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
Thursday, May 11
Tucson, Ariz.
11 a.m.
University of Utah
vs
California
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Pac-12 Tournament Starts Against California for No. 17 Softball
5/9/2023 8:57 AM | Softball
Utes open tourney on Thursday, eyeing spot in Saturday’s championship
SALT LAKE CITY – The first ever edition of the Pac-12 Softball Tournament is set to start on Wednesday, but for the No. 17 University of Utah softball team, their tournament will get underway on Thursday with a 10 a.m. MST (11 a.m. MT) matchup against the California Golden Bears, which will be held at Hillenbrand Field in Tucson, Ariz.
The Utes will be aiming to secure a spot in the tournament semifinals and for Utah, that would mean a 4:30 p.m. MST contest on Friday and the Pac-12 Championship will be decided on Saturday with the first pitch being thrown at 7 p.m. MST
May 11-13 Schedule
How to Follow
Utah's tournament opener will be carried on the Pac-12 Network and fans can find each subsequent game on ESPNU or ESPN2.
Last Time Out
After going through a difficult stretch in which they lost five of six, the Utes hit the road to play No. 13 Oregon and emphatically righted the ship by sweep by scoring the first sweep of the Ducks in program history.
Utah's success in Eugene didn't hinge on one factor, but was result of excellent hitting, defense and pitching, led in the latter facet by the work of Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Mariah Lopez, who twirled seven-innings of one-run ball in the series opener, then tossed a no-hitter to secure the sweep on Sunday. Over her last 11 appearances, Lopez has allowed more than two earned runs only once, has accumulated nearly three times as many strikeouts as walks and has pitched to a 1.21 ERA.
Pulling down two awards after an excellent week at the plate was freshman Karlie Davison, who was honored with the Pac-12's Freshman and Player of the Week awards. Davison's time in Eugene started with a solo homer on Friday in a 3-1 victory before she added two more bombs in an 8-2 triumph on Saturday. Davison is the first Ute to ever capture freshman and player of the week honors in the same week and her seven long balls for the season are the team's third-highest total.
Scouting the Opposition
Utah's matchup against the Golden Bears will give the Utes a chance to avenge a series defeat at the hands of California that occurred more than two months ago. The Utes were held to eight runs in those three contests, though they did lead in each game. In both instances, excellent relief work by the Golden Bears staff held Utah in check while California mounted comebacks.
Haylei Archer and Annabel Teperson were the hurlers who provided their team with that relief work, Archer in game two and Teperson in game three, but Anna Reimers is the California pitcher who sports the squad's best ERA and record. Reimers' most recent victory came on April 22 at the expense of No. 8 Stanford, when she held the Cardinal to just two runs on six hits over seven innings to improve to 9-2. Reimers has not suffered a loss since March 17 at Oregon State.
No one in the Pac-12 has belted more four-baggers than California and their 67 homers in 2023 have them in the top 25 nationally. The leader of this lumber parade has been senior catcher Makena Smith with 14 dingers, the third-highest total in conference and she's also in the top 10 in RBIs, slugging and runs scored. Smith is one of 12 Golden Bears with at least one long ball in 2023 and seven California players have gone deep at least five times.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 5/8/23)
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
National Rankings – Individual
National Rankings – Team
Putting the U in Eugene
The Utes had never before won a series at Jane Sanders Stadium or swept the Oregon Ducks at any site until they spent their most recent weekend sweeping the No. 13 Ducks on the road. That accomplishment gave Utah multiple sweeps of ranked opponents for the first time since 2017, when they swept No. 10 UCLA and No. 21 California.
Lopez No-Hits Ducks
Mariah Lopez fired the 17th seven-inning no-hitter in program history, the first since 2012, on Sunday in a 2-0 triumph over Oregon. After encountering a pair of threats early, Lopez allowed only a single baserunner over the final five frames, setting down 15 of the 16 hitters she faced to finish with a spotless final line that included six strikeouts. The junior Arizona concluded her masterpiece with a perfect sixth, followed by a seventh inning in which she struck out the side.
