Utah Softball Announces 2018-19 Class

SALT LAKE CITY – Ellessa Bonstrom, Haley Denning, Jordyn Gasper, Makayla Hurst, Jess Lynch and Sydney Sandez have signed National Letters of Intent to play softball for the University of Utah beginning in the spring of 2019, head coach Amy Hogue announced today.

With two top-100 players and five in top 150, this incoming class is ranked No. 16 in the nation by FloSoftball.com, third in the Pac-12.

"This class brings a lot of versatility and high character to the Utes," Hogue stated. "We are adding two pitchers to our staff since we lose both Miranda Viramontes and Katie Donovan this spring to graduation. Additionally, we are adding some really speedy options and some powerful bats. We are excited about each and every one of these young ladies, because of what they do on the field and the types of students they are in the classroom."

ELLESSA BONSTROM
Position: UTIL
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
High School: Canyon Del Oro HS

Bonstrom batted .495 last season and smacked 11 home runs for Canyon Del Oro High School as it won the 4A state title. She was named First Team All-State and earned the 2016 and '17 Offensive Awards as well as Arizona Hitter of the Week last season.

The No. 4 rated player in the state of Arizona by MaxPreps.com, Bonstrom led her club team, Oro Valley Suncats Judge, to a Premier Girls Fastpitch Shootout championship, which earned it the No. 1 ranking in the country.

Ellessa is the daughter of Peggy and Bruce Bonstrom and has two siblings, Kayla and Cory. Kayla played softball at Stanford and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year before capturing all-academic and all-conference honors.

Ellessa, a National Honor Society member, plans on majoring in business or marketing and would like to become an interior designer or work in real estate.

Ellessa on choosing Utah: "I love the atmosphere and the lifestyle at Utah. The campus and city are beautiful and this is a great softball program and coaching staff."

Coach Hogue on Bonstrom: "Ellessa is a pure hitter. She has power to all fields and is an extremely competitive player. She demands a lot from herself and will work hard to excel in our program. She has some versatility on defense which will allow us some flexibly, and will allow her the opportunity to be an impact in our line up immediately. Ellessa played for the AZ Cats with current Ute Katie Faulk."

HALEY DENNING
Position: OF/INF
Hometown: Phoenix
High School: Arcadia HS

Denning, an All-City and All-Region selection at Arcadia High School, has a career .588 batting average with 174 hits and 154 runs scored. She is currently ranked the No. 52 player in the nation by FloSoftball.com

She helped her club team, Firecrackers AZ, to a Triple Crown Sports Fireworks Super 32 U16 championship and a runner-up spot at the U18 Super 48.

Haley is the daughter of Gene and Chris Denning, and has one sibling, Connor. She plans on majoring in sports medicine with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer. Denning was also an All –Division soccer player, registering 20 goals this past season.

She was also a GOAL tutor, a member of the Key Club and the Academic Honor Roll. Denning parlayed her passion for crafts into becoming President of the "Gosh Yarn It" Club, which taught knitting and bracelet making to students, with all goods donated to children's hospitals.

Haley on choosing Utah: "I fell in love with the climate and outdoor activities that are available. I also fell in love with all the people associated with the softball program."

Coach Hogue on Denning: "We are really excited about the speed and versatility that Haley brings us, both offensively and defensively. She is an extremely hard worker with a great mentality and is willing to do anything to help the team win. Haley has played with fellow signee Jessica Lynch, and current freshman Chandler Walter in travel ball. She will see time in every outfield position and we are looking forward to see her running down balls in our big stadium."

JORDYN GASPER
Position: OF
Hometown: Valencia, Calif.
High School: Hart HS

Gasper batted .454 with 24 RBIs, 29 runs, six doubles and two triples as a centerfielder at Hart High School. For her efforts, she was named All-Santa Clarita Valley and All-Area. She also led her team to a California Interscholastic Federation runner-up spot in Division 3.

Playing with the SoCal Choppers, she won an IDT U14 Boulder Championship and a U14 FCS National Championship. She then led the U16 squad to a IDT Boulder runner-up spot and is now a member of the U18 squad.

Jordyn is the daughter of Terri and Steve Gaspar and has a sibling, Cole. Her cousin is Madison Shipman, the 2014 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year for Tennessee.

Jordyn plans on majoring in secondary education and wants to be a junior high or high school teacher. A member of the honor roll, she was a member of the Homecoming Court and was voted as the top female athlete her senior year.

Jordyn on choosing Utah: "Utah just feels like a second home to me."

Coach Hogue on Gasper: "Gasper is an exciting prospect with a high ceiling. She comes from a family of athletes and understands what it takes to win at a high level. Coming from the So Cal Choppers organization, she is an experienced outfielder with a good arm and will provide a solid bat from the left side of the plate. A smart hitter that could fit in many different spots in the lineup, it will be exciting to see what kind of power that Jordyn develops."

