Upcoming Event: Softball versus Weber State on October 15, 2025 at 6 p.m.
6 p.m.
Softball
vs Weber State
Friday, February 21
Cathedral City, Calif.
11:30 a.m.
University of Utah
vs
No. 19 Oregon
Photo by: Patrick Mulligan Studio Create
Utah Softball Returns to Mary Nutter Classic
2/20/2025 9:35 AM | Softball
Another challenging weekend of non-conference action on tap
SALT LAKE CITY – In what has become an annual tradition for the University of Utah softball team, Amy Hogue's squad is preparing to spent the third weekend of the season at the Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, Calif., the site of the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, where the Utes will be tested by a few of the nations top teams over the course of five contests in three days from Friday through Sunday.
Utah's time in California will begin with a 10:30 a.m. PT (11:30 a.m. MT) meeting with the No. 19 Oregon Ducks and a 3 p.m. PT date with Long Beach State on Friday, followed on Saturday by clashes against the Cal State Fullerton Titans at 12 p.m. PT and the Northwestern Wildcats at 2:30 p.m. PT and the Utes' will cap off the weekend by taking on the No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday.
Feb. 21 – 23 Schedule
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to all five of Utah's games at the Mary Nutter Classic by purchasing a subscription to FloCollege or follow along via live stats links or by following @Utah_Softball on Twitter or @utahsoftball on Instagram.
Last Time Out
Despite coming off a difficult weekend at the Fresno State Kickoff Classic that included multiple close defeats, Utah's time in the San Joaquin Valley was not without its bright spots.
At the plate, the Utes hit .315 as a team and seven different hitters batted .300 or better. No one swung a hotter bat than sophomore Reese Lee, who racked up 10 hits in 20 at-bats, extended her hit streak to 10-in-a-row and has now reached base safely in all 11 games Utah has played in 2025. Lee also owns spots inside the top five in the Big 12 in hits and batting average among players with at least 20 at-bats.
Newcomers Kennedy Proctor and Hailey Deter have also added some pop to the Utah lineup, with Deter hitting .400 with four doubles, tied for fourth-most in the league, and Proctor totaling eight hits over her last five games. Both players are among those tied for the team-lead with four multi hit performances to their credit.
In the circle, Shelbee Jones has thrown more innings than any Big 12 pitcher not named NiJaree Canady and she also ranks second in the conference in strikeouts with 31. Jones can claim a top 10 spot in opponents batting average as well, having held the opposition to a .203 clip so far in 2025.
Scouting the Opposition
The Utes will be renewing acquaintances with a few teams they've crossed paths with recently, including their first-round opponent at the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament in Oregon. Despite losing a handful of key contributors such as all-region picks Ariel Carlson and Morgan Scott and catcher Emma Kauf, Melyssa Lombardi's team hasn't missed a beat so far in 2025, winning 10 of their first 11 games to move into the top 20.
Utah last met Long Beach State at the 2023 Mary Nutter Classic, emerging with a 4-0 victory, and Amy Hogue's bunch also defeated the Titans in Fullerton in 2022, the most recent meeting between the two programs. The Titans shook of an early loss to Oklahoma and have won six of eight since then, led by infielder Ava Arce and her .520 average. LBSU also suffered a defeat at the hands of the Sooners, falling 2-0 in 11 innings. Their top two pitchers, freshman Brynne Nally and senior Shannon Haddad, both have ERAs under 2.00.
The Wildcats have had to navigate one of the toughest schedules in the nation so far in 2025, taking on five teams ranked inside the top 20 and they'll be attempting to regain their footing after a 5-5 start. Freshman Kaylie Avvisato has started her career by hitting .455 in her first 10 games and Northwestern also benefits from the presence of All-American Kansas Robinson.
Nebraska, meanwhile, is 8-2 and has been able to rely on the services of a healthy Jordyn Bahl, whose returned to form after an injury forced her to miss nearly all of 2024. The former All-American and two-time National Champion has hit .538 at the plate with five home runs and is also one of three Cornhusker hurlers who sport an ERA under 1.00.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/19/2025)
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
National and Big 12 – Individual
Carreon Crafts a Shutout
On Feb. 14, Brooklyn Carreon crafted the first shutout of her career against LMU, holding the Lions to six hits across six innings and striking out two. The California native threw a perfect first inning, then stranded runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth to finish off her scoreless performance.
