Bears Travel to Pocatello for Three Games

GREELEY, Colo. - The Bears will travel to Pocatello, Idaho to play the Idaho State Bengals in a three-game Big Sky series starting with a doubleheader on Friday, April 4 at 12:30 p.m. Game three will take place on Saturday, April 5 at 12 p.m.

GAME COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for the game through ESPN+. Fans can purchase a subscription at plus.espn.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date, provided by the Idaho State Athletic Communications department.

A LOOK AT THE BEARS
Preseason favorites Northern Colorado are the lone team to start Big Sky play 3-0 after a weekend sweep over Montana. The bats came alive for the Bears and the defense shined bright as they outscored the Grizzlies 22-7 on the weekend. UNC allowed just one run through 13 innings of action in Saturday's contests before wrapping up the series in thrilling fashion. Krista Francia delivered the defining moment, crushing a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure a 9-6 win in the series finale.

With the opening weekend of Big Sky play in the books, Northern Colorado softball stands alone atop the standings, sweeping Montana behind dominant performances on both sides of the ball. The Bears (12-21, 3-0 Big Sky) now boast one of the most explosive offenses in the league, ranking second in the Big Sky with a .289 team batting average, just behind Sacramento State (.306). The lineup is powered by a trio of top-10 conference hitters: Katie Walling (.363), Amailee Morales (.360), and Francia (.354). Morales has also been a power threat, ranking second in the Big Sky with 11 home runs and posting a 1.224 OPS. Walling's 41 hits are second-most in the league, while Francia and Morales sit among the RBI leaders with 21 and 26, respectively.

A crucial conference series takes place in Pocatello this weekend as Northern Colorado faces Idaho State. The two teams enter the weekend holding the top two spots in the standings after a successful opening weekend, with both securing series wins

SCOUTING IDAHO STATE
(Friday / 12:30 p.m. (DH) | Saturday / 12 p.m.)
The Idaho State Bengals are off to a strong start in the 2025 season with impressive performances in multiple tournaments. They are 4-1 at the Texas A&M Invitational and 3-2 at the UNLV Rebel Classic, securing notable wins over George Washington, Princeton, and a historic victory over #13 Texas Tech.

Idaho State was projected to be a competitive force in the Big Sky Conference after opening conference play with a 2-1 series win over Sacramento State. The Bengals currently rank #22 nationally in double plays turned with 13.

The Bengals' offense is led by junior outfielder Gracie Smith and senior slugger Ava Brown. Smith delivered a walk-off home run to defeat Texas Tech, while Brown has hit 14 home runs this season, moving to 4th all-time in single-season home runs for the program. Brown has also homered in the season opener for the second consecutive year and sits at 10th in career home runs for Idaho State with 14.

Freshman Rebecca Quinn provided another clutch moment with a grand slam against Utah, securing the Bengals' first win over the Utes since 2013. Kennedy Dudley also played hero with a grand slam that completed a five-run comeback over Utah State at the Lyman Classic.

On the base paths, Alyssa Yee set a new program record with four steals in a game against UC San Diego. Idaho State's offensive power is evident, as they have scored 10+ runs in seven of their first 14 games but are 0-3 when scoring three runs or fewer.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
As the 2025 softball season approaches, Northern Colorado has been named the preseason favorite in the Big Sky Conference Coaches' Poll. The Bears, who made history last season by sweeping both the regular-season and tournament titles for the first time, earned three first-place votes and topped the poll with 23 points. Head coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm's squad enters the new campaign with high expectations after a dominant 2024 run, and they will look to defend their title against a competitive field that includes Idaho State (21 points, two first-place votes) and Portland State (17 points, one first-place vote), both of whom made deep postseason runs last year.

Northern Colorado will also have the opportunity to host the 2025 Big Sky Softball Championship at Gloria Rodriguez Field from May 6-9, giving the Bears a home-field advantage as they aim for back-to-back titles. Fans can follow the team's journey and all Big Sky action on social media using @BigSkyConf and the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.

UP NEXT
The Bears will hit the road again for a series against Sacramento State in Sacramento, California on April 11-12.

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