From Last Place to Contender: Griz Face Idaho State for Title

The Montana Grizzlies softball team was projected to finish last after three straight last-place seasons in the Big Sky Conference, and just six conference wins in that span. Now, they’re fighting for a regular-season championship against the Idaho State Bengals this weekend. 

It’s an underdog story if there ever was one. The Grizzlies, unanimously picked to finish last in the preseason, now face the Bengals, who were also unanimously picked but as the favorites to win it all, in a three-game series with the title on the line. The winner will take the No. 1 seed into next month’s Big Sky tournament and will get to host the 2027 Big Sky tournament.

The Grizzlies have never won a regular-season conference title, while Idaho State has claimed five. Entering the season, the Bengals had five players on the preseason All-Big Sky team, including preseason MVP Ava Brown. Montana, on the other hand, did not have a single player on the preseason All-Big Sky team.

Season Turns Around at Home

The Grizzlies opened the season going 5–19 and endured a 13-game losing streak while on the road. At that point, it seemed like the season might mirror the struggles of recent years. After being swept by the Pacific Tigers in their first home series, Montana turned things around, going 9–2 at home. During that stretch, they posted a 4–2 record against conference opponents and swept Portland State in the process.

Along the way, Montana snapped several long losing streaks: 19 games against Portland State, nine against Northern Colorado, 14 against Sacramento State, and 10 against Weber State. They currently carry a 10-game losing streak against Idaho State, which they will look to break this weekend.

When they needed wins the most, the Grizzlies delivered. They traveled to Ogden, Utah, and swept Weber State for the first time in program history. Combined with key losses by Northern Colorado and Sacramento State, along with Idaho State dropping their last game before facing Montana, the Bengals enter the weekend with an 8–4 conference record, tied with Montana. The Grizzlies’ eight conference wins are already two more than their total from the previous three seasons combined.

To emphasize just how remarkable this turnaround has been, the team lost its pitching coach in late February, leaving second-year head coach Stef Ewing, first-year assistant coach Marc Kendrick, and graduate assistant Makenna Strong, who was in uniform last season, to guide the team.

In a season that looked bleak as late as March, the Grizzlies have battled back through adversity. Montana is 14–18 all-time against Idaho State and 5–10 at home in Missoula. In their last series matchup at Grizzly Softball Field in 2024, the Grizzlies were swept and outscored 23–1.

But with everything the Grizzlies have overcome this season, they understand what it means to have the odds stacked against them. Now, they have the opportunity to prove everyone wrong and capture their first regular-season conference title.