Upcoming Event: Softball versus Salt Lake Community College on October 21, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
vs Salt Lake Community College
The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, April 21
Seattle, WA
8 p.m.
University of Utah
at
No. 9 Washington
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
No. 9 Washington, Utah Valley on the Docket for No. 15 Softball
4/19/2023 2:59 PM | Softball
Utes to visit Seattle before Tuesday trip to Orem
SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 15 University of Utah softball team is coming off a sweep of the highest-ranked team they've ever swept a series from, but more tests lie ahead and the Utes will put their six-game win streak on the line during a stretch of four road games in five days that will take them to two different destinations.
First, Utah will spend the weekend at Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle, Wash., home of the No. 9 Washington Huskies and the two teams will meet in the series opener on Friday at 7 p.m. PT (8 p.m. MT). The second game will be played on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT, followed by a Sunday finale that will start at 12 p.m. PT. The Utes will then return home before making a trip south on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. MT matchup against the Utah Valley Wolverines.
April 21-25 Schedule
How to Follow
The matchups on Friday and Sunday can both be seen on the Pac-12 family of networks, ad Pac-12 Washington and Pac-12 Mountain will carry the opener and the finale will be on both channels, as well as the Pac-12 Network. Washington Live Stream-2 will stream Saturday's contest and links to live stats will be available for each contest.
Last Time Out
The last time the Utes were on the field, they were securing their second straight walk-off victory over No. 5 Stanford, finishing off their first sweep of the Cardinal since 2017 and capping a 5-0 week that also included triumphs over BYU and Weber State. Those triumphs upped Utah's record to 29-8, the first time they've ever reached that mark under head coach Amy Hogue and their 11-4 Pac-12 record is their best since 2017.
One of the players who played a prominent role in Utah's perfect week was pitcher Mariah Lopez and her efforts were rewarded with a pair of pitcher of the week honors, including her second Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week award of 2023. Lopez's week included three victories and a 0.89 ERA in 23 2/3 innings and one of those wins was a complete game triumph over Stanford in which she didn't allow an earned run.
The Utah lineup includes a long list of hot hitters and at the top of that list is Sophie Jacquez, who owns a .500 batting average over her last five games with six RBIs and five runs scored. She was responsible for one of Utah's biggest hits in their sweep of Stanford, swatting a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth that set up the Utes walk-off win on Saturday. Jacuqez also has a streak of scoring a run in eight straight games.
Scouting the Opposition
The Huskies have climbed all the way to No. 9 in the nation by cobbling together a 31-9 record that includes a 9-1 mark at home. After dropping their home opener to Oregon on March 10, Washington has rattled off nine consecutive wins at Husky Softball Stadium, including sweeps of Arizona and California. The Huskies are also coming off a series win at Oregon State that put their conference record at 12-6, moving them into third place, less than two games behind the Utes.
Washington's offense has been led by a group that includes seniors Baylee Klingler and Madison Huskey and freshman Brooklyn Carter. Huskey's 11 homers are tied for third in the Pac-12, Klingler is hitting .400, the sixth-best batting average in the league and Carter's 21 steals are only surpassed by Utah's Haley Denning, who has 25. In the circle for UW, no one has been stronger than rookie Ruby Meylan, who owns the conference's seventh-best ERA at 2.12, as well as a 14-3 record.
The Wolverines will be searching for their first win over the Utes since a 5-2 victory in Salt Lake City in 2019 and their first home win over Utah since 2009. Infielder Megan Gibbs has been the most dangerous player in the UVU lineup in 2023, posting team-highs in batting average, homers and RBIs. In the circle, left-hander Katie Zuniga has piled up a team-high seven wins and spent her team's most recent series holding California Baptist to just a single earned run over 13 innings.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 4/19/23)
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
National Rankings – Individual
National Rankings – Team
Stringing Wins Together
The Utes will enter their series against Washington having won six-in-a-row, their third win streak of at least five games in 2023. This marks the first time Utah has accomplished that feat since they also put together three win streaks of at least five games in 2017.
Conquering the Cardinal
The Utes home sweep over the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal represents the highest ranked team Utah has ever swept in a series. In game one, the Utes pounded out 12 hits, the most Stanford had allowed in a game to that point. The five runs Utah scored in game three represented the second-highest run total for any team against the Cardinal in 2023.
Give Mariah a Medal
On April 17, Mariah Lopez earned her second Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week award in 2023 after a 3-0 week in which she posted a 0.89 ERA. Lopez is the first Ute to ever earn this honor twice in one season after she was named national player of the week for the first time on Feb. 14.
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 45 runs so far in 2023, is seven away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also five walks and two sacrifice flies from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 25 bases through 37 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 92 steals. She needs eight more to become only the third Ute to ever reach 100 career stolen bases.
