Griz bolster pitching staff, add Kong, Sweet

It was two months ago today that the 2025 season came to an end for the Montana softball program, the first Griz team to play under coach Stef Ewing.

In the 60 days since the team returned from Greeley, Colo., and the Big Sky Conference Championship, Ewing figures she has spent all but one working to put together the type of team she envisions, the type of team that plays up to the Montana standard, the department's and her own.

The one day she took off? She spent that day moving from house to home, from rental to one of her own, taking a break from building her program to put down roots. She's in this for the long haul while working with a sense of urgency.

"I want it and I want it for this school," she said this week, after addressing the program's most immediate position of need: pitcher. "I know I have a job to do, and I'm never going to stop. I'm going to be relentless. I'm not going to stop until I get this thing going where it needs to be."

Over the past two months, there were official visits to host, players to woo, talent to evaluate at recruiting events in Oregon, in California, in Colorado. One season ends, the future of the program begins anew, the cycle nonstop.

"It's not about getting this program to a point where we're competitive," Ewing added. "It's getting this program to the point where we're expecting excellence every single year."

The program took a big step in the right direction recently when Kaiana Kong and Carah Sweet signed scholarship contracts, both pitchers, the position Ewing knew she had to address in the transfer portal.

Kong, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, went 31-3 with a 1.42 ERA the last two seasons at Western Washington, helping the Vikings make back-to-back appearances at the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series, an honorable mention all-American as a freshman, a third-team all-American this past spring.

She'll have two seasons of eligibility remaining, Sweet, who pitched this past season at Sacred Heart, will have three.

Sweet, of Pasco, Wash., had a 4.27 ERA as a freshman for the Pioneers, the final month of the season a glimpse of her potential: two earned runs over her final five appearances, over 13 2/3 innings of work.

The two pitchers become the foundation for a staff that otherwise is young and mostly inexperienced.

"It was clear that we needed to bring in some experience in the circle that could help our pitching staff grow," said Ewing, whose team had a 7.88 ERA in her first season. "It was key for us to go into this fall with some pitchers who have some experience and have been able to keep teams at bay.

"Kaiana and Carah are two young women who are confident and get the job done and will be people who lead by example in our bullpen to help our returning pitchers. That's what it's all about. It's about being able to improve the entire staff."

Together they will lead a staff that includes rising sophomore Cameryn Ortega, who made 28 appearances last season as a freshman, second most on the team, redshirt sophomore Nyeala Herndon, who did not pitch this past season, and a handful of incoming freshmen.

"They are going to help our other pitchers because there isn't going to be as much pressure there," said Ewing. "We'll have two pitchers come in who will lighten the load for everybody. If everybody lifts, it's not too heavy. We've got a couple kids coming in who can help lift."

Kong's impact as a freshman at Western Washington, when she went 16-1 with a 1.39 ERA, was made in relief. She did not make any starts but was the Vikings' final pitcher in 44 of their 64 games, her 11 saves setting program and conference records, and leading all of NCAA Division II.

Her 10th save of the season came against Cal State San Marcos in the final game of the 2024 NCAA Division II West Regional, the winner advancing to the West Super Regional. After Western Washington went up 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Kong pitched the final 1 2/3 innings.

Watching from the San Marcos bench was Ewing, who was coaching her final game with the Cougars. She was hired the next month by Montana.

"The West Region of Division II is incredibly difficult," said Ewing. "You're seeing that trend now, of top Division II players going into Division I because it plays.

"I coached one of the best Division II hitting teams in the country and she shut us down. She's a down-ball pitcher and that's what we need. It's a heavy ball and it moves. It keeps the ball in the ballpark. It's going to play at this level, no doubt about that."

Kong made nine starts this past season as a sophomore, pitched in 48 of WWU's 60 games and went 15-2 with a 1.44 ERA. Over 136 1/3 innings, she walked only 13 batters while striking out 95. She allowed an extra-base hit once every five-plus innings, holding opposing batters to a .227 average.

The Vikings went 3-0 at the GNAC tournament, 3-0 at the West Regional and went on the road to defeat Cal State San Marcos in the West Super Regional, bouncing back with a pair of wins after dropping the series opener to make the World Series for the second straight year.

With her team's season on the line in Game 2 against San Marcos, Kong threw a complete game as Western Washington won 4-1.

"Kaiana is going to bring her lunch pail and will just go to work," said Ewing. "We're going to have to tell her to leave the softball field because she will want to be there all the time."

Kong will certainly get her starts but has also proven to be a shut-down pitcher in relief, something Montana needed last season, the Grizzlies giving up 68 runs in the fifth inning, the highest run-scoring inning allowed in the spring, and getting outscored by 49 runs over the sixth and seventh innings.

"Those innings for our staff were the most difficult. Now we bring someone in who just says, give me the ball," said Ewing. "It doesn't matter what the situation is. Kaiana is very composed, very collected. She wants the ball, no matter what the situation is."

Kong will be the Montana softball program's first player from Hawaii. She is a graduate of James Campbell High School.

"The community of Montana is what drew me. It's something unique and an experience I couldn't pass up," Kong said.

"When I went on my visit, it was obvious that the Griz are something very special to Missoula. The coaches made me feel extremely welcomed and at home. They have a vision for what this program can be and I'm honored that they chose me to be a part of it."

Sweet traveled through or over the state of Montana every time she went from her home in the Tri-Cities to Fairfield, Conn., site of Sacred Heart.

Now, instead of having to travel nearly 3,000 miles, she can leave one after lunch and be to the other by dinner without having to step foot on an airplane.

"I have always had interest in the University of Montana since I was a young softball player looking to get recruited," Sweet said.

"When I found out that Stef became head coach and knowing how she turned Cal State San Marcos into a winning program, I knew that there were great things to come for Griz Softball. I am so happy to be given an opportunity to be a part of that."

Sweet collected her first collegiate win against Iona in February, going 6 2/3 innings while allowing two hits and no runs and striking out five. She later added wins over Fairleigh Dickinson, Stony Brook and Merrimack as Sacred Heart won 21 games.

Sweet appeared in 18 games, made nine starts and went 4-3 with one save.

"She had 60 innings pitched last year and had a four ERA. When you see stats like that, she immediately slides in as the lowest ERA on our team," said Ewing. "She is crafty. She is going to be able to move the ball around.

"I love her demeanor and her excitement to be able to get the ball. The thing we told both of these players is that we didn't have a pitcher last year who threw 100 innings. We need that. We need arms that can do that."

It was the opportunity to be a front-line pitcher and a return to the West that sold Sweet, plus the chance to join a program on an upward trajectory.

"The University of Montana is a beautiful school, and it being closer to home is definitely a plus," said Sweet. "I will be able to play in the state that is a part of my family roots, and that is also very special for me.

"It was meeting Coach Stef and Coach Megan (Casper) that definitely sealed the deal. They are amazing people, and I am so excited to play for them in the coming years. One thing that really stood out when I visited the campus is how amazing Griz fans are. I cannot wait to experience it! Everyone should be really excited for what's to come for Montana Griz Softball."

Montana will bring back 10 players from its 2025 team, and those returners will be the minority when fall practices begin. Ewing signed a dozen incoming freshmen last fall, now brings in two transfer pitchers and will welcome a pair of walk-ons to the program as well.

"I think we have a lot of really good pieces coming in," Ewing said. "We'll have 16 new players. It's going to be a big change but everyone knows they are coming here to make this into a program that competes for Big Sky Conference championships."

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Nyeala Herndon

Cameryn Ortega

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