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ABOUT
The When
February 9-12, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
The What
The only D1 tournament outside the United States, the Puerto Vallarta tournament has become a mainstay through the first two weeks of the regular season. By all accounts, the tournament is well-run and presents a quality product all around.
Since its inception, the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge has brought in top-tier teams without neglecting the “little guy”, and the event’s schedulers do a nice job of mixing top-shelf matchups into their full schedule. The event is played at a field built up for this tournament and participating teams, in years past, have also taken part in some community endeavors while in Mexico.
The Who
- BYU
- Cal Baptist
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- North Dakota State
- Oklahoma State
- Ole Miss
- Oregon
- Wisconsin
A Blurb
Reigning Big 12 champion (yes, they beat Oklahoma) and WCWS participant Oklahoma State is the highlight of the Session 1 field in PV, but the field as a whole is solid. There aren’t any obvious pushovers and the talent level is at a quality level. Even OSU could be tested in some games, which itself underscores the quality of the lineup of teams. There are also plenty of opportunities for some upstart breakout stars to put themselves into the spotlight with quality performances against a field like this.
A Hidden Gem
Chloe Temples, BYU – It is Temples’ time to step into the ace role for the Cougars, as she fills the psuedo-title worn for the past several years by Autumn Moffatt-Korth. Temples is a capable hurler, even brilliant at times, and should be capable of shouldering an increased workload. She spent this summer with Team Triple Crown, including as part of the group’s impressive run at the Canada Cup.
A Breakout Star
Oregon pitcher Morgan Scott –  The former UNC Greensboro pitcher and reining SoCon Pitcher of the Year transferred to Oregon this summer. In March of last season, Scott gave the Ducks all they could handle in what became an extra-inning affair in Greensboro. Now she dons the Duck green for herself. Scott is an effective pitcher, used to shouldering a lot of innings and collecting a lot of strikeouts. She could be even better under the tutelage of Missy Lombardi, and without having to carry that heavy load in Eugene. She had some wear and tear after last season, but Lombardi says Scott is healthy and ready to go for this season. She will face some tests right away against a solid field in Mexico, but it could also be the first act in her newest breakout performance.
A Team to Watch
Maryland – The Terrapins put together an impressive performance a year ago, climbing into the top five of the Big Ten standings in their first true full season under Mark Montgomery’s leadership. The Terps boast a good crop of talent, led in the circle by two-way standouts Courtney Wyche and Trinity Schlotterbeck, and on the offensive side by Jaeda McFarland. Last season, it was the non-conference portion of the year where the Terps struggled, but they figured things out in time for their impressive conference run. If they can put together a quality non-conference showing this season, Mexico would be a good place to start and would set up a bright forecast for the squad.
A Storyline
Several teams in the PV field enter the year with storylines – BYU, after missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in ages last season; Maryland, coming off a great year in conference play; Oklahoma State, with a chip on their shoulder after a premature postseason exit; even Ole Miss with a large transfer class and North Carolina jockeying for any position in an increasingly-crowded ACC. Some will leave PV with hope, others with decreasingly-less of the same.
Marquee Matchups
BYU vs. Wisconsin, Thursday, 6 pm CT
Oregon vs. Maryland, Thursday, 8:30 pm CT
Wisconsin vs. Oregon, Friday, 12:30 pm CT
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon, Friday, 6 pm CT
Oregon vs. Ole Miss, Saturday, 3 pm CT
Wisconsin vs. Ole Miss, Saturday, 6 pm CT
Maryland vs. North Dakota State, Sunday, 1:30 pm CT
Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State, Sunday, 4 pm CT
Players to Watch
Katie Keller, Wisconsin – This weekend will be the first opportunity to see Keller in her Big Ten role after transferring from Northern Illinois this summer. Keller had an impressive career, starting from day one, at NIU and was one of the best players in the MAC before transferring. She fits in well at a Wisconsin program that wanted her badly once her name was in the portal. Keller’s bat will come in handy for the Badgers, and the fact that she enters with a veteran’s knowledge is also a high mark for her potential.
Tate Whitley, Ole Miss – Whitley was the star of last season’s Rebels squad, a breakout performance that saw her lead in the SEC in hits and post a .387 batting average on the year. Whitley is going to be a name that opposing pitchers circle on the lineup card this year and she won’t sneak up on anyone, but even without the element of surprise, her skill set is such that she can still be a quality contributor for her team.
Paige Vargas, North Dakota State – The Bison pitching staff’s leader last season, Vargas put up solid numbers a season ago, including a 2.21 ERA and and notching 152 strikeouts in a career-high 171 innings of work. The former Summit League Freshman of the Year has plenty of softball under her belt, but now has career-best numbers to build off of from last season.
Katelynn Carwile, Oklahoma State – Last season was a true breakout campaign for Carwile, who posted her own career highs across the board. It was her first season as a starter, going from 11 at-bats in her freshman year to 161 in her sophomore campaign. She added 14 doubles, 7 home runs, and 33 RBIs to her ridiculously-impressive 2022 stat line.