Completed Event: Softball versus No. 7 Seed UCF on May 7, 2025 , Loss , 5, to, 7
Final Score
Softball
5
vs No. 7 Seed UCF
7
Friday, February 28
Fullerton, Calif.
10:30 a.m.
University of Utah
vs
No. 5 LSU
Photo by: Jackson Bilawa/Utah Athletics
Challenging Slate On Tap for Utah Softball at Judi Garman Classic
2/27/2025 9:40 AM | Softball
Utah to take on three ranked teams in Fullerton, Calif.
SALT LAKE CITY – The first month of the 2025 softball season is already nearing its conclusion and the University of Utah softball team is going to spend the fourth weekend of the year taking on some of the most difficult competition their schedule has to offer from Friday through Sunday at the Judi Garman Classic, which will be held at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, Calif.
Utah will first square off with the No. 5 LSU Tigers on Friday at 9:30 a.m. PT (10:30 a.m. MT), followed at 2:30 p.m. PT by a bout with the No. 4 UCLA Bruins. On Saturday, the Utes will battle the No. 23 San Diego State Aztecs at 5 p.m. PT and the Cal State Fullerton Titans at 7 p.m. PT, followed on Sunday by an 11 a.m. PT matchup with the Weber State Wildcats.
Feb. 28 – March 2 Schedule
How to Follow
Utah's Saturday showdown with Cal State Fullerton will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and fans can follow along via live stats links or by following @Utah_Softball on Twitter or @utahsoftball on Instagram.
Last Time Out
Despite a difficult weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, there were some bright spots for Utes during the third weekend of their current campaign. At the top of the list was the performance of freshman catcher Kennedy Proctor, who went 4-for-9 at the plate. Those numbers included four doubles, which put Proctor's total in that statistic at six in 2025, tied for third in the Big 12.
Proctor has been part of a patient Utah attack that has drawn 54 walks, fourth-most in the conference. Reese Lee, Hailee White and Shonty Passi all rank in the top 20 in the league in that statistic. Lee has reached base in 14 of Utah's 16 games and her and Proctor both have on-base percentages over .450. Passi has also crafted an on-base streak of nine games in 2025, while Shelbi Ortiz had an eight-game streak of reaching base earlier in the year.
Utah pitcher Shelbee Jones has continued to be one of the most durable pitchers in the nation, with her 46 1/3 innings pitched placing her second in the league and she also owns the conference's second-highest strikeout total with 45. Jones has pitched to a team-best 3.02 ERA as well.
Scouting the Opposition
Perhaps no team in the nation has as difficult a slate in front of it as the Utes for the season's fourth weekend. Utah's five opponents own a combined record of 56-21 and have collected nine victories over ranked foes.
The two toughest tests the Utes will face will come on their first day of action in Fullerton against the fifth-ranked Tigers and the No. 4 Bruins. The Tigers have started the year by winning their first 14 games, starting with a string of four straight shutouts to begin the year. Included in that run is an opening day perfect game thrown by freshman Jayden Heavener. The Bruins, meanwhile, trounced two ranked squads via the run rule at the Mary Nutter Classic before suffering a narrow defeat at the hands of No. 8 Duke. The Bruins and the Tigers both rank in the top 20 in the nation in ERA and batting average.
The Aztecs have become a familiar adversary for the Utes of late, with Utah topping SDSU in the 2023 Salt Lake City Super Regional, then leaving San Diego with a victory in 2024. The 2025 version of Stacey Nuveman-Deniz's team ranks in the top three in the Mountain West in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. SDSU also has three of the league's top hitters, with Lala Macario, Cali Decker and Bella Espinoza all batting over .400.
The Titans have three players with averages over .400 as well and their .348 clip as a team ranks 24th in the nation. It has helped them lead the Big West in runs per game and junior infielder Colby McClinton is at the top of the league leaderboard in runs scored. For the Wildcats, they'll be arriving in Fullerton attempting to snap a skid that's seen them lose 10 of their last 11 games despite the efforts of junior Riley Whalen, who's hitting .432.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/25/2025)
Batting Avg. Reese Lee .385
Slugging % Kennedy Proctor .515
On Base % Reese Lee .455
Runs Scored Shonty Passi 9
Hits Reese Lee 16
Kaylah Nelsen 16
RBI Kaylah Nelsen 13
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 6
Home Runs Kaylah Nelsen
Kennedy Proctor 1
Stolen Bases Hailee White 2
ERA Shelbee Jones 3.02 (46.1 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 45
Wins Shelbee Jones 2
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
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 22 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 will first square off with the No. 5 LSU Tigers on Friday at 9:30 a.m. PT (10:30 a.m. MT), followed at 2:30 p.m. PT by a bout with the No. 4 UCLA Bruins. On Saturday, the Utes will battle the No. 23 San Diego State Aztecs at 5 p.m. PT and the Cal State Fullerton Titans at 7 p.m. PT, followed on Sunday by an 11 a.m. PT matchup with the Weber State Wildcats.
Feb. 28 – March 2 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch/Live Stats |
| Feb. 28 | Utah vs. No. 5 LSU | Live Stats |
| Feb. 28 | No. 4 UCLA vs. Utah | Live Stats |
| March 1 | Utah vs. No. 23 SDSU | Live Stats |
| March 1 | Utah vs. Cal State Fullerton | Watch / Live Stats |
| March 2 | Weber State vs. Utah | Live Stats |
How to Follow
Utah's Saturday showdown with Cal State Fullerton will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and fans can follow along via live stats links or by following @Utah_Softball on Twitter or @utahsoftball on Instagram.
Last Time Out
Despite a difficult weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, there were some bright spots for Utes during the third weekend of their current campaign. At the top of the list was the performance of freshman catcher Kennedy Proctor, who went 4-for-9 at the plate. Those numbers included four doubles, which put Proctor's total in that statistic at six in 2025, tied for third in the Big 12.
Proctor has been part of a patient Utah attack that has drawn 54 walks, fourth-most in the conference. Reese Lee, Hailee White and Shonty Passi all rank in the top 20 in the league in that statistic. Lee has reached base in 14 of Utah's 16 games and her and Proctor both have on-base percentages over .450. Passi has also crafted an on-base streak of nine games in 2025, while Shelbi Ortiz had an eight-game streak of reaching base earlier in the year.
Utah pitcher Shelbee Jones has continued to be one of the most durable pitchers in the nation, with her 46 1/3 innings pitched placing her second in the league and she also owns the conference's second-highest strikeout total with 45. Jones has pitched to a team-best 3.02 ERA as well.
Scouting the Opposition
Perhaps no team in the nation has as difficult a slate in front of it as the Utes for the season's fourth weekend. Utah's five opponents own a combined record of 56-21 and have collected nine victories over ranked foes.
The two toughest tests the Utes will face will come on their first day of action in Fullerton against the fifth-ranked Tigers and the No. 4 Bruins. The Tigers have started the year by winning their first 14 games, starting with a string of four straight shutouts to begin the year. Included in that run is an opening day perfect game thrown by freshman Jayden Heavener. The Bruins, meanwhile, trounced two ranked squads via the run rule at the Mary Nutter Classic before suffering a narrow defeat at the hands of No. 8 Duke. The Bruins and the Tigers both rank in the top 20 in the nation in ERA and batting average.
The Aztecs have become a familiar adversary for the Utes of late, with Utah topping SDSU in the 2023 Salt Lake City Super Regional, then leaving San Diego with a victory in 2024. The 2025 version of Stacey Nuveman-Deniz's team ranks in the top three in the Mountain West in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. SDSU also has three of the league's top hitters, with Lala Macario, Cali Decker and Bella Espinoza all batting over .400.
The Titans have three players with averages over .400 as well and their .348 clip as a team ranks 24th in the nation. It has helped them lead the Big West in runs per game and junior infielder Colby McClinton is at the top of the league leaderboard in runs scored. For the Wildcats, they'll be arriving in Fullerton attempting to snap a skid that's seen them lose 10 of their last 11 games despite the efforts of junior Riley Whalen, who's hitting .432.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/25/2025)
Batting Avg. Reese Lee .385
Slugging % Kennedy Proctor .515
On Base % Reese Lee .455
Runs Scored Shonty Passi 9
Hits Reese Lee 16
Kaylah Nelsen 16
RBI Kaylah Nelsen 13
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 6
Home Runs Kaylah Nelsen
Kennedy Proctor 1
Stolen Bases Hailee White 2
ERA Shelbee Jones 3.02 (46.1 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 45
Wins Shelbee Jones 2
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
- The Utes have turned eight double plays so far in 2025, a number that puts them in a tie for 14th in the nation and ranks third in the Big 12.
- Utah has been one of the most adept teams in Division I executing sacrifice bunts, getting down 17, which is tops in the Big 12 and second nationally, behind only Wofford.
- Freshman Kennedy Proctor has made herself at home in the collegiate ranks so far during her rookie season, as evidenced by her six doubles which places her third in the Big 12 and tied for 22nd in Division I.
- No one in the Big 12 has spent more time in the circle than Shelbee Jones. Her 46 1/3 innings pitched are second in the league and put her 26th in the country. She also second in the league in punchouts at 45, good enough for 26th in the NCAA, and tops in the Big 12 with 13 total appearances.
- Both Hailee White and Shonty Passi have been piling up assists so far in 2025, with White's 34 placing her fourth in the Big 12 in and 30th in the nation and Passi's 29 have her 10th in the league.
- Kendall Lundberg has spent the first three 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 third in the Big 12 and places her 36th 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 22 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).
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