BYU campus briefs

SOFTBALL: BYU head coach Gordon Eakin helped guide the USA National Softball team to the World Championship title in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday after a 7-0 win over Japan.

Eakin, who last season led the Cougars to their fourth Mountain West Conference title and first NCAA Super Regional appearance, is currently an assistant coach on the national team and is the team's hitting coach.

The United States went a perfect 10-0 in the World Championships, a tournament akin to the Olympics after softball was taken off the list of Olympic sports since the Beijing Games in 2008. Eakin's hitting expertise boosted the national team, helping the U.S. outscore its opponents 95-6 over the course of the tournament.

The World Championship win is just the beginning for Eakin and the national team which will now travel to Surrey, British Columbia, for the Canada Cup from July 7-11.

Following the Canada Cup and two exhibition games against the Canadian national team, the United States will host the World Cup in Oklahoma City, Okla., July 19-26, a tournament that will be shown live on ESPN and ESPN2.

Eakin's busy summer will conclude in Sendai, Japan, at the Japan Cup played Aug. 3-9.

Eakin has been an assistant for the national team since 2009. Also an American Softball Association All-American and a multiple medalist as part of the national men's fast pitch team at various U.S. Olympic sports festivals, Eakin was named head coach of BYU's softball team in July 2002. Since then he has been named MWC Coach of the Year twice (2009, 2010), winning four conference titles and advancing to the NCAA postseason five times while coaching seven All-Americans.

MEN'S SOCCER: BYU plays its toughest pair of home games this season when it hosts the Hollywood United Hitmen Thursday, July 8 and Ventura County Fusion on Saturday, July 10 in Provo. Both matches kickoff at 8 p.m. MT. The Hitmen won the Premier Development League's Southwest Division in 2009 and the Fusion won the PDL Championship last season. BYUtv will broadcast both matches with Thursday's live at 8 p.m. MT and Saturday's tape delayed at 10 p.m. MT. Catch both online at www.byutv.org/live.

"It's going to take a humongous effort from us," said BYU head coach, Chris Watkins. "Both teams have tons of great players ... We can play with great teams. We have to play our very best. We can do it but it takes a massive effort."