Rivalry weekend looks to be right around the corner for the Southern Utah University softball team. The Thunderbirds (3-23, 0-6) will head up to Ogden, Utah, facing off against the Weber State University Wildcats (25-8, 3-0) in another round of conference play with a three-game series Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9.
This will be the last time these two will play against each other as conference rivals due to SUU moving to the Western Athletic Conference in July but the excitement will still be high nonetheless.
SUU comes into this series still seeking a win in conference play. Last weekend, the Thunderbirds dropped each game to the University of Montana including a high-scoring, extra-inning contest Friday afternoon. This was the best offensive performance the T-Birds have hit all season long, going .350 batting on the weekend. Sophomore Capri Franzen was a big reason for that, going 5-11 and hitting three home runs against the Grizzlies.
The last time these two faced off against each other was in Cedar City last season where Weber State took the series 2-1 in a high scoring battle. Over the three games, there were a combined 35 runs scored between the two teams. This meeting will have more hits expected to be seen as the Wildcats are hitting .282 as a team, led by senior Faith Hoe and redshirt senior Chloe Camarero.
Weber State comes into this series ranked No. 1 in the Big Sky, sweeping Idaho State University in the conference opener. Last weekend, the Wildcats had a bye and will look to come refreshed and energized going into the series with Thunderbirds. Overall, Weber State holds the upper hand in the all-time record between SUU leading 19-12 since they first competed in 2010.
The series will consist of a double header on Friday, April 8, and one game on Saturday, April 9. Game one on Friday will start at 1 p.m., followed by game two directly afterwards. Saturday will include the last game of the series, with first pitch starting at noon. A livestream of the games will be available on ESPN+.
Article by: Nate Coombs
sports@suunews.net
Photo Courtesy of SUU Athletics
