Upcoming Event: Softball versus Utah Valley on October 2, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
vs Utah Valley
Saturday, March 25
Salt Lake City, UT
1 p.m.
University of Utah
vs
Weber State
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
No. 19 Softball Returns Home to Face Wildcats, Wolverines
3/23/2023 1:46 PM | Softball
Utah to play twice against Weber State on Saturday, host Utah Valley Tuesday
SALT LAKE CITY – After getting off to a 5-1 start in conference play that has them in first place in the Pac-12, the No. 23 University of Utah softball team will spend a few days at home entertaining a pair of non-conference foes at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium, starting on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Weber State Wildcats that will begin at 1 p.m, followed by a Tuesday tilt against the Utah Valley Wolverines, which will start at 4 p.m.
March 25-28 Schedule
How to Follow
Each contest will be broadcast live on Utah Live Stream 2 and fans can find links to the stream and live stats for each contest on UtahUtes.com
Game Day Promotions
It will be Youth Day at the ballpark on Saturday and the first 300 fans through the gates will receive a free t-shirt and all attendees can stick around after the final out for postgame autographs.
Tuesday's matchup will double as MUSS Appreciation Day and it will be $2 Tuesday for students, who will be able to purchase a hot dog and a drink for just $2. The first 300 students into the park will also receive a free Utah ballcap.
Last Time Out
The Utes maintained their first place standing in the Pac-12 by taking two of three in a wild series on the road against Arizona. After Utah took the series opener on Friday, both clubs spent the next two days locked into a pair of slugfests and, after a narrow loss on Saturday, the Utes staged their largest comeback in almost eight years to collect the finale and with it, a series win.
A complete game effort from Mariah Lopez, as well as four Utah homers helped propel the visitors to a victory on Friday and put them at 4-0 in league play for the first time since joining the Pac-12. The Utes nearly took the second game of the series before the Wildcats rallied, but Utah returned the favor on Sunday.
Facing deficits of 7-1 and 11-5, coach Amy Hogue's lineup erupted for eight runs over the last three innings, propelled in part by Abby Dayton, who tallied four RBIs, and Sophie Jacquez, who came up with a pair of clutch hits to drive in runs in the fifth and sixth. Ellessa Bonstrom provided the Utah with its first lead of the day by blasting a two-run homer in the seventh and Halle Morris, who didn't allow a single baserunner of the final three frames, took care of the rest for her first win of the season.
This is the first time since joining the Pac-12 the Utes have won their first two series in league play and the first time overall they've accomplished that feat since 2011.
Scouting the Opposition
The Wildcats are attempting to regain their footing, having lost six-in-a-row, but several of those defeats came against a pair of nation's top teams, including two losses to No. 1 Oklahoma. WSU is attempting to replicate the form that led them to 38 wins in 2022 and a Big Sky Tournament Championship.
Infielder McKell McCuistion and catcher Lauren Hoe have been two of Wildcats' standout performers in 2023. McCuistion owns a .355 average and leads the squad in hits, doubles and total bases, while Hoe's five homers, 18 RBIs and .530 slugging percentage are tops on the team. When the Wildcats split a twin bill with the Utes in 2022, it was McCuistion who struck the first big blow for WSU with a three-run homer in the first inning that eliminated an early Utah lead.
The Wolverines are fresh off a series victory over New Mexico State to start their conference schedule and Jaeden Barajas was one of the stars of the show for UVU. She picked up a hit in all six of her at-bats in Friday's doubleheader with the Aggies and she piled up three RBIs, four runs scored and added a homer. Kalina Shepherd contributed six RBIs to the Wolverines' cause, including four in game two.
Another one of UVU's heavy hitters is sophomore Megan Gibbs, who leads the squad with five round-trippers and 16 RBIs. Gibbs homered twice in the Wolverines' season-opening tournament in San Diego, including a grand slam in her team's win over Sacramento State. Gibbs also leads her team in hits, doubles and RBIs while crafting a .299 batting average.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 3/23/23)
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
National Rankings - Individual
National Rankings – Team
By compiling a 21-5 record and a 5-1 mark in the Pac-12, which puts them in first place, the University of Utah softball has earned a place all four national softball polls, claiming the No. 19 spot in the D1Softball.com, Softball American and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls and breaking into the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll at No. 23. This is the first time the Utes climbed into the top 20 in any poll since they started the 2018 season at No. 15.
Bonstrom, Dayton Recognized with Pac-12 Weekly Awards
Ellessa Bonstrom and Abby Dayton were recognized by the Pac-12 on Monday. Bonstrom received her second Pac-12 Player of the Week award in two weeks, while Dayton became the first Ute in six years to be named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Bonstrom is only the second Utah softball player to ever collect two player of the week awards in one season, matching a feat accomplished by Hannah Flippen in 2015.
Turn It Up to an 11
From Feb. 26 to March 17, the Utes strung together an 11-game win streak, their longest since they also on 11-in-a-row in 2017. Six of the victories during that run belonged to Sydney Sandez, who crafted a 0.49 ERA. At the plate, the Utes hit .369 as a team, led by Aliya Belarde's .500 average and Ellessa Bosntrom's six homers and 20 RBIs.
