LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine softball will open its 2026 campaign this weekend, playing five games at the University of West Georgia Opening Weekend Event in Carrollton, GA.

The Knights will officially kick off their first season under first year head coach Whitney Arion on Friday, February 6 at 9:30 am E.T. against Drexel University. Later that afternoon, the Knights will take on the host Wolves at 2:30 pm E.T. Day two of the tournament will have the Knights facing off against Drexel at 9:30 am E.T. once again with a second matchup against West Georgia at 12 pm E.T. Bellarmine will close out the weekend on Sunday, February 8 at 12:30 pm E.T. against Georgia State.

Bellarmine turned in a 7-34 overall record last season, the third most wins in the Division I era.

The Knights dropped their season opener to Georgetown last season after winning the leadoff game in 2024. Since its ascension to Division I, BU is 1-5 in the season opener. Bellarmine is 20-25 all-time in the first game of the year.

With the ever-changing spring weather in Kentucky, this will be the fifth straight season Bellarmine begins its schedule on the road. BU is 11-18 all-time when it opens the year on the road.
In 2026, the Bellarmine softball team will have a drastically different look than it has in years past. The Knights lost 14 players to graduation or the transfer portal from last year's squad. Of those 14, 10 saw regular playing time and the group as a whole accounted for nearly 63% of at-bats and 92% of innings pitched in 2024, leaving quite the whole to fill.

To fill the void, Arion and staff brought in eight new faces in seven freshmen and one transfer. Sophomore Lele Bennett joins the program after spending her freshman year at Memphis where she made 27 appearances, 15 starts, in the circle and turned in 105.0 innings pitched. Despite just being a sophomore, she owns the most experience on the Bellarmine pitching staff, joining senior Elli Jensen (67.2 career innings pitched), sophomores Makenzie Cowburn, Ally Richardson and Natalie Kerr (9.1 combined innings in 2025) and freshman Emme Yee. The other freshman faces joining Yee are Jayla Manning (OF), Tatum Harper (INF/UTIL), Lily Jones (UTIL), Mara Jimenez (INF/OF), Tia Ice (INF/C) and Addy Branham (OF).

Seniors Madison Davis and Jacklyn Zuege highlight the returning group for the Knights as the pair finished as two of the team's top four hitters a year ago. Davis made 31 starts and appeared in 35 games last season, spending most of her time in left field. She was second on the team with a .250 batting average and ranked third with four doubles. Zuege made 37 starts at second base, missing only four games due to illness. She ranked fourth on the team with 21 total hits and a .208 average while leading in walks (22) and OBP (.365). She was the best hitter in the lineup in ASUN conference games, hitting .286 in 20 games with 16 hits and seven RBI.

About the Dragons
Drexel turned in a 5-41 record last year and went 5-22 in the Coastal Athletic Association. Despite the tough season, the Dragons ended the year on a high-note, winning their last two games over Stony Brook. Drexel was picked to finish fifth in the CAA's North Division. Sophomore Kylah Reading was named to the CAA Preseason Honorable Mention list after a strong freshman campaign in which she was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. In 2025 she finished with a team-high .325 batting average while posting a .452 slugging percentage and .379 on-base percentage. Reading appeared in 44 games and produced 41 hits, six doubles, two triples, two home runs, 22 RBI and 19 runs. As a team, Drexel hit .263 in 2024 with 54 doubles, seven triples, 19 home runs and 156 runs scored. In the circle, the Dragons produced an 8.18 ERA with a 2.40 WHIP while recording 108 strikeouts to 125 walks. Bellarmine and Drexel have never met on the diamond before this weekend.

About the Wolves
West Georgia, a fellow member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, went 12-40 last season, its first at the Division I level, and 4-20 in league action. Like Bellarmine, the Wolves missed out on the ASUN Conference Tournament and finished the season on a nine-game losing streak. West Georgia was tabbed to finish 11^th in the ASUN this season, one spot above Bellarmine after receiving eight more votes. The Wolves return a pair of juniors who ranked among team leaders on offense last season in Megan Waites and Dixiana Sims. Waites was third on the team in 2024 hitting .278 with six doubles, two home runs ,15 RBI 28 runs and 15 stolen bases. Sims ranked fourth on the team last year with a .258 average, adding two doubles, one home run, six RBI, 15 runs and seven stolen bases. In the circle, Sims, a two-way utility player, was third on the staff with a 6.17 ERA. She owned a 4-10 record in 31 appearances with 11 starts and struck out 47 batters while walking 73 in 89.2 innings of work. She is joined by fellow junior Jenna Samuel who was second on the team with a 4.61 ERA in 29 appearances, also making 11 starts. Samual went 5-9 and recorded 42 strikeouts to 62 walks in 89.2 innings pitched. As a team, West Georgia hit .250 with 54 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs and 185 runs scored. On the rubber, the Wolves owned a 5.73 team ERA with a 2.13 WHIP and collected 135 strikeouts to 249 walks. Despite being in the same conference for a season, Bellarmine and West Georgia have never met due to the league's new divisional set-up.

About the Panthers
Georgia State turned in a 12-41 overall record in 2024 and went 3-21 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers did play in the postseason and ended their season on a four-game losing streak. Georgia State was pegged to finish eighth in the Sun Belt this season after a last place finish last season. Just as Bellarmine will have a relatively new pitching staff this season, Georgia State returns just one pitcher from a year ago in Makayla Stephens. Stephens, a junior, made 27 appearances in 2025 and struck out 103 batters, seventh most in the conference. A pair of seniors in Maia Mumpfield and Ashton Schroyer highlight the returning hitters for the Panthers. Mumpfield lead the team with a .328 average last season, recording 10 doubles, a triple, a home run and 20 RBI. Ashton ranked third on the team with a .262 average, adding four doubles, five triples, seven RBI, 13 runs and eight stolen bases. As a team, Georgia State hit .235 with 51 doubles, 11 triples, 16 home runs and 131 runs scored. In the circle, the Panthers owned a 5.83 ERA and 1.87 WHIP while striking out 248 batters and walking 206 as a staff. Bellarmine and Georgia State have never played before this weekend.

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