POCATELLO, Idaho – At long last, the 2026 Idaho State Softball team kicks off the season heading to California to play in the Fresno State Kickoff Classic. The Bengals will take on the SIUE Cougars and the Fresno State Bulldogs Friday Feb 6 – Sunday Feb 8. The games against Fresno state will be broadcast, live stats will be available for all five games.
How to Follow
Feb. 6
Vs SIUE – 2:00 PM MT | Live Stats
Vs Fresno – 6:00 PM MT | Live Stats | Watch
Feb 7
Vs SIUE – 12:00 PM MT | Live Stats
Vs Fresno State – 2:00 PM MT | Live Stats | Watch
Feb 8
Vs SIUE – 10:30 AM MT | Live Stats
The Field
Idaho State Bengals
Fresno State Bulldogs
SIUE Cougars
Heading into 2026
Idaho State Bengals softball enters the 2026 season with significant momentum after one of the strongest campaigns in program history. The Bengals finished 37–17 overall and 13–2 in conference play in 2025, showcasing consistency across all environments with an 8–5 home record, 15–8 mark on the road, and 14–4 record at neutral sites. Idaho State paired offensive firepower with pitching depth throughout the season, dominating the Big Sky regular season crown.
Offensively, the Bengals return nearly their entire core from a lineup that produced a .311 team batting average, 72 home runs, and 316 RBI in 2025. Senior Ava Brown headlines the group after a dominant season at the plate, batting .371 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI, serving as the centerpiece of a lineup that consistently applied pressure. Fellow senior Alyssa Yee was equally impactful, hitting .386 while scoring 59 runs and driving in 42 more, reaching base at a high clip and setting the table at the top of the order.
Idaho State also brings back a deep group of experienced hitters throughout the lineup. Olivia Robison provided consistent production in the middle of the order, batting .308 with 33 RBI. Junior Camryn McDonald and junior Jenna Kearns offer stability and versatility defensively while contributing key offensive innings, and senior Kennedy Dudley remains a dependable presence after starting nearly every game a season ago.
The Bengals further bolster an already potent offense with the addition of senior Sydney Groves, who transferred to Idaho State after three standout seasons at Boise State. Groves brings extensive Division I production and postseason experience, highlighted by NFCA All-Pacific Region First Team honors in 2024 and multiple All-Mountain West selections.
In the circle, Idaho State returns a fully intact pitching staff from 2025, a rarity entering a new season. The Bengals posted a 3.64 team ERA last year and logged more than 348 innings, with four pitchers throwing at least 68 innings apiece. Senior Kasey Aguinaga led the staff with 96.1 innings pitched, while sophomore Megan Meracle emerged as a strikeout presence with 72 punchouts in 83.1 innings. Redshirt sophomore Lizzy Tommasini and senior Riley Wickum added valuable depth, with each making double-digit starts. Junior Marley Goluskin also returns after missing time due to injury, bringing back proven experience after a 2024 season in which she posted a 9–7 record with a 3.25 ERA and earned Second Team All-Big Sky honors. With additional innings returning from Kaliann Scoresby and Josslin Law, Idaho State enters 2026 with both experience and flexibility in the pitching rotation.
Defensively, the Bengals showed consistency behind the plate and in the field, turning 24 double plays and holding opponents to a .281 batting average. That balance between offense, pitching, and defense allowed Idaho State to control games late and succeed in close contests throughout the season.
Preseason Honors
The Big Sky Conference released its 2026 preseason softball awards, and Idaho State Bengals softball was well represented following its 2025 regular-season championship run. Voted on by the league's six head coaches, Idaho State led the conference with five preseason All-Conference selections and senior outfielder Ava Brown was named the Big Sky Preseason Most Valuable Player after a historic season at the plate.
Brown was joined on the preseason All-Conference team by Jenna Kearns, Alyssa Yee, Kasey Aguinaga, and Lizzy Tommasini, giving the Bengals representation across every phase of the game. The five selections tied for the most in the league and reflected Idaho State's balance of offensive production, pitching depth, and veteran experience heading into the 2026 season.
Preseason Poll
The Big Sky Conference preseason coaches' poll placed Idaho State Bengals softball at the top heading into the 2026 season, as the Bengals were picked to finish first among the league's six programs. Idaho State earned five first-place votes and a league-best 25 points after capturing the 2025 regular-season title.
