Upcoming Event: Softball at Kansas on March 20, 2026 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
Softball
at Kansas
The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, March 20
Lawrence, Kan.
4 p.m.
University of Utah
at
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Kansas
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
Photo by: Margaret Mower/Utah Athletics
Utah Visits Jayhawks Before Home Meeting with Wildcats
3/18/2026 3:59 PM | Softball
Utes, at 23-6, aiming for best 30-game start since 1994
SALT LAKE CITY – In the midst of one of the best starts in program history and after a brief break from Big 12 play, the University of Utah softball team is preparing for a three-game visit with the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrocha Ballpark in Lawrence, Kan., followed by a mid-week matchup against the Weber State Wildcats.
Utah's series with the Jayhawks will begin on Friday with a matchup at 5 p.m. CT (4 p.m. MDT), followed by a 2 p.m. CT rematch on Saturday and a 12 p.m. CT finale on Sunday. The Utes will return home to host the Wildcats on Tuesday, with the first pitch set to be thrown at 4 p.m. MDT at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.
March 20 - 24 Schedule
How to Follow
All four games can be watched on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
At 23-6, the Utes have cobbled together their best mark since 1994, when Utah began the year by winning 28 of their first 33 contests. They also recently matched a program-best by rattling off 13 consecutive wins, during which time the Utes shut out eight opponents.
Utah's pitching staff owns an ERA of 1.87 that places them second in the Big 12 and sixth nationally and only three teams have more than the Utes' 10 shutouts. The most recent display of Utah's pitching prowess came on March 11 against Abilene Christian, when Shelbee Jones hurled the 32nd no-hitter in program history. Jones struck out nine and allowed only a single baserunner in five innings and that performance helped earn her the Big 12's Pitcher of the Week award. Jones' ERA of 1.14 ranks eighth in the nation and puts her at the top of the Big 12 leaderboard, while teammates Hailey Maestretti and Raci Miranda also occupy spots in the top five.
Offensively, the Utes have been led by freshman Mia Gomez, who has reached base in all 29 of Utah's games in 2026, and senior Hailee White, who is currently riding a 10-game hit streak. Gomez continues to be one of the Big 12's toughest outs, with a .458 average that ranks fourth-best and she's also in the top 10 in the league in homers, RBIs and slugging. White has been swinging one of the hottest bats in the nation of late, hitting .630 over her last 10 games, putting her average for the season at .386. White and Gomez are two of seven Utes who are hitting at a clip of over .300.
Scouting the Opposition
The Jayhawks have been on a hot streak of their own of late, winning seven of their last eight, including taking two of three from Houston to start conference play. Kansas flexed their offensive muscle during their time in the Lone Star State, racking up 38 runs during the three-game set.
One of the stars of Kansas' series victory over Houston was freshman Ella Boyer, who went 4-for-8 with six runs scored, three homers and seven RBIs. This was Boyer's second straight freshman of the week award and part of a freshman campaign that's seen her craft one of the most impressive stat lines in the country, one that includes 11 homers and 39 RBIs, both of which put her second in the Big 12. Boyer is also part of an offense that owns the league's second-best batting average at .374.
The Utes and the Wildcats first met on Feb. 26, when the Utes won a 9-1 decision in St. George, Utah. Before Utah and Weber State meet again, the Wildcats will play four more games, but they recently played some of their best softball in taking two of three from Oregon State on March 13 – 14. In both victories, Weber State staged late rallies that earned them the win.
2026 Team Stat Leaders
Batting Avg. Mia Gomez .458
Slugging % Mia Gomez .831
On Base % Mia Gomez .544
Runs Scored Kennedy Proctor 28
Hits Mia Gomez 38
RBI Mia Gomez 30
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 11
Home Runs Mia Gomez 8
Stolen Bases Sianni Sakai 5
ERA Shelbee Jones 1.14 (55.1 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 58
Wins Hailey Maestretti 8
National and Conference Rankings – Team
National and Conference Rankings - Individual
POTW Awards
The Utes have been piling up weekly awards of late, the most recent being Shelbee Jones' Big 12 Pitcher of the Week award, which was announced on March 17. On March 10, Mia Gomez was named Softball on SI's Freshman of the Week and Danika Wilson took home a Big 12 Freshman of the Week award on March 2. Gomez won Utah's first weekly honor of the season on Feb. 17, when she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week.
Jones Tosses a No-Hitter
On March 11, Shelbee Jones fired the 32nd no-hitter in program history, blanking Abilene Christian over five innings in a 13-0 Utah win. She retired the side in order in each of the first three frames and struck out the side in the second. A two-out walk in the fourth inning was the only baserunner the Wildcats would manage before Jones closed the afternoon in style. She added two more punchouts to her total in the fifth, including one for the final out, her ninth of the day.
How Sweep It Is
Utah's thrashing of Arizona State represented the program's first road sweep of a ranked team since they took three from No. 13 Oregon in 2023. Utah's 35 runs in three games was their highest total in a series of three games or less since 1996 and it included their largest win over a ranked team ever in the form of a 15-0 rout on Saturday.
