Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis at Baylor on April 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
5:00 PM
Men's Tennis
at Baylor
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The University of Utah Athletics
50 Seasons of Utah Softball
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.
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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.
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Included in those trips to the sport’s biggest stage is the inaugural 1976 season, when head coach Norma Carr to regional wins over Arizona State and Northern Colorado, earning the Utes a berth in the AIAW Women’s College World Series.
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Utah’s next trip to Nationals came in 1991 with Jo Evans at the helm, thanks in large part to a superhuman effort by the team in the 1991 WAC Championship. Matched up against Creighton and needing only one win in two tries to claim the title, the Utes dropped the first game, 1-0 in 31 innings, only to immediately after embark on a 25-inning marathon that ended with a 4-3 Utah triumph. The Utes then earned three wins at the College Station Regional, defeating Texas A&M in the final, to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City, where they would also return in 1994.
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In 2000, the Utes moved from the WAC to the Mountain West and, under coach Mona Stevens, the set about claiming more conference hardware. Utah took home the MWC Tournament Championships in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 going 15-5 overall in the Mountain West Tournament.
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After 12 seasons in the MWC, the Utes moved to the Pac-12 in 2012 and, with coach Amy Hogue leading the way, soon found themselves back in postseason play, starting with a garnering a place in the Knoxville Regional in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, Utah made its first two forays into the NCAA Super Regionals round, thanks in part to the play of Hannah Flippen, who was chosen as an All-American in both seasons.
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Utah did not return to conference postseason play until 2023, but they immediately made their mark at the first-ever Pac-12 Tournament. The Utes and Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Mariah Lopez bested California, No. 5 Washington and No. 2 UCLA to claim the championship. Those victories netted Utah the No. 15 spot in the NCAA Tournament and the Utes defended their home turf in both regionals and super regionals and earned them their fifth invitation to the Women’s College World Series.
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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.
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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.
ÂGallery: (3-17-2025) Utah Softball Historical Photos
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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.
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Included in those trips to the sport’s biggest stage is the inaugural 1976 season, when head coach Norma Carr to regional wins over Arizona State and Northern Colorado, earning the Utes a berth in the AIAW Women’s College World Series.
Â
Utah’s next trip to Nationals came in 1991 with Jo Evans at the helm, thanks in large part to a superhuman effort by the team in the 1991 WAC Championship. Matched up against Creighton and needing only one win in two tries to claim the title, the Utes dropped the first game, 1-0 in 31 innings, only to immediately after embark on a 25-inning marathon that ended with a 4-3 Utah triumph. The Utes then earned three wins at the College Station Regional, defeating Texas A&M in the final, to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City, where they would also return in 1994.
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In 2000, the Utes moved from the WAC to the Mountain West and, under coach Mona Stevens, the set about claiming more conference hardware. Utah took home the MWC Tournament Championships in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 going 15-5 overall in the Mountain West Tournament.
Â
After 12 seasons in the MWC, the Utes moved to the Pac-12 in 2012 and, with coach Amy Hogue leading the way, soon found themselves back in postseason play, starting with a garnering a place in the Knoxville Regional in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, Utah made its first two forays into the NCAA Super Regionals round, thanks in part to the play of Hannah Flippen, who was chosen as an All-American in both seasons.
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Utah did not return to conference postseason play until 2023, but they immediately made their mark at the first-ever Pac-12 Tournament. The Utes and Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Mariah Lopez bested California, No. 5 Washington and No. 2 UCLA to claim the championship. Those victories netted Utah the No. 15 spot in the NCAA Tournament and the Utes defended their home turf in both regionals and super regionals and earned them their fifth invitation to the Women’s College World Series.
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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.
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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.
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#Team50 takes the field tomorrow. ??#GoUtes #SOTL pic.twitter.com/mqmVKrlQeA
— Utah Softball (@Utah_Softball) February 6, 2025