Two-Out Utes
So far in 2023, the Utes have .339 with two outs and piled up 93 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 .188 clip with two outs.
Seeing Double-Digits
Utah's 10-run outburst against Weber State on April 11 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 12 triumphs are already a career-high, while Sandez's next victory will set a new career-best for her.
Starting Fast
The Utes have a higher run-differential in the first inning that in any other frame, outscoring opponents 47-12 in that stanza. Utah's pitching staff is currently on a streak of 10 games in which they haven't given up a first-inning run and the 47 runs are also more than Utah has scored in any inning except the fourth, where 53 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.
A Consistent Quartet
In 36 of Utah's 37 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.
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 16 of their games in 2023, the Utes have forced their opponents into multiple miscues in the field and Utah is currently a perfect 16-0 in contests where the opposition makes multiple errors.
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.
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.
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.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
First, Utah will spend the weekend at Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle, Wash., home of the No. 9 Washington Huskies and the two teams will meet in the series opener on Friday at 7 p.m. PT (8 p.m. MT). The second game will be played on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT, followed by a Sunday finale that will start at 12 p.m. PT. The Utes will then return home before making a trip south on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. MT matchup against the Utah Valley Wolverines.
April 21-25 Schedule
| Date | Game | Live Stats/Watch |
| April 21 | Utah vs. Washington | Live Stats / Watch |
| April 22 | Utah vs. Washington | Live Stats / Watch |
| April 23 | Utah vs. Washington | Live Stats / Watch |
| April 25 | Utah vs. Utah Valley | Live Stats / Watch |
How to Follow
The matchups on Friday and Sunday can both be seen on the Pac-12 family of networks, ad Pac-12 Washington and Pac-12 Mountain will carry the opener and the finale will be on both channels, as well as the Pac-12 Network. Washington Live Stream-2 will stream Saturday's contest and links to live stats will be available for each contest.
Last Time Out
The last time the Utes were on the field, they were securing their second straight walk-off victory over No. 5 Stanford, finishing off their first sweep of the Cardinal since 2017 and capping a 5-0 week that also included triumphs over BYU and Weber State. Those triumphs upped Utah's record to 29-8, the first time they've ever reached that mark under head coach Amy Hogue and their 11-4 Pac-12 record is their best since 2017.
One of the players who played a prominent role in Utah's perfect week was pitcher Mariah Lopez and her efforts were rewarded with a pair of pitcher of the week honors, including her second Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week award of 2023. Lopez's week included three victories and a 0.89 ERA in 23 2/3 innings and one of those wins was a complete game triumph over Stanford in which she didn't allow an earned run.
The Utah lineup includes a long list of hot hitters and at the top of that list is Sophie Jacquez, who owns a .500 batting average over her last five games with six RBIs and five runs scored. She was responsible for one of Utah's biggest hits in their sweep of Stanford, swatting a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth that set up the Utes walk-off win on Saturday. Jacuqez also has a streak of scoring a run in eight straight games.
Scouting the Opposition
The Huskies have climbed all the way to No. 9 in the nation by cobbling together a 31-9 record that includes a 9-1 mark at home. After dropping their home opener to Oregon on March 10, Washington has rattled off nine consecutive wins at Husky Softball Stadium, including sweeps of Arizona and California. The Huskies are also coming off a series win at Oregon State that put their conference record at 12-6, moving them into third place, less than two games behind the Utes.
Washington's offense has been led by a group that includes seniors Baylee Klingler and Madison Huskey and freshman Brooklyn Carter. Huskey's 11 homers are tied for third in the Pac-12, Klingler is hitting .400, the sixth-best batting average in the league and Carter's 21 steals are only surpassed by Utah's Haley Denning, who has 25. In the circle for UW, no one has been stronger than rookie Ruby Meylan, who owns the conference's seventh-best ERA at 2.12, as well as a 14-3 record.
