The Utah softball team is anxious for its 2016 season to start. Following a 36-19 record, their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2006 and a trip to the Regional Finals last season, the Utes have their sights set on the World Series in Oklahoma this year.
Utah has garnered national attention and ranks No. 25 in the ESPN/USA softball preseason poll. Eleven players will return from last year’s team, which finished in the top 25 for just the second time in school history. Head coach Amy Hogue thinks aside from one of their best players leaving the program, the Utes will make another good run.
“We graduated our top hitter, and she’s been difficult to replace,” Hogue said. “Everything else I feel like should be good or better because of the experiences we had last year.”
Sophomore pitcher Katie Donovan, tabbed for the All Pac-12 team last year, was named to the Preseason Pac-12 All-Conference team along with junior infielder Hannah Flippen and sophomore outfielder Heather Bowen.
“Katie is someone who really sets the tone for this group,” Hogue said. “She’s one of the hardest working individuals I’ve ever had the chance to coach. It’s been fun to see that work pan out in some wins for her last season.”
Donovan has put in extra work in the off-season, and Hogue thinks this is going to pay off when the Utes take the field for the first time.
“She spent the summer developing some new stuff,” Hogue said. “She’ll be different this year — she’s got some new tools, and as she settles in with those additions, I feel like you’re going to see some great things out of her again.”
Senior Shelby Pacheco returns for her final year with the team after starting all of her 156 games at Utah. Pacheco was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team last year and led all catchers in the conference, picking off three runners and throwing out 15.
The Utes are returning all four of their starting infielders. Flippen earned back-to-back All-NCFA honors after batting .348, recording two triples and hitting seven home runs. Playing second base, she led Utah with 120 assists and helped turn 23 double plays.
“I expect to have a lot of fun this year because we’ve been inside for so long, so it’s going to be exciting to get outside and be in the warm air,” Flippen said. “I think we’ll do great. I think we’ll win a lot of games and have a good season.”
Flippen is looking forward to what the new members of the team will bring to the field.
“All seven of those girls are really willing to get better, and we all respect each other and listen and care about what each other has to say,” Flippen said.
At first base, the Utes have Bridget Castro. Castro’s 18 putouts against Washington were the most by any player in the Pac-12 in 2015. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team, hitting .279 last year, scoring 26 times and driving six balls over the wall.
Senior Kristen Stewart returns at third base. She was an All Pac-12 selection last year and was also named to the NFCA All-Region team after batting .275, scoring 33 times, hitting four home runs and tallying 28 RBI’s.
Anissa Urtez will patrol shortstop for the Utes this season. Urtez was an honorable mention Pac-12 All-Defensive team in 2015, totaling 106 fielding assists. She finished with a .270 batting average, scored 31 times, hit three homers and had 10 RBIs.
Utah debuts a mostly new outfield this season — sophomore Heather Bowen is the only returning player from 2015. She batted .288 in 48 games, had 26 runs, three home runs and scored 13 times.
“We lost a lot of our speed, but we picked up a lot of kids that are really helping us with our offensive lineup,” Hogue said. “With changes can come hard things, but I like the new look that we have.”
Utah welcomes junior Kay Kay Fronda from Palomar College. Fronda was named an All-American while playing for the Comets, batting .445 over her two-year career.
Freshman Ally Dickman joins Utah after batting .390 in high school. Delilah Pacheco, a transfer from Blinn College batted .391, stole 69 bases and was named a NFCA All-American during her two years in Texas.
Utah will open the season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona. The Utes play six games in four days and Hogue hopes they can open the season on a high note.
“Our plan is to take it one game at a time and worry more about what it is that we’re doing, then about the other team,” Hogue said.
They open the tournament against No. 25 Notre Dame on Friday at 12 p.m. On Saturday, they have a double header against Georgia State at 6 p.m and Portland State at 8:15 p.m.
Utah plays two again on Sunday, Fresno State at 1:30 p.m and Boston College at 3:45 p.m. Utah rounds out the tournament by playing No. 17 Kentucky on Monday at 12:30 p.m.
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