Members of the Utah softball crew huddle throughout a recreation in opposition to Oklahoma on the Mary Nutter Collegiate Traditional in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. The No. 19-ranked Utes host a giant three-game set in opposition to No. 2 UCLA starting Friday. Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
Utah coach Amy Hogue celebrates throughout a recreation in opposition to Stanford at Dumke Household Softball subject in Salt Lake Metropolis on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
Members of the Utah softball crew flash the U after recreation vs. Loyola Marymount on the Mary Nutter Collegiate Traditional in Palm Springs, California, on Friday, February 24, 2023. Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
That the No. 16 Utah softball crew has been ranked within the prime 25 for a lot of the season has shocked many observers.
However for coach Amy Hogue, this success was one thing that she anticipated in lots of respects.
“They'd just a little chip on their shoulder from the way in which the season ended final yr. They felt like they have been a crew that would have made a postseason run and it (ticked) them off simply sufficient to coach like they'd by no means educated in the summertime.” — Utah coach Amy Hogue
She noticed it coming by the way in which her gamers labored and ready through the offseason.
A yr in the past, the Utes completed with a 27-27 report and did not qualify for the NCAA match. That stung, and it has served as a motivator.
“They'd just a little chip on their shoulder from the way in which the season ended final yr. They felt like they have been a crew that may have made a postseason run and it (ticked) them off simply sufficient to coach like they'd by no means educated in the summertime. This fall, once they got here again, they have been totally different,” Hogue stated. “We acquired to construct on that. They’ve by no means appeared again.
“So it’s actually been numerous days between the Choice Present final yr once they acquired fired up and to today and so they’ve accomplished nothing however present consistency all through. I’m not shocked.”
In 2022, Utah misplaced a bunch of video games by one run. And gamers resolved to do the additional work required to win these form of contests.
Now, because the season winds down, the Utes’ targets of profitable a Pac-12 championship, and internet hosting the NCAA regionals, are inside attain.
Beginning Friday, Utah (30-10) hosts No. 2 UCLA for a crucial three-game collection on Senior Weekend. The Bruins (43-4) have gained 17 consecutive video games. Utah will honor six seniors through the closing regular-season homestand.
“Everybody’s fired up for this collection,” Hogue stated. “There’s numerous enthusiasm. I’m anxious to see how our crew handles that ambiance.”
Sweeping Stanford
Utah coach Amy Hogue celebrates throughout a recreation in opposition to Stanford at Dumke Household Softball subject in Salt Lake Metropolis on Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
Maybe the defining second of the season to date occurred in mid-April, when Utah swept then-No. 5 Stanford in three video games at house.
That included a pair of one-run victories over the Cardinal.
“The Stanford sweep has actually set the tone for this crew,” stated pitcher Mariah Lopez. “We now really feel like we are able to beat anybody. We had no worry. We will beat any crew within the nation if we play as a crew. Sweeping that collection has given us numerous confidence.”
For her efforts, Lopez was named the Division I Wilson/Nationwide Fastpitch Coaches Affiliation Pitcher of the Week. That week, which additionally included a win over BYU, she posted a 3-0 report with an 0.89 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 23 ⅔ innings.
On the season, Lopez has posted a 14-3 report and a 2.38 ERA with seven full video games.
Hogue stated that as large as that collection was for her crew, that outcome was a byproduct of the gamers’ willingness to sacrifice and put in further work, resembling displaying up on the weight room at 7 a.m., even after losses.
“These are the issues that flip into the Stanford weekend,” she stated. “These are the issues which can be displaying up persistently from this crew.”
In the meantime, because the Stanford sweep, Hogue has observed a change in Lopez.
“She’s actually tasted success numerous occasions however I’ve by no means seen her take the reins and lead this crew like she has since Stanford. She hasn’t stopped,” she stated. “She’s like, ‘Give me the ball.’ She used to form of falter just a little bit. You then suppose, ‘Oh no, she’s doubting.’ She stopped doing that when we beat Stanford.
“She threw a gem in opposition to BYU. Then she helped us shut out a win the following day. She continued to go within the first recreation of the collection and win on the street. She’s doing large issues and I hope she’ll by no means look again. She’s so key for us. She’s thrown the heck out of it.”
Offensively, the Utes have been led by Aliya Belarde (.435 batting common), Julia Jimenez (.382), Haley Denning (.371), Sophie Jacquez (.364) and Ellessa Bonstrom (.357).
Bonstrom was a first-team All-Pac-12 performer final season and a third-team All-America choice.
“Ellessa Bonstrom is doing Ellessa Bonstrom kind of issues. She’s on base on a regular basis and stealing extra bases for us. She’s getting walked so much,” Hogue stated. “Jiminez, Belarde and Jacquez are killing it. And so they’re silently doing it. No one is speaking about them. They're so crucial.
“Sophie hasn’t had numbers like this ever. Ally has had them at occasions however hasn’t been this constant. Now I've two, three, 4 hitters which can be a tricky run for pitchers to take care of. These 4 are completely crucial to our offensive success.”
“I feel we went into the season figuring out that this season could be totally different — extra aggressive,” Lopez stated. “We’re actually gelling as a crew this yr. That’s actually serving to us succeed up to now. It’s simply the chemistry we've. This crew is tremendous shut, we get alongside and we’re all linked.”
