One of the keys to Utah’s success on the softball field this season is its trio of pitchers, who have excelled. The Utes have shut out their opposition in 10 of their 37 games so far this season, and their earned run average of 2.71 ranks 44th out of 290 NCAA Division I softball teams this year.
Utah’s No. 1 pitcher this season is sophomore Katie Donovan. As a freshman, Donovan surprised the nation, finishing her debut year with a 2.66 ERA, appearing in 45 games and starting 28 of those contests. Donovan spent the summer working on her pitches, and it has showed this year.
After 23 appearances this year, Donovan has a record of 13-7 and an ERA of just 1.90. She is Utah head coach Amy Hogue’s first option, as evidenced by her 28 starts. Hogue tapped Donovan to start in some of the most important contests of the season, including games against No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 18 Kentucky and No. 24 Oregon State.
“[Katie] is 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,” Hogue said.
Donovan set her career-high for strikeouts this year when she fanned nine Oregon State batters en route to a 7-5 upset of the top-25 Beavers. Perhaps the most telling statistic is that the Utes have a .700 winning percentage when Donovan starts.
Second in the Utah rotation for Hogue and pitching coach Cody Thomson is Miranda Viramontes, a sophomore from Chino, Calif. In Viramontes’ freshman year, she earned a 3.20 ERA in 29 appearances and 116 innings pitched. Viramontes was named to the All-Pac-12 Freshman first team and was named an honorable mention for the All-Pac-12 team that season.
In her second campaign at the U, Viramontes has a record of 6-4 in 19 appearances, 15 of those being starts. Her ERA is 3.10 but continues to go down from earlier in the season. In Tuesday’s game against Weber State, Viramontes showed her poise and composure as she went into a bases-loaded situation with one out and coaxed the first batter that she faced into an inning-ending double play.
“I was proud of Miranda and Hailey especially, with their outings. They just went out and threw a lot of strikes,” Hogue said after the combined shutout of Weber State on Tuesday.
The third pitcher in Utah’s trio is Hailey Hilburn, a 5-foot-9 freshman from Orange, Calif. In her first season as a Ute, Hilburn has made a splash, holding a 5-1 record and 2.76 ERA in 33 innings pitched this season. Hilburn was undefeated until losing at USF on March 9, but has rebounded to reel off two straight wins against Florida Gulf Coast and Southern Utah.
Hilburn has been used this season mostly as a closer, a late-inning pitcher who can seal the deal, as she did against Weber State on Tuesday. Hilburn entered in the seventh inning and sat the Wildcats down in order, sealing the victory for the Utes.
“Hailey brings a lot to the team. She defensively fields her position well, she attacks hitters, and she also swings a real good bat,” Hogue said. “We are anxious to see how many things she can add. She’s a four-year plan for us. She’s going to have some big career numbers.”
Pitching is a huge part of softball, and the Utes will have to rely on this trio if they want to play in the postseason.
@JoeColesChrony