Northern Colorado will begin its 2026 softball season at the Southern California Tournament, taking on five opponents over three days at Easton Stadium and Smith Field in Los Angeles. The Bears open against UC Santa Barbara before a Friday night game with nationally ranked UCLA, which holds the No. 7 spot in the NFCA Preseason Poll. Saturday’s schedule includes matchups with Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount, followed by a Sunday morning contest against UC Riverside.
The team returns seven starters from last year’s squad that reached the Big Sky Conference semifinals in 2025. Head coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm enters her fourth season after leading Northern Colorado to consecutive Big Sky Tournament championships in 2023 and 2024.
Northern Colorado was selected fourth in the 2026 Big Sky Preseason Coaches’ Poll, bringing back a veteran core and adding depth to its pitching staff. Four players earned spots on the preseason all-conference team: Amailee Morales (first base), Krista Francia (shortstop), Katie Walling (third base), and Anna Wilming (pitcher). Morales, Francia, and Walling return as experienced infielders, while Wilming is recognized for her postseason performance last year. Transfer pitcher Sadie Kahl joins to add further depth.
The Bears’ roster is characterized by an experienced infield and pitching staff, along with emerging power throughout their batting order. In 2025, Northern Colorado had several high-scoring games, including one with six home runs and another where they scored 19 runs during postseason play. Defensively, the team focuses on stability at key positions while working toward improved consistency among pitchers.
Last season concluded with a 19-30 record for Northern Colorado, who advanced to the conference semifinals after hosting the tournament as regular-season champions in 2024. Weber State won the championship that year. In postseason play, Anna Wilming pitched a complete game victory over Sacramento State, supported by Jazzy Longo’s three-run home run. Wilming finished with eight wins across more than 100 innings pitched during the season.
The Bears were also recognized for academic achievement; multiple student-athletes received Academic All-District honors, including Krista Francia advancing to the Academic All-America ballot.
Tournament opponents include UC Santa Barbara (36-26 last season), UCLA (55-13), Long Beach State (27-22), Loyola Marymount (over 40 home runs hit in 2025), and UC Riverside (21-29).
After this tournament, Northern Colorado will travel to Phoenix for the Grand Canyon Invite to face South Dakota, Grand Canyon University, and Harvard.
“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.”
“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.”
