Bears Begin Big Sky Title Defense at Home vs. Portland State

GREELEY, Colo. - The Bears will host the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 4 seed Northern Colorado will take on No. 5 Portland State in the first game of the tournament on Tuesday, May 6 at 11 a.m. at Gloria Rodriguez Field.

GAME COVERAGE
A live stream will be available for the game provided by the Northern Colorado Bear Vision department through ESPN+. Fans can purchase a subscription at plus.espn.com. Live stats will also be provided for fans to stay up to date.

TICKETS
All-session passes and single-day tickets will be available for purchase through Northern Colorado Athletics Ticket Office. General admission is $15 per day, or $18 with fees, while student and youth tickets are $5 per day, or $8 with fees. Fans can also purchase an all-tournament pass for $60 general admission ($63 with fees) or $20 for students and youth ($28 with fees).

PARKING
Paid parking is available near Gloria Rodriguez Field in M Lot. For a free option, parking is available in J Lot.

A LOOK AT THE BEARS
Northern Colorado softball heads into the 2025 Big Sky Tournament with momentum, and a title to defend. After capturing the championship crown last season, the Bears (16-28, 7-7 Big Sky) return to postseason play riding a two-game win streak and looking to repeat history.

The Bears wrapped up the regular season in the middle of the conference standings, showing resilience and flashes of dominance throughout a challenging schedule that included 44 games across five states and two countries. While their 7-2 home record at Gloria Rodriguez Field has been impressive, road wins have been harder to come by, with a 4-16 mark away from Greeley.

Northern Colorado's offense is led by junior standout Amailee Morales, one of the most feared hitters in the Big Sky. Morales boasts a .382 batting average, 13 home runs, and 31 RBIs, all team highs, with an eye-popping 1.247 OPS. She's flanked by consistent contributors like Katie Walling (.353 AVG, 13 doubles, 23 RBIs, 10 SBs) and Krista Francia (.346 AVG, .899 OPS), helping the Bears to a .287 team batting average and 42 total home runs, a powerful mark in the conference.

Additional production has come from sluggers Ella Gonzales (6 HR, 27 RBIs) and Jazzy Longo (5 HR, 25 RBIs), while veterans Sabrina Javorsky, Nya Chacon, and Jaycie Gandert add experience and depth to the lineup. In total, eight Bears have hit at least three home runs, showing the team's ability to go deep throughout the order.

In the circle, the Bears are anchored by Isabelle DiNapoli (7-11, 6.01 ERA, 113 IP) and Anna Wilming (6-10, 5.23 ERA, 93.2 IP), who have combined for over 180 innings and 13 complete games. Newcomer Aiyana Cordero has shown promise in limited action with a 3.89 ERA across nine innings.

Head coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm, now in her third season, has guided the program through a tough non-conference slate and into position for another postseason run. Under her leadership, UNC has continued to build a reputation for gritty play and postseason poise.

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.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the softball team on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsSB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsSB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsSB).

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Players Mentioned

Nya Chacon

Aiyana Cordero

Isabelle DiNapoli

Krista Francia

Jaycie Gandert

Ella Gonzales

Sabrina Javorsky

Jazzy Longo

Amailee Morales

Katie Walling

Anna Wilming

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