Upcoming Event: Softball versus No. 1 Texas Tech on April 10, 2026 at 5 p.m.
5 p.m.
Softball
vs No. 1 Texas Tech
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The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, April 10
Salt Lake City, Utah
5 p.m.
University of Utah
vs
No. 1 Texas Tech
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Utah’s Mettle to Be Tested By No. 1 Red Raiders
4/9/2026 10:44 AM | Softball
Utes preparing for first series with No. 1 since 2018
SALT LAKE CITY – One of college softball's most challenging assignments is on deck for the University of Utah softball team, as they gear up for a three-game home series against the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who will first meet the Utes on Friday for a 5 p.m. matchup, followed by a 12 p.m. clash on Saturday and an 11 a.m. finale on Sunday at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.
This will be Utah's first series against the nation's top-ranked team since they took on No. 1 Washington in 2018. The last time Utah played No. 1 was when they met No. 1 Oklahoma in Feb. of 2022. The last series win for the Utes over the top-ranked team in the country came in 2017, when they took two of three against Arizona in Salt Lake City.
April 10 - 12 Schedule
How to Follow
Tune in to ESPN+ to catch all the action live in both Orlando and Ogden.
Game Day Promotions
It will be a busy weekend at the ballpark, starting with the team's 2026 Dark Mode game on Friday. The first 100 fans will receive a free Ute Proud Dark Mode shirt. Saturday will be MUSS Appreciation Day with MUSS Board President Kai Cruz and MUSS Vice President Ethan Horne throwing out first pitches. Fans can also stick around after the final out for postgame autographs. After Sunday's game, all children 12 and under can participate in an Easter Egg Hunt, which will take place on the outfield grass.
Last Time Out
The Utes' most recent outing took them to Ogden, Utah, where they earned their third win of the year over Weber State, 17-0. The win was Utah's 12th shutout of the season, their most since they blanked 17 opponents in 2017. It was also the ninth time in 2026, the team has reached double figures on the scoreboard, their highest such total since they got to double figures 10 times in 2000 and 1994.
Mia Gomez, Kennedy Proctor, Cian Noli and Payton Crank all contributed homers to Utah's effort, the fourth time in 2026 the Utes have homered four or more times in one game. Crank and Noli also set new career highs, each driving in five runs, while Danika Wilson's hit by pitch in the fifth inning extended her current on-base streak to 24 consecutive games.
In the circle, starter Shelbee Jones and Raci Miranda, who entered in relief in the fourth, completely shut down Weber State's lineup. In three innings, Jones permitted only one hit and struck out five. She also retired the last five batters she faced to earn her 10th win of the year. Miranda was just as overpowering, setting down all six batters she faced to ice the victory.
Scouting the Opposition
One year after coming within a single victory of the program's first national title, the Red Raiders added former UCLA All-American Kaitlyn Terry to the roster and are once again one of the favorites to reach the summit of the softball world. With a 38-2 record and a 14-1 mark in the Big 12, they also seem to have another conference championship well within their grasp.
One of the main reasons has been the play of Terry, who leads the league with a .534 batting average and is among the Big 12's leaders in almost every other offensive statistic. She has also crafted a spotless 15-0 record from the circle and owns the conference's second-best ERA at 1.73. Terry's numbers have helped Texas Tech claim the top spot on the league's leaderboard in both ERA and batting average, as well as in multiple other categories.
The only reason Terry doesn't lead the Big 12 in earned run average is because of another magnificent season on the mound from Nijaree Canady. The Kansas native who is in her second season in Lubbock is 15-2, has permitted only 17 earned runs in better than 90 innings and owns 133 strikeouts, third-best in the conference. In 22 appearances, Canady has permitted more than three earned runs only once.