MAKAYLA HURST
Position: 1B/3B
Hometown: St. Louis
High School: Timberland HS

Hurst was the St. Louis American Prep Athlete of the Year after finishing the season with a batting average of .559 and 36 runs batted in. A three-time All-Gateway Athletic Conference, two-time All-District and All-State selection at Timberland High School, she also earned All-Academic honors every year.

Hurst played select ball with the St. Louis Chaos. She put up some impressive numbers, hitting .344 with 12 home runs, 60 RBIs and 37 runs scored

Makayla is the daughter of Ty Hurst and Laura Lynch. Her mother lettered in track at Lindenwood University and Makayla is a two-time All-State performer in the discus for Timberland's track and field team. She also earned the Wolf Pack Pride Award and was a member of Gateway for Change, the Link Crew, Captains Crew and Motivation Club. Makayla plans on majoring in kinesiology

Makayla on choosing Utah: "It was a beautiful campus and when I met Coach A, we clicked. I never I had that feeling before. I knew I was meant to be a Ute."

Coach Hogue on Hurst: You cannot teach the type of power that Makayla possesses. She came to camp a couple summers ago, and really impressed us with her willingness to learn. She has amazing bat speed and is very athletic. We are excited to see what she can do and how being in our system will help her to grow as a player.

JESS LYNCH
Position: OF/INF
Hometown: Chandler, Arizona
High School: Corona del Sol HS

Lynch was an All-Region, All-Section and All-City honoree after throwing a perfect game, homering and hitting a pair of doubles in the 6A state playoffs for Corona del Sol High School. She is ranked as a top-20 player in Arizona by MaxPreps.com and a Top 100 recruit by FloSoftball.com. For her career, she has racked up 408 strikeouts in 328 innings pitched and has also amassed a /415 batting average and 108 runs batted in.

Due to her strong club play with Firecrackers AZ, she was selected to play in the 2017 Fireworks All-American game and was the starting pitcher. She helped her club team, Firecrackers AZ, to a Triple Crown Sports Fireworks Super 32 U16 championship and a runner-up spot at the U18 Super 48.

Jess is the daughter of Don and Debby Lynch, and has two siblings, Tyler and Danielle. She plans on majoring in sports medicine with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. Lynch was also named to the AZ Sports 360 All-Academic Team

Jess on choosing Utah: "I will get a great education at a school that is beautiful. Utah has the best coaching staff in the nation. Also, my mother grew up in Utah and my uncle lives there."

Coach Hogue on Lynch: " Jess is an experienced pitcher who has constantly played against top teams in the country. She has the ability to spin the ball really well and will continue to excel as she gets even stronger in the weight room. She will add depth to our pitching staff and bring a really competitive attitude to the circle. Jess played travel ball with fellow signee Haley Denning and current Ute Chandler Walter.

SYNDEY SANDEZ
Position: P
Hometown: Chula Vista, Calif.
High School: Olympian HS

Sandez is a member of the Mexican Junior National Team, which placed ninth at the Junior Worlds this year. At Olympian High School, she has accumulated a 1.75 earned run average while racking up a .375 batting average at the plate. Sandez is ranked as the No. 93 player in the nation by FloSoftball.com

She threw a one-hitter in the CIF semifinals and followed that with a three-hitter in the championship game to win the Division 3 title for San Diego. Named a San Diego Prep Insider Player to Watch for this upcoming season, Sandez was named MVP in 2017.

Sydney is the daughter of Leslie and Luis Sandez, who both attended San Diego State, and has two siblings, Lexie and Eduardo. She has a long list of athletes in her family as her mother and aunt Nicole both played collegiately and for the Mexican National Team. Her grandfather William played football at USC and her uncle Jake played baseball at UCLA and professionally with the Mariners, White Sox and Reds.

Sydney on choosing Utah: "The environment and the coaching staff made Utah feel like a second home to me!."

Coach Hogue on Sandez: "Sydney is a right-handed pitcher that just continues to get better and better. When we first saw her, she had barely started playing travel ball. Having played with some very competitive teams, she has continued to get stronger and more precise. She will give our defense a lot of ground ball opportunities which we love! Sydney also has a chance to continue to play with the Mexican National team which is a great opportunity to keep getting better playing against top talent in the world."

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Upcoming Event: Softball versus UC Riverside on February 7, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

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Upcoming Event: Softball versus California on February 13, 2026 at 1 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Softball at Santa Clara on February 13, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Softball versus Illinois State University on February 14, 2026 at 1 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Softball at San Jose State on February 14, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Completed Event: Softball versus Weber State on October 14, 2025

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