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How to watch, stream Houston softball team in opening round of Big 12 tournament

Cougars enter the postseason as the No. 11 seed out of the conference
Buck Ringgold|
Houston shortstop Mandy Esman
Houston shortstop Mandy Esman | Nathan Giese/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK

Houston’s softball team hopes to make it back to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

To get there, though, the Cougars will have to make it through the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship tournament as the lowest seeded team in the field. Houston, the No. 11 seed, plays its opening-round game at 7:30 p.m. Central on Wednesday against No. 6 seeded BYU at Oklahoma City’s OG+E Energy Field at Devon Park, which is where the WCWS is held.

The Cougars enter the Big 12 tourney at 22-24 overall and finished Big 12 play at 4-18, losing 11 of their last 12 conference contests. Houston finished the regular season with four straight losses, the last three coming to nationally ranked Arizona.

What has Houston athletics achieved in the past decade that no other school has done?

Houston hosted BYU in a three-game series March 20-22, with BYU (31-16, 13-11) taking all three games by a combined score of 21-6. Though Houston leads the all-time series 7-6, BYU has won the last four games between the two schools.

This season, Houston has one of the youngest teams in the country, with only one senior on the roster and a combined 17 freshmen and sophomore players. Underclassmen players have accounted for 88 percent of the team’s starts, with 405 of 458 starters comprised of underclassmen.

First baseman/pitcher Brooke Wells is one of the top freshmen in the league, and in fact was selected the No. 1 freshman in the Big 12. She leads the Cougars in several offensive categories, including batting (.348), home runs (10), RBIs (47), slugging (.659) and on-base percentage (.486). 

Jordee Wilkins, a sophomore outfielder, is second on the team in hitting (.341) and also leads Houston in runs scored (43), doubles (13) and triples (5).

Freshman pitcher Rylee Michalak leads the team in wins with six, and has struck out 35 batters in 59 2/3 innings.

The Houston-BYU winner advances into the quarterfinals on Thursday, and will take on No. 3 seed Iowa State at 7:30 p.m.

Other first-round games on Wednesday has No. 8 seed Baylor against No. 9 Kansas at 2:30 p.m., and No. 7 UCF against No. 10 Utah at 5 p.m.

Texas Tech got the top seed, with Arizona the No. 2 seed. Oklahoma State, the No. 4 seed, will face No. 5 seed Arizona State in a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday.

Semifinal games take place on Friday afternoon, with the championship game slated for 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Here’s how to watch Wednesday’s opening round Big 12 tournament game.

Houston vs. BYU Softball TV Channel, Live Stream

Who: No. 11 seed Houston (22-24) vs. No. 6 seed BYU (31-16) in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship.

When: 7:30 p.m. CDT | Wednesday, May 7

Where: OG+E Field at Devon Park | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV Channel/Live Stream: ESPN+

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Buck Ringgold
BUCK RINGGOLD

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