Upcoming Event: Softball versus Utah Valley on October 2, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
vs Utah Valley
Friday, May 2
Stillwater, Okla.
5 p.m.
University of Utah
at
No. 23 Oklahoma State
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Photo by: Anna Fuder/Utah Athletics
Utes Visit No. 23 Cowgirls to Close Regular Season
4/30/2025 3:30 PM | Softball
Utah softball makes first trip to Stillwater since 2020
SALT LAKE CITY – Just one more weekend remains in the 2025 regular season for the University of Utah softball team and the final weekend series on the docket for the Utes pits them against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls, who will host Utah for a three-game series that will begin with game one on Friday at 6 p.m. CT (5 p.m. MT), followed by a second matchup on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT and the series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday.
May 2 – 4 Schedule
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to each game via ESPN+ and links to live stats will be available on UtahUtes.com.
Last Time Out
The Utes have done nothing but hit over the last two weeks, crafting a .348 batting average as a team and averaging seven runs per game. No Utah hitter has been hotter than Kaylah Nelsen, who's totaled 12 safeties in her last 19 at-bats. Her overall average for the season has jumped 30 points during that hot streak, up to .355, while her mark in conference play is now .414. That conference clip puts her third in the league and she'll spend the season's final weekend vying for the league batting title with Baylor's Shaylon Govan and Arizona's Dakota Kennedy.
Also helping spark the offense of late have been Shonty Passi and Emily Capobianco, with Passi logging eight hits in her last 16 trips to the plate and Capobianco going 7-for-her-last-16 with 12 RBIs. Passi is now hitting .377 in Big 12 play, good for eighth on the league leaderboard, while Capobianco's 21 RBIs place her fourth. The California native is on a run of six consecutive games with at least one run knocked in and her eight multi-RBI games in 2025 are a team-best.
Nelsen, Passi and Capobianco all played a role in Utah's most recent victory, a 7-6 triumph over Iowa State on Sunday, but perhaps no one was a bigger star than Shelbi Ortiz, who drove in two runs, scored two runs and smacked two hits, including a go-ahead two-run triple in the sixth. That three-bagger was her third of the season and no one in the Big 12 has more in conference play in 2025.
Scouting the Opposition
The Cowgirls, who entered the season ranked fourth nationally, are attempting to return to the Women's College World Series for the sixth straight season. While OSU has endured an up-and-down season in conference play, as evidenced by their 10-9 record in the Big 12, they remain a lock for postseason play and will have the opportunity to keep their streak of consecutive tripes to Oklahoma City intact.
Coach Kenny Gajewski's pitching staff has been the main reason for the team's success and no one has shouldered more the workload that Ruby Meylan. The former Washington Husky is a familiar foe for the Utes and she's maintained the form that made her a two-time All-Pac-12 First-Team pick. In her first year in Stillwater, the Nebraska native owns a 1.58 ERA, has tossed six shutouts and her 203 strikeouts rank third in the conference.
In the lineup, the Cowgirls possess both speed and power, with the former coming from Big 12 stolen base leader Megan Delgadillo, who has swiped 26 bags, as well as Tia Warsop's 19. The latter comes from a group that includes Amanda Hasler, who leads the squad with 13 homers, and Rosie Davis, the team leader in RBIs with 46.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 4/30/2025)
Batting Avg. Kaylah Nelsen .355
Slugging % Kennedy Proctor .580
On Base % Shonty Passi .445
Runs Scored Shelbi Ortiz 26
Hits Kaylah Nelsen 61
RBI Emily Capobianco 28
Doubles Kaylah Nelsen 12
Home Runs Emily Capobianco 7
Stolen Bases Shelbi Ortiz 4
ERA Hailey Maestretti 3.85 (127.1 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 92
Wins Shelbee Jones 6
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
Big 12 Leaderboard
The Utes have several hitters at or near the top of the conference leaderboard, including Nelsen, who leads all hitters with 29 hits in Big 12 play. She's also tied for tops in the league with seven doubles. Shelbi Ortiz is the only player with three triples in Big 12 play and Emily Capobianco ranks fourth in RBIs with 21.