A Pair of Comebacks at the Kajikawa Classic
In both of Utah's Sunday victories at the Kajikawa Classic, they trailed late before bouncing back to earn the win. This marked the first time since April 21, 2024 the Utes collected multiple comeback wins on the same day and the first instance since Feb. 20, 2021 they erased two deficits in the fifth inning or later on the same day to collect two triumphs. On that day, Utah posted a pair of late uprisings against UNLV and California Baptist.
A Kennedy Crusher
In Kennedy Proctor's second career at-bat, which came against California on Feb. 8, she blasted a solo home run for her first collegiate hit. This was the third time in three seasons a Utah player homered for her first career hit. Taylor Jacobs accomplished that feat on April 4, 2024 against Arizona and Karlie Davison homered for her first career knock on Feb. 11, 2023 vs. Stonehill.
Team 50
The 2025 campaign is the 50th season of competition for Utah Softball, which began in 1976, and Hogue and her squad will be attempting add to a long list of memorable moments and incredible accomplishments that have defined the program throughout its history.
Over the course of 49 previous seasons, the Utes have reached the AIAW or NCAA Women's College World Series six times, earned 23 trips to regionals, collected 18 conference regular season or tournament championships and produced 20 All-Americans. Seven former Utah softball players have also been inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame.
Seven different people have held the title of head coach or co-head coach for Utah softball, but Norma Carr, Jo Evans, Mona Stevens and Amy Hogue have been the main stewards of the program throughout its history. Each collected more than 200 wins during their time as head coach, Carr, Evans and Hogue all guided the Utes to the Women's College World Series during their tenures, while Stevens guided Utah to championships in the Mountain West Conference in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Utah's 20 All-American selections have been piled up by 15 players, starting with outfielder Melonie Kent in 1981. Four Utes, Charmelle Green, Sandy Rhea, Hannah Flippen and Ellessa Bonstrom earned All-American honors in multiple seasons, with Flippen being the only three-time All-American in school history. In 1985, 1994 and 2023, the Utes fielded teams with multiple All-Americans and in all three of those campaigns, they reached the Women's College World Series.
Amy Hogue Milestone Watch
Head coach Amy Hogue can already lay claim to the title of the winningest coach in Utah softball history, a milestone she reached in 2022 and one year later, she earned her 400th victory at the helm of the program, as well as her 600th overall. Hogue currently needs 21 more victories to reach 500 as Utah head coach and 25 to reach 700 in her career as a head coach.
Kaylah Makes the Cut
After a breakout 2024 campaign that saw her earn All-Pac-12 Second-Team status, Kaylah Nelsen earned preseason recognition in the form of a spot on the Big 12 Preseason Team. Nelsen spent 2024 batting .370, leading Pac-12 in doubles and finishing in the top 10 in the league in hits and RBIs. She also provided Utah with solid defense at first base and earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team.
Schedule Facts
Utah will be tasked with navigating a difficult schedule in their first year in the Big 12, as the team's slate includes 10 squads who garnered a spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason poll and three more that received votes. That group includes No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Texas Tech, who the Utes will meet in conference play, and No. 6 UCLA and No. 9 LSU, who the Utes will meet on Feb. 28 in back-to-back games at the Judi Garman Classic.
The 2025 regular season schedule will also take the Utes to Arizona, California, Idaho, Texas and Oklahoma before the 2025 Big 12 Tournament, which will be held at Devon Park in Oklahoma City from May 7 – 10.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-8849 or visit www.utahtickets.com/softball/.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience, from managing tickets to mobile concessions ordering, as well as video content, news and information, schedules, rosters and stats. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Utah's time in California will begin with a 10:30 a.m. PT (11:30 a.m. MT) meeting with the No. 19 Oregon Ducks and a 3 p.m. PT date with Long Beach State on Friday, followed on Saturday by clashes against the Cal State Fullerton Titans at 12 p.m. PT and the Northwestern Wildcats at 2:30 p.m. PT and the Utes' will cap off the weekend by taking on the No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday.
Feb. 21 – 23 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch/Live Stats |
| Feb. 21 | No. 19 Oregon vs. Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
| Feb. 21 | LBSU vs. Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
| Feb. 22 | Utah vs. Cal State Fullerton | Watch / Live Stats |
| Feb. 22 | Utah vs. Northwestern | Watch / Live Stats |
| Feb. 23 | No. 15 Nebraska vs. Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to all five of Utah's games at the Mary Nutter Classic by purchasing a subscription to FloCollege or follow along via live stats links or by following @Utah_Softball on Twitter or @utahsoftball on Instagram.
Last Time Out
Despite coming off a difficult weekend at the Fresno State Kickoff Classic that included multiple close defeats, Utah's time in the San Joaquin Valley was not without its bright spots.
