound last year for the Cougars as a freshman. 

Dahle went 6-6 with a 4.93 ERA across 10 starts and 86⅔ innings pitched in her first college season, earning the win in BYU’s first upset victory over Oklahoma State in late March and combining with fellow freshman Gianna Mares to stun Oklahoma in Norman — the Sooners’ first Big 12 loss at home since 2017 — as well. 

The Cougars’ top pitcher from last season, Chloe Temples, has left, leaving an open ace role up for the taking with Dahle and Mares the frontrunners to fill it. But Dahle’s already-proven ability to keep it cool in big situations, having also tallied a team-high four saves on the year, should help her case as she hopes to make a sophomore jump as a crucial part of BYU’s rotation.

Notable BYU Softball Newcomers

Lindy Milkowski, C

Per her BYU bio, Milkowski has bowled a perfect game, can solve a Rubik’s cube in about 90 seconds, and can play roughly four instruments. She can also absolutely rake. Originally an Iowa player in the COVID-19-ruined 2020 season, Milkowski transferred to Eastern Illinois after her freshman season and really got going in 2022, being named a First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference player as a catcher that season and earning a spot on the second team a year later as an infielder. 

She paced the Panthers to an OVC title in 2023 after batting .305 and smashing a conference-best 14 home runs with 47 RBIs, but the potential for a massive 2024 season was cut short when she was injured in the fall and didn’t play in any games. 

With that in mind, Milkowski’s transfer to BYU now has a bit of a redemption arc to it as the Kansas native will be trying to prove she belongs against some of the best teams in the country in the Big 12, and considering that the Cougars lost a pair of double-digit home run hitters (Huntyr Ava and Violet Zavodnik), they’ll be hoping that they get the best out of her as a grad transfer.

Miranda Mansfield, INF

Helping lead Salt Lake Community College to the NJCAA Softball World Series last season, Mansfield, a winner, and Utahn (from Syracuse, north of Salt Lake City) through and through, gets a chance to contribute to one of the biggest softball programs in her home state. 

Mansfield was a NJCAA Third Team All-America selection for the Bruins in 2024, helping them win 47 games with plenty of consistent contact (.463 average), power (.716 slugging percentage), and speed (31 stolen bases) as she spent the majority of her time at the junior college level — where she started 81 of a possible 96 games — at shortstop. 

As she should be right in the mix to compete for playing time in the infield, Mansfield already brings college experience and a winning mentality to the Cougars that’ll be valuable as they try and climb their way up the Big 12 pecking order this season.

2025 BYU Softball Roster (Name, Position, Class, Hometown)

• Gianna Mares, LHP/OF, Soph., Tucson, Ariz.
• Ariyah Morgan, INF/OF, Fr., Prunedale, Calif.
• Amiya Hernandez, OF, Fr., Chandler, Ariz.
• Keila Kamoku, INF, Sr., Kapolei, Hawai’i
• Aleia Agbayani, INF/OF, Gr., Mililani Mauka, Hawai’i
• Ilove’a Brittingham, C/OF, Fr., Nipomo, Calif.
• Abbey Gillespie, C, Soph., South Riding, Va.
• Jaelynn Lambert, OF, Sr., Temecula, Calif.
• Lauren Flanders, OF, Sr., Peachtree City, Ga.
• Lily Owens, INF, Jr., Chino Hills, Calif.
• Alyssa Aguilar, RHP, Sr., Tucson, Arizona
• Danica Acosta, INF, Fr., El Centro, Calif.
• Kennadee Belnap, RHP, Soph., Evanston, Wyo.
• Kaysen Korth, RHP, Jr., Bluffdale, Utah
• Hailey Morrow, INF/C, Jr., Las Vegas
• Bre Townsend, 1B/3B, Fr., Buena Park, Calif.
• Miranda Mansfield, INF, Jr., Syracuse, Utah
• Kate Dahle, RHP, Soph., Tremonton, Utah
• Tristen Turlington, INF/OF, Jr., Surprise, Ariz.
• Lindy Milkowski, C, Gr., Olathe, Kan.
• Maddie Udall-Woolley, INF, Soph., Phoenix
• Hina Huber, RHP, Jr., Mesa, Ariz.
• Lexie Bennett, OF, Jr., Scottsboro, Ala.
• Jada Villegas, LHP, Fr., San Bernardino, Calif.

How To Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on FloSoftball and the FloSports App.

FloSoftball will be streaming several NCAA Division I College Softball tournaments including the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Rocket City Softball Showcase, FAU Paradise Classic, and the FAU Joan Joyce Classic.

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 1:

• Florida State
• Louisiana Tech
• Northern Colorado
• Oklahoma State

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 2:

• Boise State
• BYU
• Florida International
• Illinois State
• Indiana
• North Dakota State

When Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?

Session 1 for PVCC will take place February 6-9th followed by Session 2 from February 13-16th.

Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2025 Schedule

PVCC Session 1 schedule (all times CT): 

Feb. 6

• 10 a.m. – Florida State vs. Oklahoma State
• 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. Northern Colorado
• 4 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. LA Tech

Feb. 7

• 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. LA Tech
• 4 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. LA Tech
• 7 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. Oklahoma State

Feb. 8

• 1 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Northern Colorado
• 4 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Florida State
• 7 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. Florida State

PVCC Session 2 schedule (all times CT):

Feb. 12

• Noon – North Dakota State vs. BYU

Feb. 13

• 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Boise State
• 1 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
• 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Illinois State
• 7 p.m. – Indiana vs. North Dakota State

Feb. 14

• 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Illinois State
• 12:30 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
• 3 p.m. – Illinois State vs. Indiana
• 6 p.m. – Boise State vs. Indiana
• 8:30 p.m. – Boise State vs. BYU

Feb. 15

• 10 a.m. – Illinois State vs. North Dakota State
• 1 p.m. – Indiana vs. BYU
• 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Florida International
• 7 p.m. – Boise State vs. Florida International

Where Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?  

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is at Nancy Almaraz Field in Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico.

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2025 Stream

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is streaming on FloSoftball and the FloSports app. Replays of the games, highlights and more breaking news will be on both platforms. 

You make the call 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 or 𝐎𝐮𝐭?

The @uwsoftball vs @ou_softball was a wild one 😳 this early in the season@pvcollegesb#PVCC #collegesoftball #ncaasoftball #d1softball pic.twitter.com/rwLewNE6Iq

— FloSoftball (@FloSoftball) February 10, 2024

FloSoftball Archived Footage

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloSoftball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

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