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 Opens Season at Kajikawa Classic
2/8/2016 12:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 8, 2016
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- Complete Game Notes
- Kajikawa Classic Tournament Central
ON DECK
The Utah Softball team (0-0) will open the 2016 season at the Kajikawa Classic, which will take place in Tempe, Ariz. this weekend, Feb. 12-15. The tournament will be hosted by Arizona State, with games set to be played at the Tempe Sports Complex and Farrington Stadium.
The Utes will play six games this weekend, beginning with a match-up against No. 25 Notre Dame on Friday at 12 p.m. MT and closing with No. 17 Kentucky on Monday at 12:30 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Networks
The Utes play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, taking on Georgia State (7 p.m. MT) and Portland State (9:30 p.m. MT) followed by Fresno State (1:30 p.m. MT) and Boston College (3:45 p.m. MT).
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Utah Softball is ranked No. 23 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25 and is receiving votes in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Preseason Poll, ranking No. 28 nationally.
Following a 36-19 record and an at-large berth into the 2015 NCAA Championship Tournament, the Utes rounded out the 2015 campaign ranked No. 25 in the nation in ESPN.com/USA Softball's final poll.
Utah's 2015 ranking marked just the second time in school history that it finished a season in the Top 25. The Utes finished the 1997 campaign ranked No. 16 in the nation. Utah also finished the 2015 season receiving votes in the NFCA/USA Today Top 25 Poll.
Overall, Utah tallied six weeks of receiving votes in the NFCA/USA Today poll and a total of seven weeks (three weeks receiving votes, four weeks ranked) in the ESPN/USA Softball poll. Utah's highest ranking last year occurred when the team was slotted at No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll.
The Pac-12 had seven programs ranked in the Top 25 in this year's USA Softball Preseason Poll while six teams were tabbed in the NFCA Preseason Poll. Oregon is the top Pac-12 team in both polls (#4/6) followed by UCLA (#7/7), Arizona (#15/13), Washington (#19/20), Arizona State (#20/24) and California (#22/21)
2016 PAC-12 PRESEASON POLL
1. Oregon (8), 64
2. UCLA (1), 51
3. Arizona, 49
4. Washington, 42
5. Utah, 36
6. California, 32
7. Arizona State, 27
8. Oregon State, 15
9. Stanford, 8
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Utah's Katie Donovan was tabbed as a Preseason All-American by College Sports Madness and she, along with teammates Hannah Flippen and Heather Bowen, were all named to its Preseason Pac-12 All-Conference team.
Donovan, a sophomore pitcher, was a fourth-team selection nationally and a First Team All-Pac-12 pick. Flippen, a junior infielder, and Bowen, a sophomore outfielder, earned nods to the conference's second team.
As a freshman, Donovan posted a 16-8 record and recorded four shutouts in 25 starts on her way to earning All-NFCA and All-Pac-12 honors. She finished third in the Pac-12 with a 2.66 earned run average and 154 strikeouts.
Opponents batted just .224 against her, third lowest in the Pac-12 and her seven saves placed her third in the nation. Donovan was one out away from a no-hitter in just her second career start but she would eventually get the job done in a contest against Nevada.
Flippen, Utah's last All-American, became the first Ute player to earn back-to-back All-NFCA honors since Diana Phillips since 2008.
The Ute co-captain, hit .348 for the Utes, collecting eight doubles, a pair of triples and seven home runs. She scored 47 runs last season and drove in 28. A staple at second base for the Utes, Flippen recorded a team-high 120 assists and was a part of 23 double plays.
Bowen is the only returnee in the outfield after an impressive freshman season. The Las Vegas native was named All-Pac-12 after starting 43 games, hitting .288 and slugging .407 for the Utes.
A total of 24 players from all nine Pac-12 teams were named to both the first and second teams, with Oregon leading the way with five selections.
UP NEXT
The Utes will make its annual trip to Las Vegas next week to participate in the UNLV Wilson/DeMarini Classic, which will take place Feb. 19-21.
Utah will open the tournament against Robert Morris and follow that with contests against San Jose State, UC Davis, Boise State and Hawaii
Players Mentioned
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Utah Softball Coach Amy Hogue
Wednesday, May 13
ESPN+ Feature | Behind Game Day: Grass & Turf
Tuesday, May 12
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Softball's Hailey Maestretti
Tuesday, April 28
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Softball: Newcomer Noise
Friday, April 24