PITTSBURG - The Pittsburg State University softball team is set to begin the 2026 season at the Embry-Riddle Invitational in Dayton Beach, Fla., this weekend.

The three-day tournament begins on Friday (Jan. 30) and will run til Sunday (Feb. 1). Pittsburg State will play in five games over the weekend at the Embry-Riddle Softball Field.

To begin the season, the Gorillas will battle the University of Mount Olive Trojans at 9:00 a.m. (CST) on Friday, and end the day at 2:00 p.m. against the hosts Embry-Riddle. Saturday (Jan. 31), Pitt State will begin the day with Mount Olive at 2:00 p.m. and end with the Ferris State University Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 1), to end the tournament, Pittsburg State will play the Columbus State University Cougars at 8:00 a.m.

Pittsburg State (38-16 overall in 2025) 
Recently named the MIAA Preseason Poll favorites for the first time in program history (Jan. 23), the Gorillas will enter the second season in the Josh Barnes era. In his first season leading the Gorillas, Barnes became the first coach in program history to qualify for the national tournament and set a new standard for first-year coaching wins at Pitt State. For his career, Barnes owns a 259-177-1 record (.594) entering his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.

The Division II statistical champion for batting average (.495) last season, and two-year All-American Heather Arnett is back to lead the offense from the top of the order once again. Arnett finished with 95 hits, 40 stolen bases and 30 RBI a season ago. All-MIAA hitters, Alleyna Rushing and Kadyn Trochim are also back, looking to produce memorable senior seasons. Rushing, an honorable mention selection in the outfield, finished 2025 with a .371 average with 49 hits, 39 runs scored, 20 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Trochim was a gold glover at the hot corner and named All-MIAA second-team after hitting .297 with a team-high 12 home runs to go with 42 RBI and 25 walks drawn. Returning to lead the pitching staff is Ava Laurent. Laurent was named All-MIAA second-team after striking out 164 batters in 148.1 innings, finishing with a 2.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and .206 opponent batting average.


Mount Olive (24-27 overall in 2025)
UMO enters the second season of the India Kornegay era looking to prove the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll wrong, after being tabbed sixth in the poll (Jan. 23). 13 Returners are back from 2025 with a trio of All-Conference performers headlining the 25-member roster.

Linda Hodge was a first-team All-CC performer in the circle as a freshman, going 13-10 in 31 appearances for 151.0 innings, striking out 104 and holding opponents to a .242 average. Samantha Taylor earned second-team All-CC honors after hitting .366 with 60 hits, 48 RBI and 34 runs scored. McKenzie Millard was named to the All-Defensive squad at third base after posting a .965 fielding percentage from 65 putouts, 71 assists and five errors. With a bat, Millard finished 2025 with a .324 average, 47 hits, 26 walks drawn and 16 stolen bases.


Embry-Riddle (29-18 overall in 2025)
The Eagles will enter the 12th season under the direction of Kelsi Dunne Diaz in 2026, for her career at ERAU she is 281-173 (.619) has finished with a winning record in every season and qualified for the Division II national tournament in 2018 and 2022. ERAU was picked to finish eighth in the SSC (Sunshine State Conference) Preseason Poll (Jan. 16).

Nine members of the 2025 team are back, with the trio of Emma Wood, Shelby Morse and Leah Oberkehr back after being All-SSC selections. Wood was a first-team All-SSC performer last season after hitting .353 with 54 hits, 30 RBI and 12 doubles. Morse was a second-team pitcher after going 12-5 with a 1.51 ERA in 143.1 innings, striking out 63 with opponents hitting .239. Oberkehr was a second-team outfielder and the Division II Golden Shoe winner after swiping a division leading 50 bases last season. 


Ferris State (28-21 overall in 2025)
Entering his fourth season leading the Bulldogs in 2026, Jake Schumann is a career .531 winning percentage coach (410-362-1) after also being the head coach at Texas A&M - Corpus Chrisit, Texas A&M - Kingsville and Florida International. After securing the most wins in a season in a decade and the first berth in the Division II national tournament since 2013, Ferris State was tabbed third in the GLIAC Preseason Poll (Jan. 28).

Leading the team will be two-time All-Midwest performer, Alexis Kozlowski. Kozlowski hit .368 with 56 hits, 43 RBI, 30 runs scored and swiped 10 bags a season ago. Returning All-GLIAC performers include Jadyn Joseph, Cecelia Bell and Emma Gillard. Joseph a second-team selection, finished with a .227 average with 14 stolen bases, 17 RBI and 35 hits. Bell finished with a 10-9 record in the circle for the Bulldogs on her way to second-team All-GLIAC honors, pitching 137.0 innings for 59 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA.Gillard hit .277 with 39 hits, 28 RBI, 25 runs scored and 11 stolen bases while being an honorable mention selection.


Columbus State (32-25 overall in 2025)
Head coach Brad Huskisson enters his 19th season leading the Cougars, for his career he owns a 544-364-2 (.598) record with appearances to the national tournament in 2012, 2013, 2023 and 2024. Picked to fifth in the PBC (Peach Belt Conference) Preseason Poll (Jan. 22), CSU will be without their ace and gold glove winning shortstop from a season ago after the duo graduated.

17 members of the 2025-team are back with three newcomers rounding out the roster in 2026. Lily Miller is back to lead the pitching staff after being the second starter a season ago, posting an 11-5 record with a 2.61 ERA and 1.29 WHIP from 104.2 innings.Holly Lynn is the leading returner on offense with a .274 average and 15 home runs for 34 RBI. As a team, CSU hit .246 with 49 home runs and stole 92 bases.