Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Utah
Wildcats Head to Las Vegas for UNLV Desert Classic
2/18/2021 2:02:00 PM | Softball
WEBER STATE at UNLV DESERT CLASSIC
Friday, Feb. 19 - Sunday, Feb. 21
Las Vegas, NV
Feb. 19: vs. Utah / 10:00 am & at UNLV / 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 20: vs. Cal-Baptist / 11:00 am & at UNLV / 6:30 pm
Feb. 21:Â vs. Cal-Baptist / 10:00 am
ON DECK
Following a 2-3 start to the season with wins over Montana and Grand Canyon at the GCU Kickoff Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., the Wildcats will be back in action this weekend at the UNLV Desert Classic, facing Utah, UNLV and Cal-Baptist over five games.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Each of the Wildcats' games at the Desert Classic will be broadcast live on YouTube. Live stats are also available for each game. Visit the Softball schedule on WeberStateSports.com for links to both live video and live stats.
UTAH UTES (5-1; 0-0 Pac-12)
Weber State enters Friday's matchup against Utah with a 3-12 all-time record against the Utes, including a 2-5 mark under head coach Mary Kay Amicone. The Wildcats have won the last two meetings, with a 5-1 win in Ogden on Mar. 27, 2019 and a 2-0 win in Salt Lake City on Apr. 23, 2019.
UNLV REBELS (4-1; 0-0 Mtn. West)
The Wildcats are 5-6 all-time against UNLV and are 3-4 in the matchup under Amicone. The Rebels flipped the series edge with a pair of wins in February of 2020.
CAL-BAPTIST LANCERS (3-1; 0-0 WAC)
Weber State's two scheduled games against Cal-Baptist in the Desert Classic will open the all-time series between the two schools.
STRONG STARTS
• Sophomore rightfielder Katelyn Whiting got off to a hot start to the 2021 season, posting a .400 batting average and a 1.371 OPS to go along with one home run and four RBI at the GCU Kickoff Classic.
• Sophomore leftfielder Noelle Foster and freshman Mia Rushton also had strong starts at the plate at the GCU tournament. Foster batted .385 with a 1.231 OPS and adding a home run and three RBI, while Rushton hit .333, tying Foster with a team-high five hits on the weekend.
• The outfield trio combined to hit .368 with 14 hits, 8 runs scored, a pair of home runs and 8 RBI. The group did well in replacing the very strong outfield trio of Takesha Saltern, Landi Hawker and Courtney Pestka, who had been mainstays in the Wildcat lineup for the past four years.
• Mariah Ramirez, the team's top pitcher in 2020, again took the lead for the Wildcats in the circle at the CGU Kickoff Classic. The sophomore righthander went 2-0 with a 2.68 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 15.2 innings. She held No. 10 Oregon hitless for the first four innings before the Ducks finally broke through in the fifth, and only gave up a single unearned run over five innings. She then came on in relief to pick up the win in a 9-5 victory over Montana, and wrapped up the tournament with a win over Grand Canyon in which she held the Lopes scoreless for 6.2 innings before giving up a pair of runs in a two-out rally by the host school.
• After going 0-4 across two games to open her season, returning freshman Saree-Ann Kekahuna broke out with three hits in four at-bats with a run scored and three RBI in the team's 6-2 win over Grand Canyon to finish off the tournament.