Starting Fast
For 10 straight games, from Feb. 19 to March 6, the Utes put together a consecutive games streak of scoring the first inning. Utah has outscored its opponents 38-11 in the first inning and the only inning in which they've score more runs is the fourth, where they've piled up 40.
Milestone Watch
Ellessa Bonstrom and Haley Denning both entered the year with significant milestones within their reach and they've continued to close in those accomplishments. Bonstrom, who has driven in 33 runs so far in 2023, is 19 away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also 13 walks and two sacrifice flies from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 23 bases through 26 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 90 steals. She needs 10 more to become only the third Ute to ever reach 100 career stolen bases.
More History for Hogue
One season after becoming the all-time wins leader in the history of Utah softball, head coach Amy Hogue has already surpassed two more milestones in 2023. With her team's win on Friday over Northern Colorado, Hogue became the first coach to reach 400 wins in program and two days later, she picked up the 600th victory of her head coaching career.
Lopez Named First Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week
For the first time since 2017, a Utah pitcher was honored with a weekly award. Mariah Lopez earned the title of Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week after starting the season with 14 1/3 scoreless innings and three straight victories. The last Utah pitcher to receive a weekly award was Miranda Viramontes, who was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week in 2017.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
March 25-28 Schedule
| Date | Game | Live Stats/Watch |
| March 25 | Utah vs. Weber State | Live Stats / Watch |
| March 25 | Utah vs. Weber State | Live Stats / Watch |
| March 28 | Utah vs. Utah Valley | Live Stats / Watch |
How to Follow
Each contest will be broadcast live on Utah Live Stream 2 and fans can find links to the stream and live stats for each contest on UtahUtes.com
Game Day Promotions
It will be Youth Day at the ballpark on Saturday and the first 300 fans through the gates will receive a free t-shirt and all attendees can stick around after the final out for postgame autographs.
Tuesday's matchup will double as MUSS Appreciation Day and it will be $2 Tuesday for students, who will be able to purchase a hot dog and a drink for just $2. The first 300 students into the park will also receive a free Utah ballcap.
Last Time Out
The Utes maintained their first place standing in the Pac-12 by taking two of three in a wild series on the road against Arizona. After Utah took the series opener on Friday, both clubs spent the next two days locked into a pair of slugfests and, after a narrow loss on Saturday, the Utes staged their largest comeback in almost eight years to collect the finale and with it, a series win.
A complete game effort from Mariah Lopez, as well as four Utah homers helped propel the visitors to a victory on Friday and put them at 4-0 in league play for the first time since joining the Pac-12. The Utes nearly took the second game of the series before the Wildcats rallied, but Utah returned the favor on Sunday.
Facing deficits of 7-1 and 11-5, coach Amy Hogue's lineup erupted for eight runs over the last three innings, propelled in part by Abby Dayton, who tallied four RBIs, and Sophie Jacquez, who came up with a pair of clutch hits to drive in runs in the fifth and sixth. Ellessa Bonstrom provided the Utah with its first lead of the day by blasting a two-run homer in the seventh and Halle Morris, who didn't allow a single baserunner of the final three frames, took care of the rest for her first win of the season.
This is the first time since joining the Pac-12 the Utes have won their first two series in league play and the first time overall they've accomplished that feat since 2011.
Scouting the Opposition
The Wildcats are attempting to regain their footing, having lost six-in-a-row, but several of those defeats came against a pair of nation's top teams, including two losses to No. 1 Oklahoma. WSU is attempting to replicate the form that led them to 38 wins in 2022 and a Big Sky Tournament Championship.
Infielder McKell McCuistion and catcher Lauren Hoe have been two of Wildcats' standout performers in 2023. McCuistion owns a .355 average and leads the squad in hits, doubles and total bases, while Hoe's five homers, 18 RBIs and .530 slugging percentage are tops on the team. When the Wildcats split a twin bill with the Utes in 2022, it was McCuistion who struck the first big blow for WSU with a three-run homer in the first inning that eliminated an early Utah lead.
The Wolverines are fresh off a series victory over New Mexico State to start their conference schedule and Jaeden Barajas was one of the stars of the show for UVU. She picked up a hit in all six of her at-bats in Friday's doubleheader with the Aggies and she piled up three RBIs, four runs scored and added a homer. Kalina Shepherd contributed six RBIs to the Wolverines' cause, including four in game two.
Another one of UVU's heavy hitters is sophomore Megan Gibbs, who leads the squad with five round-trippers and 16 RBIs. Gibbs homered twice in the Wolverines' season-opening tournament in San Diego, including a grand slam in her team's win over Sacramento State. Gibbs also leads her team in hits, doubles and RBIs while crafting a .299 batting average.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 3/23/23)
| Batting Avg. | Aliya Belarde | .457 | |
| Slugging % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .814 | |
| On Base % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .516 | |
| Runs Scored | Haley Denning | 31 | |
| Hits | Aliya Belarde | 42 | |
| RBI | Ellessa Bonstrom | 33 | |
| Doubles | Sophie Jacquez Aliya Belarde |
7 | |
| Home Runs | Ellessa Bonstrom | 8 | |
| Stolen Bases | Haley Denning | 23 | |
| ERA | Sydney Sandez | 2.16 (69.1 IP) |
| K's | Mariah Lopez | 81 |
| Wins | Sydney Sandez | 10 |
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
- Aliya Belarde is tied with UCLA's Maya Brady for the conference lead in hits with 42. Haley Denning is tied for fifth in the league with 36 safeties.
