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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Softball Signs Eight to National Letters of Intent
11/13/2019 3:04 PM | Softball
Ute class ranked No. 9 in the country by Extra Innings Softball
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah Softball announced that eight student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Utes in 2021. This incoming class is ranked ninth in the country by Extra Inning Softball
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"It is a great day to be a Ute," head coach Amy Hogue said. "I could not be more excited about the group that we get to announce today. We worked hard to find student-athletes throughout the country that have the skills it takes to win at the highest level and that will also add to our established culture here at Utah.This group checks off all the boxes and I look forward to having each and every one of them here representing the Utes!"
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Aliya Belarde is an infielder from Lakewood, Calif. She attends Los Alamitos High School where she hit .443 with 10 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 26 runs batted in, 51 runs scored and 29 stolen bases. She led her club team, So Cal Athletics – Richardson, to outstanding finishes at IDT Colorado, TCS Nationals in Georgia and the PGF Nationals.
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Belarde is ranked as the No. 31 recruit in the nation by Extra Innings Softball and is a MaxPreps All-American. She also earned Cal-Hi All State and All-CIFSS Division 1 honors.
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Belarde is the daughter of Andrea and Jody and has three siblings, James, Ariana and Jacob. Ariana is a NFCA NAIA All-Region selection at Menlo College. Aliya plans to major in business and is a Scholar-Athlete at Los Alamitos.
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"Ali is a dynamic middle infielder who I have seen make the toughest plays look routine. She has a feel for the game that is fun to watch and is what makes her stand out among her peers. Offensively, she does it all on the left side, with speed, touch and sneaky pop."
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Alicia Estrada is a pitcher from Oxnard, California. She attends Rio Mesa High School and is a two-time League MVP while helping her side to three-straight Pacific View championships. She was also the MVP while playing for her club team, Aces.
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Estrada is the daughter of Yeny and Ruben, has two brothers, Erick and Ruben and is a member of Rio Mesa HS's Dean's List.
"Alicia has been nicknamed 'little bull' and when you see her play, you will know why. She is tough, extremely tough. She is a fighter in the circle, with so much experience against the toughest lineups. I hae seen her get swings and misses against the best hitters and I know she will help us win games. Don't let her size fool you!"
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MK Gomez is an outfielder from West Jordan. She attends Copper Hills and led the state with a .700 batting average. Gomez accumulated 49 hits, 40 runs batted in, 17 extra-base hits, five home runs and slugged 1.257. With those numbers, she is a three-time all-state selection and Region MVP.
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MK is the daughter of Maddie Gomez and Eric Gonzalez, a Utah alum. She has three siblings, Preston, Sybella and Sophie and plans to major in kinesiology to become a physical therapist. She is a honor roll student at Copper Hills HS and an All-Region Academic selection while also playing basketball. She also works at a local community center coaching softball.
"MK is a Utah kid who was determined to be a Ute. She came to camps year after year and became an easy pick for us to add to this 2020 class. She's gritty, does not back down from a challenge and brings a ton of leadership qualities to the field. Â She is an outfielder with speed and a left-handed hitter who is a triple threat."
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Sophie Jacquez is an infielder from Rancho Murieta, California. She attends Pleasant Grove High School and hit .373 with 56 hits, 27 runs batted in, two triples, two home runs, and 14 stolen bases. She overcame a torn ACL to earn All-Delta League honors as well as SportStars Magazine's All-City Team accolades
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She paced her club team, Universal Fastpitch with a .495 batting average and hit .500 (10 for 20) at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals. The year before, she led her side with a .430 batting average and hit .714 (10 for 14) at the 16U PGF Premier Nationals and .619 (13 for 21) at the Triple Crown World Series.
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Jacquez is recognized as the No. 36 player in the country by Extra Innings Softball and is the daughter of Jodi and Craig. She also has a sister, Arcadia. Her father played baseball at Cal Poly and her grandfather Hank played professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Sophie plans to major in sports medicine in order to become an athletic trainer. She is an Honor Roll student at Pleasant Grove and is a member of the All Star Eagles, a group of softball players who help teach the sport to students with special needs
"Sophie is a softball junkie. She plays the game like there is nothing else in the world that she would rather be doing. She has solid fundamental movements as a middle infielder and her game has elevated immensely each year that I have tracked her. She is a lefty who sprays the ball all over the field and is extremely hard to get out."
Mariah Lopez is a pitcher from Peoria, Arizona. She has won a pair of 5A State titles at Centennial High School and has been named the Southern Arizona Pitcher of the Year. A First Team 5A All-Conference honoree, she also helped her Firecrackers AZ to a PGF Shootout championship and the Colorado Fireworks Power Pool title
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Lopez is the daughter of Reynaldo and JoAnn and has two siblings, Andrew and Jordan. She plans on majoring in business to become an interior designer
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"Mariah is the first lefty pitcher that I have ever signed. You have no idea how excited I am to have her on our pitching staff. She is very efficient and has been able to get out of innings regularly without throwing 10 pitches. She is poised and confident and has the calmness it takes to survive the ups and downs of the grind we face in the Pac-12.".Â
Leilani Melendez is a catcher from La Mirada, California. She was named the Whitter Daily News All-Area Player of the Year after a stellar season at La Mirada High School. The Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team selection played a leading role as the Matadores secured a Suburban League championship and reached the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
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Melendez smacked a season-high 11 home runs, finishing the season with an outstanding batting average of .463 and a team-high 38 RBIs. She is widely considered to be one of the top catchers for the class of 2020 and played a vital role this season in the development of a talented pitching staff.
