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5 Early Impressions as SEC College Softball Teams Begin Fall Ball

Nicole Reitz|
OU Athletics

It’s been a long four months since the Texas Longhorns were crowned national champions at the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), and the 2025 season said goodbye.

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 SEC right now. 

Arkansas 

Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel and her staff are coming off a 44-14 mark in 2025, which featured their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and fourth NCAA Super Regional appearance in program history. 

With two strong transfers, Dakota Kennedy from Arizona and Tianna Bell from Cal, the Razorbacks have hit the ground running. 

In a matchup against Oklahoma State, a grand slam from Atalyia Rijo and Kennedy’s first bomb with the team led Arkansas to a 5-3 victory over the Cowgirls. 

They went on to face McLennan, where Kennedy ripped a three-run homer, and Brinli Bain, Kyler Del Duca, and Ashytn Reichardt drove in RBIs to take a 13-0 win. 

It’s safe to say the Razorbacks’ bats are going to be a threat come the spring. 

Texas A&M 

The 2025 NCAA Tournament's No. 1 seed did not have the postseason outcome many predicted. The Aggies were stunned by Liberty at home in College Station, becoming the first top overall seed in DI softball history to fail to advance from its own regional. 

Now, head coach Trisha Ford and her staff have rebuilt with a mix of veterans and young bats through the transfer portal in hopes of bouncing back from the devastation in 2026.

Tallen Edwards (OSU), Micaela Wark (OSU), Taylor Pannell (Missouri), Maya Bland (OU), and Paislie Allen (Georgia) all joined the Aggies from the portal. 

Women in black and white softball jerseys celebrate on the field.
Texas A&M Athletics

Freshman Madison Sauni was the standout in the Aggies' first fall game, when she blasted a two-run homer. KK Dement ripped a two-run shot of her own, leading to a 9-0 shutout over Louisiana Monroe. 

The Aggies seemingly have shrugged off their postseason failure and are ready for revenge in 2026. 

Oklahoma 

The Sooners will play one game against Oklahoma Christian and East Texas A&M, while the rest of the fall action is in an intrasquad exhibition event, titled the ‘Battle Series’. The team will play against itself to give fans a first look at the newcomers and returners, and allow Patty Gasso and her staff to evaluate the team before the 2026 season officially begins. 

With just one Battle Series down, it’s evident the Sooners are coming back for their national title in 2026. They already have possibly one of the best freshman classes to hit the 2026 college season, and now have two new SEC arms, Sydney Berzon and Milali Guachino, joining the pitching staff. 

In a stadium packed with 2,351 fans, freshman Sydney Barker showed what she was made of with a shot down the left field line, while Riley Zache collected a home run and a double.

Texas

The reigning WCWS champions are back, and they don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. 

Though the Longhorns return nearly their entire stunning lineup from 2025 aside from star third baseman Mia Scott and first baseman Joley Mitchell, transfer additions Kaiah Altmeyer, Brenlee Gonzales, and Taylor Anderson make this lineup even more dangerous than before. 

In the in-state 13-2 win over Texas State, senior Reese Atwood did what she does best, ripping a two-run shot, while freshman Alisa Sneed showed Austin her power with a two-run blast of her own. 

The rest of the rookies stunned in the 17-4 win over Temple. MaTaia Lawson snagged her first homer as a Longhorn while Hannah Wells ripped a three-run homer to extend the lead. 

Women in orange and white softball jerseys celebrate on the field.
Texas Athletics

The young bats are here and proving to be the next game-changers of the program. 

Tennessee 

Coming off its second trip to the national semifinals at the Women's College World Series in the past three seasons, Tennessee is determined to make history in 2026 with a first-ever national title. 

With a trio of transfers, Sophia Knight, Mackenzie Butt, and one pitcher, Maddi Rutan, who can come in for relief of senior ace Karlyn Pickens, the Lady Vols are 3-0 in the fall so far. 

In two phenomenal performances, the offense massively outscored Carson-Newman 14-2 and East Tennessee State 11-2. 

The Lady Vols will now head on the road for four of their last fall games.

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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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