Clutch Capo
Emily Capobianco is currently leading Utah in home runs with seven and most of the those clouts have in important spots for her team. Five of those homers have given Utah the lead, including her fifth-inning, three-run blast against Iowa State on Sunday.
Keeping an Eye on the Batting Crown
Utah has an opportunity to capture a second straight conference batting crown with Kaylah Nelsen currently third on the Big 12 leaderboard. Her .414 average places her within striking distance of Baylor's Shaylon Govan and her .432 mark. This comes one year after Abby Dayton won the Pac-12 Batting Title for the Utes.
Multi-Homer Games
On April 17 at BYU, Hailee White became the third Utah player in 2025 to hit multiple home runs in a game, joining a list that already includes Jolie Mayfield and Kennedy Proctor. This marks the first time since 2012 the Utes have had three different players post multi-home run performances in one season.
Hailee Hits Two Homers
Hailee White's two home runs on April 17 at BYU were her first two collegiate dingers. She's one of only two players in Division I in 2025 to hit her first two career homers in the same game.
Lucky Sevens
On March 21 against Kansas and March 28 against Houston, the Utes fought back from down seven runs to earn a victory. They turned an 8-1 Jayhawk lead into a 13-10 win and erased a 9-2 seventh-inning deficit to top the Cougars, 12-9, putting together the program's first inning double-digit scoring inning since 2017.
Utah is currently the only team in the nation to win two games in which they trailed by seven or more runs. Previously, the Utes hadn't overcome a deficit that substantial to earn a win since April 21, 2014 against Stanford.
Capo Walk-Offs
In both of Utah's seven-run comeback victories, the finishing touch was applied by Emily Capobianco. She blasted a three-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning against Kans as, then launched a walk-off grand slam to complete the uprising vs. Houston. She's the only player in Division I who's hit two game-ending round-trippers in the seventh inning or later so far in 2025. She's also the first Utah player with two walk-off home runs to her credit in one season since Glennis Donnelly and Devina Quintero both collected two in 2004.
Kennedy Goes Deep Twice
In game two of Utah's doubleheader against Houston on March 28, Kennedy Proctor circled the bases twice, the team's first multi-homer game of the season. She was the first Utah freshman to post a multi-homer game since Karlie Davison on May 5, 2023.
Proctor for POTW
Kennedy Proctor became the first Utah softball student-athlete ever named Big 12 Player of the Week on April 1.
Proctor earned this honor by belting three home runs and collecting nine RBIs while helping power Utah to a series victory over Houston. For the week, the rookie catcher from California drove in multiple runs in all three contests, finished with a .600 average, an 1.800 slugging percentage and scored five times.
A Home Opener to Remember
In Utah's first home game of 2025, the Utes found themselves behind 8-1 after two-and-a-half innings, then staged the program's largest comeback since 2014. The Utes closed to within 8-7 before Kansas upped their lead back to 10-7. Utah then rallied to tie the score with two outs in the seventh before Emily Capobianco won the game on a walk-off homer in the ninth, Utah's first game-winning walk-off home since Bridget Castro on March 26, 2014.
A Maestretti Masterpiece
On March 1, Utah rookie Hailey Maestretti tossed the first shutout of her collegiate career, firing seven scoreless innings against No. 23 San Diego State. She's the first Utah freshman to throw a complete game shutout since Katie Donovan in 2015.
First-Time Four-Baggers
Six different Utah players have hit their first collegiate home runs in 2025. Kenney Proctor's first career four-bagger came on Feb. 8 vs. California. Emily Capobianco and Reese Lee smacked their first dingers on March 1 against Cal State Fullerton and Jolie Mayfield and Sianni Sakai's initial long balls were hit on March 2 vs. Weber State. Hailee White hit the first two long balls of her collegiate career on April 17 at BYU.
Carreon Crafts a Shutout
On Feb. 14, Brooklyn Carreon crafted the first shutout of her career against LMU, holding the Lions to six hits across six innings and striking out two. The California native threw a perfect first inning, then stranded runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth to finish off her scoreless performance.
