Preview: @bearssoftball Looks to Keep its Bats Rolling Against Southern Utah This Weekend

Friday, March 30

Greeley, CO

University of Northern Colorado

Southern Utah

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

3/29/2018 10:27:00 AM | Softball

Northern Colorado will host the Thunderbirds for a three-game series

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo.- Northern Colorado softball looks for its second consecutive Big Sky series win this weekend when they host Southern Utah for three games.

UNC (20-16) won two-out-of-three games against Sacramento State this past weekend and can maintain its position as one of the top teams in the Big Sky with another series win. After the first week of conference games, UNC is tied for second in the Big Sky standings with a 2-1 record, along with Weber State and North Dakota. Montana is the only team still undefeated in conference play with a 3-0 record and 15-17 overall record.

Northern Colorado has been steadily improving its hitting with runners on base and is currently hitting .292 with runners on. The team has a .278 average with runners in scoring position and a .327 average with the bases loaded.

Sophia Taylor had a strong series against Sacramento State continuing her upward swing, hitting .636, scoring six runs with three doubles and two RBIs. Another strong hitting weekend from Taylor allowed her to raise her average from .211 to .257.

Lauren Paige had another productive weekend against the Hornets with a .375 batting average, one double, and a triple, along with three walks. Paige ranks first in the Big Sky with a .500 on-base percentage.

Jordyn Wiatrak extended her hit streak over the weekend to 10 games, which is the longest for the Bears this season. Wiatrak hit .417 last weekend and has a team-leading .333 average and 23 RBIs.

Emma Brockmann continues to develop into a key hitter in the Bears lineup and showed her growth against Sacramento State. Brockmann hit .500 with four doubles and five RBIs to power the offense over the weekend. On the year, Brockmann is hitting .267 and is second on the team with 21 RBIs.

The pitching staff for the Bears struggled at times over the weekend but is still a solid unit with a Big Sky leading 3.01 ERA. Valerie Vidal ranks first in the Big Sky and eighth in the nation with six shutouts. Vidal also ranks first in the Big Sky and 20th in the nation with 13 wins, along with second in the conference with 97 strikeouts.

Northern Colorado has already matched last season's win total with 20 showing the growth of the program. Head coach Shana Easley can set a mark for the most wins in her tenure with one more victory this season.

The Bears can continue their stand-out season with a strong performance against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

Scouting Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds have struggled so far in the 2018 season with a 4-23 record in head coach Tom Gray's fourth year at the program. Southern Utah's first Big Sky series of the season was against Weber State at home. The Thunderbirds and Wildcats split a doubleheader Friday, and Weber State won the series on Saturday with an 11-0 victory.

Freshman Taylei Williams has been a consistent source of offense for the Thunderbirds lineup with a .355 batting average, four home runs and 15 RBIs this season. Senior Sarah Murphy has made an impact for Southern Utah in the 15 games she has played this season, recording a team-best .415 average in 41 at-bats. Murphy also has scored 11 runs, one home run, and 5 RBIs.

The pitching staff for the Thunderbirds has not been effective, with an 8.84 team ERA. Southern Utah pitchers have struggled with their control, recording 57 strikeouts and issuing 127 walks.

Northern Colorado and Southern Utah played last season in Ceder City, with the Thunderbirds taking two out of three games against the Bears.

Following the Bears
Northern Colorado will play a doubleheader against Southern Utah on Friday March 30th, with the first game starting at 12 pm MT. The second game scheduled for 2 pm or 30 minutes after completion of the first. The series between the Bears and Thunderbirds wraps up on Saturday, March 31st at 1 pm Live stats for the game are provided by UNCBears.com and follow the game on Twitter with @bearssoftball.