LAKE CHARLES, La. – It is finally time for softball season to start, with ULM competing in the Twisted Vines Bayou Bash this weekend in Lake Charles, hosted by McNeese. The Warhawks will first open the season on Friday (Feb. 6) at 1:30 p.m. against the NCAA preseason favorite, Texas Tech. ULM will then face host McNeese at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday (Feb. 7), ULM will take on Tulsa at 3:30 p.m. and McNeese again at 6 p.m. To conclude, the Warhawks will face North Texas on Sunday (Feb. 7) at 1 p.m. The games vs. McNeese will be available to stream on ESPN+ and live stats for all games can be found at ulmwarhawks.com. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. TEXAS TECH – 

The Warhawks will face the Red Raiders for the fourth time in program history, the first time in the 21st century. ULM holds the 3-0 advantage to Texas Tech, defeating them in neutral site games twice and once in Monroe. The most recent meeting was in 1997, a 4-2 10-inning victory for the Warhawks in Arlington, Texas.

SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS –

The Red Raiders were announced as one of two NCAA preseason No. 1 teams entering the 2026 season, after they went 54-14 last season. Texas Tech won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles, going on to reach the WCWS national title game against Texas. Notably, the Red Raiders return star pitcher NiJaree Canady and outfielder Mihyia Davis. Canady was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player and an All-American by D1Softball and Softball America. Canady logged a 1.11 ERA and 319 strikeouts in 2025 with a 34-7 record. Davis was named NFCA All-Region, All-Big 12 First Team and WCWS All-Tournament Team last season with a .389 batting average and 27 stolen bases. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. McNEESE – 

The Warhawks will be matching up against the Cowgirls for the 98th meeting in program history, dating back to ULM's first softball season in 1980. ULM holds the 51-46 advantage in the series, but McNeese posts a 24-18 record when playing in Lake Charles. The most recent meeting between the teams was a 5-1 victory in Monroe for ULM in 2025, the last game played at McNeese being a 4-1 win for the Warhawks in 2024. 

SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS –

The Cowgirls open the season at home, hosting Texas Tech, ULM, Tulsa and North Texas in the Twisted Vines Bayou Bash. Last season, McNeese went 41-20 across the season, capturing the Southland Conference title before falling in the SLC Tournament championship game to Southeastern. The Cowgirls also return NFCA All-Region selection Jada Muñoz for her senior season. Muñoz led the team with 53 runs, a .713 slugging percentage, 56 RBI and 15 home runs in 2025.

SERIES HISTORY VS. TULSA – 

ULM will be taking on the Golden Hurricane for the 19th time in the series, with Tulsa holding the 13-5 advantage. In neutral games, the Warhawks have claimed one win, a 2-0 victory in 1995. The most recent meeting for both teams was 2009, a 3-0 victory for the Golden Hurricane at Tulsa. ULM looks to break a six-game losing skid that dates back to 2004.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN HURRICANE –

Tulsa opens the season in Lake Charles after a 21-33 showing in 2025. The Golden Hurricane was selected to finish seventh in the American in the preseason coaches' poll. Maci Cole makes the return for her senior season at Tulsa, ranked 73rd in the D1Softball Preseason Mid-Major D100. She led the team in batting average (.316), doubles (9), home runs (10) and hits (49) last season and was named All-AAC.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTH TEXAS – 

This is the 38th meeting between the Warhawks and the Mean Green, a series dating back to 1985. North Texas holds the slight edge with a 19-18 in the series, but the Warhawks hold the 7-4 advantage when playing at a neutral site. The most recent meeting between the teams was 2018, a 12-10 win for the Warhawks in Monroe, in head coach Molly Fichtner's first season. The last time the teams played at a neutral site was 2008, a 5-1 victory in the Sun Belt Tournament for the Warhawks.

SCOUTING THE MEAN GREEN –

North Texas opens the season under first-year head coach Cody White in Lake Charles, after a 36-21 showing last season. The Mean Green advanced to the championship game of the AAC Tournament in 2025 as well, with a 16-11 conference record. Three members of the 2025 Mean Green were named NFCA All-Region, but North Texas only returns Elizabeth Moffitt of the three. A catcher, Moffit caught 14 runners stealing in 2025 and was named to the AAC All-Tournament team after hitting a two-run homer in the title game.

SEASON OPENER – 

The Warhawks open the season on the road for the second-straight season, competing at a McNeese-hosted tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana. ULM Softball is 26-20 in their season openers all-time, looking to find their first season-opening win since 2023. Last season, the Warhawks went 1-4 in their opening tournament to start the season.

MO BROWN AT 28 –

D1Softball revealed its Preseason D100 Mid-Major Player Rankings for 2026, naming ULM's Morgan Brown as the 28th-ranked player in the mid-majors. Last season, Brown boasted a .382 batting average including 16 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs. The Katy, Texas, native also recorded 62 RBIs, which led the Sun Belt. 

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. 

LOOKING AHEAD –

Warhawk Softball will return to Monroe for their home opener on February 10, hosting Stephen F. Austin. ULM will face the Lumberjacks at 5 p.m. at the ULM Softball Complex.