RUSTON, La. – The ULM softball team (7-4) travels just down the road to face Louisiana Tech (9-2). The Warhawks will face the Bulldogs on Thursday (Feb. 19) at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats for all games can be found at ulmwarhawks.com/stats.
BATTLE OF I-20 –
The Warhawks will be facing the Bulldogs for the 120th meeting in the series, Louisiana Tech holding the 76-43 edge. When playing in Ruston, the Bulldogs also have the advantage, 34-17. Last season, the two meetings were split 1-1 in the Lady Techster Invitational, as ULM claimed the second meeting, a 9-8 eight-inning victory to snap a four-game skid in the series. Louisiana Tech is notably joining the Sun Belt Conference, beginning in the 2026-27 academic year. ULM will be in the same conference for softball as its local foe for the first time ever.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS –
The Bulldogs have posted a 9-2 record so far this season, sweeping the Southern Miss Tournament to open the season. That momentum carried them into defeating #25 Southeastern in a 6-1 score. Most recently, Louisiana Tech run-ruled Northwestern State at home, 12-3. The Bulldogs were selected to finish second in their final season in Conference-USA, sweeping Preseason Player of the Year recognition in Reagan Marchant and pitcher Allie Floyd. Marchant is the reigning C-USA Player of the Week after hitting .400 last week, collecting nine RBI and three home runs.
LAST TIME OUT –
ULM went on the road to compete in the FGCU Eagle Invitational, facing both FGCU and Hofstra across five games in Fort Myers, Florida. The Warhawks captured the 5-0 sweep over every game as every ULM player saw action throughout the five games. On Friday, the Warhawks claimed a 6-3 win to open the tournament over Hofstra, then defeating host FGCU in a 8-3 contest. On Saturday, it was a close 3-2 win over FGCU that sent ULM momentum heading into Sunday. On the final day of the tournament, the Warhawks defeated Hofstra twice, first in a 7-0 shutout and then in a 10-2 run-rule game. Meagan Brown hit .538 across the weekend, tallying two doubles and two triples, while Hollie Thomas hit her second homer of the season. Ashanti McDade posted a 0.00 ERA and 1-0 record after three appearances on the weekend, Maddie Nichols leading the pitchers with nine strikeouts in two appearances.
NEW ON THE BAYOU –
The Warhawks are bringing in nine newcomers to add to the 2026 team, including seven freshmen and two transfers. In the pitching circle, ULM welcomes Cal transfer Ashanti McDade, Jacksonville transfer Skylar Waggoner, freshman Tessa Ivy and freshman Abagail Creighton to the bayou. McDade appeared in 37 games across three seasons for the Bears, pitching 65.2 innings with 35 strikeouts. Waggoner spent two seasons with Jacksonville, the southpaw posting a 2.53 ERA across 243 innings. Ivy arrives after competing with the Colorado Batbusters, also awarded as the 2023 Continental League Pitcher of the Year. Creighton, from Monroe, was District MVP in the 2023-24 season, also a four-time All-District pitcher for St. Frederick.
At infielder, freshmen Tessie Harrison, Dally Engle, Kailey Monsef, and Carson Jansky join the squad. Harrison was named to the THSCA Super Elite Team last season. Engle attended Stigler HS, maintaining a .500 batting average her senior season. Monsef arrives from Pearland HS after reaching the UIL state semifinals in 2023, also competing with the Texas Riptide. Jansky posted a .540 batting average and 82 RBIs her junior season, winning a Texas 3A State Championship in 2022 and named tournament MVP. To round out the newcomers, freshman Cecilia Gonzales arrives after competing with Hotshots National and attending Legacy The School of Sports Sciences.
HOMETOWN HEROES –
The Warhawks also have three hometown players on the 2026 roster, with West Monroe's Maddie Nichols, Monroe's Elle Carter and Abagail Creighton on the roster this season. Nichols went to West Monroe High School, where she was a four-year letterwinner before graduating as valedictorian in 2022. Carter hails from Neville High School, a four-year letterwinner in soccer and softball, the eighth member of her family to attend ULM. Creighton, a freshman, rounds out the Monroe natives as she arrives after six seasons at St. Frederick High School.
LOOKING AHEAD –
The ULM softball team will next prepare for a weekend at home, hosting the Best on the Bayou Tournament from February 20 to 22. The Warhawks will first face UNI on Friday at 5 p.m. CT at the ULM Softball Complex.