Weber State was selected second in the poll following its Big Sky Tournament championship, while Sacramento State finished third after receiving the remaining first-place vote. Northern Colorado, Portland State, and Montana rounded out the preseason order as Idaho State enters the year as the league favorite.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Fresno State enters the 2026 season coming off a strong 2025 campaign that saw the Bulldogs finish 37–20 overall and 15–7 in conference play, posting a .649 winning percentage and a 19–6 record at home. Fresno State reached those marks despite significant roster turnover and now begins a new chapter under first-year head coach Charlotte Morgan, who was named the sixth head coach in program history in June 2025.
Morgan takes over the program following four seasons as head coach at CSUN, where she compiled 109 wins and led the Matadors to a 28-win season in 2023. Her teams produced 16 all-conference selections, including five first-team honorees and two major Big West awards. Morgan brings extensive Division I and professional experience to the Valley, with previous coaching stops at Maryland, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, UT Arlington, and as head coach at the professional level, in addition to an accomplished playing career at Alabama and in the NPF.
On the field, Fresno State returns a smaller but experienced core of position players from last season's lineup. Senior outfielder Natalie Elias anchors the offense after leading the team with a .354 batting average and 63 hits in 2025, appearing in 51 games with 49 starts. Fellow senior Emma Martinez adds versatility in the infield after starting all 52 games last season, batting .295 with 29 RBI and multiple extra-base hits. Junior Kealani Nitta provides speed and defensive flexibility, while senior utility player Alyssa Ramirez hit .302 in a part-time role and added power production. The Bulldogs also return veteran depth in the outfield with seniors Alyssa Rebolledo and Ava Tingey.
The Bulldogs also add impact experience through sophomore infielder Lorraine Alo, who joined the program after an outstanding freshman season at Portland State in 2024. Alo was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year, earned First Team All-Big Sky honors, and was recognized as a Second Team NFCA All-Pacific Region selection after batting .440 with a .517 on-base percentage and five home runs. Her production came against Big Sky competition, including postseason play, adding a familiar and proven bat to Fresno State's lineup.
Scouting the Cougars
SIUE enters the 2026 season after a productive 2025 campaign in which the Cougars finished 32–22 overall, posting a .294 team batting average, 45 home runs, and averaging more than five runs per game. SIUE combined offensive depth with a veteran pitching staff, establishing itself as a balanced club throughout the season.
The Cougars are led by Sandy Sorden, the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, who has guided SIUE back to prominence since taking over the program in August 2022. Under Sorden's direction, SIUE has reached the OVC Tournament championship game twice in three seasons and recorded two 30-win seasons, including last year's 32-win campaign against a challenging schedule. The Cougars showed significant growth in 2025, ranking near the top of the OVC in numerous offensive and defensive categories, batting .327 in conference play, and setting a program record with 45 home runs.
Offensively, SIUE returns several key contributors from the middle of its 2025 lineup. Senior outfielder Kaylin Fahy appeared in 54 games with 51 starts and hit .265 with 33 runs scored and 10 stolen bases, providing speed and table-setting ability. Junior Abby Harvell brings returning experience, while sophomore Raegan Duncan started all 48 games she played last season and hit .265 with nine doubles. Sophomore infielder Juztyne Torres started all 52 games in 2025, offering defensive stability and lineup depth.
In the circle, SIUE returns the core of its pitching staff from a season ago. Sophomore Avery Arwood, the 2025 OVC Freshman of the Year, led the Cougars with an 11–8 record and a 3.06 ERA over 132.2 innings, including three shutouts. She is joined by senior Kiana Villa, who went 6–1 with a 3.65 ERA, and sophomore McKayla Anderson, who logged more than 70 innings. The return of multiple experienced arms gives SIUE continuity and depth in the pitching rotation.
Overall, SIUE brings back a strong pitching foundation, experienced position players, and continuity at the head coaching position, making the Cougars a disciplined and well-rounded opponent entering the 2026 season.
D1 Softball Mid-Major Poll
D1 Softball released it's first round of 2025 mid-major rankings and the Bengals made the list. Idaho State is coming in at 21st in the nation out of the mid-major schools on the list.
The top five coming into the 2026 season are 1. Florida Atlantic, 2. Liberty, 3. Grand Canyon, 4. Texas State and 5. Omaha.
The full list can be found on the website here
On Deck
The Bengals continue the 2026 non-conference slate with a trip south next week. Idaho State heads to El Paso for the
