University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Northern Colorado Softball Places Four on Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team
1/29/2026 3:01:00 PM | Softball
GREELEY, Colo. – The University of Northern Colorado softball team earned four selections to the Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, as announced by the league office Thursday afternoon.
Northern Colorado was represented by Amailee Morales at first base, Krista Francia at shortstop, Katie Walling at third base, and Anna Wilming at pitcher, with all four returning as key contributors to a veteran Bears lineup.
In conjunction with the preseason honors, the Big Sky released its Preseason Coaches' Poll, with Northern Colorado projected to finish fourth in the conference standings. Idaho State was selected as the preseason favorite, followed by Weber State and Sacramento State, while Portland State and Montana rounded out the poll.
Amailee Morales (1B, Sr.)
One of the most productive hitters in the Big Sky over the past two seasons, Morales enters her senior year as a proven middle-of-the-order presence. She batted .372 during the 2025 season, ranking among the conference's top five in batting average, slugging percentage (.738), on-base percentage (.489) and OPS (1.227), while finishing second league-wide with 14 home runs. Morales authored a historic 2024 campaign, tying the Big Sky single-season RBI record with 73, leading the conference in doubles (25), and ranking second in walks (43). Her performance earned First Team All-Conference honors, Big Sky Co-Player of the Year recognition, and All-Tournament Team MVP honors. A consistent multi-year starter and two-way contributor, Morales has posted back-to-back power seasons (13 home runs in 2024, 14 in 2025), maintained elite defensive fielding percentages above .980, and earned Big Sky All-Academic Team recognition.
Krista Francia (SS, Sr.)
Francia returns as a steady presence at shortstop after earning 2025 Big Sky All-Conference First Team honors. She started 47 games last season, batting .360 while ranking among the league's top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage (.446), and OPS. Francia totaled 50 hits, scored 32 runs, and drove in 28 RBIs, serving as a consistent table-setter in the Bears' lineup. Known for her plate discipline and situational awareness, she ranked among conference leaders in hit by pitch (tied for third) and sacrifice flies (tied for fourth), while posting double-digit extra-base hits. Defensively, Francia paired her offensive production with reliable fielding, recording a .960 fielding percentage and 50 putouts at shortstop.
Katie Walling (3B, Sr.)
Walling made an immediate impact in her first season in the Big Sky, earning Tri-Top Newcomer of the Year honors along with All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition in 2025. She started 49 games and ranked top 10 in the league in batting average (.359), finishing fourth in the conference in both runs scored (44) and hits (60). Walling added 25 RBIs, ranked third in the Big Sky with 14 doubles, and posted a .533 slugging percentage while consistently hitting near the top of the order. She provided steady two-way value at third base, recording a .951 fielding percentage with 54 putouts, and ranked among conference leaders in stolen bases (13) and plate appearances (167 at-bats).
Anna Wilming (P, Jr.)
Wilming returns as a key piece of Northern Colorado's pitching staff after handling one of the top workloads in the Big Sky during the 2025 season. She appeared in 29 games, including 19 starts, and ranked third in the conference with 109.0 innings pitched, recording seven complete games and two shutouts. Wilming earned Big Sky Pitcher of the Week honors twice and was named All-Conference Honorable Mention, finishing the season with an 8–12 record, one save, and 45 strikeouts. She ranked fourth in the league in wins and top 10 in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts looking, serving as a reliable anchor in the Bears' rotation while holding opponents to a .328 batting average.
Preseason All-Conference Team
Catcher: Jenna Kearns, Idaho State*
Catcher: Katie Marsh, Sacramento State*
First Base: Amailee Morale, Northern Colorado
Second Base: Saide Kirk, Weber State
Shortstop: Krista Francia, Northern Colorado*
Shortstop: Teagan Smith, Weber State*
Third Base: Katie Walling, Northern Colorado*
Third Base: Madison Evers-Lyles, Sacramento State*
Third Base: Abby Grundy, Weber State*
Outfield: Ava Brown, Idaho State (Preseason MVP)
Outfield: Alyssa Yee, Idaho State
Outfield: Lafulafu Malepeai, Sacramento State
Pitcher: Kasey Aguinaga, Idaho State*
Pitcher: Lizzy Tommasini, Idaho State*
Pitcher: Anna Wilming, Northern Colorado*
Pitcher: Alexa Ortiz, Sacramento State*
Pitcher: Cali McCraw: Weber State*
Pitcher/Utility: Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung, Portland State
Non-Pitcher/Utility: Riley Whalen, Weber State
* Indicates tie for position
Preseason MVP
Ava Brown, Idaho State
Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Idaho State (5) - 25
2. Weber State - 19
3. Sacramento State (1) - 18
4. Northern Colorado - 14
5. Portland State - 9
6. Montana - 5
*() Indicates first place votes
The Bears begin their season on Friday, February 6 at the Southern California Tournament in Los Angeles.
Feb. 6
vs UC Santa Barbara – 2:30 p.m. MST
at UCLA – 7:30 p.m. MST
Feb. 7
vs Long Beach State – 1:30 p.m. MST
at LMU – 4 p.m. MST
Feb. 8
vs UC Riverside – 11:30 a.m. MST
FOLLOW THE BEARS: For the latest news and updates on Northern Colorado Softball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @UNC_BearsSB, and on Facebook at /UNCBearsSB.