A Kennedy Crusher
In Kennedy Proctor's second career at-bat, which came against California on Feb. 8, she blasted a solo home run for her first collegiate hit. This was the third time in three seasons a Utah player homered for her first career hit. Taylor Jacobs accomplished that feat on April 4, 2024 against Arizona and Karlie Davison homered for her first career knock on Feb. 11, 2023 vs. Stonehill.
Team 50
The 2025 campaign is the 50th season of competition for Utah Softball, which began in 1976, and Hogue and her squad will be attempting add to a long list of memorable moments and incredible accomplishments that have defined the program throughout its history.
Over the course of 49 previous seasons, the Utes have reached the AIAW or NCAA Women's College World Series six times, earned 23 trips to regionals, collected 18 conference regular season or tournament championships and produced 20 All-Americans. Seven former Utah softball players have also been inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame.
Seven different people have held the title of head coach or co-head coach for Utah softball, but Norma Carr, Jo Evans, Mona Stevens and Amy Hogue have been the main stewards of the program throughout its history. Each collected more than 200 wins during their time as head coach, Carr, Evans and Hogue all guided the Utes to the Women's College World Series during their tenures, while Stevens guided Utah to championships in the Mountain West Conference in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Utah's 20 All-American selections have been piled up by 15 players, starting with outfielder Melonie Kent in 1981. Four Utes, Charmelle Green, Sandy Rhea, Hannah Flippen and Ellessa Bonstrom earned All-American honors in multiple seasons, with Flippen being the only three-time All-American in school history. In 1985, 1994 and 2023, the Utes fielded teams with multiple All-Americans and in all three of those campaigns, they reached the Women's College World Series.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience, from managing tickets to mobile concessions ordering, as well as video content, news and information, schedules, rosters and stats. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
May 2 – 4 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch/Live Stats |
| May 2 | Utah vs. Oklahoma State | Watch / Live Stats |
| May 3 | Utah vs. Oklahoma State | Watch / Live Stats |
| May 4 | Utah vs. Oklahoma State | Watch / Live Stats |
How to Follow
Fans can tune in to each game via ESPN+ and links to live stats will be available on UtahUtes.com.
Last Time Out
The Utes have done nothing but hit over the last two weeks, crafting a .348 batting average as a team and averaging seven runs per game. No Utah hitter has been hotter than Kaylah Nelsen, who's totaled 12 safeties in her last 19 at-bats. Her overall average for the season has jumped 30 points during that hot streak, up to .355, while her mark in conference play is now .414. That conference clip puts her third in the league and she'll spend the season's final weekend vying for the league batting title with Baylor's Shaylon Govan and Arizona's Dakota Kennedy.
Also helping spark the offense of late have been Shonty Passi and Emily Capobianco, with Passi logging eight hits in her last 16 trips to the plate and Capobianco going 7-for-her-last-16 with 12 RBIs. Passi is now hitting .377 in Big 12 play, good for eighth on the league leaderboard, while Capobianco's 21 RBIs place her fourth. The California native is on a run of six consecutive games with at least one run knocked in and her eight multi-RBI games in 2025 are a team-best.
Nelsen, Passi and Capobianco all played a role in Utah's most recent victory, a 7-6 triumph over Iowa State on Sunday, but perhaps no one was a bigger star than Shelbi Ortiz, who drove in two runs, scored two runs and smacked two hits, including a go-ahead two-run triple in the sixth. That three-bagger was her third of the season and no one in the Big 12 has more in conference play in 2025.
Scouting the Opposition
The Cowgirls, who entered the season ranked fourth nationally, are attempting to return to the Women's College World Series for the sixth straight season. While OSU has endured an up-and-down season in conference play, as evidenced by their 10-9 record in the Big 12, they remain a lock for postseason play and will have the opportunity to keep their streak of consecutive tripes to Oklahoma City intact.
Coach Kenny Gajewski's pitching staff has been the main reason for the team's success and no one has shouldered more the workload that Ruby Meylan. The former Washington Husky is a familiar foe for the Utes and she's maintained the form that made her a two-time All-Pac-12 First-Team pick. In her first year in Stillwater, the Nebraska native owns a 1.58 ERA, has tossed six shutouts and her 203 strikeouts rank third in the conference.