2026 Team Stat Leaders (As of 4/9/2026)
Batting Avg. Mia Gomez .426
Slugging % Mia Gomez .738
On Base % Mia Gomez .507
Runs Scored Danika Wilson 36
Hits Mia Gomez 52
RBI Mia Gomez 35
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 12
Home Runs Mia Gomez 9
Stolen Bases Sianni Sakai 5
ERA Shelbee Jones 1.85 (79.2 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 76
Wins Shelbee Jones 10
National and Conference Rankings – Team
National and Conference Rankings - Individual
On-Base Honors
With her seventh-inning single against Oklahoma State on March 27, Mia Gomez became the program's new record holder for consecutive games reaching base safely with 34. She later extended that streak to 36 games, the longest such streak of any freshman during the 2026 season.
Gomez is not the only rookie Ute who's put together a lengthy on-base streak however. Fellow rookie Danika Wilson has gotten on base in 24 consecutive contests. Utah is the only program in the country to have two freshman who've put together on-base streaks of at least 20 games.
Multi-Hit Games for Mia
Mia Gomez's impressive freshman season includes five games in which she's had at least three hits. No Utah player in 2025 had more than four games with three or more hits. Gomez also leads the team with 11 games in which she's driven in multiple runs and she has a team-high 11 two-out RBI hits.
Leadoff Leaders
When leading off an inning, the Utes have done an excellent job getting on base. Utah's lead-off hitters have crafted a .441 on-base percentage. They're led by Gomez in that statistic, who has gotten on safely 21 times in 34 tries.
POTW Awards
The Utes have been piling up weekly awards of late, the most recent being Danika Wilson's second Freshman of the Week honor, which was announced on Tuesday. Wilson is the first Ute to win two freshman of the week awards since Abby Dayton in 2023. Shelbee Jones was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week last week. On March 10, Mia Gomez was named Softball on SI's Freshman of the Week and Wilson took home her first Big 12 Freshman of the Week award on March 2. Gomez won Utah's first weekly honor of the season on Feb. 17, when she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week.
Jones Tosses a No-Hitter
On March 11, Shelbee Jones fired the 32nd no-hitter in program history, blanking Abilene Christian over five innings in a 13-0 Utah win. She retired the side in order in each of the first three frames and struck out the side in the second. A two-out walk in the fourth inning was the only baserunner the Wildcats would manage before Jones closed the afternoon in style. She added two more punchouts to her total in the fifth, including one for the final out, her ninth of the day.
How Sweep It Is
Utah's thrashing of Arizona State represented the program's first road sweep of a ranked team since they took three from No. 13 Oregon in 2023. Utah's 35 runs in three games was their highest total in a series of three games or less since 1996 and it included their largest win over a ranked team ever in the form of a 15-0 rout on Saturday.
Proctor Power
Kennedy Proctor started March quite the power display, homering in three straight games on March 1, March 4 and March 6, all in Utah wins. Proctor is the first Utah player to go deep in three straight games since Ellessa Bonstrom in 2023.
Lighting Up the Thunderbirds
Against Southern Utah, the Utes cracked five homers, their most in a single game since 2020 and the 18 runs they scored were Utah's most in a single game since they also scored 18 in a 2012 win over North Dakota.
Multi-Homer Games
Shonty Passi's two-homer game on March 7 was the fourth multi-homer game by a Utah player in 2026. That's Utah's highest total of multi-homer games in one season since 2011.
Double Dare
Kennedy Proctor added her name to the school record book on Feb. 14, when she clocked three doubles at the expense of Illinois State. She was the sixth player in Utah history to log a performance like that and the first since Kelly Martinez in 2018.
Triple Threat
In Utah's first game of 2026, Hailee White stenciled her name into the program record book. With two triples against UC Riverside, White became the 12th player in school history to record two three-baggers in one game and the first since Abby Dayton in 2024.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
This will be Utah's first series against the nation's top-ranked team since they took on No. 1 Washington in 2018. The last time Utah played No. 1 was when they met No. 1 Oklahoma in Feb. of 2022. The last series win for the Utes over the top-ranked team in the country came in 2017, when they took two of three against Arizona in Salt Lake City.
April 10 - 12 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch/Live Stats |
| April 10 | Texas Tech at Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
| April 11 | Texas Tech at Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
| April 12 | Texas Tech at Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
How to Follow
Tune in to ESPN+ to catch all the action live in both Orlando and Ogden.
Game Day Promotions
It will be a busy weekend at the ballpark, starting with the team's 2026 Dark Mode game on Friday. The first 100 fans will receive a free Ute Proud Dark Mode shirt. Saturday will be MUSS Appreciation Day with MUSS Board President Kai Cruz and MUSS Vice President Ethan Horne throwing out first pitches. Fans can also stick around after the final out for postgame autographs. After Sunday's game, all children 12 and under can participate in an Easter Egg Hunt, which will take place on the outfield grass.
Last Time Out
The Utes' most recent outing took them to Ogden, Utah, where they earned their third win of the year over Weber State, 17-0. The win was Utah's 12th shutout of the season, their most since they blanked 17 opponents in 2017. It was also the ninth time in 2026, the team has reached double figures on the scoreboard, their highest such total since they got to double figures 10 times in 2000 and 1994.
Mia Gomez, Kennedy Proctor, Cian Noli and Payton Crank all contributed homers to Utah's effort, the fourth time in 2026 the Utes have homered four or more times in one game. Crank and Noli also set new career highs, each driving in five runs, while Danika Wilson's hit by pitch in the fifth inning extended her current on-base streak to 24 consecutive games.
In the circle, starter Shelbee Jones and Raci Miranda, who entered in relief in the fourth, completely shut down Weber State's lineup. In three innings, Jones permitted only one hit and struck out five. She also retired the last five batters she faced to earn her 10th win of the year. Miranda was just as overpowering, setting down all six batters she faced to ice the victory.
Scouting the Opposition
One year after coming within a single victory of the program's first national title, the Red Raiders added former UCLA All-American Kaitlyn Terry to the roster and are once again one of the favorites to reach the summit of the softball world. With a 38-2 record and a 14-1 mark in the Big 12, they also seem to have another conference championship well within their grasp.
One of the main reasons has been the play of Terry, who leads the league with a .534 batting average and is among the Big 12's leaders in almost every other offensive statistic. She has also crafted a spotless 15-0 record from the circle and owns the conference's second-best ERA at 1.73. Terry's numbers have helped Texas Tech claim the top spot on the league's leaderboard in both ERA and batting average, as well as in multiple other categories.
The only reason Terry doesn't lead the Big 12 in earned run average is because of another magnificent season on the mound from Nijaree Canady. The Kansas native who is in her second season in Lubbock is 15-2, has permitted only 17 earned runs in better than 90 innings and owns 133 strikeouts, third-best in the conference. In 22 appearances, Canady has permitted more than three earned runs only once.
2026 Team Stat Leaders (As of 4/9/2026)
Batting Avg. Mia Gomez .426
Slugging % Mia Gomez .738
On Base % Mia Gomez .507
Runs Scored Danika Wilson 36
Hits Mia Gomez 52
RBI Mia Gomez 35
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 12
Home Runs Mia Gomez 9
Stolen Bases Sianni Sakai 5
ERA Shelbee Jones 1.85 (79.2 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 76
Wins Shelbee Jones 10
National and Conference Rankings – Team
- Utah's 12th shutout of the season, which came on Tuesday, puts them in a tie for sixth in the nation and rates second in the Big 12. The staff's ERA remains one of the best in the Big 12, with their mark of 2.62 placing them third.
- The team's patience continues to serve them will, with their 172 walks standing as the conference's second-highest total and 13th nationally.
- Utah has turned 20 double plays during the current season, placing them third in the conference and 12th in Division I.
National and Conference Rankings - Individual
- Shelbee Jones ranks in the top 10 in the Big 12 in five different statistics, including ERA, where she's third at 1.85. Jones' three shutouts and 76 strikeouts also have her in the top five, while she's in a tie for eighth in wins with 10 and seventh in complete games with five.