Player of the Week History
For their efforts against Oregon, Karlie Davison was recognized as the Pac-12 Freshman and Player of the Week and Lopez won Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors. Lopez, who was also named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week on April 17, is the first Ute to ever snag that award twice in one season, while Davison is the first Utah player to ever win both player and freshman of the week simultaneously.
Piling Up Ks
Mariah Lopez has racked 159 strikeouts in 2023, nearly twice as many as she collected as a sophomore. That total is also the highest by a Utah pitcher in more than a decade, since Generra Nielsen piled up 294 punchouts in 2012.
By the Numbers with the Bases Loaded
Utah's pitching staff has been at its best with the sacks packed, holding opponents to a .189 clip in 37 bases-loaded at-bats. By contrast, Utah's hitters are batting .375 when the bases are full.
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 48 runs so far in 2023, is four away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also three walks and one sacrifice fly from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 28 bases through 26 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 95 steals. She needs five more to become only the third Ute to ever reach 100 career stolen bases.
As a team, Utah has amassed 89 stolen bases, meaning they need only four more to reach a new program-best in that statistic. The current school best of 92 was set in 1994.
Stringing Wins Together
Three times during 2023, the Utes have put together a win streak of at least five games, most recently stringing together seven-in-a-row from April 8-21. This marks the first time Utah has accomplished that feat since they also put together three wins 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.
Three is a Charm
Utah's hitters have piled up 17 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 five times and Haley Denning and Ellessa Bonstrom have each done it thrice.
Starting Fast
The Utes have a higher run-differential in the first inning that in any other frame, outscoring opponents 52-14 in that stanza. The 52 runs are also more than Utah has scored in any inning except the fourth, where 55 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.
Two-Out Utes
So far in 2023, the Utes have hit .332 with two outs and piled up 108 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.
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.
Opportunistic Offense
In 18 of their games in 2023, the Utes have forced their opponents into multiple miscues in the field and Utah is currently a perfect 18-0 in contests where the opposition makes multiple errors.
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 16 triumphs are already a career-high, while Sandez's next victory will set a new career-best for her.
Give Mariah a Medal
On April 17, Mariah Lopez earned her second Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week award 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.
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.
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 Feb. 10 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.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
The Utes will be aiming to secure a spot in the tournament semifinals and for Utah, that would mean a 4:30 p.m. MST contest on Friday and the Pac-12 Championship will be decided on Saturday with the first pitch being thrown at 7 p.m. MST
May 11-13 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch |
| May 11 | Utah vs. California | Watch |
| May 12 | Pac-12 Semifinal | Watch |
| May 13 | Pac-12 Championship | Watch |
How to Follow
Utah's tournament opener will be carried on the Pac-12 Network and fans can find each subsequent game on ESPNU or ESPN2.
Last Time Out
After going through a difficult stretch in which they lost five of six, the Utes hit the road to play No. 13 Oregon and emphatically righted the ship by sweep by scoring the first sweep of the Ducks in program history.
Utah's success in Eugene didn't hinge on one factor, but was result of excellent hitting, defense and pitching, led in the latter facet by the work of Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Mariah Lopez, who twirled seven-innings of one-run ball in the series opener, then tossed a no-hitter to secure the sweep on Sunday. Over her last 11 appearances, Lopez has allowed more than two earned runs only once, has accumulated nearly three times as many strikeouts as walks and has pitched to a 1.21 ERA.
Pulling down two awards after an excellent week at the plate was freshman Karlie Davison, who was honored with the Pac-12's Freshman and Player of the Week awards. Davison's time in Eugene started with a solo homer on Friday in a 3-1 victory before she added two more bombs in an 8-2 triumph on Saturday. Davison is the first Ute to ever capture freshman and player of the week honors in the same week and her seven long balls for the season are the team's third-highest total.
