The University of Utah (18-33 overall, 6-15 conference) softball team will wrap up their 2019 season with one last road trip to Corvallis, Oregon where they will take on Oregon State University (24-18 overall, 6-13 conference).
Scouting the Utes
Last weekend, Utah played their last home series of the year where they beat the Oregon Ducks in two out of three games. The Utes has a few stand out players, including BreOnna Castaneda who went 7-for-11 including two doubles, a triple and six runs driven in. Ally Dickman went 5-for-12 with some key hits, and Alyssa Barrera went 6-for-10 with her eighth triple of the season.
Against Oregon State, Utah has fallen in the last two series, but they have won three of the last five matchups between the two teams.
Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State had an off weekend last week, and their last Pac-12 matchup was also against Oregon where they swept the Ducks in three games. The Beavers scored 28 runs to the Ducks’ 14, and Oregon State had six home runs from five different players. This was the first time since 2006 that Oregon State swept their in-state rivals.
The Beavers will honor six seniors in what will be their final home series of the year this weekend.
Utah Players to Look Out For
Barrera is continuing to stand out for Utah in the box and continues to lead the Pac-12 in triples with seven triples. This number also ranks her fourth nationally. She is consistent with a .429 batting average and she has 24 hits.
Senior Dickman has her name at the top of the team records for home runs (8) and slugging percentage (.625). She has struck out only 12 times in 136 at-bats, making her the toughest at-bat in the Pac-12.
Sydney Sandez has stepped up this season as a freshman pitcher, and she added two more wins to her record this last weekend against Oregon. She has a 10-9 record with a 5.2 era in 123.1 innings and 37 appearances.
Oregon State Players to Look Out For
Sophomore utility player Missy Nunes has been seeing a lot of success as a hitter this season for the Beavers. She is third on the team with a .276 batting average. She has the second most at-bats on the team with 123 and she has 34 hits, seven of those being home runs and seven being doubles. She hit her seventh home run in her last Pac-12 outing with the team.
Maia Rader, a freshman infielder is leading the Beavers with a .311 batting average. She hit three doubles against Oregon, bringing her season total up to seven. Rader has 28 hits in 90 at-bats so far this season.
Mariah Mazon is a sophomore pitcher who was the victor in all three games against the Ducks, bringing her season total up to 15-12. She has a 2.84 era and has 134 strikeouts so far this season in 160 innings.
Game Notes
Game one will fall on Thursday, May 9 at 5 p.m. PT followed by a 3 p.m. PT game on Friday and 10 a.m PT on Sunday the 10th. All three games will be played at OSU Softball Complex in Corvallis, Oregon.