In the lineup, the Cowgirls possess both speed and power, with the former coming from Big 12 stolen base leader Megan Delgadillo, who has swiped 26 bags, as well as Tia Warsop's 19. The latter comes from a group that includes Amanda Hasler, who leads the squad with 13 homers, and Rosie Davis, the team leader in RBIs with 46.
2025 Team Stat Leaders (as of 4/30/2025)
Batting Avg. Kaylah Nelsen .355
Slugging % Kennedy Proctor .580
On Base % Shonty Passi .445
Runs Scored Shelbi Ortiz 26
Hits Kaylah Nelsen 61
RBI Emily Capobianco 28
Doubles Kaylah Nelsen 12
Home Runs Emily Capobianco 7
Stolen Bases Shelbi Ortiz 4
ERA Hailey Maestretti 3.85 (127.1 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 92
Wins Shelbee Jones 6
National and Big 12 Rankings – Team
- Utah has continued to maintain its spot among the national leaders in turning double plays, with their total of 35 putting them at the top of the NCAA leaderboard.
- The Utes have racked up 11 triples during 2025, a total that places them second in the Big 12.
- Utah's patience at the plate has continued to serve them well. Their 158 walks rank third in the Big 12.
- Shonty Passi has established herself as one of the conference's most patient hitters, drawing 28 walks, eighth-most in the Big 12.
- Hailee White has continued to be one of college softball's most reliable infielders, having piled up 106 assists, fifth-most in the Big 12. Her average of 2.16 assists per game ranks sixth in league.
- Kaylah Nelsen has spent the season racking up 61 hits, which places her third in the Big 12, and her 12 doubles ranks sixth.
- Shelbee Jones has piled up 92 strikeouts in 2025, placing her sixth in the conference.
- No one in the Big 12 has been tougher to strike out than Nelsen, who is averaging just one punchout per 57.3 at-bats. In 70 at-bats in Big 12 play in 2025, Nelsen has only struck out once.
Big 12 Leaderboard
The Utes have several hitters at or near the top of the conference leaderboard, including Nelsen, who leads all hitters with 29 hits in Big 12 play. She's also tied for tops in the league with seven doubles. Shelbi Ortiz is the only player with three triples in Big 12 play and Emily Capobianco ranks fourth in RBIs with 21.
Clutch Capo
Emily Capobianco is currently leading Utah in home runs with seven and most of the those clouts have in important spots for her team. Five of those homers have given Utah the lead, including her fifth-inning, three-run blast against Iowa State on Sunday.
Keeping an Eye on the Batting Crown
Utah has an opportunity to capture a second straight conference batting crown with Kaylah Nelsen currently third on the Big 12 leaderboard. Her .414 average places her within striking distance of Baylor's Shaylon Govan and her .432 mark. This comes one year after Abby Dayton won the Pac-12 Batting Title for the Utes.
Multi-Homer Games
On April 17 at BYU, Hailee White became the third Utah player in 2025 to hit multiple home runs in a game, joining a list that already includes Jolie Mayfield and Kennedy Proctor. This marks the first time since 2012 the Utes have had three different players post multi-home run performances in one season.
Hailee Hits Two Homers
Hailee White's two home runs on April 17 at BYU were her first two collegiate dingers. She's one of only two players in Division I in 2025 to hit her first two career homers in the same game.
Lucky Sevens
On March 21 against Kansas and March 28 against Houston, the Utes fought back from down seven runs to earn a victory. They turned an 8-1 Jayhawk lead into a 13-10 win and erased a 9-2 seventh-inning deficit to top the Cougars, 12-9, putting together the program's first inning double-digit scoring inning since 2017.
Utah is currently the only team in the nation to win two games in which they trailed by seven or more runs. Previously, the Utes hadn't overcome a deficit that substantial to earn a win since April 21, 2014 against Stanford.
