Completed Event: Softball versus No. 2 Seed Oklahoma State on May 7, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 7
Final Score
Softball
0
vs No. 2 Seed Oklahoma State
7
The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Softball Readies for Season Opener
1/20/2005 12:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 20, 2005
You would think that after belting a school-record 65 homeruns last season a team would see no reason to tweak its offense.
But, going into the 2005 campaign, the University of Utah softball team looks to make its offense more dynamic.
Last year, the Utes led the league in homeruns and owned a .435 slugging percentage. Utah ranked sixth in the country with 1.16 homeruns per game and 21st in slugging percentage.
The Utes brought a lot of power to the diamond in 2004 and you'll be able to say the same thing about the 2005 squad. But now, Utah has added speed to the equation.
"We'll look different offensively this year," commented veteran head coach Mona Stevens who is entering her ninth season at the helm. "Our team hit for a lot of power last year. We had strength and quickness but we just lacked the speed.
"This season, we'll have a healthier mix. We're still going to have power and quickness but we're also going to add speed to our lineup."
 | We are going to look different offensively this year ... we're still going to have a lot of power and quickness but we're also going to add speed into our lineup. Head Coach Mona Stevens |
"All of our speedy kids have deceptive bat speed," said Stevens. "That allows us to attack defenses in many different ways.
"While we won't have as many homerun hitters this year, we need to make sure they're getting the bat on the ball because we'll have people on base and we need to hit them in."
Consistency is another concern that Stevens addressed in the off-season. The Utes, who were 23-33 overall and 8-12 in Mountain West Conference action, struggled last year to maintain an even keel both mentally and physically.
"We played hard last year but we didn't play consistently day-in and day-out," said Stevens. "Mental and emotional toughness starts in the weightroom. And, we've been working daily on being stronger mentally and physically for every practice and every game.
"If we get a better handle on that, the talent's there and we'll be successful."
The Utes got a taste of that success at the end of last season, rallying for yet another strong finish. Utah surged through the Mountain West Conference Tournament and snagged the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
"We are a solid team and I think that our finish in 2004 showed that," noted Stevens. "We're determined to build on that this year."
Infield
Despite two new faces on the left side, the Utes anticipate a solid season around the horn.
"I'm extremely happy with all of our infielders," Stevens commented. "Entering fall ball, the left side was a big question mark. We didn't know where we were at a key part of the defense and we weren't sure if we could compete with a freshman and sophomore on that side."
With the departure of tested veterans and all-West Region performers Glennis Donnelley and Melissa Stahnke from the left side, sophomore Devina Quintero and newcomer Sharee Fonoti were asked to step in and perform last fall. And, they did.
"Devina and Sharee met every expectation I have of a junior and senior-year player," noted Stevens. "I believe we have one of the best left sides in the conference. We're going to be fine."
 Devina Quintero was one of two freshmen named to the all-conference team. | |
Freshman Fonoti has matured and adapted quickly to the college game, solidifying the team's concern at shortstop. She is smooth and consistent and possesses an excellent range that you find in top-notch middle-infielders.
The right side is led by a pair of junior veterans in Ivette Hernandez at first and Jackie Wong at second.
"The duo stepped up their game at the end of last season," Stevens said. "With their leadership, the right side is definitely one of our strengths this year."
Ivette played in all 56 games at first in 2004 and fielded a team-high .985 at the corner. She accounted for a mere six errors in 383 chances. She also shined at the plate, hitting .261 with 42 hits, 10 doubles and nine homers.
Wong adds experience at second, having played in the infield in all 43 appearances last season. She owned a .255 average with 25 hits, two doubles, a triple and a homerun.
Outfield
The Utes return a strong, veteran outfield but Stevens is quick to point out that it didn't meet its expectations last season.
"I didn't think the outfield played to its potential last year," Stevens observed. "Perhaps our opponents hit the ball hard and our outfield lacked the confidence it needed to have in our pitching staff. But, after this past fall, I'm positive that we are going to have a strong group of outfielders this season."
A healthy mix of newcomers and returnees will make the outfield the deepest and most dependable part of the team's defense.
