Nestled in Idaho’s Treasure Valley is a potential sleeping giant of a softball program. 

Boise State softball played its first game just over 15 years ago, but since making their debut on the diamond, the Broncos have smashed ceiling after ceiling in terms of what a team from the Mountain West region of the country — not usually known as a softball hotspot — can do on the sport’s biggest stages.

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Consistently strong on a yearly basis, some of the most talented players that the program has seen in some time are back on the roster for the 2025 season, which gets going in just a few weeks. BSU can surprise some people this year, and if a return to the NCAA Tournament is indeed in the cards for the Broncos, just know that before that all happens, you have some chances to catch them early in the season on FloCollege.

Here’s a look ahead at what to expect out of Boise State softball at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge next month, which is to be streamed live and exclusively on FloCollege:

How Did Boise State Softball Do In 2024?

Winning at least 32 games for the third consecutive season, Boise State softball is doing a lot of things right at the moment. Still, the Broncos would take a return to the postseason sometime soon with that consistency, as well. 

Though BSU finished with the second-most wins (36) of any team in the Mountain West Conference this past season, it finished fifth in the league with a 13-9 conference record in the regular season and needed to win the MWC tournament that it was hosting in order to seal an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. 

The Broncos almost pulled it off as the No. 5 seed, too, reaching the championship game against San Diego State but coming up just short in the end. It was by no means a disappointing season for the Broncos, however, as they picked up a ranked win in their season opener over No. 20 Northwestern and weren’t afraid to mix it up against the best of the best in the sport, with eight of their losses coming to teams ranked in a national poll — and six of those coming to teams ranked in the top 10. Sophia Knight was the Bronco who got the most prestigious end-of-year honor from the MWC as the league’s Freshman of the Year, joining pitcher Taylor Caudill as a member of the All-MWC First Team, as well.

Who Coaches Boise State Softball?

California native Justin Shults became Boise State’s head coach following the 2021 season after being an assistant at Oregon (in addition to previous Division I assistant stops at Fresno State and Miami of Ohio) and immediately hit the ground running, guiding the Broncos to a school-record 40 wins in his first year in charge and a regular-season Mountain West Conference championship the next season. 

Shults’ fourth year at BSU should be an important one as he looks to continue to build the Broncos back up to being an NCAA Tournament team year in and year out like they were trending toward in the late 2010s under ex-coaches Cindy Ball and Maggie Huffaker. 

Ceilings within the program have been shattered left and right since Shults came along, however, so the future is bright; Boise State led the nation in fielding percentage during his first season, for example, and the Broncos’ 81 home runs in 2023 were a school record.

4 more? That’s a 𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑺𝑳𝑨𝑴 🔒

🔗 https://t.co/YXjmVelxn3#BleedBlue | #WhatsNext pic.twitter.com/AzDnC4cz64

— Boise State Softball (@BroncoSportsSB) January 15, 2025

Has Boise State Softball Ever Won The Women’s College World Series?

No, Boise State has never won the Women’s College World Series. The Broncos began play in the 2009 season and have made the NCAA Tournament twice since, doing so in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019, though they did not advance past the Regional round on either occasion.

Who Will Boise State Softball Play At The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge?

Boise State softball will square up against Florida International (11 a.m. ET Feb. 13), North Dakota State (2 p.m. Feb. 13), Indiana (7 p.m. Feb. 14), BYU (9:30 p.m. Feb. 14) and Florida International again (8 p.m. Feb. 15) across four days of play at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, played entirely at Nancy Almaraz Field in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and streamed live and exclusively on FloCollege. 

It is the ninth time that event — which was the first college softball event ever to take place outside the United States upon its launch — has taken place in the sunny resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, and Boise State will take part in Session #2 of the event to be held from Feb. 12-15. 

All games from both sessions at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge will be streamed live and only on FloCollege.

Notable Boise Softball Returning Players

Sydney Groves, INF

It’s no wonder that one of the Broncos’ returning powerhouses at the plate earned some kudos earlier this month as a Softball America Preseason Top 100 selection heading into the upcoming season. 

A good freshman season for Groves turned into a breakout sophomore campaign for the Idaho native, who finished as both the Mountain West’s joint-home run leader with 18 blasts and the school’s all-time single-season record holder in RBIs with 57, batting a great .318 average all the while. 

Picked to the All-Mountain West Second Team last season, First Team, or potentially even Player of the Year potential is all in the realm of possibility for Groves if her numbers continue to rise and Boise State has the season that it has the potential to have with numerous key returners back in the mix, including Mykenzie Hanna, who shared the MWC home run title and the Broncos team lead with Groves. 

Look out for a potential 20-homer season for Groves, who could be sending softballs flying left, right, and center down in Puerto Vallarta next month.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 to Syd Groves for making Softball America Preseason Top 100 💪#BleedBlue | #WhatsNext pic.twitter.com/981pCakbdN

— Boise State Softball (@BroncoSportsSB) January 6, 2025

Sophia Knight, OF

Winning the Mountain West Conference batting title as a true freshman — and staying with the Broncos despite a high likelihood that she would’ve had plenty of suitors had she entered the transfer portal in the offseason — means that early signs are pointing to Knight being a potential Boise State softball legend if she keeps up on the trajectory that she’s on. 

Knight had absolutely no trouble adjusting to the speed and talent level of the college game by recording hits in each of her first 14 games (a school-record hitting streak to start a season, no less) and finishing with a .405 batting average in all on the year, also reaching base safely in each of her first 30 games, too. Her 85 hits were tops nationally among freshmen and in the Mountain West as well as fifth nationwide, showing to the college softball world that she’s already an elite-level hitter with room to grow even more. 

