It’s back on the road again for the U softball team. At least the Utes are out of the snowy weather.
After having its homestand with No. 2 Arizona canceled because of snow fall, the team is in Fullerton, Calif., to participate in the Kia Classic, hosted by Cal-State Fullerton.
First up for the 10-21 Utes is No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette today at 9 a.m. After the game with the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Utes look for revenge against No. 13 Washington at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. The Utes lost 4-1 to the Huskies in the Desert Classic earlier this season.
Friday morning the Utes take on N0. 10 Fresno State at 9:00 a.m.
Then bracket play begins. The more games the Utes win, the longer they will be in California.
The last time the Utes played was at the Desert Classic in St. George, Utah, during the first days of March. The Utes went 3-2 on the trip, losing to highly ranked Washington and Stanford. The Utes have only been practicing since that time.
U head coach Mona Stevens has stated many times the team needs practice to get better. This 10-day break should have been ample time for the Utes to iron out problem spots.
The Kia Classic consists of 16 teams from all over the country. As of today, nine of those teams participating are in the Top 25.
Even with a record well below .500, the Utes still lead the Mountain West Conference in hits (185), doubles (28), and are second in runs scored (86), batters struck out (135), innings pitched (201.0), and opposing batting average (.255).
However, the Utes still struggle in home runs (12) and batting average (.230).
Stevens knows the road will be tough and hopes the team finds a zone it can settle into.
“There will be no rest for the weary as we continue to face very tough competition,” she said.
“We’re right back at it with another tournament which boasts Top 25 competition. Our challenge is finding that comfort zone. We have to keep perfecting things and improving to be successful.”
Another milestone approaches Stevens. She is just three wins away from her 200th win at Utah. Stevens is the winningest coach in Utah softball history.