Upcoming Event: Softball versus Salt Lake Community College on September 23, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
vs Salt Lake Community College
Friday, April 14
Salt Lake City, UT
5 p.m.
University of Utah
vs
No. 5 Stanford
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
No. 19 Utah Softball, No. 5 Stanford to Collide in Salt Lake City
4/13/2023 1:23 PM | Softball
Three game series at Dumke to begin on Friday
SALT LAKE CITY – Less than a month remains in the 2023 regular season and the two teams sharing third place in the Pac-12 Conference are preparing for a showdown at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium, as the No. 19 University of Utah softball team and the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal will meet for a three-game series that will begin on Friday.
The first pitch time for the series' opener is 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday rematch that will begin at 3 p.m. and the finale will take place on Sunday starting at 12 p.m.
April 14-16 Schedule
How to Follow
Fans can watch every pitch of Utah's series against Stanford by tuning into Utah Live Stream-2 and links to live stats can be found on UtahUtes.com.
Game Day Promotions
The Utes will be partnering with the Pretty Tough Ladies Resource Center on Friday night to try and Strike Out Domestic Violence. Fans are encouraged to bring household items to the ballpark such as cleaning supplies and laundry detergent to donate and will also be able to provide monetary donations. Those who donate will be entered to win red zone gifts. The first 200 fans into the ballpark will be able to grab a free Utah bucket hat as well.
Saturday will be Alumni Day at the stadium and the festivities will begin with a tailgate outside the ballpark with the Unami Food Truck. Alumni, staff and students can grab free pizza and then can stick around after the final out for postgame autographs with the entire team. On the final day of the series, white Utah sherzies will be handed out to the first 250 fans who arrive at the park.
Last Time Out
The Utes are off to their best start, both overall and in Pac-12 play, since 2017 and they recently bolstered both records. Utah's previous weekend at home saw them take two of three from an Arizona State team receiving votes in the national rankings, then Utah polished off a pair of non-conference opponents, topping BYU and Weber State on consecutive days.
One of the stars of the show against both the Cougars and the Wildcats was Mariah Lopez, who allowed one earned run in 11 1/3 innings over those two contests. Lopez also allowed just five total hits in those two outings and struck out 15, putting her at 109 strikeouts on the season, third-best in the Pac-12. Lopez's 11 wins are a career-high and Sydney Sandez's 12 victories give the Utes two pitchers with double-digit wins for the first time since 2017.
In the Utah batting order, Ellessa Bonstrom has been swinging one of the hottest bats, driving in nine runs over her last five games to push her season total to 42, tied for second-most in the Pac-12 and 14th in the nation. In her career, Bonstrom's RBI total stands at 166, putting her only 10 away from setting a new program record. The senior first baseman also remains within striking distance of the school records for career walks and career sacrifice flies.
Scouting the Opposition
Stanford has risen to No. 5 in the nation on the strength of an excellent pitching staff that has crafted a 1.41 ERA, the best in the Pac-12 and fifth in the nation. They've also issued the fewest walks and given up the fewest homers in the Pac-12.
Three Cardinal hurlers own ERAs under 2.00, with the lowest mark belonging to NiJaree Canady. Stanford's freshman fireballer has permitted just a single run in 51 1/3 innings while racking up 92 strikeouts. She already has two no-hitters to her credit, the most recent one being a seven-inning complete-game against Villanova in which she struck out 18.
Canady is backed up by a staff that includes two-time All-Pac-12 First-Team selection Alana Vawter and her 1.45 ERA, as well as junior Regan Krause, who has held the opposition to a .184 batting average in nearly 70 innings. No. 1 Oklahoma is the only team to put up more than four runs in a game against the Cardinal in 2023.
No one in the Stanford's lineup has a higher batting average than River Mahler, whose .432 clip has her in third place in the Pac-12 and she's also reached base in nearly half of her plate appearances in 2023. Taylor Gindlesperger and Emily Schultz stand as the team leaders in extra base hits and while Schultz leads the Cardinal in RBIs with 26, Gindlesperger has been the squad's best base stealer, successfully swiping a bag in all six of her attempts.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 4/13/23)
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
National Rankings – Individual
National Rankings – Team
Two-Out Utes
So far in 2023, the Utes have hit .347 with two outs and piled up 92 two-out RBIs, improving on their numbers from a year ago. In 2022, Utah's average with two outs stood at .266 and they finished the season with 95 two-out RBIs. Also, Utah pitchers have held the opposition to a .193 clip with two outs.
