The University of Utah softball team seeks its second Western Athletic Conference title in as many weeks when the Utes host the WAC Championship, Thursday through Saturday at Cottonwood Complex.
Utah, which clinched the WAC regular season crown last week, is now going after its second consecutive WAC Championship title. The top-seeded Utes received a first-round bye, as did No. 2 New Mexico. Utah (22-18, 9-1 WAC) opens tourney play at 3 p.m. against the winner of the Colorado State-Creighton game.The double-elimination tournament, which will cease to exist after this year, features all six WAC schools that sponsor softball: Utah, Colorado State, Creighton, New Mexico, San Diego State and Southern Utah. The winner of the WAC Championship earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Tourney play opens at 11 a.m., Thursday, with No. 4 Colorado State (31-23, 4-6 WAC) playing No. 5 Creighton (18-30, 3-7) for the right to play Utah in the 3 p.m. game. At 1 p.m., No. 3 San Diego State (18-36, 4-6 WAC) meets Southern Utah (7-34, 2-8 WAC), with the victor playing New Mexico (28-19, 8-2 WAC) at 5 p.m.
Friday's games are scheduled for noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m., with Thursday's losers playing in the first two games, with the winners going at 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday's action begins at 11 a.m., with the winner of that game advancing to the championship game at 1 p.m. If necessary, another game will be played at 3 p.m. Tournament passes are available to families for $10, to adults for $5 and to students for $2. Single day tickets cost $3 for adults and $1 for students.