NASHVILLE – The Trevecca Nazarene University softball team heads into the 18th season of the Ben Tyree era in 2026, and the Trojans have racked up some impressive numbers under the longest-tenured coach in program history. Under Tyree, the Trojans have won more than half of the games won by the program all-time, and Tyree himself is now closing in on the 600-win mark. Despite finishing a single game below the break-even point in GSC play a season ago, the Trojans enter the 2026 campaign in the midst of a streak that has seen Trevecca finish above .500 in 25 consecutive seasons, and they will look to continue that string.
West Florida earned eight first place votes in the poll, with defending regular season champion Delta State taking two first place votes in the poll, and Mississippi College and Valdosta State each earning one vote for the top spot. The Argonauts racked up 117 points in the ranking, with Delta State (102) and Mississippi College (100) each reaching triple digits. Valdosta State (87) and Lee (79) rounded out the top-five.
2025 GSC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
First-place votes ( )
Full GSC Preseason Poll Release.
Preseason All-GSC Softball Team*
Katie Bracken, P, Sr., UAH
Megan Shurtz, P, Sr., UAH
Brittany Slaten, UTL, Sr., UAH
Reese Cauley, P/1B, So., AUM
Chelisa Newsome, P, Jr., AUM
Chloe Baynes, OF, Sr., AUM
Blakely Gill, C, So., MC
Shelby Samples, SS/OF, Sr., MC
Madelyn England, 3B, Sr., MC
Camryn Bailey, P, Sr., MC
Taylor Lloyd, P, Sr., Montevallo
Riley Tyree, 1B, Sr., Montevallo
Brianna Asmondy, 1B/DP, Sr., Trevecca
Ann Marie Stanbridge, 1B, Sr., West Alabama
Haley Guffey, P, Sr., West Florida
Hannah Harper, P/1B, Sr., West Florida
Emma Brice, INF, Sr., West Florida
* Roster expanded due to tie in voting
Listed alphabetical by school
GSC Newcomer Watch List
Bailey Goad – P | FR | Mt. Juliet, TN / Donelson Christian Academy
2026 PREVIEW
The opening act of the 2026 season will once again be at the Music City Invitational on February 6, and two weeks later, Trevecca will open the home portion of their schedule with a series against Valdosta State. The Trojans first away games will be the final weekend of February at Montevallo.
COACH TYREE
Ben Tyree is far and away the most accomplished head coach in Trevecca softball history. Through the first 17 seasons Tyree has spent in the Trojans' dugout, He has racked up 576 wins, including 269 conference victories. Under Tyree, the Trojans are averaging nearly 34 wins per season, and they have hit the 40-win plateau five times - a mark that was only reached three times prior to Tyree taking over the head coaching duties.
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
Home Games: 20 (Including DH)
Away Games: 19 (Including DH)
Neutral Site: 3
Conference Games: 33
Total: 42
THE TROJANS BY CLASS
Freshmen = 6
Sophomores = 12
Juniors = 4
Seniors = 1
Total: 23
Trevecca will open the 2026 season with the 5th Annual Music City Invitational in nearby Smyrna, Tennessee. In the first four editions of the Invitational, the Trojans are 12-4, and they enter this season's event having won their last four tilts in the tournament.
Following the Music City Invitational, the Trojans will immediately dive into GSC play as they will host a 3-game weekend set with Valdosta State, then head south to Montevallo for three more to close out the month of February.
Trevecca will host their first non-conference double-header to open March when they welcome former conference foe Kentucky Wesleyan to the Trevecca Softball Complex, and that weekend, the Trojans will welcome West Florida to town as well. After that, eight of the Trojans' final 11 games in March will be in West Tennessee - with three against Union and two against Lane College in Jackson, followed by three in Memphis against Christian Brothers to wrap up the month.
Trevecca's first five April contests will be on the road, as the month begins with a series at West Alabama, then the Trojans return the trip to Kentucky Wesleyan - all in the first eight days of the month. From there, though, the Trojans will spend a lot of time in Nashville. Trevecca's final 12 games are all GSC contests, and nine of those are at home. Trevecca will host Delta State, then make their final road trip of the regular season to Alabama-Huntsville, before wrapping up the year with home sets against Lee and Auburn-Montgomery.
The Gulf South Conference Championship will again take place in Oxford, Alabama at Choccolocco Park, beginning on May 6. The tournament will take place from May 6-9 with the winning team earning the GSC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2025 SEASON RECAP
To say the 2025 Trojans got off to a fast start is a definite understatement. Trevecca opened the season with the Music City Invitational and the UAH Charger Chillout back-to-back, and in those two events, the Trojans posted a 9-0 mark. In those nine games, Trevecca beat nine different teams - including then No. 3 Indianapolis - and the Trojans outscored their opponents 52-25.
The Trojans began their inaugural season in the Gulf South with a difficult 6-game road trip. Trevecca dropped their first three GSC games at No. 2 Auburn-Montgomery, but they bounced back the following weekend by taking two of three at Valdosta State for their first Gulf South win and series win. In their first GSC home series, the Trojans were dominant all weekend, as they blitzed the Montevallo Falcons 21-3 in a three-game sweep that pushed Trevecca above .500 in league play.
From there, though, Trevecca hit a rough patch in the GSC. Trevecca dropped two of three to both West Florida on the road and Union at home, and after a non-conference sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan, Trevecca was swept at Mississippi College. The stretch pushed Trevecca a season-low four games below .500 in conference play, but as March turned to April, the Trojans again showed their resiliency.
In their final series in March, Trevecca took a series win over Christian Brothers in Nashville, and then they did the same on the road at West Alabama to open the month of April. The Trojans then put together a road sweep of Delta State to re-emerge above .500 in league play.
In their final two conference series of the season, though, the Trojans dropped four of their final six to finish the season at 16-17 in GSC play.
As the post-season got underway, the Trojans entered the GSC Championship as the eight seed, and as such, they drew top-seeded AUM to kick off the tournament. Through five innings, the Trojans and Warhawks remained scoreless, but in the bottom of the sixth, AUM scratched across what proved to be the only run of the game, as AUM took the 1-0 win. Trevecca bounced back the following day with a 3-0 win over Valdosta State, but in their second elimination contest, the Trojans dropped a second one-run contest - this one to Mississippi College - that ended the Trojans' season.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Trevecca will take to the field in 2026 with 23 players on the roster, and the majority of them are underclassmen. Nearly 80% of the Trojans' roster is comprised of freshmen or sophomores, while only five players have reached upper class status. Getting contributions from the young players on the roster will be key, and it could lead to an even brighter future.
TYREE MILESTONE WINS WATCH
As Trevecca softball enters its 35th season, Ben Tyree continues to push higher in coaching accolades. The Trojans' skipper has earned Eight Coach of the Year awards, and in 2026, he could join the 600-win club. Tyree needs only 24 wins to reach the milestone - a number he has only failed to reach twice in his first 17 seasons, and one of those two seasons was the COVID-shortened 2020 season when the Trojans were 15-3 as the season was cancelled.
MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS
#PurpleReigns #DefendTheHill