Capo Walk-Offs
In both of Utah's seven-run comeback victories, the finishing touch was applied by Emily Capobianco. She blasted a three-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning against Kans as, then launched a walk-off grand slam to complete the uprising vs. Houston. She's the only player in Division I who's hit two game-ending round-trippers in the seventh inning or later so far in 2025. She's also the first Utah player with two walk-off home runs to her credit in one season since Glennis Donnelly and Devina Quintero both collected two in 2004.
Kennedy Goes Deep Twice
In game two of Utah's doubleheader against Houston on March 28, Kennedy Proctor circled the bases twice, the team's first multi-homer game of the season. She was the first Utah freshman to post a multi-homer game since Karlie Davison on May 5, 2023.
Proctor for POTW
Kennedy Proctor became the first Utah softball student-athlete ever named Big 12 Player of the Week on April 1.
Proctor earned this honor by belting three home runs and collecting nine RBIs while helping power Utah to a series victory over Houston. For the week, the rookie catcher from California drove in multiple runs in all three contests, finished with a .600 average, an 1.800 slugging percentage and scored five times.
A Home Opener to Remember
In Utah's first home game of 2025, the Utes found themselves behind 8-1 after two-and-a-half innings, then staged the program's largest comeback since 2014. The Utes closed to within 8-7 before Kansas upped their lead back to 10-7. Utah then rallied to tie the score with two outs in the seventh before Emily Capobianco won the game on a walk-off homer in the ninth, Utah's first game-winning walk-off home since Bridget Castro on March 26, 2014.
A Maestretti Masterpiece
On March 1, Utah rookie Hailey Maestretti tossed the first shutout of her collegiate career, firing seven scoreless innings against No. 23 San Diego State. She's the first Utah freshman to throw a complete game shutout since Katie Donovan in 2015.
First-Time Four-Baggers
Six different Utah players have hit their first collegiate home runs in 2025. Kenney Proctor's first career four-bagger came on Feb. 8 vs. California. Emily Capobianco and Reese Lee smacked their first dingers on March 1 against Cal State Fullerton and Jolie Mayfield and Sianni Sakai's initial long balls were hit on March 2 vs. Weber State. Hailee White hit the first two long balls of her collegiate career on April 17 at BYU.
Carreon Crafts a Shutout
On Feb. 14, Brooklyn Carreon crafted the first shutout of her career against LMU, holding the Lions to six hits across six innings and striking out two. The California native threw a perfect first inning, then stranded runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth to finish off her scoreless performance.
A Kennedy Crusher
In Kennedy Proctor's second career at-bat, which came against California on Feb. 8, she blasted a solo home run for her first collegiate hit. This was the third time in three seasons a Utah player homered for her first career hit. Taylor Jacobs accomplished that feat on April 4, 2024 against Arizona and Karlie Davison homered for her first career knock on Feb. 11, 2023 vs. Stonehill.
Team 50
The 2025 campaign is the 50th season of competition for Utah Softball, which began in 1976, and Hogue and her squad will be attempting add to a long list of memorable moments and incredible accomplishments that have defined the program throughout its history.
Over the course of 49 previous seasons, the Utes have reached the AIAW or NCAA Women's College World Series six times, earned 23 trips to regionals, collected 18 conference regular season or tournament championships and produced 20 All-Americans. Seven former Utah softball players have also been inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame.
Seven different people have held the title of head coach or co-head coach for Utah softball, but Norma Carr, Jo Evans, Mona Stevens and Amy Hogue have been the main stewards of the program throughout its history. Each collected more than 200 wins during their time as head coach, Carr, Evans and Hogue all guided the Utes to the Women's College World Series during their tenures, while Stevens guided Utah to championships in the Mountain West Conference in 2000, 2002 and 2004.
Utah's 20 All-American selections have been piled up by 15 players, starting with outfielder Melonie Kent in 1981. Four Utes, Charmelle Green, Sandy Rhea, Hannah Flippen and Ellessa Bonstrom earned All-American honors in multiple seasons, with Flippen being the only three-time All-American in school history. In 1985, 1994 and 2023, the Utes fielded teams with multiple All-Americans and in all three of those campaigns, they reached the Women's College World Series.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience, from managing tickets to mobile concessions ordering, as well as video content, news and information, schedules, rosters and stats. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
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