Upcoming Event: Softball versus UCSB on February 6, 2026 at 2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Softball
vs UCSB
The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, February 23
Cathedral, CA
1:30 PM
University of Utah
vs
CSUN
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
No. 20 Utah Softball Returns to Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
2/21/2024 12:29 PM | Softball
Utes ready to duel with five opponents in three days
SALT LAKE CITY – For the third straight season, the No. 20 University of Utah softball team is heading to the most competitive non-conference softball tournament in the nation, the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, where the Utes will play five opponents over three days from Friday to Sunday at the Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, Calif.
The Utes will first be tasked with taking on the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Friday at 12:30 p.m. PT (1:30 p.m. MT), followed later that day by an 8 p.m. PT tilt against the San Diego Toreros. On Saturday, the Utes will meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 3 p.m. PT and the Wisconsin Badgers at 5:30 p.m. PT. Utah will close out its time in California by tangling with the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 9 a.m. PT on Sunday.
Feb. 23 – 25 Schedule
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to every Utah game in Cathedral City through FloSports and links to live stats for every contest can also be found on UtahUtes.com.
Last Time Out
The Utes' most recent destination on their non-conference schedule was Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they played four games and finished strong with a win over UC San Diego. Two of the team's stars in that matchup were pitchers Sarah Ladd and Mariah Lopez, who combined to allow only six singles across seven innings in Utah's second shutout of 2024. In the batter's box, Haley Denning, Aliya Belarde and Kaylah Nelsen all contributed multiple hits, with Denning scoring twice and Belarde and Nelsen driving in runs.
Belarde's efforts in Mexico earned her a spot on the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team after she hit .500 across her team's four tournament matchups and blasted a pair of home runs. Also collecting all-tournament honors was Karlie Davison, who recorded four hits in 12 at-bats and drove in runs in each of her squad's last two games.
Scouting the Opposition
Each opponent at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will present a different challenge for the Utes, as CSU, Nebraska and Notre Dame have all gotten their seasons off to excellent starts, San Diego is coming off its winningest season since 2018 and the Badgers own a 9-5 series edge all-time against Utah.
The Matadors dropped their season opener to No. 9 Oklahoma State, but since then have reeled off eight straight triumphs, the last of which was an 8-0 trouncing of Pacific on Saturday. The story of the early part of CSUN's season has been the pitching of sophomore Lauryn Carranco, who's permitted only three earned runs in 25 innings and has yet to surrender a home run. The California native has thrown shutout ball in each of her last three outings, including a complete-game shutout of Utah Tech on Feb. 15.
Both the Toreros and the Badgers are trying to find their way through early season doldrums, although the two squads have combined to play seven games against ranked programs. USD nearly pulled off an upset of No. 10 UCLA on Feb. 10, fighting back from a 7-0 deficit before falling short by a single run. The Badgers came very close to springing surprises on No. 6 Georgia and No. 14 Kentucky, even taking the Bulldogs to extra innings before dropping a 7-6 decision.
When Notre Dame and Utah squared off on Feb. 10, the Utes romped by a score of 9-3, but the Fighting Irish have not lost since then, posting five straight victories. Five different hitters in coach Deanna Gumpf's lineup are hitting better than .300 and she can also boast three pitchers with ERA's under three. No one on the Notre Dame roster has more hits than senior Carlli Kloss, who's reached base safely in all eight of her team's contests and is riding a six-game hit streak.
The Utes and Cornhuskers will be meeting for only the second time in the last 20 years, with Nebraska taking the only tilt over that period by a 5-0 margin in 2018. Coach Rhonda Revelle saw her team drop its first two games of 2024, but they've rebounded with six wins in seven tries since then. Peyton Cody and Alina Felix have swung the hottest bats for the Cornhuskers, combining for 14 knocks in 26 at-bats, while Sydney Gray's three homers and 11 RBIs are both tops on the roster.
2024 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/21/2024)
National Rankings – Individual
After a 2023 campaign that saw a slew of records fall, more all-time marks are on the chopping block in 2024. Haley Denning has her sights on three of Utah's all-time marks, including the program's career hits record, which she currently stands only 14 safeties away from breaking. Denning also needs 22 more steals to top Sandy Rhea's record total of 130 and she's 33 runs away from taking over as the program's career leader in crossing home plate.
Leadoff Leaders
The Utes have been experts at starting innings with hits and they currently are hitting at a .397 clip to start off an inning. Denning, Aliya Belarde, Kaylah Nelsen and Kendall Lundberg have combined for 31 at-bats to begin a frame so far in 2024 and their batting average together in those situations is over .500.
