Inside the Herd Week 9 Winter

Pitcher Ellison Schroeder (77) ’29 smiles after catching a hit ball resulting in a fly out during Santa Clara softball's game against No. 13 Arizona on Feb. 21, 2026 at Santa Clara Softball Stadium. (Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)

Men’s Basketball 

Santa Clara University men’s basketball had an up-and-down week to close out the WCC regular season. The Broncos stumbled in Moraga on Wednesday, falling to rival Saint Mary’s 86-67. Allen Graves ’29 led the way with 20 points and 6 rebounds in the defeat. The Broncos closed out the regular season on Saturday in a bounce-back, emphatic 93-72 home win over Oregon State. Brenton Knapper ’27 had 19 points and was one of five Broncos who scored in double figures. Santa Clara outscored the Beavers 55-39 in the second half, shooting over 50% from the field and converting 15 of their 16 second-half free-throw attempts on Senior Day.

The Broncos’ most important stretch of the season looms large as the WCC Tournament approaches. Santa Clara still has a good chance to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, with a top-40 overall resume according to ESPN metrics. While there remains a case for three WCC teams to make the tournament, it’s happened merely three times in conference history. However, if the Broncos can capture the WCC Championship or avenge their recent loss to Saint Mary’s on route to the championship, it could make all the difference. They hold the No. 3 seed as they look to nab a tournament berth.

Next Up: WCC Quarterfinals @ Las Vegas vs. TBD, Sunday, Mar. 8, 8:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball 

Santa Clara University women’s basketball closed out their season with an undefeated week of hoops. The Broncos defeated Pacific 87-79 on Thursday. Led by a pair of 19-point performances from Ashley Hawkins ’26 and Delainey Miller ’29, the Broncos delivered a well-fought victory. 

To cap off their strong week, the Broncos were victorious again, this time in a thrilling comeback. They defeated the University of San Francisco 90-82 with a phenomenal fourth quarter, where the Broncos outscored the Dons 32-18. Maia Jones ’27 had a stellar 29-point performance — a season high. Ava Schmidt ’27 had a career-high 7 blocks and chipped in 16 points of her own. 

The Broncos look to build on their late-season momentum as they head into the WCC tournament as the No. 3 seed.

Next Up: WCC Quarterfinals @ Las Vegas vs. TBD, Sunday, Mar. 8, 2:00 p.m.

Baseball

Santa Clara University baseball went 1-2 last weekend at home versus UNLV. On Friday, the Broncos lost a heartbreaker in extra innings, 5-4. Will Anderson ’27 went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Max Ross ’27 went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles to lead the way, hitting for the Broncos. 

On Saturday, the Broncos again kept things close, trailing only a single run until the final frame. Ultimately, they fell again, 8-5. Luke Devine ’28 had a stellar 2-for-4 performance, including a double that scored 3, and Thomas Ferroggiaro ’26 reached base five times, including four walks.

Finally, to close out the series, the Broncos took home a 5-3 victory on Sunday. Ferroggiaro scored a pair of runs and extended his on-base streak to 29 games, and Anderson added a pair of RBIs to give the Broncos the victory.

The Broncos will look to bounce back next week as they travel to San Diego.

Next Up: at University of San Diego, Friday, Mar 6, 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, Mar 7, 1:00 pm

Softball 

Santa Clara University softball went 2-2 in 4 games on the road over the weekend. On Friday, the squad lost a close 4-3 game to Sacramento State, giving up 4 runs in a disastrous fourth inning. Cairah Curran ’27 went 2-for-4 on the day, as the Broncos were able to capitalize on errors in the early innings.

At the Davis Capital Classic on Saturday, the Broncos suffered a 6-3 loss to the University of Nevada, Reno in the morning and then shut out UC Davis 3-0 in the afternoon. Curran had another 2-hit performance in game one, and Elle Merlino ’29 added 2 hits of her own, but it wasn’t enough. In game two, Cari Ferguson ’29 threw a 2-hit shutout gem, and Merlino struck again, scoring 2 runs of her own. Curran again delivered her third straight game with two hits and the Broncos took home a win against the hosts. 

The following day, the Broncos won a 5-4 nailbiter over Sacred Heart to close out the tournament, and again Ferguson delivered. In a bases-loaded situation in the 7th, she closed the door, ending the game on a popout followed by a punchout. 

Next Up: at San Jose St. Saturday, Mar. 7, 10:00 am