PREVIEW: Northern Colorado Softball Opens 2026 Season at Southern California Tournament

Friday, February 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:30 p.m. MST | 1:30 p.m. PST

University of Northern Colorado

University of California Santa Barbara

Photo by: Jesus Ayala, UNC Athletics

2/4/2026 1:32:00 PM | Softball

By: Brooke Richards, Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado opens the 2026 season this weekend at the Southern California Tournament, facing a challenging five-game slate across three days at Easton Stadium and Smith Field. The Bears begin the year against UC Santa Barbara before closing Friday night with a primetime matchup against UCLA, ranked No. 7 in the NFCA Preseason Poll. Saturday features games against Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount, before the Bears wrap up the weekend Sunday morning versus UC Riverside.

Northern Colorado enters the season returning seven starters and coming off a postseason run that saw the Bears reach the Big Sky Conference semifinals in 2025. Head coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm begins her fourth season at UNC after guiding the program to back-to-back Big Sky Tournament championships in 2023 and 2024.

GAME INFORMATION
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, Feb. 6 – Easton Stadium
vs. UC Santa Barbara – 2:30 p.m. MT / 1:30 p.m. PT
at No. 7 UCLA – 7:30 p.m. MT / 6:30 p.m. PT

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Smith Field
vs. Long Beach State – 1:30 p.m. MT / 12:30 p.m. PT
at LMU – 4 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. PT

Sunday, Feb. 8 – Easton Stadium
vs. UC Riverside – 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT

CATCHING UP ON THE BEARS: Northern Colorado was picked fourth in the 2026 Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll after returning a veteran core and adding pitching depth. The Bears placed four players on the 2026 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team: Amailee Morales at first base, Krista Francia at shortstop, Katie Walling at third base, and Anna Wilming earning preseason recognition in the circle.

Morales, Francia and Walling anchor an experienced infield that brings power and consistency to the lineup, while Wilming returns as the staff leader after delivering a complete-game win in the Big Sky quarterfinals last season. UNC also added transfer pitcher Sadie Kahl to bolster depth in the circle as the Bears navigate another tough non-conference schedule.

TEAM IDENTITY: Northern Colorado enters 2026 built around a veteran infield, emerging power throughout the order, and an experienced pitching staff. The Bears showed their offensive ceiling in 2025 with multiple double-digit scoring performances, including a six-home-run game and a 19-run outburst in postseason play. Defensively, UNC continues to emphasize stability on the corners and up the middle, pairing run production with improved consistency in the circle as conference play progressed last season.

NOTES FROM 2025: Northern Colorado finished the 2025 season with a 19-30 overall record and advanced to the Big Sky Conference semifinals.

The Bears entered the Big Sky Tournament as the host after claiming the regular-season title in 2024, but the 2025 tournament championship was won by Weber State.

Northern Colorado opened postseason play with an 8-5 quarterfinal victory over Sacramento State, highlighted by a three-run home run from Jazzy Longo and a complete-game performance in the circle by Anna Wilming.

Offensively, the Bears flashed their power potential throughout the season, including a six-home-run performance in a February win over New Mexico State and a season-high 19 runs in the Big Sky Tournament against Montana.

Wilming provided stability in the circle during the postseason and finished the year with eight wins, logging over 100 innings across the season.

Northern Colorado entered the 2025 season as the Big Sky preseason favorite after sweeping the regular-season and tournament titles in 2024.

The Bears continued their tradition of academic excellence, with multiple student-athletes earning Academic All-District recognition, including Krista Francia, who advanced to the Academic All-America ballot.

OPPONENT NOTES
UC Santa Barbara finished 36-26 in 2025 and brings a balanced lineup and experienced pitching staff to open the tournament.

UCLA enters the season ranked No. 7 nationally after a 55-13 campaign and remains one of the most accomplished programs in collegiate softball history.

Long Beach State went 27-22 a season ago and features a deep lineup with multiple hitters above .300 and a staff that relies on control and depth.

Loyola Marymount brings power potential throughout the order, having hit more than 40 home runs in 2025.

UC Riverside wraps up the tournament after a 21-29 season in 2025, returning a core that contributed to more than 20 home runs and consistent run production across the lineup.

UP NEXT: GRAND CANYON INVITE
Phoenix, Ariz. | GCU Softball Stadium

Northern Colorado continues non-conference play the following week at the Grand Canyon Invite, facing a five-game slate against South Dakota, Grand Canyon, and Harvard.

Friday, Feb. 13
vs. South Dakota – 10 a.m. MT
at Grand Canyon – 4 p.m. MT

Saturday, Feb. 14
at Grand Canyon – 5 p.m. MT
vs. Harvard – 7:30 p.m. MT

Sunday, Feb. 15
vs. Harvard – 2 p.m. MT

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.