Northern Colorado softball’s regular season didn’t end as the Bears intended, but that’s no reason to think the program can’t win a third straight Big Sky Conference Tournament title next week, coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm said.
Even with Big Sky power and top-seeded Idaho State in the field. And No. 2 Sacramento State.
“Everybody’s beatable,” Pendleton-Helm said. “Absolutely. I think we’re in a good state of being on an uprise, versus heading downward. We have all the pieces. It’s putting those pieces together, and I think we were able to do that this past weekend.”
UNC will host the double-elimination conference tournament in less than a week at Gloria Rodriguez Field in Greeley. Scheduled for May 6-9, the Bears start with the tournament’s opening game Tuesday.
UNC is the two-time defending conference tournament champion, having won in Pendleton-Helm’s first two years in 2023 and 2024. The Bears also won the Big Sky regular-season title for the first time a year ago, earning the right to host this year’s conference tournament.
The Bears were picked to finish first in a preseason poll of Big Sky coaches. UNC ended up as the fourth seed with a 7-7 record in the Big Sky and 16-28 overall. UNC will meet No. 5 Portland State at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The winner then moves on for an afternoon game against No. 1 Idaho State.
The Bengals on paper appear to be the top cat of the conference this spring. Idaho State, 13-2 Big Sky and 34-15 overall, won the regular season by three games over Sacramento State (10-5, 25-21). Weber State (8-7, 22-29) is the third seed and Montana (1-14, 8-40) is sixth.
Sacramento State and Weber State have nonconference games on their schedules before the Big Sky tournament.
Sacramento State is scheduled to play the Weber State-Montana winner Tuesday evening.
Pendleton-Helm said earlier this year the Bears have been challenged at times to play good defense, to pitch well and hit well all in the same game. It was a view also shared by UNC players. Pendleton-Helm discussed the theme again this week — as the team begins its off week while preparing for the tournament.
As of late April, UNC ranked third among Big Sky teams in batting average (.287), second in on-base percentage (.385), fifth in earned run average (6.57) and third in fielding percentage (.957). For the year, UNC opponents are hitting .345 against Bears pitchers.
“We were able to do it against Portland State and Montana,” the coach said. “Within the conference, we’re able to do it. So then heading into the conference tournament, that’s what it’s got to be.”
University of Northern Colorado head softball coach Dedeann Pendleton watches her team play against Santa Clara in Greeley on Saturday March 22, 2025.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)UNC was swept in three games on the road by Idaho State and Sacramento State on consecutive weekends in early April. Two of Idaho State’s wins over the Bears came in five innings with the Bengals leading by at least eight runs.
Pendleton-Helm said UNC wasn’t playing well when it faced Idaho State. She likes where the Bears are now, and said they have to look ahead.
The Bears won two of three last weekend at Weber State, highlighted by sophomore pitcher Anna Wilming’s perfect game in the second game of a doubleheader April 25. Wilming struck out four in the 9-0, five-inning win. She also picked up a save in the third and final game of the series. Wilming shared Big Sky Conference co-pitcher of the week honors with Idaho State freshman Megan Meracle.
Wilming is from Columbus, Ohio, and she’s a first-year transfer from Valparaiso.
Northern Colorado softball player Anna Wilming was named Big Sky Conference co-pitcher of the week April 28 for the second time this season by the conference. (Jesus Ayala/University of Northern Colorado Athletic Department)Wilming said the perfect game was a perfect example of a team win. While Wilming earned the credit for the perfect game, there was a lot going in the field behind her. Wilming said she’s not a strikeout pitcher. She pitches to contact and relies on her defense.
“At this level, it’s so hard to throw a perfect game without lockdown defense behind you,” Wilming said, adding teammates made diving plays in the outfield to protect Wilming’s stats.
Outfielders Nya Chacon, Abby Gaona and Alina Quinney combined for eight of the Bears’ 15 putouts. Third baseman Katie Walling ended the game fielding a grounder that Wilming said was a “hot shot” and came out with a weird spin.
Wilming said she had no idea she had a perfect game in the making until the final out.
“I hate to take credit for it, because, yeah, I was pitching, but I only had three or four strikeouts and the rest were all crazy plays from the defense,” Wilming said.
UNC is spending this week practicing and enjoying being at home leading up to the tournament. Pendleton-Helm said the team will probably play an intrasquad scrimmage before the end of the week.
Wilming called the Bears a “high energy” team, and she said the players will feed off this vibe hosting the conference tournament and having the entire team together. When UNC travels during the regular season, not all of the players make the trips. Freshmen or players rehabilitating injuries sometimes stay behind.
University of Northern Colorado junior Abby Gaona shows flare while being introduced at Gloria Rodriguez Field on March 22, 2025.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)“When we are home together, it’s really nice because we have everyone together and we’re not missing any voices,” Wilming said, adding the Bears are a vocal team during games, cheering and chanting.
“We like to be active, we like to be loud, we like to be cheering,” she said. “I like everyone to be loud. The silence is deafening in a sport like this. When we string stuff together, we get extra loud and extra energetic, we just hold on to the momentum.”
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