Weber State University Athletics
Friday, February 11
Phoenix, AZ
8:00 AM
Weber State University
vs
Bradley
Photo by: Robert Casey
Wildcat Softball Ready to Start 2022 Season
2/9/2022 6:46:00 PM | Softball
The Weber State Wildcat softball team commences its 2022 season this weekend with a tournament in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Wildcats are coming off a season in which they saw historic success as a program, winning their fifth Big Sky Conference regular season championship, and culminating in a disappointing finish in the conference tournament. The 2021 WSU team finished the season with a 25-19 record and an astounding 15-3 Big Sky Conference record. By winning the regular season conference crown, the Wildcats also earned the right to host the 2022 Big Sky Conference tournament in Ogden for the fifth time in school history.
Weber State is returning nearly every major contributor from last season's team.
Mary Kay Amicone, a legend in the softball coaching circuit, returns for a ninth season at the helm of the Wildcat softball program. With over 700 career victories at the collegiate level and 214 wins during her time at Weber State, Amicone has more career wins and more conference wins than anybody else in Big Sky Conference history.
Senior catcher Lauren Hoe won the 2021 conference Player of the Year award after ranking in the top ten in the Big Sky in home runs, doubles, slugging percentage, RBI, total bases, and fielding percentage. Hoe was also tremendous behind the plate for the Wildcats and provided leadership and plenty of other intangibles for last season's team.
After leading the conference with a 3.23 ERA, senior Mariah Ramirez was named the 2021 Big Sky Pitcher of the Year. Having made 24 appearances with 13 starts, Ramirez tallied a 12-7 record and was in the top five in the Big Sky in wins, opponent batting average, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Her precision while in the circle made her a vital weapon in coach Amicone's arsenal last season.
Mia Rushton, a rangy center fielder from San Diego, California, had a tremendous season for the Wildcats on her way to winning the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year. Rushton, who displayed terrific talent for the Wildcats both at the plate and in the field, was one of the best contact hitters in the conference last season. Rushton led the Wildcats with a phenomenal .388 batting average, including an unbelievable 24-game hitting streak to set a new school record.
In addition to the aforementioned award winners, the Wildcats also return Chloe Camarero, Noelle Foster, Faith Hoe, and Amanda Sink , all of whom were named to the 2021 all-conference first team.
As a team, the 2021 Wildcats led the Big Sky in slugging percentage (.485), doubles (74), triples (18), ERA (3.95), and opponent batting average (.288).
For the 2022 season, the Wildcats were the preseason pick to win the Big Sky Conference. With four first place votes, the Wildcats secured the first place slot just ahead of the 2021 conference tournament winning Portland State Vikings.
In the upcoming season, Weber State has a tough schedule which is full of tournaments, power five competition, and several teams who qualified for the 2021 NCAA tournament. The season starts this weekend with a tournament that's hosted by Grand Canyon University. This is the fifth consecutive season that the Wildcats have played in a tournament hosted by GCU. They will play five games between February 11-13, starting with a game against Bradley, then two consecutive bouts against Fordham, followed by a game against the host school, rounding things out against Kansas.
A difficult out of conference schedule has been a hallmark of the Wildcat program during Amicone's tenure, the 2022 slate of games is no exception. The Wildcats will face top-tier competition has they gear up for Big Sky Conference play, and have scheduled opposition such as Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State, Texas A&M, and UCLA, as well as in-state rivals Dixie State, Utah, Utah State, and Utah Valley.Â
Although the 2022 season looks promising for the Wildcats, this group knows that nothing is a given and that they will have to work hard and compete at the highest level to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
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The Wildcats are coming off a season in which they saw historic success as a program, winning their fifth Big Sky Conference regular season championship, and culminating in a disappointing finish in the conference tournament. The 2021 WSU team finished the season with a 25-19 record and an astounding 15-3 Big Sky Conference record. By winning the regular season conference crown, the Wildcats also earned the right to host the 2022 Big Sky Conference tournament in Ogden for the fifth time in school history.
Weber State is returning nearly every major contributor from last season's team.
Mary Kay Amicone, a legend in the softball coaching circuit, returns for a ninth season at the helm of the Wildcat softball program. With over 700 career victories at the collegiate level and 214 wins during her time at Weber State, Amicone has more career wins and more conference wins than anybody else in Big Sky Conference history.
Senior catcher Lauren Hoe won the 2021 conference Player of the Year award after ranking in the top ten in the Big Sky in home runs, doubles, slugging percentage, RBI, total bases, and fielding percentage. Hoe was also tremendous behind the plate for the Wildcats and provided leadership and plenty of other intangibles for last season's team.
After leading the conference with a 3.23 ERA, senior Mariah Ramirez was named the 2021 Big Sky Pitcher of the Year. Having made 24 appearances with 13 starts, Ramirez tallied a 12-7 record and was in the top five in the Big Sky in wins, opponent batting average, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Her precision while in the circle made her a vital weapon in coach Amicone's arsenal last season.
Mia Rushton, a rangy center fielder from San Diego, California, had a tremendous season for the Wildcats on her way to winning the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year. Rushton, who displayed terrific talent for the Wildcats both at the plate and in the field, was one of the best contact hitters in the conference last season. Rushton led the Wildcats with a phenomenal .388 batting average, including an unbelievable 24-game hitting streak to set a new school record.
In addition to the aforementioned award winners, the Wildcats also return Chloe Camarero, Noelle Foster, Faith Hoe, and Amanda Sink , all of whom were named to the 2021 all-conference first team.
As a team, the 2021 Wildcats led the Big Sky in slugging percentage (.485), doubles (74), triples (18), ERA (3.95), and opponent batting average (.288).
For the 2022 season, the Wildcats were the preseason pick to win the Big Sky Conference. With four first place votes, the Wildcats secured the first place slot just ahead of the 2021 conference tournament winning Portland State Vikings.
In the upcoming season, Weber State has a tough schedule which is full of tournaments, power five competition, and several teams who qualified for the 2021 NCAA tournament. The season starts this weekend with a tournament that's hosted by Grand Canyon University. This is the fifth consecutive season that the Wildcats have played in a tournament hosted by GCU. They will play five games between February 11-13, starting with a game against Bradley, then two consecutive bouts against Fordham, followed by a game against the host school, rounding things out against Kansas.
A difficult out of conference schedule has been a hallmark of the Wildcat program during Amicone's tenure, the 2022 slate of games is no exception. The Wildcats will face top-tier competition has they gear up for Big Sky Conference play, and have scheduled opposition such as Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State, Texas A&M, and UCLA, as well as in-state rivals Dixie State, Utah, Utah State, and Utah Valley.Â
Although the 2022 season looks promising for the Wildcats, this group knows that nothing is a given and that they will have to work hard and compete at the highest level to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
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Players Mentioned
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/ SoftballBeyond the Bases: Episode 1
Thursday, September 11
NCAA Regionals Highlights
Tuesday, May 20
NCAA Tournament post-game press conference
Monday, May 19
Softball Big Sky Tournament Highlights
Wednesday, May 14