"Laylo is a utility player who can play just about anywhere on the field. She is primarily a catcher, but runs well enough to cover a lot of ground in the outfield and is playing some infield for her team this year. She is a fun kid with a playful attitude and swings a big stick. We will look for her to replace some of the power that we will be losing to graduation this year."
Shelbi Ortiz is an outfielder from Huntington Beach, California. She attends Huntington Beach High School and hit .425 for the No. 1 ranked team in Orange County. She won the Coaches Award and is a captain for the Oilers.
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She is ranked as the No. 39 recruit in the nation by Extra Inning Softball and plays her club ball with Firecrackers – Rico/Weil. Ortiz is the daughter of Marty and Rikki and also has a brother, Cade. Shelbi would like to be a physician's assistant and represented her high school at the Women in Sports Conference and Sportsmanship Conference.
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"Shelbi is an outfielder who has played on some of the best teams in Southern California. She is a lefty who has learned to do her job in the front of the lineup, which is to find her way on base. She is a steady and consistent player which is tough to find in a game with so many variables."
Savanah Whatley is an infielder from Oakley, California. The Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Junior of the Year hit .544 with a home run, two triples, a team leading eight doubles, a team-high 26 runs batted in and finished second in runs scored with 26
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Whatley was also named West Catholic Athletic League co-MVP, All Bay Area News Group First Team and San Francisco Chronicle All Metro Second Team honors. After a freshman season at Berean Christian where Savanah hit .478, scored 34 runs and even did some pitching, she hit . 600 as a sophomore. She plays club ball with LTG Lions, was invited to play for the Mexican Junior National Team and is ranked the No. 54 recruit in the country by Extra Inning Softball
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Whatley is the daughter of Patricia and has a sister, Sadie. With a 3.4 grade point average, she enjoys chemistry and math and would like to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse.
"Sav loves to train to be great at her trade. She is someone who I have no doubt will put the time in to make sure she succeeds on and off the field. She is a middle infielder with good hands and a strong arm. She bats from the left side and has great control."
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"It is a great day to be a Ute," head coach Amy Hogue said. "I could not be more excited about the group that we get to announce today. We worked hard to find student-athletes throughout the country that have the skills it takes to win at the highest level and that will also add to our established culture here at Utah.This group checks off all the boxes and I look forward to having each and every one of them here representing the Utes!"
Â
Aliya Belarde is an infielder from Lakewood, Calif. She attends Los Alamitos High School where she hit .443 with 10 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 26 runs batted in, 51 runs scored and 29 stolen bases. She led her club team, So Cal Athletics – Richardson, to outstanding finishes at IDT Colorado, TCS Nationals in Georgia and the PGF Nationals.
Â
Belarde is ranked as the No. 31 recruit in the nation by Extra Innings Softball and is a MaxPreps All-American. She also earned Cal-Hi All State and All-CIFSS Division 1 honors.
Â
Belarde is the daughter of Andrea and Jody and has three siblings, James, Ariana and Jacob. Ariana is a NFCA NAIA All-Region selection at Menlo College. Aliya plans to major in business and is a Scholar-Athlete at Los Alamitos.
Â
"Ali is a dynamic middle infielder who I have seen make the toughest plays look routine. She has a feel for the game that is fun to watch and is what makes her stand out among her peers. Offensively, she does it all on the left side, with speed, touch and sneaky pop."
Â
Alicia Estrada is a pitcher from Oxnard, California. She attends Rio Mesa High School and is a two-time League MVP while helping her side to three-straight Pacific View championships. She was also the MVP while playing for her club team, Aces.
Â
Estrada is the daughter of Yeny and Ruben, has two brothers, Erick and Ruben and is a member of Rio Mesa HS's Dean's List.
"Alicia has been nicknamed 'little bull' and when you see her play, you will know why. She is tough, extremely tough. She is a fighter in the circle, with so much experience against the toughest lineups. I hae seen her get swings and misses against the best hitters and I know she will help us win games. Don't let her size fool you!"
Â
MK Gomez is an outfielder from West Jordan. She attends Copper Hills and led the state with a .700 batting average. Gomez accumulated 49 hits, 40 runs batted in, 17 extra-base hits, five home runs and slugged 1.257. With those numbers, she is a three-time all-state selection and Region MVP.