Lighting Up the Thunderbirds
Against Southern Utah, the Utes cracked five homers, their most in a single game since 2020 and the 18 runs they scored were Utah's most in a single game since they also scored 18 in a 2012 win over North Dakota.
Multi-Homer Games
Shonty Passi's two-homer game on March 7 was the fourth multi-homer game by a Utah player in 2026. That's Utah's highest total of multi-homer games in one season since 2011.
Late Inning Lightning
Utah's bats have been at their best late in games. In the sixth and seventh innings, the Utes have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 28-5.
Double Dare
Kennedy Proctor added her name to the school record book on Feb. 14, when she clocked three doubles at the expense of Illinois State. She was the sixth player in Utah history to log a performance like that and the first since Kelly Martinez in 2018.
Hailey Hurls a Gem
Hailey Maestretti put forth perhaps the best performance of her collegiate career against Santa Clara on Feb. 13. She allowed only two hits, didn't walk a batter, struck out six and faced just three batters over the minimum. The sophomore southpaw retired the first six batters she faced, then used a pair of strikeouts to work around a lead-off single in the first. Maestretti induced a double play ball to help her get out of the fourth, worked a perfect fifth, then stranded runners in the final two stanzas and fired back-to-back punchouts in the seventh to complete her masterpiece.
Triple Threat
In Utah's first game of 2026, Hailee White stenciled her name into the program record book. With two triples against UC Riverside, White became the 12th player in school history to record two three-baggers in one game and the first since Abby Dayton in 2024.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Utah's series with the Jayhawks will begin on Friday with a matchup at 5 p.m. CT (4 p.m. MDT), followed by a 2 p.m. CT rematch on Saturday and a 12 p.m. CT finale on Sunday. The Utes will return home to host the Wildcats on Tuesday, with the first pitch set to be thrown at 4 p.m. MDT at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.
March 20 - 24 Schedule
| Date | Game | Watch/Live Stats |
| March 20 | Utah at Kansas | Watch |
| March 21 | Utah at Kansas | Watch |
| March 22 | Utah at Kansas | Watch |
| March 24 | Weber State at Utah | Watch / Live Stats |
How to Follow
All four games can be watched on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
At 23-6, the Utes have cobbled together their best mark since 1994, when Utah began the year by winning 28 of their first 33 contests. They also recently matched a program-best by rattling off 13 consecutive wins, during which time the Utes shut out eight opponents.
Utah's pitching staff owns an ERA of 1.87 that places them second in the Big 12 and sixth nationally and only three teams have more than the Utes' 10 shutouts. The most recent display of Utah's pitching prowess came on March 11 against Abilene Christian, when Shelbee Jones hurled the 32nd no-hitter in program history. Jones struck out nine and allowed only a single baserunner in five innings and that performance helped earn her the Big 12's Pitcher of the Week award. Jones' ERA of 1.14 ranks eighth in the nation and puts her at the top of the Big 12 leaderboard, while teammates Hailey Maestretti and Raci Miranda also occupy spots in the top five.
Offensively, the Utes have been led by freshman Mia Gomez, who has reached base in all 29 of Utah's games in 2026, and senior Hailee White, who is currently riding a 10-game hit streak. Gomez continues to be one of the Big 12's toughest outs, with a .458 average that ranks fourth-best and she's also in the top 10 in the league in homers, RBIs and slugging. White has been swinging one of the hottest bats in the nation of late, hitting .630 over her last 10 games, putting her average for the season at .386. White and Gomez are two of seven Utes who are hitting at a clip of over .300.
Scouting the Opposition
The Jayhawks have been on a hot streak of their own of late, winning seven of their last eight, including taking two of three from Houston to start conference play. Kansas flexed their offensive muscle during their time in the Lone Star State, racking up 38 runs during the three-game set.
One of the stars of Kansas' series victory over Houston was freshman Ella Boyer, who went 4-for-8 with six runs scored, three homers and seven RBIs. This was Boyer's second straight freshman of the week award and part of a freshman campaign that's seen her craft one of the most impressive stat lines in the country, one that includes 11 homers and 39 RBIs, both of which put her second in the Big 12. Boyer is also part of an offense that owns the league's second-best batting average at .374.
The Utes and the Wildcats first met on Feb. 26, when the Utes won a 9-1 decision in St. George, Utah. Before Utah and Weber State meet again, the Wildcats will play four more games, but they recently played some of their best softball in taking two of three from Oregon State on March 13 – 14. In both victories, Weber State staged late rallies that earned them the win.
2026 Team Stat Leaders
Batting Avg. Mia Gomez .458
Slugging % Mia Gomez .831
On Base % Mia Gomez .544
Runs Scored Kennedy Proctor 28
Hits Mia Gomez 38
RBI Mia Gomez 30
Doubles Kennedy Proctor 11
Home Runs Mia Gomez 8
Stolen Bases Sianni Sakai 5
ERA Shelbee Jones 1.14 (55.1 IP)
K's Shelbee Jones 58
Wins Hailey Maestretti 8
National and Conference Rankings – Team
- Utah's pitching staff continues to rank at or near the top of the conference and among the best in the nation in a host of categories. The staff's 1.87 ERA ranks sixth-best in the nation and second-best in the conference. Utah's 10 shutouts are tied for fifth in the country and trail only Texas Tech in the Big 12 rankings.
