The Southern Utah University softball team will travel to Los Angeles for the LMU Tournament, where they are scheduled to face Portland State and host Loyola Marymount in a four-game series, according to a March 12 announcement. The Thunderbirds will open against Portland State on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, followed by a matchup with Loyola Marymount at 7:00 p.m. The teams will meet again on Saturday, with games set for 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
This tournament marks the final non-conference competition for Southern Utah before Western Athletic Conference play begins. Both games against Loyola Marymount will be streamed on ESPN+, and live statistics will be available through the schedule page on suutbirds.com.
Southern Utah enters the tournament after finishing 2-2 at the Orange and Black Classic hosted by Idaho State. The Thunderbirds recorded two run-rule victories over the University of Maine but lost close contests to Idaho State. Their current record stands at 11-15 overall, including an 8-7 mark in neutral-site games.
The team’s offense has been led by Arianna Ramirez, who holds a .346 batting average with 28 hits and a .398 on-base percentage through 26 games. Taralyn Ollison is batting .311 with six doubles, two triples, and has scored 14 runs. McKenzy Becerra leads in home runs with four and has driven in 18 runs while posting a .513 slugging percentage. Alayah Toscano has contributed with 11 RBIs, while Michaella Salvatierra has scored 14 runs and is perfect in stolen base attempts this season.
On the pitching side, Hannah Duncan leads Southern Utah with over 51 innings pitched across fourteen appearances, recording four complete games and two saves. Avery Nielson has secured four wins and one save over nearly thirty-seven innings while holding opponents to a .261 average. Riley Nielson and Delaney Baker have combined for more than sixty-eight innings pitched this season.
Portland State comes into the tournament with a balanced offensive approach, hitting .260 as a team through twenty games. Grace Johnson leads their lineup with a .393 average and nine stolen bases without being caught. Breanna Lutz adds power with four doubles, one triple, one home run, and Mia Martinez leads in home runs (four) and RBIs (twelve). In pitching, Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung holds a 4-3 record across nearly fifty innings.
Loyola Marymount’s offense features Avery Francis (.427 average), Sydney Poole (.394 average), Taelor Walker, Justine Lambert (both above .340), and Izzy Jamgotchian who leads in home runs (nine) and RBIs (twenty-eight). Their pitching staff boasts a collective ERA of 2.42 led by Lindsay O’Dell’s six wins and forty-five strikeouts.