‘Step over the road’
In the course of the offseason, Hogue leveraged her gamers’ disappointment and urgency to be among the many finest groups within the nation.
As a result of the Utes had misplaced so many shut video games final yr, they went about doing no matter they might to make up the distinction.
“We talked about how so many issues can add as much as getting that further run. How do you flip that single right into a double? Properly, you get stronger. How do I get that pitch to leap one other two inches to strike out a batter?” Hogue stated. “To win at a excessive stage on this sport, and be part of a postseason run, you need to do greater than what the NCAA guidelines assist you to do and you need to do it by yourself.
“They went into the small print of issues and so they determined that it actually wasn’t out of attain to do if all of them purchased into doing just a little bit extra.”
Hogue and her assistant coaches, DJ Gasso and Paige Parker, carried out bodily challenges to her gamers generally known as “Step over the road” to show to themselves that they might do laborious issues.
That’s translated to victories and a nationwide rating.
“This crew has chosen to step over the road. Meaning to do one thing more durable than they’ve ever accomplished earlier than to be able to get one thing they’ve by no means had,” Hoge stated. “That’s clearly us difficult them, reminding them that being a bubble crew was a horrible place to be and that you would be able to management that by ensuring we’re nowhere close to the bubble this yr and so they’ve accomplished all of these issues.”
Shoveling snow
Due to the inclement climate this spring, a handful of video games have been postponed or canceled.
However Hogue has leveraged that to her crew’s benefit. When snow has lined the sector, her gamers have gotten up early within the morning just a few occasions to assist the grounds crew take away the snow with shovels.
“Their toughness stage grows and grows and grows. It’s been good for us. Even when they hate it,” she stated. “I’m a father or mother of three. I like these form of classes. They’re not going to freeze to demise. I’m just a little bit old fashioned that approach. Get a shovel. If you wish to play, assist us get the snow off.
“If you'd like it unhealthy sufficient, you’ll present up with a shovel and produce three buddies. They’ve accomplished such a superb job with it,” she continued. “These are the kind of issues that I’ve been fairly shocked about. I most likely remorse saying, ‘I feel they’re too comfortable.’ I haven’t stated that for a very very long time. They’ve confirmed time and time once more that they need this.
“They’re not simply saying it anymore. They’re doing the issues that it takes to step over the road and to do the next-level issues to offer them a chance to do one thing large.”
‘A particular group’
Not solely has Hogue’s crew confirmed as much as shovel a subject, it has confirmed up and brought care of enterprise on the sector.
Final Tuesday, the Utes visited Utah Valley College for a midweek recreation. There have been loads of distractions. Utah was coming off a tricky loss at No. 9 Washington two days earlier. And with courses ending, initiatives have been due and closing exams on the horizon.
That morning, there have been snow flurries and it was chilly and windy exterior.
“These are video games that, prior to now, have bitten us within the butt,” Hogue stated. “Are they going to point out? Are they going to do issues the way in which they did prior to now?”
Earlier than the sport, Hogue addressed her crew.
“I informed them, ‘My aim for you at this time is, I need a shutout. Is that an excessive amount of to ask?’ They stated no, let’s go get it. Don’t beat them 9-1 or 8-2. A shutout. They went and acquired it.”
Sure, the Utes blanked UVU, 9-0.
“They have been incredible,” Hogue stated. “Our pitching confirmed up. They proceed to point out me that they’re keen to remain the place their ft are and never, even when they’re pondering forward, they’re doing a superb job of taking good care of enterprise each day.”
Utah would like to win the Pac-12 title and host an NCAA regional. However for now, the Utes are savoring the season because it goes.
“We’re not doing numerous planning forward. We’re attempting to benefit from the moments. You don’t typically get a crew that’s particular. They’re a particular group,” Hogue stated. “They’ve invested in one another so much. That’s one of many issues they stated wanted to alter.
“We had numerous expertise however our chemistry was form of damaged. We had items and pockets of people who beloved one another however we didn’t cross over the bridge sufficient to the opposite teams. They did that every one summer season.”
That’s why Hogue determined to not choose crew captains for the primary time since taking the helm of this system 15 years in the past. And her gamers have been simply tremendous with that call.
“We've 23 leaders and numerous voices which can be going the identical route,” she stated. “I wouldn’t need to play us proper now.”
No, Hogue isn’t shocked by how nicely her crew has performed this season. However she’s gratified by the way in which it has carried out.
“I really feel just like the items have been coming collectively so nicely that it was apparent to us that you would be able to’t sleep on the Utes. It’s been that approach the entire season,” she stated. “It’s not like we’ve been simply good of late. We’ve been doing nicely the entire time and we’ve been fairly constant in a recreation that serves up numerous highs and lows.
“I’m actually pleased with what this crew has accomplished and the maturity stage that they've and the issues they’ve labored so laborious on to be good at which can be displaying up on the sector.”
Members of the Utah softball crew flash the U after recreation vs. Loyola Marymount on the Mary Nutter Collegiate Traditional in Palm Springs, California, on Friday, February 24, 2023.
Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics