Upcoming Event: Softball versus UCSB on February 6, 2026 at 2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Softball
vs UCSB
The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, March 28
Salt Lake City, Utah
4 p.m.
University of Utah
vs
Houston
Players Mentioned
C
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P
/ Softball
INF
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OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
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P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Second Series at Dumke Pits Utes Against Cougars
3/26/2025 2:54 PM | Softball
Utah softball tries to capitalize on momentum from first series win
SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah softball team got their 2025 home schedule off to a solid start with a series victory over Kansas and they'll be trying to carry that momentum into another weekend of home play, this one against the Houston Cougars, who the Utes will take on first on Friday at 4 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. rematch on Saturday and a 12 p.m. finale on Sunday at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
March 28 – 30 Schedule
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to each game via ESPN+ and links to live stats will be available on UtahUtes.com.
Game Day Promotions
It will be youth weekend at Dumke Family Softball Stadium, meaning children 12 and under get in for free all weekend. On Friday, the first 100 fans through the gates will receive a free Utah Softball Season 50 t-shirt. Before Saturday's game, 100 Under Armour crossbody bags will be up for grabs for youth fans and all those in attendance can stick around after the final out for postgame autographs. Utah's annual Strike Out Cancer game is scheduled for Sunday, with all fans being encouraged to wear pink. Swing 4 Life, a non-profit promoting breast cancer awareness, will also be in attendance. Stop by their table on the concourse on the third base line.
Last Time Out
Utah's first home series in Big 12 competition pit them against Kansas and the Utes took advantage of their first chance to play in front of their home fans by logging two wins in three tries.
The weekend got off to a bleak start for the home side, with the Jayhawks leading 8-1 after two-and-a-half innings, but the Utes then made their largest comeback in more than a decade, which included a two-out rally in the seventh that tied the score. Emily Capobianco then completed the uprising with a walk-off homer in the ninth and Utah secured the series win with a 5-2 triumph the next day.
Contributions came from everywhere for Utah against Kansas, but no one swung a hotter bat than Kaylah Nelsen, who recorded seven hits and batted .583. Nelsen is now batting .333 in 2025 and her 40 safeties rank fifth in the Big 12. Kennedy Proctor also swung the bat well, with five hits in 12 tries including a home run, and Shonty Passi's three hits and four walks gave her a .636 on-base percentage.
In the circle, Brooklyn Carreon and Shelbee Jones were on top of their games. Jones was excellent in relief on Friday and followed that with a solid start on Saturday to earn both victories, while Carreon's relief work was crucial in both wins. Their combined ERA against the Jayhawks was 1.88.
Scouting the Opposition
The Cougars landed at the bottom of the Big 12 Preseason Poll and they've set about attempting to prove their doubters wrong by amassing an 18-11 record so far in 2025, a mark that includes a series victory over Iowa State in their first weekend of conference competition. They have lost their last four league matchups, but bounced back on Tuesday with a 10-6 win over McNeese State.
Houston's greatest strength has been their offense, which ranks third in the Big 12 in runs scored. Freshman Brooke Wells has made a seamless transition to the college level, with her seven homers and .389 average both putting her in the top 10 in the conference. Jordee Wilkins owns a .380 average for the Cougars and her 27 runs scored rank ninth in the league. Against McNeese, she led-off the game with a home run, one of two hits and two RBIs she picked up on the day.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 3/26/2025)
Batting Avg. Kaylah Nelsen .333
Slugging % Jolie Mayfield .514
On Base % Shonty Passi .416
Runs Scored Kaylah Nelsen 15
Hits Kaylah Nelsen 40
RBI Kaylah Nelsen 17
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 7
Home Runs Jolie Mayfield 3
Emily Capobianco 3
Stolen Bases Hailee White 2
Marley Espiau 2
ERA Hailey Maestretti 3.22 (87.0 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 65
Wins Shelbee Jones 5
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
A Home Opener to Remember
In Utah's first home game of 2025, the Utes found themselves behind 8-1 after two-and-a-half innings, then staged the program's largest comeback since 2014. The Utes closed to within 8-7 before Kansas upped their lead back to 10-7. Utah then rallied to tie the score with two outs in the seventh before Emily Capobianco won the game on a walk-off homer in the ninth, Utah's first game-winning walk-off home since Bridget Castro on March 26, 2014.
A Maestretti Masterpiece
On March 1, Utah rookie Hailey Maestretti tossed the first shutout of her collegiate career, firing seven scoreless innings against No. 23 San Diego State. She's the first Utah freshman to throw a complete game shutout since Katie Donovan in 2015.
First-Time Four-Baggers
Five different Utah players have hit their first collegiate home runs in 2025. Kenney Proctor's first career four-bagger came on Feb. 8 vs. California. Emily Capobianco and Reese Lee smacked their first dingers on March 1 against Cal State Fullerton and Jolie Mayfield and Sianni Sakai's initial long balls were hit on March 2 vs. Weber State.
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 15 more victories to reach 500 as Utah head coach and 18 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).
March 28 – 30 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch/Live Stats |
| March 28 | Houston vs. Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
| March 29 | Houston vs. Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
| March 30 | Houston vs. Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to each game via ESPN+ and links to live stats will be available on UtahUtes.com.
Game Day Promotions
It will be youth weekend at Dumke Family Softball Stadium, meaning children 12 and under get in for free all weekend. On Friday, the first 100 fans through the gates will receive a free Utah Softball Season 50 t-shirt. Before Saturday's game, 100 Under Armour crossbody bags will be up for grabs for youth fans and all those in attendance can stick around after the final out for postgame autographs. Utah's annual Strike Out Cancer game is scheduled for Sunday, with all fans being encouraged to wear pink. Swing 4 Life, a non-profit promoting breast cancer awareness, will also be in attendance. Stop by their table on the concourse on the third base line.
Last Time Out
Utah's first home series in Big 12 competition pit them against Kansas and the Utes took advantage of their first chance to play in front of their home fans by logging two wins in three tries.
The weekend got off to a bleak start for the home side, with the Jayhawks leading 8-1 after two-and-a-half innings, but the Utes then made their largest comeback in more than a decade, which included a two-out rally in the seventh that tied the score. Emily Capobianco then completed the uprising with a walk-off homer in the ninth and Utah secured the series win with a 5-2 triumph the next day.
Contributions came from everywhere for Utah against Kansas, but no one swung a hotter bat than Kaylah Nelsen, who recorded seven hits and batted .583. Nelsen is now batting .333 in 2025 and her 40 safeties rank fifth in the Big 12. Kennedy Proctor also swung the bat well, with five hits in 12 tries including a home run, and Shonty Passi's three hits and four walks gave her a .636 on-base percentage.
In the circle, Brooklyn Carreon and Shelbee Jones were on top of their games. Jones was excellent in relief on Friday and followed that with a solid start on Saturday to earn both victories, while Carreon's relief work was crucial in both wins. Their combined ERA against the Jayhawks was 1.88.
Scouting the Opposition
The Cougars landed at the bottom of the Big 12 Preseason Poll and they've set about attempting to prove their doubters wrong by amassing an 18-11 record so far in 2025, a mark that includes a series victory over Iowa State in their first weekend of conference competition. They have lost their last four league matchups, but bounced back on Tuesday with a 10-6 win over McNeese State.
Houston's greatest strength has been their offense, which ranks third in the Big 12 in runs scored. Freshman Brooke Wells has made a seamless transition to the college level, with her seven homers and .389 average both putting her in the top 10 in the conference. Jordee Wilkins owns a .380 average for the Cougars and her 27 runs scored rank ninth in the league. Against McNeese, she led-off the game with a home run, one of two hits and two RBIs she picked up on the day.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 3/26/2025)
Batting Avg. Kaylah Nelsen .333
Slugging % Jolie Mayfield .514
On Base % Shonty Passi .416
Runs Scored Kaylah Nelsen 15
Hits Kaylah Nelsen 40
RBI Kaylah Nelsen 17
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 7
Home Runs Jolie Mayfield 3
Emily Capobianco 3
Stolen Bases Hailee White 2
Marley Espiau 2
ERA Hailey Maestretti 3.22 (87.0 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 65
Wins Shelbee Jones 5
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
- No team in the nation has been better at turning two than Utah, with their total of 26 twin killings putting them at the top of the national leaderboard. Both Hailee White and Kaylah Nelsen have been involved in 12 of those double plays.
- The Utes have continued to be one of the nation's most patient teams at the plate, drawing 118 walks, which ranks third in the Big 12 and 34th in the NCAA.
- A total of 21 sacrifice bunts have been put down by the Utes, 50th-most in the country and fourth in the Big 12.
- Hailee White has continued to be one of college softball's most reliable infielders, having piled up 73 assists, third-most in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. She's done so while making only four errors. Her average of 2.21 assists per game ranks sixth in the Big 12.
- Kendall Lundberg sits third in the conference, having caught six attempted base stealers.
- Kaylah Nelsen has spent her 2025 season piling up 40 hits, a number that puts her in fifth-place in the Big 12. Nelsen has also been the toughest player in the Big 12 to strikeout, with only three punchouts in 120 at-bats.
- Shelbee Jones has piled up 65 strikeouts in 2025, placing her seventh in the conference.
A Home Opener to Remember
In Utah's first home game of 2025, the Utes found themselves behind 8-1 after two-and-a-half innings, then staged the program's largest comeback since 2014. The Utes closed to within 8-7 before Kansas upped their lead back to 10-7. Utah then rallied to tie the score with two outs in the seventh before Emily Capobianco won the game on a walk-off homer in the ninth, Utah's first game-winning walk-off home since Bridget Castro on March 26, 2014.
A Maestretti Masterpiece
On March 1, Utah rookie Hailey Maestretti tossed the first shutout of her collegiate career, firing seven scoreless innings against No. 23 San Diego State. She's the first Utah freshman to throw a complete game shutout since Katie Donovan in 2015.
First-Time Four-Baggers
Five different Utah players have hit their first collegiate home runs in 2025. Kenney Proctor's first career four-bagger came on Feb. 8 vs. California. Emily Capobianco and Reese Lee smacked their first dingers on March 1 against Cal State Fullerton and Jolie Mayfield and Sianni Sakai's initial long balls were hit on March 2 vs. Weber State.
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 15 more victories to reach 500 as Utah head coach and 18 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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