Always On Base
Both Julia Jimenez and Aliya Belarde have been constants on the basepaths for the Utes so far in 2024. After being kept off base in Utah's season opener, Jimenez has reached safely in all eight contests since then, while Belarde has gotten on base in seven consecutive bouts.
Senior Class
The 2024 season will be the last one in a Utah uniform for the program's eight-person senior class of Aliya Belarde, Stella Bennett, Haley Denning, Chloe Doyle, Sophie Jacquez, Julia Jimenez, Sarah Ladd and Mariah Lopez.
Five of those eight student-athletes have achieved all-conference status and both Denning and Jimenez can claim All-Pac-12 honors in multiple seasons.
Coaching Staff Additions
Two new faces have joined head coach Amy Hogue's staff for the 2024 campaign. Courtney Martinez comes to Utah from Iowa State and Kaija Gibson has donned Utah colors after spending two years with UCF.
Martinez spent six seasons with the Cyclones, helping the squad reset the program record for homers in a season three times and pile up 37 wins in 2019, the second-highest total in school history. She also helped tutor 2021 First-Team All-American Sami Williams.
Gibson, who not long ago was playing against the Utes with Washington, was part of two Golden Knights teams that won the AAC Tournament Championship to earn spots in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, UCF rolled up 49 wins and Gibson and her colleagues were named the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year and the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024 campaign are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-8849 or visit www.utahtickets.com/softball/.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
The Utes will first be tasked with taking on the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Friday at 12:30 p.m. PT (1:30 p.m. MT), followed later that day by an 8 p.m. PT tilt against the San Diego Toreros. On Saturday, the Utes will meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 3 p.m. PT and the Wisconsin Badgers at 5:30 p.m. PT. Utah will close out its time in California by tangling with the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 9 a.m. PT on Sunday.
Feb. 23 – 25 Schedule
| Date | Game | Live Stats/Watch |
| Feb. 23 | Utah vs. CSUN | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 23 | Utah vs. San Diego | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 24 | Utah vs. Notre Dame | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 24 | Utah vs. Wisconsin | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 25 | Utah vs. Nebraska | Live Stats / Watch |
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to every Utah game in Cathedral City through FloSports and links to live stats for every contest can also be found on UtahUtes.com.
Last Time Out
The Utes' most recent destination on their non-conference schedule was Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they played four games and finished strong with a win over UC San Diego. Two of the team's stars in that matchup were pitchers Sarah Ladd and Mariah Lopez, who combined to allow only six singles across seven innings in Utah's second shutout of 2024. In the batter's box, Haley Denning, Aliya Belarde and Kaylah Nelsen all contributed multiple hits, with Denning scoring twice and Belarde and Nelsen driving in runs.
Belarde's efforts in Mexico earned her a spot on the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team after she hit .500 across her team's four tournament matchups and blasted a pair of home runs. Also collecting all-tournament honors was Karlie Davison, who recorded four hits in 12 at-bats and drove in runs in each of her squad's last two games.
Scouting the Opposition
Each opponent at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will present a different challenge for the Utes, as CSU, Nebraska and Notre Dame have all gotten their seasons off to excellent starts, San Diego is coming off its winningest season since 2018 and the Badgers own a 9-5 series edge all-time against Utah.
The Matadors dropped their season opener to No. 9 Oklahoma State, but since then have reeled off eight straight triumphs, the last of which was an 8-0 trouncing of Pacific on Saturday. The story of the early part of CSUN's season has been the pitching of sophomore Lauryn Carranco, who's permitted only three earned runs in 25 innings and has yet to surrender a home run. The California native has thrown shutout ball in each of her last three outings, including a complete-game shutout of Utah Tech on Feb. 15.
Both the Toreros and the Badgers are trying to find their way through early season doldrums, although the two squads have combined to play seven games against ranked programs. USD nearly pulled off an upset of No. 10 UCLA on Feb. 10, fighting back from a 7-0 deficit before falling short by a single run. The Badgers came very close to springing surprises on No. 6 Georgia and No. 14 Kentucky, even taking the Bulldogs to extra innings before dropping a 7-6 decision.
When Notre Dame and Utah squared off on Feb. 10, the Utes romped by a score of 9-3, but the Fighting Irish have not lost since then, posting five straight victories. Five different hitters in coach Deanna Gumpf's lineup are hitting better than .300 and she can also boast three pitchers with ERA's under three. No one on the Notre Dame roster has more hits than senior Carlli Kloss, who's reached base safely in all eight of her team's contests and is riding a six-game hit streak.
The Utes and Cornhuskers will be meeting for only the second time in the last 20 years, with Nebraska taking the only tilt over that period by a 5-0 margin in 2018. Coach Rhonda Revelle saw her team drop its first two games of 2024, but they've rebounded with six wins in seven tries since then. Peyton Cody and Alina Felix have swung the hottest bats for the Cornhuskers, combining for 14 knocks in 26 at-bats, while Sydney Gray's three homers and 11 RBIs are both tops on the roster.
2024 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/21/2024)
| Batting Avg. | Haley Denning | .483 | |
| Slugging % | Aliya Belarde | .690 | |
| On Base % | Karlie Davison | .517 | |
| Runs Scored | Haley Denning | 9 | |
| Hits | Haley Denning | 14 | |
| RBI | Julia Jimenez Karlie Davison Leilani Melendez |
5 | |
| Doubles | Julia Jimenez | 3 | |
| Home Runs | Aliya Belarde | 2 | |
| Stolen Bases | Haley Denning | 9 | |
| ERA | Sarah Ladd | 1.98 (28.1 IP) |
| K's | Mariah Lopez | 23 |
| Wins | Sarah Ladd | 3 |
National Rankings – Individual
- Mariah Lopez has been piling up the innings so far in 2024 and her 28 1/3 innings pitched puts her in a tie for 46th nationally.
- Haley Denning has spent Utah's first nine games wreaking havoc on the basepaths, piling up nine steals, which ties her for fifth in the country.
- Aliya Belarde tied a program record with two triples in one game when the Utes played Notre Dame on Feb. 10 and those two three-baggers have her tied for sixth in Division I.
- The Utes have been on point when it comes to turning double plays through nine games and their average of 0.56 twin killings per contest has them tied for 26th in the nation.
- Utah's prowess on the bases has earned them an average of 2.38 stolen bases per game, which places them in a tie for 17th in the country.
- Haley Denning and Karlie Davison have both carved out spots in the top 10 in the conference in batting average, with Denning's .483 placing her fourth, while Davison sits in a tie for eighth, having crafted a mark of .440.
- Denning ranks in a tie for first in the league in steals with nine, while her nine runs score have earned her a share of eighth.
- Aliya Belarde is currently the only player in the Pac-12 with multiple triples.
- Julia Jimenez's patience at the plate has garnered her six walks so far in 2024, tying her for sixth in the conference.
- Sarah Ladd has collected three of Utah's victories during the current campaign, a number that only one player in the Pac-12 can top.
- Mariah Lopez owns spots in the league's top 10 in three different statistics, including innings pitched, where she's in a deadlock for first. Lopez also can lay claim to the Pac-12's third-highest strikeout total and 10th-best ERA.
- As a team, the Utes have racked up 20 stolen bases and a two triples, both of which place them in a tie for second in the Pac-12.
After a 2023 campaign that saw a slew of records fall, more all-time marks are on the chopping block in 2024. Haley Denning has her sights on three of Utah's all-time marks, including the program's career hits record, which she currently stands only 14 safeties away from breaking. Denning also needs 22 more steals to top Sandy Rhea's record total of 130 and she's 33 runs away from taking over as the program's career leader in crossing home plate.
Leadoff Leaders
The Utes have been experts at starting innings with hits and they currently are hitting at a .397 clip to start off an inning. Denning, Aliya Belarde, Kaylah Nelsen and Kendall Lundberg have combined for 31 at-bats to begin a frame so far in 2024 and their batting average together in those situations is over .500.
Always On Base
Both Julia Jimenez and Aliya Belarde have been constants on the basepaths for the Utes so far in 2024. After being kept off base in Utah's season opener, Jimenez has reached safely in all eight contests since then, while Belarde has gotten on base in seven consecutive bouts.
Senior Class
The 2024 season will be the last one in a Utah uniform for the program's eight-person senior class of Aliya Belarde, Stella Bennett, Haley Denning, Chloe Doyle, Sophie Jacquez, Julia Jimenez, Sarah Ladd and Mariah Lopez.
Five of those eight student-athletes have achieved all-conference status and both Denning and Jimenez can claim All-Pac-12 honors in multiple seasons.
Coaching Staff Additions
Two new faces have joined head coach Amy Hogue's staff for the 2024 campaign. Courtney Martinez comes to Utah from Iowa State and Kaija Gibson has donned Utah colors after spending two years with UCF.
Martinez spent six seasons with the Cyclones, helping the squad reset the program record for homers in a season three times and pile up 37 wins in 2019, the second-highest total in school history. She also helped tutor 2021 First-Team All-American Sami Williams.
Gibson, who not long ago was playing against the Utes with Washington, was part of two Golden Knights teams that won the AAC Tournament Championship to earn spots in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, UCF rolled up 49 wins and Gibson and her colleagues were named the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year and the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024 campaign are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-8849 or visit www.utahtickets.com/softball/.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
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