@fullname - @sport - University of Montana Athletics

Photo by: UM Photo/Coral Scoles-Coburn

Montana softball goes against Oregon State on Friday March 22, 2025, in Missoula, Montana.

Photo by: Ella Palulis/University of Montana

Photo by: Bill Jarvis

Photo by: Tanner Ecker/UM Photo

The Montana Grizzlies faced the Carroll College Saints in a college softball doubleheader at Grizzly Softball Field on October 8, 2023 in Missoula, Montana.

Photo by: Tanner Ecker/UM Photo

Makena Strong

Year:
Junior
Pos.:
INF
Hometown:
Las Vegas, Nev.

2025 (junior season):

UM President’s Award Winner
Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete
College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
Academic All-Big Sky Conference
Played in 40 of 50 games
Made 34 starts, 16 in left field, seven at second base
Batted .198, going 17 for 86
Entered season with nine career hits
Scored eight runs, drove in six
Hit five doubles, the first extra-base hits of career
Had three multiple-hit games
Collected first career extra-base hit in victory over Fairleigh Dickinson
Had two-hit games against MSU Billings, Northern Colorado and Weber State
Committed three errors in 90 defensive chances for a fielding percentage of .967

2024 (sophomore season):

UM President’s Award winner
Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete
Academic All-Big Sky Conference
Played in 41 of 50 games, made 28 starts
Made 13 starts at second base, seven in left field, eight in right
Appeared eight times as a pinch runner
Batted .148 with nine hits, all singles
Scored 19 runs, third highest total on team, drove in two
Had one multiple-hit game
Went 2 for 3 with two runs scored at Sacramento State
Also scored two runs in 9-1 five-inning win over Portland State

2023 (freshman season):

Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete
Played in 16 of 47 games
Made one start at second base
Had one at-bat on the season
Pinch ran in 15 games
Scored eight runs
Lone start came against NCAA tournament qualifier Grand Canyon
Drew two walks against the Lopes

Career Highs
At-bats: 4, two times
Hits: 2, four times
Doubles: 1, five times
Triples: n/a
Home runs: n/a
Runs: 2, two times
RBIs: 1, eight times
Walks: 2 (Grand Canyon, 2.25.23)
Steals: n/a

Longest hitting streak: 3
Longest reached-base streak: 5
Career multiple-hit games: 4
Career multiple-RBI games: n/a

Prep: A 2022 graduate of Arbor View High … A two-time second-team All-Southern Nevada League selection as a utility player … Led the Aggies to a co-Mountain Region championship with a .478 batting average and .524 on-base percentage as a senior with 43 hits in 28 games … Winner of the Female Marine Corps Athlete Award for Arbor View … Named to the 2022 Pacific Coast Fastpitch League All-Star Team … A four-time Softball Factory All-America selection … Given a 4-star rating by OnDeck Softball.

Personal: The daughter of Chris and Danielle Strong … Has an older brother, Connor ... A communication studies major.