Scouting the Opposition
Utah's matchup against the Golden Bears will give the Utes a chance to avenge a series defeat at the hands of California that occurred more than two months ago. The Utes were held to eight runs in those three contests, though they did lead in each game. In both instances, excellent relief work by the Golden Bears staff held Utah in check while California mounted comebacks.
Haylei Archer and Annabel Teperson were the hurlers who provided their team with that relief work, Archer in game two and Teperson in game three, but Anna Reimers is the California pitcher who sports the squad's best ERA and record. Reimers' most recent victory came on April 22 at the expense of No. 8 Stanford, when she held the Cardinal to just two runs on six hits over seven innings to improve to 9-2. Reimers has not suffered a loss since March 17 at Oregon State.
No one in the Pac-12 has belted more four-baggers than California and their 67 homers in 2023 have them in the top 25 nationally. The leader of this lumber parade has been senior catcher Makena Smith with 14 dingers, the third-highest total in conference and she's also in the top 10 in RBIs, slugging and runs scored. Smith is one of 12 Golden Bears with at least one long ball in 2023 and seven California players have gone deep at least five times.
Team Stat Leaders (as of 5/8/23)
| Batting Avg. | Aliya Belarde | .408 | |
| Slugging % | Julia Jimenez | .632 | |
| On Base % | Ellessa Bonstrom | .469 | |
| Runs Scored | Aliya Belarde | 47 | |
| Hits | Aliya Belarde | 64 | |
| RBI | Ellessa Bonstrom | 48 | |
| Doubles | Julia Jimenez | 13 | |
| Home Runs | Ellessa Bonstrom | 9 | |
| Stolen Bases | Haley Denning | 28 | |
| ERA | Mariah Lopez | 2.22 (86.0 IP) |
| K's | Mariah Lopez | 146 |
| Wins | Mariah Lopez Mariah Lopez |
16 |
Pac-12 Rankings - Individual
- Aliya Belarde's name can be found in the top five in the Pac-12 rankings in five different statistics, including runs scored, where her total of 47 places her second. She also owns the league's third-highest totals in hits, with 64, and steals, with 15, while ranking fourth in batting average, at .408, and fifth in on-base percentage, at .469.
- Much like her teammate, Ellessa Bonstrom is among the league leaders in several categories, posting the Pac-12's fifth-highest total in steals with 12 and ranking sixth in RBIs, with 48, and on-base percentage, with a .468 clip. Bonstrom's 24 walks have her in seventh and her 48 RBIs are tied for the conference's ninth-most.
- Haley Denning's total of 28 stolen continues to remain unchallenged atop the Pac-12 leaderboard and she can also claim a tie for seventh in runs scored with 40 and is sharing eighth in the league in hits with 58.
- Only one player in the Pac-12 has more doubles than Julia Jimenez's 13, a total that currently has her tied for second in the conference. Jimenez also owns the eighth-highest RBI total with 44.
- Jordyn Gasper has legged out three triples so far in 2023, tying for the third-most in the league.
- Mariah Lopez continues to be one of the conference's leaders in strikeouts with 159, a number that places her fourth. She's also climbed up to fourth in the league in wins, fifth in complete games and strikeouts per seven innings and eighth in ERA
Pac-12 Rankings - Team
- Utah's bats have remained dangerous throughout the year, as evidenced by their 34 doubles in 24 Pac-12 contests, the most in the league. Overall, the Utes have pounded out 70 doubles, third-most in the conference, and their 12 triples rank second. Utah also owns the Pac-12's third-highest totals in hits and third-best batting average at .321.
- No one in the Pac-12 has come close to matching Utah's total in steals and their 89 stolen bases are 15 more than second-place Washington.
- No team in the league has been more difficult to strike out, as Utah has amassed only 157 punchouts, while Oregon State owns the second-lowest mark at 199.
National Rankings – Individual
- Aliya Belarde's named can be found in the top 30 nationally in four different stats, as she continues to cement herself as one of the nation's best players. She ranks 22nd in the country in runs score per game, 28th in batting average, tied for 28th in hits and 25th in the rankings of the toughest players to strike out.
- Ellessa Bonstrom's 48 RBIs are tied for 30th-most in Division I and she also rates as the 23rd most-difficult player strikeout, with an average of only one punchout every 24.8 at-bats.
- Haley Denning has not stopped piling up thefts on the basepaths, with her 28 swipes tying for 23rd-most in the nation.
National Rankings – Team
- The Utah lineup remains one of the most dangerous in the nation, as evidenced by the fact they sit in top 50 in seven different categories, led by batting average, where they carry a .323 clip that ranks 13th. The Utes average 6.23 runs per game, 18th nationally, they've churned out doubles at a rate of 1.55 per contest, landing them in 22nd and they stolen bases at the 23rd-best rate in Division I. Utah is also in the top 50 in on-base percentage, slugging and triples per game.
Putting the U in Eugene
The Utes had never before won a series at Jane Sanders Stadium or swept the Oregon Ducks at any site until they spent their most recent weekend sweeping the No. 13 Ducks on the road. That accomplishment gave Utah multiple sweeps of ranked opponents for the first time since 2017, when they swept No. 10 UCLA and No. 21 California.
Lopez No-Hits Ducks
Mariah Lopez fired the 17th seven-inning no-hitter in program history, the first since 2012, on Sunday in a 2-0 triumph over Oregon. After encountering a pair of threats early, Lopez allowed only a single baserunner over the final five frames, setting down 15 of the 16 hitters she faced to finish with a spotless final line that included six strikeouts. The junior Arizona concluded her masterpiece with a perfect sixth, followed by a seventh inning in which she struck out the side.
Player of the Week History
For their efforts against Oregon, Karlie Davison was recognized as the Pac-12 Freshman and Player of the Week and Lopez won Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors. Lopez, who was also named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week on April 17, is the first Ute to ever snag that award twice in one season, while Davison is the first Utah player to ever win both player and freshman of the week simultaneously.
Piling Up Ks
Mariah Lopez has racked 159 strikeouts in 2023, nearly twice as many as she collected as a sophomore. That total is also the highest by a Utah pitcher in more than a decade, since Generra Nielsen piled up 294 punchouts in 2012.
By the Numbers with the Bases Loaded
Utah's pitching staff has been at its best with the sacks packed, holding opponents to a .189 clip in 37 bases-loaded at-bats. By contrast, Utah's hitters are batting .375 when the bases are full.
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 48 runs so far in 2023, is four away from becoming the program's all-time leader in that statistic and she's also three walks and one sacrifice fly from reaching the top of the Utah leaderboard in those categories.
Denning has swiped 28 bases through 26 games and those thefts have pushed her into third-place all-time in school history with 95 steals. She needs five more to become only the third Ute to ever reach 100 career stolen bases.
As a team, Utah has amassed 89 stolen bases, meaning they need only four more to reach a new program-best in that statistic. The current school best of 92 was set in 1994.
Stringing Wins Together
Three times during 2023, the Utes have put together a win streak of at least five games, most recently stringing together seven-in-a-row from April 8-21. This marks the first time Utah has accomplished that feat since they also put together three wins 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.
Three is a Charm
Utah's hitters have piled up 17 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 five times and Haley Denning and Ellessa Bonstrom have each done it thrice.
Starting Fast
The Utes have a higher run-differential in the first inning that in any other frame, outscoring opponents 52-14 in that stanza. The 52 runs are also more than Utah has scored in any inning except the fourth, where 55 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.
Two-Out Utes
So far in 2023, the Utes have hit .332 with two outs and piled up 108 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.
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.
Opportunistic Offense
In 18 of their games in 2023, the Utes have forced their opponents into multiple miscues in the field and Utah is currently a perfect 18-0 in contests where the opposition makes multiple errors.
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 16 triumphs are already a career-high, while Sandez's next victory will set a new career-best for her.
Give Mariah a Medal
On April 17, Mariah Lopez earned her second Division I Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week award 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.
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.
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 Feb. 10 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.
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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