Softball On SI

5 Early Impressions as Conference USA College Softball Teams Begin Fall Ball

Nicole Reitz|
WKU Athletics

It’s been a long four months since the 2025 college softball season ended. Thankfully, fall softball is in full swing throughout October and November, giving fans a glimpse of what to expect in the 2026 season. 

Rosters are being rebuilt with the incoming freshmen and transfers, new coaches have entered the scene, and goals of making it to Oklahoma City have been set in stone. 

It all begins in the fall. 

Here are five early impressions of some of the hottest teams in the C-USA right now. 

Liberty 

Hot off a historic postseason run, where the Flames became the first team to knock out the No.1 overall seed Texas A&M in Regionals and made their first-ever Super Regionals appearance, Liberty is back on the diamond to push further in 2026. 

Although eight seniors graduated at the conclusion of the season, several transfers and new freshmen have bolstered the lineup, making for a young team. 

Incoming freshman Caitlyn Nesbitt, along with transfers Camden Anders (Georgia Tech), Ella Fox (North Carolina), Gabby Mike (Duke), and Savannah Nash (Saint Francis), joined the incoming class that includes previously-signed incoming freshmen Nahla Bigham, Abby Findlay, Dani Lee, Taryn Newton, Avery Noe,l and Victoria Priebe.

All eight Liberty fall games will take place at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium. They opened against Radford, Averett, and Roanoke at the end of September, and will host the University of Lynchburg and Madison, before closing out against Radford and Sweet Briar mid-October. 

LA Tech 

Coming off its fourth straight 30-plus win season after finishing 32-25 in 2025, the Bulldogs return 13 players from last year’s team, including four All-CUSA selections, Allie Floyd, Reagan Marchant, Elena Heng, and Allie Furr. 

Additionally, the Bulldogs welcome 10 new standouts to the roster, including seven freshmen and three transfers: Avery Jefferson (Longwood University), Reagan Henderson (North Desoto), and Carolina Eidson (Sam Houston HS).

The Bulldogs opened the fall season hosting Northeast Alabama Community College, and will make one away trip to ULM before returning home to host Baton Rouge Community College on Oct. 12. 

They’ll then host ULM at home before closing out against Grambling, Grayson College, and National Park Community College at the end of the month. 

WKU 

Ending their fifth-straight 30-win season in a heartbreaking loss to LA Tech in the Conference USA Championship, the Hilltoppers are determined to make it to the NCAA Tournament in 2026. 

They finished 2025 with a 30-21 overall record and posted a 14-10-1 record in C-USA play. With two transfer additions, Olivia Pastin from Northern Kentucky and Anna Mauck from Kentucky, the Hilltoppers’ lineup features a mix of veterans and fresh faces. 

The Hilltoppers kicked off fall play against Lindsey Wilson and will face the University of the Cumberlands, Vol State, and Midway in doubleheaders throughout October.

Jax State 

After falling to Liberty in the C-USA championship game just a day after defeating the Flames 7-2, the Gamecocks are ready to claim the No.1 spot in 2026. 

The Gamecocks’ 37 wins marked the most since the 2017 Jax State team that finished 41-12 and played in the Tallahassee Regional.

The 2026 roster features 15 returners, five freshmen, and two transfers. They began their fall season against Wallace State, and will host the annual Tera Ross Memorial Tournament at Choccolocco Park. 

Following the tournament, they will close the fall season with four home games against Memphis, Snead State, Gadsden State, and Northeast Alabama. 

MTSU

After finishing 26-27 overall in 2025, with a 13-14 conference record, Middle Tennessee has added seven freshmen and senior Lani Jones to its roster in hopes of having a completely different season than last. 

Twelve impact players return, including C-USA Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Conference and C-USA Freshman Team Infielder, Jana Want, First Team All-Conference and C-USA Second Team All-Conference, and C-USA Freshman Team Outfielder, Macie Harter.

The Blue Raiders began their fall campaign with four games at home and will conclude the season against Chattanooga State Community College.

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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