Northern Colorado will return home to face Saint Mary’s in a three-game nonconference softball series at Gloria Rodriguez Field as part of the WCC/Big Sky Challenge, beginning Friday, March 20.
The matchup is significant as both teams look to build momentum ahead of their respective conference schedules. Northern Colorado enters the weekend with a 14-15 overall record after winning its recent series at Pacific, while Saint Mary’s holds a 17-10 record and is seeking its first road win of the season.
The Bears recently secured two wins out of three against Pacific, highlighted by Grace Algrim’s complete-game pitching performance and Ella Gonzales’ three-RBI effort in the series finale. As a team, Northern Colorado is batting .297 with 236 hits and 23 home runs through 29 games. Amailee Morales leads the lineup with a .437 average and 13 doubles, while Gonzales has contributed four home runs and leads the team with 21 RBIs. Katie Walling and Hayden Nelson have also provided consistent offense.
In pitching, Anna Wilming leads Northern Colorado with six wins over 73.2 innings pitched. Algrim has added three wins and three saves this season. Morales continues to set program records in doubles, home runs, RBIs, and walks, while Gonzales is climbing the ranks in RBIs and home runs for the program.
Saint Mary’s comes into the series on a three-game winning streak but has yet to secure a victory on the road this year. The Gaels are hitting .297 as a team with Hannah Ferguson leading at .438 average. Braxton Brown adds power with five home runs and 24 RBIs. In pitching, Odhi Vasquez leads with an eight-win record and a 2.49 earned run average.
Following this weekend’s games, Northern Colorado will open Big Sky Conference play by hosting Sacramento State for another three-game series at Gloria Rodriguez Field.