At the plate, the Utes hit .315 as a team and seven different hitters batted .300 or better. No one swung a hotter bat than sophomore Reese Lee, who racked up 10 hits in 20 at-bats, extended her hit streak to 10-in-a-row and has now reached base safely in all 11 games Utah has played in 2025. Lee also owns spots inside the top five in the Big 12 in hits and batting average among players with at least 20 at-bats.
Newcomers Kennedy Proctor and Hailey Deter have also added some pop to the Utah lineup, with Deter hitting .400 with four doubles, tied for fourth-most in the league, and Proctor totaling eight hits over her last five games. Both players are among those tied for the team-lead with four multi hit performances to their credit.
In the circle, Shelbee Jones has thrown more innings than any Big 12 pitcher not named NiJaree Canady and she also ranks second in the conference in strikeouts with 31. Jones can claim a top 10 spot in opponents batting average as well, having held the opposition to a .203 clip so far in 2025.
Scouting the Opposition
The Utes will be renewing acquaintances with a few teams they've crossed paths with recently, including their first-round opponent at the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament in Oregon. Despite losing a handful of key contributors such as all-region picks Ariel Carlson and Morgan Scott and catcher Emma Kauf, Melyssa Lombardi's team hasn't missed a beat so far in 2025, winning 10 of their first 11 games to move into the top 20.
Utah last met Long Beach State at the 2023 Mary Nutter Classic, emerging with a 4-0 victory, and Amy Hogue's bunch also defeated the Titans in Fullerton in 2022, the most recent meeting between the two programs. The Titans shook of an early loss to Oklahoma and have won six of eight since then, led by infielder Ava Arce and her .520 average. LBSU also suffered a defeat at the hands of the Sooners, falling 2-0 in 11 innings. Their top two pitchers, freshman Brynne Nally and senior Shannon Haddad, both have ERAs under 2.00.
The Wildcats have had to navigate one of the toughest schedules in the nation so far in 2025, taking on five teams ranked inside the top 20 and they'll be attempting to regain their footing after a 5-5 start. Freshman Kaylie Avvisato has started her career by hitting .455 in her first 10 games and Northwestern also benefits from the presence of All-American Kansas Robinson.
Nebraska, meanwhile, is 8-2 and has been able to rely on the services of a healthy Jordyn Bahl, whose returned to form after an injury forced her to miss nearly all of 2024. The former All-American and two-time National Champion has hit .538 at the plate with five home runs and is also one of three Cornhusker hurlers who sport an ERA under 1.00.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/19/2025)
| Batting Avg. | Reese Lee | .467 | |||
| Slugging % | Kennedy Proctor | .567 | |||
| On Base % | Reese Lee | .514 | |||
| Runs Scored | Shonty Passi Shelbi Ortiz Hailee White Sianni Sakai |
7 | |||
| Hits | Reese Lee | 14 | |||
| RBI | Kaylah Nelsen | 9 | |||
| Doubles | Hailey Deter | 4 | |||
| Home Runs | Kaylah Nelsen Kennedy Proctor |
1 | |||
| Stolen Bases | Hailee White | 2 | |||
| ERA | Shelbee Jones | 3.00 (32.2 IP) |
| K's | Shelbee Jones | 31 |
| Wins | Shelbee Jones | 2 |
- The Utes have turned seven double plays so far in 2025, a number that puts them in a tie for ninth in the nation and ranks second in the Big 12. Only Texas Tech has produced more double plays among Big 12 programs so far this year.
- Over the season's first two weekends, Utah has been one of the best teams in the nation at finding the outfield gaps, which has led to 17 doubles, which puts them 36th in the NCAA.
- Over 11 games, Utah hitting coach Courtney Martinez has seen her hitters pound out 97 total knocks, the Big 12's second-highest total and a figure that ranks tied for 21st nationally.
- Pitching coach Paige Parker's staff has tossed a pair of shutouts so far in 2025, which has the Utes third in the conference and tied for 38th in the country.
- Utah has been one of the most adept teams in Division I executing sacrifice bunts during the current campaign, getting down 12, which is tops in the Big 12 and fourth nationally.
- Patience at the plate has been another strength for the Utes, as their total of 40 places them third in the conference and 29th in the country.
National and Big 12 – Individual
- Shelbee Jones can claim top 10 spots in the Big 12 in strikeouts (2nd), innings pitched (2nd) and total appearances (1st). Her figures in all three of those categories also place her in the top 25 in Division I.
- Reese Lee's season opening hot streak has her fourth in the Big 12 in hits, with 14, and her .467 batting average places her sixth.
- Kendall Lundberg has spent the first two weeks of the season making life miserable for potential base stealers, throwing out four so far from behind the plate. The number is tied for the Big 12 lead and places her 11th nationally.
- Hailey Deter's four doubles have pushed her into the top five in the league in that statistic.
- Brooklyn Carreon has made five starts for Utah so far in 2025, a number that ties for the lead in the Big 12 and has her sharing 10th nationally.
Carreon Crafts a Shutout
On Feb. 14, Brooklyn Carreon crafted the first shutout of her career against LMU, holding the Lions to six hits across six innings and striking out two. The California native threw a perfect first inning, then stranded runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth to finish off her scoreless performance.
A Pair of Comebacks at the Kajikawa Classic
In both of Utah's Sunday victories at the Kajikawa Classic, they trailed late before bouncing back to earn the win. This marked the first time since April 21, 2024 the Utes collected multiple comeback wins on the same day and the first instance since Feb. 20, 2021 they erased two deficits in the fifth inning or later on the same day to collect two triumphs. On that day, Utah posted a pair of late uprisings against UNLV and California Baptist.
A Kennedy Crusher
In Kennedy Proctor's second career at-bat, which came against California on Feb. 8, she blasted a solo home run for her first collegiate hit. This was the third time in three seasons a Utah player homered for her first career hit. Taylor Jacobs accomplished that feat on April 4, 2024 against Arizona and Karlie Davison homered for her first career knock on Feb. 11, 2023 vs. Stonehill.
Team 50
The 2025 campaign is the 50th season of competition for Utah Softball, which began in 1976, and Hogue and her squad will be attempting add to a long list of memorable moments and incredible accomplishments that have defined the program throughout its history.
Over the course of 49 previous seasons, the Utes have reached the AIAW or NCAA Women's College World Series six times, earned 23 trips to regionals, collected 18 conference regular season or tournament championships and produced 20 All-Americans. Seven former Utah softball players have also been inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame.
Seven different people have held the title of head coach or co-head coach for Utah softball, but Norma Carr, Jo Evans, Mona Stevens and Amy Hogue have been the main stewards of the program throughout its history. Each collected more than 200 wins during their time as head coach, Carr, Evans and Hogue all guided the Utes to the Women's College World Series during their tenures, while Stevens guided Utah to championships in the Mountain West Conference in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Utah's 20 All-American selections have been piled up by 15 players, starting with outfielder Melonie Kent in 1981. Four Utes, Charmelle Green, Sandy Rhea, Hannah Flippen and Ellessa Bonstrom earned All-American honors in multiple seasons, with Flippen being the only three-time All-American in school history. In 1985, 1994 and 2023, the Utes fielded teams with multiple All-Americans and in all three of those campaigns, they reached the Women's College World Series.
Amy Hogue Milestone Watch
Head coach Amy Hogue can already lay claim to the title of the winningest coach in Utah softball history, a milestone she reached in 2022 and one year later, she earned her 400th victory at the helm of the program, as well as her 600th overall. Hogue currently needs 21 more victories to reach 500 as Utah head coach and 25 to reach 700 in her career as a head coach.
Kaylah Makes the Cut
After a breakout 2024 campaign that saw her earn All-Pac-12 Second-Team status, Kaylah Nelsen earned preseason recognition in the form of a spot on the Big 12 Preseason Team. Nelsen spent 2024 batting .370, leading Pac-12 in doubles and finishing in the top 10 in the league in hits and RBIs. She also provided Utah with solid defense at first base and earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team.
Schedule Facts
Utah will be tasked with navigating a difficult schedule in their first year in the Big 12, as the team's slate includes 10 squads who garnered a spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason poll and three more that received votes. That group includes No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Texas Tech, who the Utes will meet in conference play, and No. 6 UCLA and No. 9 LSU, who the Utes will meet on Feb. 28 in back-to-back games at the Judi Garman Classic.
The 2025 regular season schedule will also take the Utes to Arizona, California, Idaho, Texas and Oklahoma before the 2025 Big 12 Tournament, which will be held at Devon Park in Oklahoma City from May 7 – 10.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-8849 or visit www.utahtickets.com/softball/.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience, from managing tickets to mobile concessions ordering, as well as video content, news and information, schedules, rosters and stats. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUtah Softball's Hailee White Feature
Tuesday, April 15
Utah Softball's Jolie Mayfield Feature
Friday, March 28
Utah Softball - The Inaugural 1976 Team
Wednesday, March 19
University of Utah Athletics - A Storied History
Friday, August 02