Northern Colorado will host the Colorado Classic softball tournament this week at Gloria Rodriguez Field in Greeley. The event features multiple teams and begins Thursday, March 5, with a doubleheader against Kansas City starting at 1 p.m. MST.
On Friday, March 6, Northern Colorado faces South Dakota in another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday’s schedule opens with South Dakota State playing Drake at 11 a.m., followed by Northern Colorado taking on Drake at 1:30 p.m. and South Dakota State at 4 p.m. The tournament concludes Sunday, March 8, when Northern Colorado plays South Dakota at 10 a.m.
Northern Colorado enters the week with an overall record of 8-12 and has not yet played a conference game this season. The team was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Four players—Amailee Morales (first base), Krista Francia (shortstop), Katie Walling (third base), and Anna Wilming (pitcher)—were named to the Preseason All-Conference list.
Through their first 20 games, Northern Colorado is batting .285 as a team, accumulating 155 hits, 86 runs, 18 home runs, and 30 doubles. Amailee Morales leads offensively with a .443 average and nine doubles; Hayden Nelson has four home runs; Katie Walling has driven in 14 runs; KK Christie holds a .711 slugging percentage; Ella Gonzales has contributed three home runs and twelve RBIs.
Pitcher Anna Wilming leads the staff with a record of five wins and two losses over 53 innings pitched and an ERA of 4.23. Ellyse Hydock has added two wins and two saves over her appearances.
Amailee Morales continues to set program records, ranking first all-time for doubles (51), home runs (29), RBIs (125), and walks (100). She is also among the top ten in several other categories including hits and total bases.
Northern Colorado’s opponents include Kansas City (8-10), who are hitting .265 as a team; South Dakota (3-12) led by Brooke Carey’s .432 average; Drake (4-10) featuring Natalee Watts’ five home runs; and South Dakota State (12-9) highlighted by Amanda Vacanti’s .500 average.
After the tournament concludes, Northern Colorado will travel west for a three-game series against Pacific on March 14-15 in Stockton, California.
The program encourages support through its Rally Starters Club to provide training resources, technology upgrades, and competitive travel opportunities for student-athletes.
For more information about Northern Colorado Softball or updates throughout the season, visit UNCBears.com or follow @UNC_BearsSB on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or Facebook.