Northern Colorado was represented by Amailee Morales at first base, Krista Francia at shortstop, Katie Walling at third base, and Anna Wilming at pitcher, with all four returning as key contributors to a veteran Bears lineup.
In conjunction with the preseason honors, the Big Sky released its Preseason Coaches' Poll, with Northern Colorado projected to finish fourth in the conference standings. Idaho State was selected as the preseason favorite, followed by Weber State and Sacramento State, while Portland State and Montana rounded out the poll.
Amailee Morales (1B, Sr.)
One of the most productive hitters in the Big Sky over the past two seasons, Morales enters her senior year as a proven middle-of-the-order presence. She batted .372 during the 2025 season, ranking among the conference's top five in batting average, slugging percentage (.738), on-base percentage (.489) and OPS (1.227), while finishing second league-wide with 14 home runs. Morales authored a historic 2024 campaign, tying the Big Sky single-season RBI record with 73, leading the conference in doubles (25), and ranking second in walks (43). Her performance earned First Team All-Conference honors, Big Sky Co-Player of the Year recognition, and All-Tournament Team MVP honors. A consistent multi-year starter and two-way contributor, Morales has posted back-to-back power seasons (13 home runs in 2024, 14 in 2025), maintained elite defensive fielding percentages above .980, and earned Big Sky All-Academic Team recognition.
Krista Francia (SS, Sr.)
Francia returns as a steady presence at shortstop after earning 2025 Big Sky All-Conference First Team honors. She started 47 games last season, batting .360 while ranking among the league's top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage (.446), and OPS. Francia totaled 50 hits, scored 32 runs, and drove in 28 RBIs, serving as a consistent table-setter in the Bears' lineup. Known for her plate discipline and situational awareness, she ranked among conference leaders in hit by pitch (tied for third) and sacrifice flies (tied for fourth), while posting double-digit extra-base hits. Defensively, Francia paired her offensive production with reliable fielding, recording a .960 fielding percentage and 50 putouts at shortstop.
Katie Walling (3B, Sr.)
Walling made an immediate impact in her first season in the Big Sky, earning Tri-Top Newcomer of the Year honors along with All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition in 2025. She started 49 games and ranked top 10 in the league in batting average (.359), finishing fourth in the conference in both runs scored (44) and hits (60). Walling added 25 RBIs, ranked third in the Big Sky with 14 doubles, and posted a .533 slugging percentage while consistently hitting near the top of the order. She provided steady two-way value at third base, recording a .951 fielding percentage with 54 putouts, and ranked among conference leaders in stolen bases (13) and plate appearances (167 at-bats).
Anna Wilming (P, Jr.)
Wilming returns as a key piece of Northern Colorado's pitching staff after handling one of the top workloads in the Big Sky during the 2025 season. She appeared in 29 games, including 19 starts, and ranked third in the conference with 109.0 innings pitched, recording seven complete games and two shutouts. Wilming earned Big Sky Pitcher of the Week honors twice and was named All-Conference Honorable Mention, finishing the season with an 8–12 record, one save, and 45 strikeouts. She ranked fourth in the league in wins and top 10 in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts looking, serving as a reliable anchor in the Bears' rotation while holding opponents to a .328 batting average.
Preseason All-Conference Team
Catcher: Jenna Kearns, Idaho State*
Catcher: Katie Marsh, Sacramento State*
First Base: Amailee Morale, Northern Colorado
Second Base: Saide Kirk, Weber State
Shortstop: Krista Francia, Northern Colorado*
Shortstop: Teagan Smith, Weber State*
Third Base: Katie Walling, Northern Colorado*
Third Base: Madison Evers-Lyles, Sacramento State*
Third Base: Abby Grundy, Weber State*
Outfield: Ava Brown, Idaho State (Preseason MVP)
Outfield: Alyssa Yee, Idaho State
Outfield: Lafulafu Malepeai, Sacramento State
Pitcher: Kasey Aguinaga, Idaho State*
Pitcher: Lizzy Tommasini, Idaho State*
Pitcher: Anna Wilming, Northern Colorado*
Pitcher: Alexa Ortiz, Sacramento State*
Pitcher: Cali McCraw: Weber State*
Pitcher/Utility: Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung, Portland State
Non-Pitcher/Utility: Riley Whalen, Weber State
* Indicates tie for position
Preseason MVP
Ava Brown, Idaho State
Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Idaho State (5) - 25
2. Weber State - 19
3. Sacramento State (1) - 18
4. Northern Colorado - 14
5. Portland State - 9
6. Montana - 5
*() Indicates first place votes
The Bears begin their season on Friday, February 6 at the Southern California Tournament in Los Angeles.
Feb. 6
vs UC Santa Barbara – 2:30 p.m. MST
at UCLA – 7:30 p.m. MST
Feb. 7
vs Long Beach State – 1:30 p.m. MST
at LMU – 4 p.m. MST
Feb. 8
vs UC Riverside – 11:30 a.m. MST
FOLLOW THE BEARS: For the latest news and updates on Northern Colorado Softball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @UNC_BearsSB, and on Facebook at /UNCBearsSB.
Players Mentioned
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