- Hailey Maestretti's four shutouts are tied for second-most in the conference and she also ranks sixth in ERA at 2.25. Her eight complete games put her fourth in the league and she owns the No. 9 spot in WHIP at 1.28.
- Raci Miranda owns a 1.14 WHIP, which places her fifth in the Big 12.
- Mia Gomez's 52 hits put her fourth in the Big 12, while her .426 batting average ranks eighth-best and she's tied for ninth in doubles with 11.
- One spot ahead of Gomez in doubles in the Big 12 is Kennedy Proctor, who's seventh with 12 two-baggers.
On-Base Honors
With her seventh-inning single against Oklahoma State on March 27, Mia Gomez became the program's new record holder for consecutive games reaching base safely with 34. She later extended that streak to 36 games, the longest such streak of any freshman during the 2026 season.
Gomez is not the only rookie Ute who's put together a lengthy on-base streak however. Fellow rookie Danika Wilson has gotten on base in 24 consecutive contests. Utah is the only program in the country to have two freshman who've put together on-base streaks of at least 20 games.
Multi-Hit Games for Mia
Mia Gomez's impressive freshman season includes five games in which she's had at least three hits. No Utah player in 2025 had more than four games with three or more hits. Gomez also leads the team with 11 games in which she's driven in multiple runs and she has a team-high 11 two-out RBI hits.
Leadoff Leaders
When leading off an inning, the Utes have done an excellent job getting on base. Utah's lead-off hitters have crafted a .441 on-base percentage. They're led by Gomez in that statistic, who has gotten on safely 21 times in 34 tries.
POTW Awards
The Utes have been piling up weekly awards of late, the most recent being Danika Wilson's second Freshman of the Week honor, which was announced on Tuesday. Wilson is the first Ute to win two freshman of the week awards since Abby Dayton in 2023. Shelbee Jones was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week last week. On March 10, Mia Gomez was named Softball on SI's Freshman of the Week and Wilson took home her first Big 12 Freshman of the Week award on March 2. Gomez won Utah's first weekly honor of the season on Feb. 17, when she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week.
Jones Tosses a No-Hitter
On March 11, Shelbee Jones fired the 32nd no-hitter in program history, blanking Abilene Christian over five innings in a 13-0 Utah win. She retired the side in order in each of the first three frames and struck out the side in the second. A two-out walk in the fourth inning was the only baserunner the Wildcats would manage before Jones closed the afternoon in style. She added two more punchouts to her total in the fifth, including one for the final out, her ninth of the day.
How Sweep It Is
Utah's thrashing of Arizona State represented the program's first road sweep of a ranked team since they took three from No. 13 Oregon in 2023. Utah's 35 runs in three games was their highest total in a series of three games or less since 1996 and it included their largest win over a ranked team ever in the form of a 15-0 rout on Saturday.
Proctor Power
Kennedy Proctor started March quite the power display, homering in three straight games on March 1, March 4 and March 6, all in Utah wins. Proctor is the first Utah player to go deep in three straight games since Ellessa Bonstrom in 2023.
Lighting Up the Thunderbirds
Against Southern Utah, the Utes cracked five homers, their most in a single game since 2020 and the 18 runs they scored were Utah's most in a single game since they also scored 18 in a 2012 win over North Dakota.
Multi-Homer Games
Shonty Passi's two-homer game on March 7 was the fourth multi-homer game by a Utah player in 2026. That's Utah's highest total of multi-homer games in one season since 2011.
Double Dare
Kennedy Proctor added her name to the school record book on Feb. 14, when she clocked three doubles at the expense of Illinois State. She was the sixth player in Utah history to log a performance like that and the first since Kelly Martinez in 2018.
Triple Threat
In Utah's first game of 2026, Hailee White stenciled her name into the program record book. With two triples against UC Riverside, White became the 12th player in school history to record two three-baggers in one game and the first since Abby Dayton in 2024.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
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