The Wolverines will be searching for their first win over the Utes since a 5-2 victory in Salt Lake City in 2019 and their first home win over Utah since 2009. Infielder Megan Gibbs has been the most dangerous player in the UVU lineup in 2023, posting team-highs in batting average, homers and RBIs. In the circle, left-hander Katie Zuniga has piled up a team-high seven wins and spent her team's most recent series holding California Baptist to just a single earned run over 13 innings.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 4/19/23)
| Batting Avg. | Aliya Belarde | .435 | |
| Slugging % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .725 | |
| On Base % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .518 | |
| Runs Scored | Aliya Belarde | 40 | |
| Hits | Aliya Belarde | 54 | |
| RBI | Ellessa Bonstrom | 45 | |
| Doubles | Sophie Jacquez Ellessa Bonstrom |
9 | |
| Home Runs | Ellessa Bonstrom | 8 | |
| Stolen Bases | Haley Denning | 25 | |
| ERA | Sydney Sandez | 2.52 (86.0 IP) |
| K's | Mariah Lopez | 123 |
| Wins | Sydney Sandez Mariah Lopez |
12 |
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
- Aliya Belarde and Haley Denning have both made themselves at home in the Pac-12's top 10 in runs, hits and batting average. Belarde's 54 hits are the second-most in the conference and Denning is tied for third with 51 safeties. Belarde also sits in second in runs scored with 40, while Denning's 36 tie her to fourth. Belarde is the league's third-leading hitter at .435 and Denning is in eighth place in that category with a .395 clip.
- Ellessa Bonstrom owns top 10 spots in statistics that include runs scored, doubles, RBIs, walks, stolen bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Her .518 on-base average ranks second-best, while her 45 RBIs and 12 steals are both the conference's fourth-highest total and she's fifth in the Pac-12 in walks with 22.
- Sophie Jacquez has posted the Pac-12's seventh-highest batting average at .396 and she's also tied for eighth in the league in doubles with nine.
- Jordyn Gasper has legged out three triples in 2023, tying her for third in the Pac-12.
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
- No one in the Pac-12 has come close to matching Utah's total in steals and their 83 stolen bases are 20 more than the second-place Huskies.
- 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 11. The Utes are the No. 3 team in the league in runs, hits batting average and on-base percentage.
- Utah has been the toughest team in the league to strikeout, going down on strikes only 126 times in 2023, 38 fewer Ks than the next lowest total.
National Rankings – Individual
- Aliya Belarde has earned spots in the top 30 in the nation in four different statistics. The California native is 19th in runs scored per game with a rate of 1.08, her .435 average and 54 hits have her 23rd and 24th, respectively, and she's been the 26th-most difficult player to strikeout in Division I.
- Ellessa Bonstrom has also carved out a pair of spots in the top 25 in two categories, with her 45 RBIs placing her 17th, while her .518 on-base percentage is 25th best in the country.
- Julia Jimenez has racked up five sacrifice flies in 2023, tying her for ninth in Division I
- Haley Denning's 25 steals are tied for 16th-most in the nation.
National Rankings – Team
- The Utes have been hitting to the tune of the eighth best batting average in the country, a .336 clip, which would also be the highest mark in the program history if they maintain it for the rest of the season.
- Utah's offense has averaged 6.78 runs per game, which puts them 10th in the nation. The Utes also own the country's 13th-best total stolen base per game rate at 2.24 and the No. 21 on-base percentage in Division I at .401
- The Utes have been one of the nation's best teams in terms of extra base hits, ranking 29th in doubles per game, 31st in triples per game and 33rd in slugging percentage.
Stringing Wins Together
The Utes will enter their series against Washington having won six-in-a-row, their third win streak of at least five games in 2023. This marks the first time Utah has accomplished that feat since they also put together three win streaks of at least five games in 2017.
Conquering the Cardinal
The Utes home sweep over the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal represents the highest ranked team Utah has ever swept in a series. In game one, the Utes pounded out 12 hits, the most Stanford had allowed in a game to that point. The five runs Utah scored in game three represented the second-highest run total for any team against the Cardinal in 2023.
Give Mariah a Medal
On April 17, Mariah Lopez earned her second Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week award in 2023 after a 3-0 week in which she posted a 0.89 ERA. Lopez is the first Ute to ever earn this honor twice in one season after she was named national player of the week for the first time on Feb. 14.
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 45 runs so far in 2023, is seven away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also five walks and two sacrifice flies from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 25 bases through 37 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 92 steals. She needs eight more to become only the third Ute to ever reach 100 career stolen bases.
Two-Out Utes
So far in 2023, the Utes have .339 with two outs and piled up 93 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 .188 clip with two outs.
Seeing Double-Digits
Utah's 10-run outburst against Weber State on April 11 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 12 triumphs are already a career-high, while Sandez's next victory will set a new career-best for her.
Starting Fast
The Utes have a higher run-differential in the first inning that in any other frame, outscoring opponents 47-12 in that stanza. Utah's pitching staff is currently on a streak of 10 games in which they haven't given up a first-inning run and the 47 runs are also more than Utah has scored in any inning except the fourth, where 53 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.
A Consistent Quartet
In 36 of Utah's 37 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.
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 16 of their games in 2023, the Utes have forced their opponents into multiple miscues in the field and Utah is currently a perfect 16-0 in contests where the opposition makes multiple errors.
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.
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.
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.
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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