University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, February 9
Rosemont, IL
2 pm
University of Northern Colorado
at
Loyola
Preview: The 2018 Season for @BearsSoftball Opens Friday
2/8/2018 9:33:00 AM | Softball
Northern Colorado will play games against Loyola, Eastern Kentucky, Wright State, IUPUI and DePaul
GREELEY, Colo.- Spring may not be here yet, but Northern Colorado softball season starts this Friday on the road. UNC will travel to Rosemont, Ill. for the Total Control Softball Tournament, hosted by the University of Loyola. The Bears will play five games over the weekend at the Chicago Bandits Dome against host Loyola, Eastern Kentucky, Wright State, IUPUI, and DePaul.
Northern Colorado was slated to finish tied for seventh in the Big Sky Preseason poll, which is where the team finished last year. The Bears were tied with Portland State for the bottom spot in the conference. Montana was picked to first in the poll after winning the conference tournament last season.
In the 2017 season, UNC finished with a 20-35 overall record and 8-13 in conference games. Thirteen letterwinners, including six starters, return from last year's team and the Bears also add four freshmen to the roster.
UNC will have to replace four starters from last season, who have since graduated. The Bears lose one of their top hitters in Erica Dick, whose .369 average and 62 hits led the team. Other losses to the lineup include Emily Holtz and Adeline Coldiron, who each had over 100 at-bats for the team.
The lineup retains much of its power hitting, with Jordyn Wiatrak and Rachel Johnson coming back after tying for the team lead with 10 home runs. Kaley Garcia (OF), Cheyenne Talmadge (UTL), Kenzie Kudrna (OF), Sophia Taylor (INF), and Lauren Paige(INF/P) also return to give the lineup a depth of experience.
Along with veteran experience, the lineup will be bolstered by the four incoming players for the Bears. Mady Young (3B), Ally Steiner (OF), Natalie Joyner (INF), and Emma Brockmann (C) will have opportunities to contribute on offense for the team.
The Bears will need to find a new ace to lead the rotation after their leading pitcher from last season, Jayme Raddacliff, graduated. She led the team with 199.1 IP, 11 wins, and a 2.91 ERA. Valerie Vidal will be in the competition after having the most experience of the returning pitchers, with 57.2 IP, a 4.37 ERA, and a 5-7 record. Kelli Kleis, Chandler Elsner, and Hunter Damico, along with Paige, will also all be involved in Head Coach Shana Easley's rotation plan throughout the season.
Coach Easley and the rest of the staff will learn quickly about their pitching staff and lineup with five games scheduled for this weekend's tournament.
Scouting Loyola
Loyola finished the 2017 season with a 27-26 overall record and 9-17 in Missouri Valley games. The Ramblers were picked to finish seventh in the conference preseason poll. Loyola's catcher Katie Kasubke was named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference team after being an All-Defensive team selection in 2017. Kasubke hit .252 with a team best seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
Scouting Eastern Kentucky
Head Coach Jane Worthington begins her 26h season leading the Colonels after going 27-31 last year, 11-9 in Ohio Valley games. Eastern Kentucky will have a number of new faces this season after losing six starters and 11 letterwinners from the 2017 team. The Colonels do bring in a sizable class of newcomers, with five freshmen and four transfers to fill the gaps in the lineup and rotation. Paige Murphy was named to the First Team All-OVC after leading the team with a .642 slugging percentage and five home runs. For the rotation, Mollie Paulick returns with a team leading 162.1 IP, 13 wins and a 2.63 ERA. Paulick was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.
Scouting Wright State
Head Coach Laura Matthews is beginning her first year at the head of the program. Wright State is coming off of a 21-31 season with a 14-10 record in Horizon League and finished fourth in conference standings. The Raiders have nine players returning from last season including senior outfielder Honnah Susor, who was selected to the Horizon League First Team. Susor was third in the Horizon League with a .377 batting average and first in the league with eight triples.
Scouting IUPUI
The Jaguars begin the first season under new Head Coach Elisabeth Beirne. The first year coach inherits a team that went 23-31 last season and won the Summit League regular season with a 11-6 record. IUPUI returns three starters from last season, while losing six. The Jaguars return a total of 10 letterwinners and add seven newcomers to the roster. McKenzie Loge (INF/OF) brings stability to the lineup with a .288 average and 15 RBIs. Delaney Thompson (INF) helps the Jaguar offense with a .265 average and five home runs to go along with 17 RBIs.
Scouting DePaul
Eugene Lenti begins his 37th season as the head coach of the Blue Demons after finishing 2017 with a 29-23 record. DePaul finished second in the Big East regular season with a 12-7 record. The Blue Demons return six starters and a total of 17 letterwinners from last season. The team losses three starters, but welcomes four new players to the roster in 2018. Sophomore Jessica Cothern (C/3B) is back for the Blue Demons with a team leading .329 batting average and ranked second on the team with 11 doubles last year. The rotation for DePaul is aided by the return of Sophomore Missy Zoch, who posted a 14-9 record and a 2.98 ERA in 169.1 innings pitched, all of which lead the team.
The Season Begins
Northern Colorado will play Loyola in its first game of the Total Control Softball Tournament on Feb. 9 at 2 P.M. (MT) and will play Eastern Kentucky later that day at 4:30 P.M. On Saturday, Feb. 10 UNC will play Wright State at 2 P.M. and IUPUI at 4:30 P.M. The Bears will finish out tournament play against DePaul on Feb. 11 at 10 A.M.
Â
Â
Northern Colorado was slated to finish tied for seventh in the Big Sky Preseason poll, which is where the team finished last year. The Bears were tied with Portland State for the bottom spot in the conference. Montana was picked to first in the poll after winning the conference tournament last season.
In the 2017 season, UNC finished with a 20-35 overall record and 8-13 in conference games. Thirteen letterwinners, including six starters, return from last year's team and the Bears also add four freshmen to the roster.
UNC will have to replace four starters from last season, who have since graduated. The Bears lose one of their top hitters in Erica Dick, whose .369 average and 62 hits led the team. Other losses to the lineup include Emily Holtz and Adeline Coldiron, who each had over 100 at-bats for the team.
The lineup retains much of its power hitting, with Jordyn Wiatrak and Rachel Johnson coming back after tying for the team lead with 10 home runs. Kaley Garcia (OF), Cheyenne Talmadge (UTL), Kenzie Kudrna (OF), Sophia Taylor (INF), and Lauren Paige(INF/P) also return to give the lineup a depth of experience.
Along with veteran experience, the lineup will be bolstered by the four incoming players for the Bears. Mady Young (3B), Ally Steiner (OF), Natalie Joyner (INF), and Emma Brockmann (C) will have opportunities to contribute on offense for the team.
The Bears will need to find a new ace to lead the rotation after their leading pitcher from last season, Jayme Raddacliff, graduated. She led the team with 199.1 IP, 11 wins, and a 2.91 ERA. Valerie Vidal will be in the competition after having the most experience of the returning pitchers, with 57.2 IP, a 4.37 ERA, and a 5-7 record. Kelli Kleis, Chandler Elsner, and Hunter Damico, along with Paige, will also all be involved in Head Coach Shana Easley's rotation plan throughout the season.
Coach Easley and the rest of the staff will learn quickly about their pitching staff and lineup with five games scheduled for this weekend's tournament.
Scouting Loyola
Loyola finished the 2017 season with a 27-26 overall record and 9-17 in Missouri Valley games. The Ramblers were picked to finish seventh in the conference preseason poll. Loyola's catcher Katie Kasubke was named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference team after being an All-Defensive team selection in 2017. Kasubke hit .252 with a team best seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
Scouting Eastern Kentucky
Head Coach Jane Worthington begins her 26h season leading the Colonels after going 27-31 last year, 11-9 in Ohio Valley games. Eastern Kentucky will have a number of new faces this season after losing six starters and 11 letterwinners from the 2017 team. The Colonels do bring in a sizable class of newcomers, with five freshmen and four transfers to fill the gaps in the lineup and rotation. Paige Murphy was named to the First Team All-OVC after leading the team with a .642 slugging percentage and five home runs. For the rotation, Mollie Paulick returns with a team leading 162.1 IP, 13 wins and a 2.63 ERA. Paulick was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.
Scouting Wright State
Head Coach Laura Matthews is beginning her first year at the head of the program. Wright State is coming off of a 21-31 season with a 14-10 record in Horizon League and finished fourth in conference standings. The Raiders have nine players returning from last season including senior outfielder Honnah Susor, who was selected to the Horizon League First Team. Susor was third in the Horizon League with a .377 batting average and first in the league with eight triples.
Scouting IUPUI
The Jaguars begin the first season under new Head Coach Elisabeth Beirne. The first year coach inherits a team that went 23-31 last season and won the Summit League regular season with a 11-6 record. IUPUI returns three starters from last season, while losing six. The Jaguars return a total of 10 letterwinners and add seven newcomers to the roster. McKenzie Loge (INF/OF) brings stability to the lineup with a .288 average and 15 RBIs. Delaney Thompson (INF) helps the Jaguar offense with a .265 average and five home runs to go along with 17 RBIs.
Scouting DePaul
Eugene Lenti begins his 37th season as the head coach of the Blue Demons after finishing 2017 with a 29-23 record. DePaul finished second in the Big East regular season with a 12-7 record. The Blue Demons return six starters and a total of 17 letterwinners from last season. The team losses three starters, but welcomes four new players to the roster in 2018. Sophomore Jessica Cothern (C/3B) is back for the Blue Demons with a team leading .329 batting average and ranked second on the team with 11 doubles last year. The rotation for DePaul is aided by the return of Sophomore Missy Zoch, who posted a 14-9 record and a 2.98 ERA in 169.1 innings pitched, all of which lead the team.
The Season Begins
Northern Colorado will play Loyola in its first game of the Total Control Softball Tournament on Feb. 9 at 2 P.M. (MT) and will play Eastern Kentucky later that day at 4:30 P.M. On Saturday, Feb. 10 UNC will play Wright State at 2 P.M. and IUPUI at 4:30 P.M. The Bears will finish out tournament play against DePaul on Feb. 11 at 10 A.M.
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF/P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballWomen's Walk Recap 2025
Wednesday, July 30