Seeing Double-Digits
Utah's 10-run outburst against Weber State on Tuesday was the sixth time they've tallied 10 or more runs in 2023, already surpassing their total from 2022, when they accomplished that feat four times.
Dynamic Duo
Both Syndey Sandez and Mariah Lopez have reached double-digit wins for the Utes in 2023, the first time since 2017 two Utes have topped the 10-win threshold. Lopez's 11 triumphs are already a career-high, while Sandez's next victory will set a new career-best for her.
Dayton Does it Again
On April 10, Abby Dayton was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the second time. Dayton, who went 7-for-8 at the plate during the week, is the third Ute to receive multiple freshman of the week awards in a single season and the first since Ally Dickman in 2016. Katie Donovan accomplished this feat as well, doing so in 2015.
Opportunistic Offense
In 14 of their games in 2023, the Utes have forced their opponents into multiple miscues in the field and Utah is currently a perfect 14-0 in contests where the opposition makes multiple errors.
It's Like Stealin'
The Utes currently own the Pac-12's largest differential in stolen bases, as Utah has swiped 81 bases and only allowed 16.
Three is a Charm
Utah's hitters have piled up 15 three-hit games through 29 contests in 2022, already putting them far ahead of last season's total of eight in that statistic. No Ute had more than two three-hit performances to their credit a year ago, but so far in 2023, Aliya Belarde has accomplished that feat four times and Haley Denning and Ellessa Bonstrom have each done it thrice.
A Consistent Quartet
In 33 of Utah's 34 matchups in 2023, they have installed the same four players into their starting infield. Aliya Belarde, Karlie Davison and Julia Jimenez have started at second base, shortstop and third base, respectively, in every contest and Ellessa Bonstrom has been the team's starter at first in every game but one.
Bonstrom, Dayton Recognized with Pac-12 Weekly Awards
Ellessa Bonstrom and Abby Dayton were recognized by the Pac-12 on March 20. 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 Bonstrom's six homers and 20 RBIs.
Starting Fast
The Utes have a higher run-differential in the first inning that in any other frame, outscoring opponents 46-12 in that stanza. The 46 runs are also more than Utah has scored in any inning except the fourth, where 51 Utes have crossed the plate. For 10 straight games, from Feb. 19 to March 6, the Utes put together a consecutive games streak of scoring the first inning.
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 42 runs so far in 2023, is 10 away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also eight walks and two sacrifice flies from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 24 bases through 26 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 91 steals. She needs nine 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).
The first pitch time for the series' opener is 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday rematch that will begin at 3 p.m. and the finale will take place on Sunday starting at 12 p.m.
April 14-16 Schedule
| Date | Game | Live Stats/Watch |
| April 14 | Utah vs. Stanford | Live Stats / Watch |
| April 15 | Utah vs. Stanford | Live Stats / Watch |
| April 16 | Utah vs. Stanford | Live Stats / Watch |
How to Follow
Fans can watch every pitch of Utah's series against Stanford by tuning into Utah Live Stream-2 and links to live stats can be found on UtahUtes.com.
Game Day Promotions
The Utes will be partnering with the Pretty Tough Ladies Resource Center on Friday night to try and Strike Out Domestic Violence. Fans are encouraged to bring household items to the ballpark such as cleaning supplies and laundry detergent to donate and will also be able to provide monetary donations. Those who donate will be entered to win red zone gifts. The first 200 fans into the ballpark will be able to grab a free Utah bucket hat as well.
Saturday will be Alumni Day at the stadium and the festivities will begin with a tailgate outside the ballpark with the Unami Food Truck. Alumni, staff and students can grab free pizza and then can stick around after the final out for postgame autographs with the entire team. On the final day of the series, white Utah sherzies will be handed out to the first 250 fans who arrive at the park.
Last Time Out
The Utes are off to their best start, both overall and in Pac-12 play, since 2017 and they recently bolstered both records. Utah's previous weekend at home saw them take two of three from an Arizona State team receiving votes in the national rankings, then Utah polished off a pair of non-conference opponents, topping BYU and Weber State on consecutive days.
One of the stars of the show against both the Cougars and the Wildcats was Mariah Lopez, who allowed one earned run in 11 1/3 innings over those two contests. Lopez also allowed just five total hits in those two outings and struck out 15, putting her at 109 strikeouts on the season, third-best in the Pac-12. Lopez's 11 wins are a career-high and Sydney Sandez's 12 victories give the Utes two pitchers with double-digit wins for the first time since 2017.
In the Utah batting order, Ellessa Bonstrom has been swinging one of the hottest bats, driving in nine runs over her last five games to push her season total to 42, tied for second-most in the Pac-12 and 14th in the nation. In her career, Bonstrom's RBI total stands at 166, putting her only 10 away from setting a new program record. The senior first baseman also remains within striking distance of the school records for career walks and career sacrifice flies.
Scouting the Opposition
Stanford has risen to No. 5 in the nation on the strength of an excellent pitching staff that has crafted a 1.41 ERA, the best in the Pac-12 and fifth in the nation. They've also issued the fewest walks and given up the fewest homers in the Pac-12.
Three Cardinal hurlers own ERAs under 2.00, with the lowest mark belonging to NiJaree Canady. Stanford's freshman fireballer has permitted just a single run in 51 1/3 innings while racking up 92 strikeouts. She already has two no-hitters to her credit, the most recent one being a seven-inning complete-game against Villanova in which she struck out 18.
Canady is backed up by a staff that includes two-time All-Pac-12 First-Team selection Alana Vawter and her 1.45 ERA, as well as junior Regan Krause, who has held the opposition to a .184 batting average in nearly 70 innings. No. 1 Oklahoma is the only team to put up more than four runs in a game against the Cardinal in 2023.
No one in the Stanford's lineup has a higher batting average than River Mahler, whose .432 clip has her in third place in the Pac-12 and she's also reached base in nearly half of her plate appearances in 2023. Taylor Gindlesperger and Emily Schultz stand as the team leaders in extra base hits and while Schultz leads the Cardinal in RBIs with 26, Gindlesperger has been the squad's best base stealer, successfully swiping a bag in all six of her attempts.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 4/13/23)
| Batting Avg. | Aliya Belarde | .426 | |
| Slugging % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .755 | |
| On Base % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .512 | |
| Runs Scored | Aliya Belarde | 39 | |
| Hits | Aliya Belarde | 49 | |
| RBI | Ellessa Bonstrom | 42 | |
| Doubles | Sophie Jacquez Ellessa Bonstrom |
9 | |
| Home Runs | Ellessa Bonstrom | 8 | |
| Stolen Bases | Haley Denning | 24 | |
| ERA | Sydney Sandez | 2.54 (80.0 IP) |
| K's | Mariah Lopez | 109 |
| Wins | Sydney Sandez | 12 |
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
- Sydney Sandez and Mariah Lopez have earned spots in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in wins, with Sandez's 12 moving her up to fifth and Lopez's 11 put her in a tie for sixth.
- Lopez continues to be one of the conference's most effective pitchers at striking people out, with her 109 Ks placing her third and she also owns a 8.20 strikeout rate that ranks fifth.
- Denning continues to maintain a tight grip on the league lead in stolen bases with 24 and three more Utes own places in the top 10, including Belarde in third with 13 and Bonstrom, who is in fourth with 12.
- Both Aliya Belarde and Denning have carved out spots in the top 10 in runs and hits, as Belarde's 39 in the former statistic are the second-most in the Pac-12 and Denning is tied for fifth with 34. Belarde has also pounded out the second-highest hit total in the conference with 49, while Denning has 47, tying her for sixth. Belarde also can claim the fourth-highest batting average on the circuit at .432 and Denning's .402 mark has her in eighth.
- Ellessa Bonstrom has climbed into the conference's top 10 in a slew of statistics, including RBIs, where her 42 have her tied for second, on-base percentage, where she ranks second at .512, slugging where she's fourth with a .755 clip, as well as walks and doubles.
- Sophie Jacquez has piled up nine doubles in 2023, which has her tied for seventh in the Pac-12.
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
- Utah's bats have put them in the top three in the conference in a slew of statistics, including triples, where they rank second with 10, as well as hits (319), doubles (54) and batting average (.337), where the Utes rank third.
- Utah has been the toughest team in the league to strikeout, going down on strikes only 109 times in 2023, 40 fewer Ks than the next lowest total.
National Rankings – Individual
- Aliya Belarde can claim spots in the country's top 50 in three different statistics, including runs scored per game, where her average of 1.15 is good enough for 14th. She sits 29th in hits with 49 and her .426 average puts her in a tie for 34th.
- Ellessa Bonstrom's 42 RBIs puts her in a tie for 14th in Division I, her .512 on-base percentage has her 38th in the country and she's also tied for 48th in runs scored per game.
- Haley Denning's 24 stolen bases are the 16th-best total in the country and Denning's rate of 1.00 runs scored per game also has her in the top 50 at 33rd.
- Two of the nation's most difficult hitters to strikeout reside in the Utah lineup. Bonstrom's average of one strikeout every 31.3 at-bats has landed her in 12th and Belarde's mark of 28.8 is 14th-best in the country.
National Rankings – Team
- The Utah lineup has carved out spots in the nation's top 25 in six different statistics, including batting average, where their mark of .337 has them ninth and runs per game, where they're averaging 7.00, good enough for 10th in Division I.
- The Utes also own the nation's 12th-highest average in steals per game at 2.38 and they rank 19th in both total bases and doubles per game. The squad's .402 on-base percentage puts them 20th.
Two-Out Utes
So far in 2023, the Utes have hit .347 with two outs and piled up 92 two-out RBIs, improving on their numbers from a year ago. In 2022, Utah's average with two outs stood at .266 and they finished the season with 95 two-out RBIs. Also, Utah pitchers have held the opposition to a .193 clip with two outs.
Seeing Double-Digits
Utah's 10-run outburst against Weber State on Tuesday was the sixth time they've tallied 10 or more runs in 2023, already surpassing their total from 2022, when they accomplished that feat four times.
Dynamic Duo
Both Syndey Sandez and Mariah Lopez have reached double-digit wins for the Utes in 2023, the first time since 2017 two Utes have topped the 10-win threshold. Lopez's 11 triumphs are already a career-high, while Sandez's next victory will set a new career-best for her.
Dayton Does it Again
On April 10, Abby Dayton was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the second time. Dayton, who went 7-for-8 at the plate during the week, is the third Ute to receive multiple freshman of the week awards in a single season and the first since Ally Dickman in 2016. Katie Donovan accomplished this feat as well, doing so in 2015.
Opportunistic Offense
In 14 of their games in 2023, the Utes have forced their opponents into multiple miscues in the field and Utah is currently a perfect 14-0 in contests where the opposition makes multiple errors.
It's Like Stealin'
The Utes currently own the Pac-12's largest differential in stolen bases, as Utah has swiped 81 bases and only allowed 16.
Three is a Charm
Utah's hitters have piled up 15 three-hit games through 29 contests in 2022, already putting them far ahead of last season's total of eight in that statistic. No Ute had more than two three-hit performances to their credit a year ago, but so far in 2023, Aliya Belarde has accomplished that feat four times and Haley Denning and Ellessa Bonstrom have each done it thrice.
A Consistent Quartet
In 33 of Utah's 34 matchups in 2023, they have installed the same four players into their starting infield. Aliya Belarde, Karlie Davison and Julia Jimenez have started at second base, shortstop and third base, respectively, in every contest and Ellessa Bonstrom has been the team's starter at first in every game but one.
Bonstrom, Dayton Recognized with Pac-12 Weekly Awards
Ellessa Bonstrom and Abby Dayton were recognized by the Pac-12 on March 20. 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 Bonstrom's six homers and 20 RBIs.
Starting Fast
The Utes have a higher run-differential in the first inning that in any other frame, outscoring opponents 46-12 in that stanza. The 46 runs are also more than Utah has scored in any inning except the fourth, where 51 Utes have crossed the plate. For 10 straight games, from Feb. 19 to March 6, the Utes put together a consecutive games streak of scoring the first inning.
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 42 runs so far in 2023, is 10 away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also eight walks and two sacrifice flies from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 24 bases through 26 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 91 steals. She needs nine 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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