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 Notes
3/1/2005 12:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2005
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The Lineup: A trip to the Lone Star State is up next for the University of Utah softball team (6-9 overall) as it plays a five-game schedule at the Texas A&M Tournament in College Station, Texas, on March 4-6. The Utes will face McNeese State and Texas A&M in doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5. Tournament play wraps up on Sunday, March 6, with a single game against Miami (Ohio).
Quoting Head Coach Mona Stevens:
On the Texas A&M Tournament: "I don't think we are going to see anything different from the teams that we have already played this season. We have been in every single game this season. But, the questions are if our leadership can step up and if we can implement the changes that we make in practice this week.
"I think we're going to have a great a weekend if we can make adjustments on a couple things this week."
On the Palm Springs Classic: "It was a very disappointing week in that it would have taken very little for us to come away with five wins. All we needed was some timely hitting and some aggressive defense at the end of each game.
"What gets me is that we are still leading our opponents in batting average and earned-run average. We're just not doing what we need to do when it counts. We have got to clear our heads and start believing in ourselves. When we do that, our talent will come through."
Scouting the Texas A&M Tournament Opponents: Three opponents are on the docket at this weekend's five-game tournament on the campus of Texas A&M.
McNeese State brings a 6-12 overall mark into the tournament. The Cowgirls have lost two of their last three games. Texas-Arlington blanked the Cowgirls in back-to-back games last week.
Miami University is 5-4 on the young season. The RedHawks have won four of their last five but lost to Charlotte in their last outing, 4-3 (9).
Host Texas A&M was ranked No. 19 in last week's USA Today/NFCA top 25. The Aggies are 16-2 on the year, having won seven straight before dropping a 9-1 decision to No. 23 Long Beach State last weekend. They play at Sam Houston State prior to the tournament this week.
Too Close for Comfort: Five of the last seven games have been one-run affairs. However, the Utes have been coming up on the short side in those games. Utah is 2-5 in one-run games this season. The Utes were 9-10 in one-run games last year.
Error Report: The team turned in 17 errors in its five games last weekend. That total includes an eight-error showing against Mississippi State. Opponents plated 25 runs, only 10 of which were earned. In comparison, Utah committed a mere 13 errors in its first 10 games.
Tossin' Some Gems: Pitcher Brianna Gourdin had a strong weekend in making three starts at the Palm Springs Classic. Despite going 1-2, Gourdin's earned-run average was a paltry 0.61. She tossed 23.0 innings of work and struck out nine opponents to walking only two. Her ERA tumbled from 1.40 to 1.02 after last weekend. She now has the second best ERA in the conference.
Extra, Extra!: The Utes have played three extra-inning games so far this season. The eighth inning hasn't been a friendly one as Utah is 1-2 in the three games that have gone to eight innings. Last year, the Utes saw 12 of their games go to extra innings, going 8-4 in those outings.
Better Than Average: Bryanne Durrence, who is a career .231 hitter, is pacing the team with a .350 average (14-for-40). In fact, her batting average this season is among the top in the conference. She ranks 11th among all Mountain West Conference players.
The RBI Twins: Last weekend, Diana Phillips and Ivette Hernandez accounted for 10 of the team's 11 RBI. The duo have plated 25 of the team's 49 RBI thus far this season, responsible for 51 percent of the team's scoring punch.
Cashing In: Diana Phillips tallied the first bases-loaded hit of the season for Utah last weekend. The freshman outfielder cleared the bases when she hit a three-RBI double down the left field line in the second inning of the Mississippi State game.
On the Offensive: Ivette Hernandez saw her batting average jump from .273 to .319 after last week's games. For the second straight weekend, Hernandez led the Utes at the plate in hitting .429 (6-for-14). She had a double and a home run for a slugging percentage of .714 and was among the team leaders with five RBI.
RBI Machine: Ivette Hernandez accounts for 35 percent of the team's RBI total for the season. The junior first baseman has already tallied a team-high 17 RBI. The next closest to Hernandez' total is Diana Phillips. Despite batting in either the 1, 2 or 3 hole in 14 out of 15 games, Phillips is second on the team with eight RBI.
Hit and Runs: Kelly Matthews tallied a base hit in her first career at bat which came against Mississippi State. She went 1-for-2 in that game ... the Utes have lost back-to-back games and seven of their last eight ... Ivette Hernandez is averaging 1.13 RBI per game. Her 17 RBI lead all MWC players ... Hernandez' six home runs is also tops in the conference ... despite falling below .500, the Utes still have a better team batting average (.265-.256) and a better team ERA (2.18-3.36) than their opponents ... Devina Quintero and Jackie Wong have had a hit in each of the last three games ... Diana Phillips leads the Utes with six multi-hit games ... Hernandez has had five multi-RBI games.
At the Helm: Mona Stevens is in her ninth season as Utah's softball head coach. Stevens is 266-219-1 all-time and owns a 100-72-1 record in conference play. She has led her squad to four NCAA regional appearances and has coached three All-Americans. Stevens has also coached 12 all-West Region players including Glennis Donnelly and Melissa Stahnke in 2004. Her teams have won one MWC regular season title and three MWC tournament titles, including the 2004 tournament championship.
On Deck: The Utes take a weekend off next week before returning to play the home opener. Utah takes the diamond here in Salt Lake City to host Southern Utah on Wed., March 15. First pitch at Ute Field is set for noon. Games in California with Iowa (Thurs., March 17) and against Princeton and Stanford (Mar. 19-20) round out play that weekend.
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