The Utah softball team’s magical season continues.
Last weekend at NCAA Regionals at Dumke Stadium, the Utes beat Southern Illinois and then Mississippi twice to advance to the Super Regionals, which Utah will host for the first time. of the school’s history.
The Utes take on San Diego State in a three-game series starting Friday night. The winner advances to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Utah coach Amy Hogue looks forward to another softball weekend at Dumke Stadium.
“It’s exciting to host two at a time, not only because of our fans, but also because our team is resting while other teams are traveling,” said Hogue, whose team is experiencing a nine-game winning streak. “We are preparing our team for the environment we never had at Dumke Stadium.
“If we can get all 2,500 people to come back and do what they did last weekend, I promise they’ll have a Utah team that’s ready and I can’t wait. The environment will be nothing like anything we’ve ever seen, I guarantee it.
In case you missed it
Jake Whalin signed with the BYU basketball program before serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lithuania. He returned last Friday and on Monday announced that he had committed to the University of Utah.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jake Wahlin to our Runnin’ Utes family,” Utah coach Craig Smith said in a statement. “Jake is a tremendous competitor who comes from a big family and only scratches the surface of the player he can become.
“Standing at 6-10, Jake brings skill and versatility to the wing position that you just don’t see from his size. I have no doubt that Jake will be a fan favorite among the Runnin’ Ute faithful here at the U for the next four years.
A three-star prospect coming out of Timpview High, Wahlin was part of BYU’s 2021 signing class. Wahlin was ranked the 182nd overall prospect in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
He initially chose BYU over bids from the state of San Diego, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, among others.
Archives
This former Utah football player is transferring to a Big Ten school
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Shift in mindset, additions of key transfer gates led to rise of Utah women’s athletics program
Bonus points
As Pac-12 media rights negotiations move forward, Big Ten makes a disturbing discovery in its new deal (Deseret News)
Do any quarterbacks from BYU or Utah rank among the top 75 QBs of the 2000s? (Desert News)
How Utah Sets Pipeline to Tight Final Position (Deseret News)
Former Utah State and Utah guard Rylan Jones has found his next college basketball home (Deseret News)
How the Big 12 and Pac-12 stacked up in revenue distribution for fiscal year 2022 (Deseret News)
4-star QB prospect Isaac Wilson names his top 6 schools (Deseret News)
fananalyst
The transfers will offer decent depth, but we still don’t see anything that promises a radical change in what is currently a fairly lethargic schedule. Smith’s third year doesn’t look very promising as May turns into June and spring into summer. It looks like a breakthrough year for this coaching staff. The pressure has only just begun. Not where Utah wanted to be at that time. Too bad, because the U is really prominent in other programs looking to continue their success. Something has to happen with men’s hoops! Go Utes!!!
— statistics
So many things. I’ll just comment on a few:
1) Who wants to watch a night game in Ann Arbor? Well, I don’t know who would but 115,000 would show up. And it would be watched by millions.
2) Regardless of the asterisks, the B1G deal is a very lucrative deal. More than any other conference. And, with the exception of the SEC, by A LOT!!
3) Why would B1G or SEC want to take teams? Because they bring value, media value. B1G and SEC want to get the most valuable teams. So if they want PAC12 teams and don’t want B12 teams, what does that tell you? Well, that’s the scenario. They want PAC12 teams and NOT B12.
So even if the teams are going to leave in a few years, when ESPN helps drive the realignment, why wouldn’t they want to spend a dime and more, on teams that bring value now and in the future?
This whole argument that they won’t support a conference that’s going to lose teams is so ironic and wrong. Media partners drive changes in who attends which conference. And they will support the value wherever it is, in the meantime.
—Arizona Ute
Following
May 26 | 8 p.m. | Softball | against San Diego State | @Salt Lake City | ESPN2
May 27 | 3 p.m. | Softball | against San Diego State | @Salt Lake City
May 28 | To be determined | Softball | against San Diego State | @Salt Lake City
Corner Canyon Chargers QB Isaac Wilson (1) shakes hands with Skyridge players after the Chargers lost the 6A State Football Championship at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. Earlier this week Wilson, brother Zach Wilson’s caddy, announced he would play his college football for the Utes.
Ben B. Braun, Deseret News
