Steve Singleton Explains Why Cal Softball’s 2026 Lineup Could Surprise People

Steve Singleton | Cal Athletics

After six seasons with the Texas Longhorns and winning a national title in 2025, Steve Singleton is beyond ready to lead his own team with the California Golden Bears. 

Announced as the head coach of the program in August, the Bay Area native got the opportunity to return home to a successful Cal program that underwent severe and unexpected coaching changes this offseason.

Now under his direction, Cal will debut an entirely different roster in 2026, as the program lost seven players to the transfer portal, but picked up 10 in return, and also welcomes five freshmen. 

Cal Transfers

• C Anya German (Texas Tech) 
• CIF Anaya Togia (Long Beach City College) 
• C Natalie Marshall (Kansas) 
• INF Maddie Rey (Fresno State) 
• INF Gator Robinson (Boston College)
• INF Emma Jackson (Boston College) 
• RHP Tamya Waiters (Houston) 
• RHP Taylor Peacock (San Jose State) 
• RHP Layna Gerhard (Ohio State) 
• OF Kayla Lee (North Carolina) 

According to Singleton, though, it’s going to take every inch of the offseason to put the right pieces of this new puzzle together. It starts with building a solid foundation. 

“Getting those pillars in place, our core pillars for this program. That will help set up those building blocks for what our program is about, what we stand for, and what it means to be a Golden Bear,” Singleton told Brady Vernon at Softball America. “That right there will help set us up for every year as players get more comfortable and new ones come into the program, the machine starts working itself because everyone knows how we operate.

The batting lineup will look entirely new. Although Singleton was in charge of leading the offense at Texas and developed several key players, including Reese Atwood, Ashton Maloney, and Viviana Martinez, he is putting full trust in Danielle Gibson Whorton. She joins Cal after serving as an assistant coach with Arkansas for the last two seasons. 

“We’re pretty aligned in how we think,” Singleton told Softball America. “It’s been seamless. Through the interview process, I wasn’t sure if I wanted someone to fully take the reins of the offense, but once we started talking, it became clear she fully has it and wants to run the offense, be in this position. That’s helped me. She’s very organized, very detailed, and leads with great confidence, and players follow. In the recruiting process, she has a great eye for talent and it helps from playing the highest level of the game. She’s so well-rounded and the leader she’s been has been a huge plus.”

Players expected to outperform at the plate include Kayli Counts, who returns for her sophomore season, Togia, who was named the MVP in the South Coast Conference, and German, who didn’t play much in Lubbock but has formed into a standout this fall at Cal. 

As for pitching, it’s all hands on deck as Kiki Mashhoud is the lone returner from the bullpen. Mya McGowan is expected to step into a large role, contributing from the plate and the mound during her freshman year, while transfers Waiters, Peacock, and Gerhard will see several opportunities to step up to the challenge. 

“We’re a really unproven group,” Singleton told Softball America. “I think that can bring challenges, but it also brings plenty of opportunities and the ability to take the reins and a role they’ve never had before. I think they’re excited about that.” 

Softball America took a stab at Cal’s projected lineup, and it’s incredible for a team that Singleton had no part in recruiting. 

Cal’s Projected Lineup

• C Anya German
• 1B Anya Togia 
• 2B Gator Robinson
• SS Emma Jackson
• 3B Maddie Rey 
• LF Sophia Everett
• CF Kayli Counts
• RF D’Auna Johnson 
• DP Mya McGowan

---