Upcoming Event: Softball versus Southern Utah on March 4, 2026 at 3 p.m.
3 p.m.
Softball
vs Southern Utah
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Softball Hosts In-State Rival Utah State, Wednesday
3/28/2000 12:00 AM | Softball
March 28, 2000
Salt Lake City - This Week: Utah hosts its first home doubleheader of the season, taking on in-state rival Utah State at 1:30 p.m. on Wed., Mar. 29 at Ute Field. On Fri., Mar. 31, the Utes head to San Diego, Calif. to open up Mountain West Conference play. Utah will face the Aztecs in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. (PST).
The Opposition: Utah State's softball team went 2-4 in the Sacramento State tournament and is currently 9-17 on the season. The Aggies lost their opening game 8-6 to San Jose State on Thurs., Mar. 16. Utah State went 1-2 on Friday, losing the first game 6-5 to Middle Tennessee State, winning the second game 4-0 over Texas A&M and losing 13-0 to Oregon in the late game. Utah State made it to the consolation championship game and lost 7-0 to Nebraska on Sun., Mar. 19. The Aggies defeated SE Missouri State, 2-1 in the semifinal game of the consolation bracket.
Utah State returns eight letterwinners from last year's team that posted a 17-33 overall record, 8-16 in the Big West Conference. Senior Sandy Millard-Taylor leads the Aggies in at bats, runs, hits, RBI and batting average. Taylor, a mainstay at first base, was second in the Big West Conference with a school record 10 home runs last season, while also leading the team in doubles (eight), RBI (31), and walks (17). Sophomore Breanne Nickle is second on the team in at bats, runs, hits and home runs. Nickle joined Taylor as the only two players to start all 50 games in 1999. Nickle hit .270, while providing solid defense and leadership behind the plate.
San Diego State is currently 13-17 overall, 0-0 in the MWC. San Diego State split games with both New Mexico State and Texas Tech over the weekend. On Sat., Mar. 18, the Aztecs defeated New Mexico State, 6-2, and lost to Texas Tech, 6-4 in Lubbock, Texas. San Diego State defeated Texas Tech, 2-1, and lost to New Mexico State, 6-2 on Sun., Mar. 19 in Lubbock, Texas on Sun., Mar. 19.
San Diego State returns 10 letterwinners and eight players who started over half the Aztecs' games in 1999. Last year, the Aztecs went 24-24 overall, 16-8 in the WAC. Sophomore Kellie Nordhagen leads the Aztecs in batting average (.436), at bats (94), runs (23), hits (41) and doubles (7).
Utah State Head Coach: Pam McCreesh enters her third season with the Aggies. Last year, McCreesh led the Aggies to a 17-33 overall record, 8-16 in the Big West Conference. She has a 33-58 career record and record at Utah State. McCreesh is a 1989 graduate from Trenton State. She played shortstop at Trenton State from 1987-1989 and was a National Player of the Year pick in 1988.
San Diego State Head Coach: Kathy Van Wyk enters her sixth season associated with the San Diego State Aztec softball team. Since her arrival on Montezuma Mesa, Van Wyk has helped establish the Aztecs as a team on the rise. Over the past four seasons, Aztec softball teams have broken 11 offensive and one defensive team records. After posting a 21-39 record her inaugural season, she helped lead the Aztecs to a 27-30 mark in 1996 and 30-30 finish in 1997. SDSU's 30 wins in 1997 was the second most in school history and only the second time ever that the Aztecs have reached the 30 win plateau in a single-season. In 1998, the Aztecs slipped to 24-35 overall record. Last season, the Aztecs set a record for most wins in conference play with 16 compared to eight losses and tied for second in the Western Athletic Conference.
Tournament Wrap-ups: Utah went 5-1 at the Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif on Mar. 16-19. The Utes are currently 17-15 overall, 0-0 in MWC play.
Utah defeated Southern Utah, California (Berkeley) in seven innings on Tues., Mar. 14 in Berkeley, Calif. Kristin Arbogast recorded her 13th win of the season for the Utes, pitching seven innings, giving up seven hits, one earned run, five walks and struck out four. Senior Lisa Hashimoto-Hall went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Nicole Wilkinson had one hit and one RBI, while Lyndsey Trevis and Stacy O'Farrell each had a hit.
Utah shut-down Sacramento State, 11-4 at the Capital Classic on Thurs., Mar. 16. Arbogast got the win and teammate Jeanette Herbert got the save for the Utes. Senior Lisa Hashimoto-Hall went 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. Freshman Niki Hayhurst was 3-of-4 with one run and two RBI.
Utah continued on its winning ways, defeating Southeast Missouri State, 16-5 in five innings on Thurs., Mar. 16. Senior Nicole Wilkinson led the Utes at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs and five RBI. Sophomore Lyndsey Trevis was a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate with a double, two runs and an RBI. Teammate Stacy O'Farrell was also a perfect 3-of-3 , with four runs and an RBI. Senior Sunny Smith was 2-for-4 with a home run, one run and four RBI. Sophomore Molly McLean went 2-for-3 with one run and three RBI and Michele Larsen was 2-of-3 with three runs and an RBI. Junior Kristin Arbogast took the win for Utah, pitching four innings, giving up only five hits, three runs, one walk and striking out four. Trevis made her first appearance of the season, pitching one inning, giving up one hit, two runs, two walks and struck out one.
On Fri., Mar. 17, Utah shutout Louisville, 8-0. Nicole Wilkinson hit 2-for-3 with a double, one run and one RBI. Lisa Hashimoto-Hall was 1-for-2 with a double, one run and one RBI. Sunny Smith hit a three-run home run in the second inning to give Utah the extra edge. Molly McLean, Niki Hayhurst and Stacy O'Farrell each had a hit in the game. Arbogast was the winning pitcher for Utah, throwing five innings, giving up only five hits, zero runs, two walks and striking out five.
Against Nebraska, freshman Niki Hayhurst was a threat at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Trevis added two hits, one run and one RBI. Seven other Utah players racked up a hit apiece in the 5-1 win.
Utah lost a heartbreaker to California, 2-1 in nine innings on Sat., Mar. 18. With the score tied 0-0 after seven innings, the rules called for the international tie-breaker. California scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning taking the lead for good as Utah could manufacture only one run in the bottom of the ninth. Both teams had only three hits each. Utah's Arbogast took the loss for the Utes. She is now 16-12 overall. Utah is now 17-15-0 overall, 0-0-0 in MWC play.
Coming Up: Utah travels to Las Vegas, Nev. to take on the Rebels of UNLV on Sun., Apr. 2 in a doubleheader at 12:00 p.m. (PST). Utah will take on Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo. at 2:00 p.m. (DH) (MST) on Fri., Apr. 7.
Utah Softball's Hailee White Feature
Tuesday, April 15
Utah Softball's Jolie Mayfield Feature
Friday, March 28
Utah Softball - The Inaugural 1976 Team
Wednesday, March 19
University of Utah Athletics - A Storied History
Friday, August 02