- Aliya Belarde, Sophie Jacquez and Haley Denning are bboth in the conference's top 10 in batting average, with Belarde's .457 mark placing her third, while Jacquez sits in seventh at .406 and Denning's .404 clip puts her in eighth.
- Belarde and Denning are both in the league's top five in hits, as Denning's 31 put her in second and Belarde's 30 place her third.
- Ellessa Bonstrom's eight homers are tied for sixth in the conference and her 33 RBIs put her in fourth. Julia Jimenez is tied for 10th in the Pac-12 in RBIs with 26.
- Three of the top four base stealers in the conference are Utes, with Denning's 23 swipes earning her the top spot. Bonstrom and Belarde each have 12 thefts, tied for third.
- Syndey Sandez's 10 victories have her tied for fourth in the league and Mariah Lopez's eight put her in a tie for eighth.
- Mariah Lopez's five complete games are tied for sixth-most in the Pac-12, while her 69 1/3 innings pitched also place her sixth. Sydney Sandez owns seventh place in innings pitched with 64 2/3.
- Lopez has struck out 81 batters and that total has her sharing fourth place, while her 8.18 rate of strikeouts per seven innings stands as the Pac-12's fifth-best.
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
- The Utes have stolen 73 bases so far in 2023, by far the most in the league.
- Utah's .341 team batting average is the Pac-12's second-highest mark, while their 247 hits and 186 runs placed them third
- Utah has totaled 41 doubles, third-most in the Pac-12
- Utah has piled up 10 sacrifice flies through 27 games, tied for the most in the Pac-12.
- In the field, the Utes have turned 11 double plays, tied for the most in the league.
National Rankings - Individual
- Aliya Belarde's 42 hits are tied for eighth-most in Division I, while her .457 average has her in 22nd.
- Ellessa Bonstrom has driven in 33 runs in 2023, putting her in a tie for 11th in the country.
- Denning is in seventh in Division I in steals with 23 and her rate of 1.19 runs scored per game is the nation's 14th-best.
- Sydney Sandez has piled up 10 victories, which has her tied for 21st in Division I.
National Rankings – Team
- Utah has batted .340 so far in 2023, ninth-best in the country and the Utes are also seventh in Division I in scoring, averaging 7.15 runs per game, and 10th in the nation in stolen bases with 73.
By compiling a 21-5 record and a 5-1 mark in the Pac-12, which puts them in first place, the University of Utah softball has earned a place all four national softball polls, claiming the No. 19 spot in the D1Softball.com, Softball American and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls and breaking into the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll at No. 23. This is the first time the Utes climbed into the top 20 in any poll since they started the 2018 season at No. 15.
Bonstrom, Dayton Recognized with Pac-12 Weekly Awards
Ellessa Bonstrom and Abby Dayton were recognized by the Pac-12 on Monday. Bonstrom received her second Pac-12 Player of the Week award in two weeks, while Dayton became the first Ute in six years to be named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Bonstrom is only the second Utah softball player to ever collect two player of the week awards in one season, matching a feat accomplished by Hannah Flippen in 2015.
Turn It Up to an 11
From Feb. 26 to March 17, the Utes strung together an 11-game win streak, their longest since they also on 11-in-a-row in 2017. Six of the victories during that run belonged to Sydney Sandez, who crafted a 0.49 ERA. At the plate, the Utes hit .369 as a team, led by Aliya Belarde's .500 average and Ellessa Bosntrom's six homers and 20 RBIs.
Starting Fast
For 10 straight games, from Feb. 19 to March 6, the Utes put together a consecutive games streak of scoring the first inning. Utah has outscored its opponents 38-11 in the first inning and the only inning in which they've score more runs is the fourth, where they've piled up 40.
Milestone Watch
Ellessa Bonstrom and Haley Denning both entered the year with significant milestones within their reach and they've continued to close in those accomplishments. Bonstrom, who has driven in 33 runs so far in 2023, is 19 away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also 13 walks and two sacrifice flies from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 23 bases through 26 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 90 steals. She needs 10 more to become only the third Ute to ever reach 100 career stolen bases.
More History for Hogue
One season after becoming the all-time wins leader in the history of Utah softball, head coach Amy Hogue has already surpassed two more milestones in 2023. With her team's win on Friday over Northern Colorado, Hogue became the first coach to reach 400 wins in program and two days later, she picked up the 600th victory of her head coaching career.
Lopez Named First Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week
For the first time since 2017, a Utah pitcher was honored with a weekly award. Mariah Lopez earned the title of Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week after starting the season with 14 1/3 scoreless innings and three straight victories. The last Utah pitcher to receive a weekly award was Miranda Viramontes, who was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week in 2017.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Players Mentioned
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