WACO, Texas – There is excitement for the dawn of a new season, and then there is the feeling surrounding Northwestern State softball in 2026, as the Demons open the year with one of the most experienced rosters in the Southland Conference. 

 

After guiding the youngest team in Division I softball through her first season as head coach, Jenny Fuller has put together a roster stacked with not only talent, but a level of experience that matches the top teams in the region. 

 

The Demons have the third most upperclassmen in the Southland with 15, return nine players from last season that started 20 or more games and added 11 junior college or Division I transfers that were key starters on their previous teams. 

 

Headlining the transfer class are four 2025 national champions, JT Smith from UT Tyler along with Sister Arnold, Hayden Andrews and Sara Watson all from Northwest Florida State, as well as the NJCAA Division II Player of the Year Makynlie Jones from Jones College. 

 

Back from a year ago are Aly Delafield, who tore through SLC pitching with a .398 conference batting average, conference all-defensive centerfielder Sophia Livers and breakout freshmen Brynn Daniel, DJ Lynch (RBI leader) and pitcher Brooklynn Stohler, who led the conference in innings pitched last season. 

 

"Our returners have shown a lot of leadership this year and combining that with the transfers that we brought in, it's a recipe for a pretty good team," second-year head coach Jenny Fuller said. "They're gelling together well and we're excited to get going. I know they are ready to play somebody other than themselves. They're getting really competitive in practice. I have those start-of-the-season nerves and excitement going on. We're just ready." 

 

NSU opens the season at the Getterman Classic hosted by Baylor and will play five games over the course of three days. The opener pits the Demons against No. 24 Mississippi State at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. The Demons play doubleheaders starting at noon on Saturday and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. All games at the GettermanClassic will be streamed on ESPN+. 

 

The meeting with Mississippi State is a rematch of the first signature win for Fuller in her Demon career, a 5-0 shutout of the No. 20 ranked Bulldogs in Starkville a season ago. The dream-like victory there leads perfectly into the sequel on Friday as Fuller returns to her alma mater as a head coach for the first time. 

 

"It's pretty surreal that I played there, it's been a few years now, but to go back there and play against your former coach who's still there," Fuller said. "He has such a legacy in the softball world. It's a cool moment for me and coach Brad (Fuller) because we're both from there. So going back home and expecting to see a lot of people that have said they were coming to the games. We want to do well for them." 

 

Of the four tournament weekends for NSU this season, the first one stands to be the most challenging with not only the ranked Bulldogs and perennial Big 12 power Baylor on the schedule, but American contender Wichita State and a strong New Mexico team as well. 

 

"It's going to be a very competitive weekend and we just want to go in and compete with those teams," Fuller said. "I think we're prepared. We've done all that we can up to this point and our players are excited to play some competition at that level. We're going in there with the mindset that we can win some games." 

 

With experience, championship pedigree and an early opportunity to prove it against elite competition, the Demons will find out quickly just how high the ceiling may be.