A trio of returnees highlight the outfield in Texie Criddle, Sarah Lyman and Lynsey Wall.
Criddle played in 38 games last season making 27 appearances in the outfield. She adds a lot of leadership and brings footspeed to the lineup. Last season, the Hooper native hit .162 with 11 hits, one of them a triple.
Lyman has one of the top softball minds on the team. The 5-5 Salt Lake City native will anchor the outfield at centerfielder, hitting .156 last season with 10 hits and two doubles. But, Lyman had a solid offensive showing in the fall and will also be an integral part of the team's scoring punch.
Two-time all-conference honoree Wall is a versatile athlete, comfortable anywhere on the field. However, she showed a lot of confidence in left field last fall, and will see the bulk of her time there this season. She is one the team's top hitters, leading all returning outfielders in hitting with a .219 average, eight doubles and eight home runs.
 Lynsey Wall is a two-time all-MWC outfielder for Utah. | |
Both lefty slappers and under five-feet tall, Crouse and Matthews come from the same competitive club program that made waves on the national scene. Their hustle makes the team faster on the basepaths while their deceptive bat speeds will give Utah versatility at the plate.
Crouse has spent most of her pre-collegiate career in the outfield and has great instinct there. She will compete for time in left while Matthews will see time in right.
Phillips will be in the lineup as a rightfielder for the most part, but she could play center as well. A lefty slapper too, she showed that she can hit away and hit the ball hard last fall. Phillips brings a lot of raw talent to the diamond and will be groomed to lead from the outfield.
"With these six athletes pushing each other this season, we are going to be solid this year in the outfield," Stevens said.
Battery
A pitching staff that started to roll at the end of last season returns as another strength in 2005.
The Ute hurlers will feature the MWC tournament MVP Brianna Gourdin. She led the Utes last season with 18 wins and a 2.81 earned-run average. Hampered most of the season with injuries, Gourdin returned to full health at the end of the year and led Utah by sweeping its way through the MWC tournament and to an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
"Brianna finally got healthy three-fourths of the way through last season and had a strong finish," Stevens recalls. "She worked hard through the summer and returned this year in great shape. We anticipate that she'll pick up right where she left off last year."
Rounding out a deep and mature pitching staff are returner Samantha Schroeder and JUCO transfer Lindsie Nielsen.
Schroeder appeared in 16 games last year and went 2-7 with a 6.33 ERA. With one more year of experience and the ability to counter Gourdin, Stevens figures to see marked improvement from Schroeder.
"Sam is completely different from Brianna," notes Stevens. "She throws hard but also has a deceptive change-up that will fool you time and again."
Nielsen, who led Salt Lake Community College to a JUCO World Series appearance, dons the Crimson and White after spending two successful seasons with the Bruins. She stepped in this fall and brought an attitude and mindset to the team that will be a big influence on its success this season.
"Lindsie is tough in the circle," Stevens said. "She has so much potential to go along with her experience. Once she masters the change-up, she will be a complete pitcher."
At catcher, Bryanne Durrence and Kate Nygaard will be tapped to call the game for the Utes.
 Kate Nygaard will be a designated hitter when she's not catching. | |
Nygaard, on the other hand, caught in 17 of the 55 games she appeared in last year. An experienced and talented hitter (.208 with 10 homeruns), Nygaard will most likely be the designated hitter when she's not catching.
"We are solid at catcher with Bryanne and Kate," commented Stevens. "They bring a lot of leadership and experience to the field and we need to have both of them in the lineup."
Schedule
The Utes have their work cut out for them with the likes of defending champion UCLA, Stanford, Florida State, Texas A&M and Fresno State on the docket.
"We have a strong schedule this season," notes Stevens. "We tried to balance the schedule so it builds confidence while giving us experience against top teams. Hopefully, it will help us to continue to play well at the end of the season."
As far as the conference season, Stevens points to San Diego State, UNLV and Utah as teams that will be in the mix. Colorado State, last year's MWC regular season champ, and BYU also return solid teams and will make it a challenging race for the 2005 Mountain West Conference title.
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2B
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