{"id":178367,"date":"2026-02-14T22:09:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T22:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/178367\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T22:09:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T22:09:35","slug":"five-more-foes-await-for-utah-in-santa-clara-san-jose-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/178367\/","title":{"rendered":"Five More Foes Await for Utah in Santa Clara, San Jose"},"content":{"rendered":"

SALT LAKE CITY \u2013\u00a0A successful first week of the 2026 season is in the books for the University of Utah softball team and now they’ll have a chance to keep that momentum intact during another busy weekend that will pit the Utes against five opponents in three days at the Silicon Valley Classic.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Utah will visit Santa Clara Softball Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., where they’ll battle the California Golden Bears at 12 p.m. PT (1 p.m. MT) and the Santa Clara Broncos at 2:30 p.m. MT. Saturday, the scene will shift to the Spartan Softball Complex in San Jose, Calif., the site of the Utes’ matchups against the Illinois State Redbirds at 12 p.m. PT and the San Jose State Spartans at 5 p.m. PT. Utah will conclude the weekend in San Jose on Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. PT date with the UCSB Gauchos.<\/p>\n

Feb. 13 \u2013 15 Schedule
\n \n<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nHow to Follow
\nUtah’s Friday matchup with Santa Clara will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and their meeting with San Jose State can be viewed on the Mountain West Network. Links for live stats for all games can be found in UtahUtes.com.
\n\u00a0
\nLast Time Out
\nStrong pitching from both Hailey Maestretti<\/a> and Shelbee Jones<\/a> helped the Utes go 4-1 during the season’s first week and both players went the distance in their final start of the weekend.
\n\u00a0
\nJones took the ball first and held UC Riverside without an earned run through 4 2\/3 innings, then Maestretti gave the Utes 6 1\/3 strong in a win over LMU. One day later, Jones threw her first complete game shutout as a Ute, blanking UCSB and Maestretti’s complete game effort at the expense of Long Beach State finished off a strong start to the season. Combined, the two hurlers pitched to a 1.11 ERA across more than 25 innings while piling up 17 punchouts.
\n\u00a0
\nIn the batters’ box, five different Utes hit better than .300, led by Hailee White’s<\/a> 5-for-10 performance that included two triples against UC Riverside, tying a program record. Kayla Lyon<\/a> clubbed her first two homers of the season with Kennedy Proctor<\/a> and Payton Crank<\/a> adding circuit clouts of their own. In addition, the Utes drew 18 walks over their first five games, putting their on-base percentage at .355.
\n\u00a0
\nScouting the Opposition
\nTwo of Utah’s upcoming adversaries will be familiar foes, starting with former conference rival and 2025 opponent California. The Bears are a very different foe than they were a season ago, however, led by rookie head coach Steve Singleton. They’ve gotten a good start to the season from sophomore Kyndal Todd, who is hitting .308 with a pair of homers.
\n\u00a0
\nUtah will also be renewing acquaintances with UCSB, their fourth meeting with the Gauchos since the start of last season. The Utes came out on top when the two teams met in Irvine, thanks in large part to the effort of Jones. UCSB will be trying to show the form that made them Big West Champions in 2025.
\n\u00a0
\nSanta Clara also reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025, winning the West Coast Conference, in large part due to WCC Pitcher of the Year Cari Ferguson, who has started 2026 by giving up just one earned run in 13 innings. As for the Redbirds and the Spartans, both started the season with a challenging slate that included opponent such as No. 6 Florida and No. 17 Stanford and will be attempting to push their records over .500.
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\n2026 Team Stat Leaders
\nBatting Avg.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Hailee White<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .500
\nSlugging %\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kayla Lyon<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1.100
\nOn Base %\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hailee White<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 .643
\nRuns Scored\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hailee White<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5
\nHits\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hailee White<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Kennedy Proctor<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mia Gomez<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5
\nRBI\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Payton Crank<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4
\nDoubles\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Kennedy Proctor<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mia Gomez<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2
\nHome Runs\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kayla Lyon<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2
\nStolen Bases\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sianni Sakai<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\nERA\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shelbee Jones<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a00.00 (11.2 IP)
\nK’s \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hailey Maestretti<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10
\nWins \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shelbee Jones<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hailey Maestretti<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2
\n\u00a0
\nAmy Hogue<\/a> Milestone Watch
\nUtah softball head coach Amy Hogue<\/a> is closing in on two historic milestones. She’s just eight victories away from becoming the first Utah softball head coach to ever achieve 500 wins and with 11 more triumphs, she’ll have 700 in her overall career as a head coach. Hogue can already lay claim to the title of the winningest coach in Utah softball history, a milestone she reached in 2022 and one year later, she earned her 400th victory at the helm of the program, as well as her 600th overall.
\n\u00a0
\nTriple Threat
\nIn Utah’s first game of 2026, Hailee White<\/a> 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.
\n\u00a0
\nGo-Ahead Gopher Balls
\nThe Utes homered four times during the season’s first weekend. All four shots gave the team the lead. Kayla Lyon’s<\/a> two homers started the scoring against UC Riverside and UCSB, as did Kennedy Proctor’s<\/a> first-inning tater vs. LMU.
\n\u00a0
\nShelbee Shuts ’em Down
\nOn Sept. 7, Shelbee Jones<\/a> was at her best in the circle against UCSB. She posted her first complete game shutout as a Ute, permitting only four hits in a 4-0 Utah win.
\n\u00a0
\nFOLLOW THE UTES!
\nFans can follow along on social media (Twitter |Instagram:\u00a0@utahsoftball\u00a0<\/a>| Facebook:\u00a0Facebook.com\/Utessoftball<\/a>).