The first Softball America Freshman All-American in school history has a lot riding on her shoulders this year, but it’s likely that if Knight lives up to the hype in her sophomore season, the Broncos could be ready to absolutely explode. 

Notable Boise Softball Newcomers

Kaylee Vieira, OF

Vieira only needed to play one season at the junior college level to prove that she was ready to make the jump up to Division I, opting to spend just a single year at North Idaho College before making her move instead of spending a second sophomore season in JUCO to develop. 

The talent from Eagle, Idaho — located less than a 20-minute drive away from the BSU campus — stood out as a freshman for a powerhouse Cardinals team that went a ridiculous 44-4 last season, batting .455 with 19 home runs and 74 RBIs along the way. 

Coming back down south to Boise where she’ll be closer to home and play for her native state’s biggest softball program, Vieira could act as a key spark plug for the Broncos in 2025 as a high-ceiling underclassman who’ll compete for playing time in the outfield. She had 65 hits and 64 runs compared to just 13 strikeouts across her lone season at NIC, showing plate discipline that should help her earn some trust and time in the BSU lineup on top of the fact that she slashed an impressive .455/.515/.979 during her only collegiate season.

Talia Jenkins, C

Jenkins, along with Vieira, was just one of two additions from the transfer portal that Boise State opted to pounce on in the offseason, though Jenkins has an interesting background as she returns home to play for the Broncos after plans changed with her first D-I stop. 

From nearby Meridian, Idaho, Jenkins (who graduated high school in 2023) was recruited out of high school to be a backstop at Cal State Northridge, though she did not end up playing any games for the Matadors and took a redshirt year. 

The right-hander left CSUN after last season and ended up closer to home at Boise State instead, where she’ll likely add some depth at catcher with returners Brooklynn Pettis and Leah McAnally also in the fold. 

2025 Boise State Softball Roster 

(Name, Position, Class, Hometown)

• Sydney Groves, INF, Jr., Meridian, Idaho
• Sophia Knight, OF, Soph., Huntington Beach, Calif.
• Talia Jenkins, C, R-Fr., Kuna, Idaho
• Ashley Hernandez, OF, Fr., Whittier, Calif.
• Olivia Bauer, P/UTL, Fr., Marysville, Calif.
• Megan Lake, UTL, Sr., Glendale, Ariz.
• Keely Goushá, UTL, Soph., San Diego
• Hailey Vassalotti, UTL, Fr., Loxahatchee, Fla.
• Abby Dowell, P, Soph., Iowa Park, Texas
• Mykenzie Hanna, OF, Sr., Chino Hills, Calif.
• Quinn Southerland, INF, Fr., Mission Viejo, Calif.
• Kaylee Vieira, OF, Soph., Eagle, Idaho
• Skylar Stroh, INF, Soph., Brentwood, Calif.
• Brooklynn Pettis, C, Sr., Elk Grove, Calif.
• Madyson Aguilera, INF, Fr., Norco, Calif.
• Brook Thompson, P, Sr., Rocklin, Calif.
• Shannon Keighran, P, Fr., Burlingame, Calif.
• Hollie Farmer, UTL, Jr., Laguna, Calif.
• Leah McAnally, C, Soph., Edmond, Okla.
• Julianne Rose, P, Fr., Bothell, Wash.
• Chloe Hughes, INF, Fr., Mariposa, Calif.
• Makenzie Butt, 1B, Fr., Garden Grove, Calif.
• Sophia Romero, OF, R-Fr., Murrieta, Calif.

How To Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on FloSoftball and the FloSports App.

FloSoftball will be streaming several NCAA Division I College Softball tournaments including the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Rocket City Softball Showcase, FAU Paradise Classic, and the FAU Joan Joyce Classic.

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 1:

• Florida State
• Louisiana Tech
• Northern Colorado
• Oklahoma State

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 2:

• Boise State
• BYU
• Florida International
• Illinois State
• Indiana
• North Dakota State

When Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?

Session 1 for PVCC will take place February 6-9th followed by Session 2 from February 13-16th.

Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2025 Schedule

PVCC Session 1 schedule (all times CT): 

Feb. 6

• 10 a.m. – Florida State vs. Oklahoma State
• 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. Northern Colorado
• 4 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. LA Tech

Feb. 7

• 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. LA Tech
• 4 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. LA Tech
• 7 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. Oklahoma State

Feb. 8

• 1 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Northern Colorado
• 4 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Florida State
• 7 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. Florida State

PVCC Session 2 schedule (all times CT):

Feb. 12

• Noon – North Dakota State vs. BYU

Feb. 13

• 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Boise State
• 1 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
• 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Illinois State
• 7 p.m. – Indiana vs. North Dakota State

Feb. 14

• 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Illinois State
• 12:30 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
• 3 p.m. – Illinois State vs. Indiana
• 6 p.m. – Boise State vs. Indiana
• 8:30 p.m. – Boise State vs. BYU

Feb. 15

• 10 a.m. – Illinois State vs. North Dakota State
• 1 p.m. – Indiana vs. BYU
• 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Florida International
• 7 p.m. – Boise State vs. Florida International

Where Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?  

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is at Nancy Almaraz Field in Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico.

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2025 Stream

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is streaming on FloSoftball and the FloSports app. Replays of the games, highlights and more breaking news will be on both platforms. 

You make the call 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 or 𝐎𝐮𝐭?

The @uwsoftball vs @ou_softball was a wild one 😳 this early in the season@pvcollegesb#PVCC #collegesoftball #ncaasoftball #d1softball pic.twitter.com/rwLewNE6Iq

— FloSoftball (@FloSoftball) February 10, 2024

FloSoftball Archived Footage

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloSoftball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

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