Southern Utah University announced on Apr. 30 that its softball team will host the Utah Valley Wolverines for their final Western Athletic Conference series this weekend, with postseason seeding at stake. The three-game matchup begins with a doubleheader on Friday, May 1, at Kathryn Berg Field and concludes with a single game on Saturday, May 2. All games will be available on ESPN+ and live stats can be accessed through the schedule page at suutbirds.com.
The outcome of this series is important as both teams are close in the conference standings, which affects their positions for the upcoming tournament. Southern Utah currently holds fifth place in WAC play with a record of 5-10, just behind Utah Valley’s 6-9 mark.
Friday’s games will feature “Fan Appreciation Day,” where supporters of T-Birds softball will be recognized before play begins and fans can receive free hot dogs between games. Saturday’s game is designated as “Senior Day,” honoring Delaney Baker and Alayah Toscano after the contest.
The Thunderbirds recently secured a spot in the conference tournament but are looking to improve their seeding following a challenging series against UT Arlington that ended with an 8-7 walk-off loss. Last season, Southern Utah swept a three-game set against Utah Valley in Orem. This weekend marks the last time these programs meet as WAC opponents; next season, Utah Valley moves to the Big West Conference while Southern Utah returns to the Big Sky Conference.
Southern Utah’s offense is led by Arianna Ramirez (.385 average), Taralyn Ollison (.318), McKenzy Becerra (seven home runs), Michaella Salvatierra (.303), Alayah Toscano (17 RBIs), and Savannah Lira (five home runs). Pitching duties have been handled by Hannah Duncan (89 innings pitched), Avery Nielson (six wins), Riley Nielson (over 60 innings pitched), and Delaney Baker (five wins).
Utah Valley counters with hitters like Tatum Hall (.429 average, ten home runs) and Britney Moreno (.417 average). Their pitching staff features Lily Riley (13-8 record) supported by Payge Armendariz, Ella Miller, and Hannah Ortega.
This matchup not only determines postseason positioning but also closes out an era of competition between these two programs within the Western Athletic Conference.
