Friday, February 7 – Smith Field, Los Angeles, Calif.
Nevada vs Army, 10 a.m. – Live Stats
Nevada vs Lehigh, 12:30 p.m. – Live Stats

Saturday, February 8 – Bill Barber Park, Irvine, Calif.
Nevada vs California Baptist, 10:30 a.m. – Live Stats
Nevada vs No. 6 UCLA, 4 p.m. – Live Stats

Sunday, February 9 – Smith Field, Los Angeles, Calif.
Nevada at LMU, 11 a.m. – Live Stats - Watch

RENO, Nev. – Nevada Softball is set to debut under Head Coach Victoria Hayward this weekend in the Los Angeles area. The Wolf Pack play five games across three days in Southern California, playing in Los Angeles on Friday and Sunday, with a short trip to Irvine on Saturday.

Hayward enters her first season as a head coach after spending 2024 with her Alma Mater, Washington. Hayward has spent time in the Mountain West, spending two seasons with Stacey Nuveman-Deniz at San Diego State. Hayward's staff is rounded out by three young former college players. Delanie Wisz, a former UCLA standout, coached with Hayward at San Diego State. Carli Cutler, a former UConn pitcher, joins Nevada after two seasons at St. Joseph's. Jillian Celis comes straight from the field, just a season removed from her final season at Washington. Prior to Washington, Celis played under Hayward and Wisz at San Diego State.

Despite losing 11 seniors from last season, Nevada returns key starters with All-Mountain West and NFCA All-Region honors. Senior Aaliyah Jenkins heads into her final season with the Pack, coming off a .346 hitting season with 12 home runs and 35 RBI. Jenkins enters the season tied for the program career record for home runs, with 37. Jenkins was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West team, last week.

Haley Painter will be back at the hot corner after cementing herself as the starting third baseman in 2024. Painter was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team along with Jenkins. Painter spent 2024 in a home run shootout with Nevada's 2024 Co-Mountain West Player of the Year, Gabby Herrera, both breaking the single-season program record. Painter finished with 16 home runs on the season, the second most in program history. Painter sits two home runs off of the all-time top-10 list after just two seasons with the Pack.

Sisters, Madison and Bailie Clark will make a large impact for Nevada, both being in starting roles at the same time for the first time. B. Clark began 2024 as a pinch runner until M. Clark was injured 15 games into the season. B. Clark took over the left field position and made a big difference for Nevada, hitting .402 her freshman season. This season, B. Clark takes over both the number 22 and the center field role from Chelie Senini, and M. Clark will move to her true position at second base.

With six starters leaving the Pack, many returners will step into new roles in 2025. Haylee Engelbrecht had a standout freshman season for Nevada in 2023, winning a Mountain West Player of the Week award after hitting .500 with eight hits and nine RBI in a week. After seeing limited time in 2024, Engelbrecht returns to a starting position at shortstop in 2025.

After losing all but 20.0 innings pitched to graduation and the transfer portal, Hayward dipped into the portal getting three right-handed pitchers. Hailey McLean and Tess Bumiller come together from Utah State, in addition to Sierra College star, Jessica McPartland. McLean, a Sparks native, spent two seasons at Utah State. In her freshman season, McLean was the Aggies' ace, striking out 154 batters, the fourth most in a Utah State season. Bumiller spent the 2023 season as Utah State's second-most-used pitcher, she appeared in 54 games across two seasons for Utah State. McPartland spent just one season at Sierra College before making the jump to NCAA DI. McPartland made 34 appearances with 164.1 innings pitched for the Wolverines. She posted a 2.39 ERA with 174 strikeouts for Sierra. 

The Wolf Pack returned Taryn Irimata, who pitched 20 innings in five games for Nevada in 2024, before being ruled out for the season with a lower-body injury. Ainsley Berlingeri also returns for Nevada. Berlingeri redshirted in 2024, missing the entire year with injury.

Other positions will likely see multiple players throughout the year, first base and the corner outfield, notably. Hannah Di Genova, Maya Larsen, and Avery Cordell will battle for the first base spot. All three saw very limited time during 2024, totaling two at-bats between them in conference play. Di Genova has the most career experience, getting solid playing time her freshman season and hitting a key home run at the 2024 Mountain West Championships while pinch-hitting against UNLV.

Senior Tatum Maytorena and UC San Diego transfer Lexi O'Gorman look to lock down the corner outfield spots but true freshman Saskia Raab will hope to find a spot in the lineup after a strong fall season.

Seniors Matlyn Leetch and Alycia Coats will be in elevated roles this season. Leetch will get time in the infield in addition to the pinch-running duties that she served in 2024. Alycia Coats will see more time behind the plate and in the batter's box. Saige Alfaro joins the active roster for the first time. Alfaro transferred from Canisius after the 2023 season but had to sit out the 2024 season with the Pack. Alfaro holds redshirt-junior standing and will be a versatile infield piece for Nevada. True Freshman Bella Tonso rounds out the roster. Tonso is a catcher from Roseville, Calif.

Nevada opens the season with five games split between Smith Field on the campus of Loyola Marymount, and Bill Barber Park in Irvine. On Friday, February 7, the Pack faces Army at 10 a.m. and Lehigh at 12:30 p.m., both games in Los Angeles. Army had a tough 2024 campaign, finishing 14-39. Army senior, Ashton White hit .391 in 2024, she leads the Black Knights into 2025. Lehigh finished 2024 with a 32-20 record and a big win over Iowa State.

Day two brings the Pack to Irvine. Nevada will play California Baptist at 10:30 a.m. and No. 6 UCLA at 4 p.m. California Baptist had a successful 2024 season, finishing 33-25 overall and 17-7 in WAC play. UCLA continued to be a national softball powerhouse in 2024, going 43-12 and 17-4 in the Pac-12. UCLA won the Pac-12 tournament and their first six NCAA tournament games before Oklahoma and Stanford knocked the Bruins out.

The Pack will face hosts LMU on getaway day, playing the Lions at Smith Field at 11 a.m. LMU finished 28-25 in 2024. 

Nevada's 2025 season will see plenty of big opponents. Besides No. 6 UCLA, future opponents currently ranked include Baylor (No. 19), California (No. 21), and Stanford (No. T-22). The Wolf Pack will spend seven straight weeks on the road, including six non-conference weekends before starting conference play in Boise, Idaho. Nevada will have 12 home games, starting March 25 vs Idaho State at 3 p.m. at Christina M. Hixson Softball Park.

Softball season and single-game tickets are available HERE.