Â
MK is the daughter of Maddie Gomez and Eric Gonzalez, a Utah alum. She has three siblings, Preston, Sybella and Sophie and plans to major in kinesiology to become a physical therapist. She is a honor roll student at Copper Hills HS and an All-Region Academic selection while also playing basketball. She also works at a local community center coaching softball.
"MK is a Utah kid who was determined to be a Ute. She came to camps year after year and became an easy pick for us to add to this 2020 class. She's gritty, does not back down from a challenge and brings a ton of leadership qualities to the field. Â She is an outfielder with speed and a left-handed hitter who is a triple threat."
Â
Sophie Jacquez is an infielder from Rancho Murieta, California. She attends Pleasant Grove High School and hit .373 with 56 hits, 27 runs batted in, two triples, two home runs, and 14 stolen bases. She overcame a torn ACL to earn All-Delta League honors as well as SportStars Magazine's All-City Team accolades
Â
She paced her club team, Universal Fastpitch with a .495 batting average and hit .500 (10 for 20) at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals. The year before, she led her side with a .430 batting average and hit .714 (10 for 14) at the 16U PGF Premier Nationals and .619 (13 for 21) at the Triple Crown World Series.
Â
Jacquez is recognized as the No. 36 player in the country by Extra Innings Softball and is the daughter of Jodi and Craig. She also has a sister, Arcadia. Her father played baseball at Cal Poly and her grandfather Hank played professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Sophie plans to major in sports medicine in order to become an athletic trainer. She is an Honor Roll student at Pleasant Grove and is a member of the All Star Eagles, a group of softball players who help teach the sport to students with special needs
"Sophie is a softball junkie. She plays the game like there is nothing else in the world that she would rather be doing. She has solid fundamental movements as a middle infielder and her game has elevated immensely each year that I have tracked her. She is a lefty who sprays the ball all over the field and is extremely hard to get out."
Mariah Lopez is a pitcher from Peoria, Arizona. She has won a pair of 5A State titles at Centennial High School and has been named the Southern Arizona Pitcher of the Year. A First Team 5A All-Conference honoree, she also helped her Firecrackers AZ to a PGF Shootout championship and the Colorado Fireworks Power Pool title
Â
Lopez is the daughter of Reynaldo and JoAnn and has two siblings, Andrew and Jordan. She plans on majoring in business to become an interior designer
Â
"Mariah is the first lefty pitcher that I have ever signed. You have no idea how excited I am to have her on our pitching staff. She is very efficient and has been able to get out of innings regularly without throwing 10 pitches. She is poised and confident and has the calmness it takes to survive the ups and downs of the grind we face in the Pac-12.".Â
Leilani Melendez is a catcher from La Mirada, California. She was named the Whitter Daily News All-Area Player of the Year after a stellar season at La Mirada High School. The Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team selection played a leading role as the Matadores secured a Suburban League championship and reached the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
Â
Melendez smacked a season-high 11 home runs, finishing the season with an outstanding batting average of .463 and a team-high 38 RBIs. She is widely considered to be one of the top catchers for the class of 2020 and played a vital role this season in the development of a talented pitching staff.
"Laylo is a utility player who can play just about anywhere on the field. She is primarily a catcher, but runs well enough to cover a lot of ground in the outfield and is playing some infield for her team this year. She is a fun kid with a playful attitude and swings a big stick. We will look for her to replace some of the power that we will be losing to graduation this year."
Shelbi Ortiz is an outfielder from Huntington Beach, California. She attends Huntington Beach High School and hit .425 for the No. 1 ranked team in Orange County. She won the Coaches Award and is a captain for the Oilers.
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She is ranked as the No. 39 recruit in the nation by Extra Inning Softball and plays her club ball with Firecrackers – Rico/Weil. Ortiz is the daughter of Marty and Rikki and also has a brother, Cade. Shelbi would like to be a physician's assistant and represented her high school at the Women in Sports Conference and Sportsmanship Conference.
Â
"Shelbi is an outfielder who has played on some of the best teams in Southern California. She is a lefty who has learned to do her job in the front of the lineup, which is to find her way on base. She is a steady and consistent player which is tough to find in a game with so many variables."
Savanah Whatley is an infielder from Oakley, California. The Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Junior of the Year hit .544 with a home run, two triples, a team leading eight doubles, a team-high 26 runs batted in and finished second in runs scored with 26
Â
Whatley was also named West Catholic Athletic League co-MVP, All Bay Area News Group First Team and San Francisco Chronicle All Metro Second Team honors. After a freshman season at Berean Christian where Savanah hit .478, scored 34 runs and even did some pitching, she hit . 600 as a sophomore. She plays club ball with LTG Lions, was invited to play for the Mexican Junior National Team and is ranked the No. 54 recruit in the country by Extra Inning Softball
Â
Whatley is the daughter of Patricia and has a sister, Sadie. With a 3.4 grade point average, she enjoys chemistry and math and would like to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse.
"Sav loves to train to be great at her trade. She is someone who I have no doubt will put the time in to make sure she succeeds on and off the field. She is a middle infielder with good hands and a strong arm. She bats from the left side and has great control."
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