- The Utah pitching staff has crafted a 1.15 WHIP, 15th-best in Division I and second-best in the Big 12. The Utes have also allowed 5.88 hits per seven innings, the 18th-best number in the country and third in the conference.
- The Ute lineup also continues to move up on the national leaderboard. Utah's 193 RBIs rank 17th in the country and the team's scoring average of 7.28 puts them 24th in Division I.
- Utah's patience has been on display so far in 2026, as evidenced by the team's 129 walks, the most in the Big 12 and the ninth-most in the nation. Utah's .423 on-base percentage puts them 34th nationally.
- In the field, the Utes have turned 15 double plays, tied for 12th in the country.
National and Conference Rankings - Individual
- Utah pitchers Shelbee Jones, Raci Miranda and Hailey Maestretti all own spots in the top 10 in the Big 12 in ERA, led by Jones' conference-best mark of 1.14, which is ninth-best in Division I. Miranda's 1.56 ERA places her 3rd in the Big 12 and 25th nationally, while Maestretti's 1.68 ERA ranks fifth and 34th in the country.
- Maestretti has thrown four shutouts so far in 2026, the second-most in the Big 12 and seventh-most in the nation, while Jones' three shutouts rank third in the league and 18th in the country. Jones has also racked up 58 strikeouts, the conference's seventh-highest total, while Maestretti's eight wins are tied for fifth in the league.
- Mia Gomez can claim top 10 spots in the Big 12 in batting average, with a .458 clip that ranks fourth, homers, where her eight long balls is tied for 10th, total bases, with 69, putting her sixth, and a .544 on-base percentage, third-best.
- Kennedy Proctor has belted 11 doubles so far in 2026, tied for the second-highest total in the Big 12 and 14th nationally. Proctor has also piled up 65 total bases, ninth in the conference.
- Hailee White's three triples are tied for first in the Big 12 and her 17 walks are tied for eighth. White's 63 assists put her seventh in the league.
POTW Awards
The Utes have been piling up weekly awards of late, the most recent being Shelbee Jones' Big 12 Pitcher of the Week award, which was announced on March 17. On March 10, Mia Gomez was named Softball on SI's Freshman of the Week and Danika Wilson took home a Big 12 Freshman of the Week award on March 2. Gomez won Utah's first weekly honor of the season on Feb. 17, when she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week.
Jones Tosses a No-Hitter
On March 11, Shelbee Jones fired the 32nd no-hitter in program history, blanking Abilene Christian over five innings in a 13-0 Utah win. She retired the side in order in each of the first three frames and struck out the side in the second. A two-out walk in the fourth inning was the only baserunner the Wildcats would manage before Jones closed the afternoon in style. She added two more punchouts to her total in the fifth, including one for the final out, her ninth of the day.
How Sweep It Is
Utah's thrashing of Arizona State represented the program's first road sweep of a ranked team since they took three from No. 13 Oregon in 2023. Utah's 35 runs in three games was their highest total in a series of three games or less since 1996 and it included their largest win over a ranked team ever in the form of a 15-0 rout on Saturday.
Lighting Up the Thunderbirds
Against Southern Utah, the Utes cracked five homers, their most in a single game since 2020 and the 18 runs they scored were Utah's most in a single game since they also scored 18 in a 2012 win over North Dakota.
Multi-Homer Games
Shonty Passi's two-homer game on March 7 was the fourth multi-homer game by a Utah player in 2026. That's Utah's highest total of multi-homer games in one season since 2011.
Late Inning Lightning
Utah's bats have been at their best late in games. In the sixth and seventh innings, the Utes have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 28-5.
Double Dare
Kennedy Proctor added her name to the school record book on Feb. 14, when she clocked three doubles at the expense of Illinois State. She was the sixth player in Utah history to log a performance like that and the first since Kelly Martinez in 2018.
Hailey Hurls a Gem
Hailey Maestretti put forth perhaps the best performance of her collegiate career against Santa Clara on Feb. 13. She allowed only two hits, didn't walk a batter, struck out six and faced just three batters over the minimum. The sophomore southpaw retired the first six batters she faced, then used a pair of strikeouts to work around a lead-off single in the first. Maestretti induced a double play ball to help her get out of the fourth, worked a perfect fifth, then stranded runners in the final two stanzas and fired back-to-back punchouts in the seventh to complete her masterpiece.
Triple Threat
In Utah's first game of 2026, Hailee White stenciled her name into the program record book. With two triples against UC Riverside, White became the 12th player in school history to record two three-baggers in one game and the first since Abby Dayton in 2024.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Utah Softball's Hailee White Feature
Tuesday, April 15
Utah Softball's Jolie Mayfield Feature
Friday, March 28
Utah Softball - The Inaugural 1976 Team
Wednesday, March 19
University of Utah Athletics - A Storied History
Friday, August 02