No. 13 Angelo State Softball Opens 2026 at the DII First Pitch Invitational

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Angelo State Rambelles will open the 2026 season this weekend at the DII First Pitch Invitational in Conroe, Texas, where they are scheduled to face five opponents over three days.

Angelo State opens play Friday against Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm and Simon Fraser Red Leafs before taking on Mississippi College Choctaws and Saint Martin's Saints on Saturday. The Rambelles close the weekend Sunday against Chadron State Eagles, their lone Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent of the tournament.

Senior outfielder Tatiana Trotter enters the season as the Lone Star Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after batting .330 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs last year. The Lubbock native posted a .648 slugging percentage and a .449 on-base percentage while earning LSC Golden Glove honors and third-team Academic All-America recognition.

Southeastern Oklahoma finished 26-27 last season and returns key hitters Iliana Olivares and India McMurray, along with a veteran pitching staff led by Emily Simmons and Trinity Oden. Angelo State holds a 17-3 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last 11 meetings.

Simon Fraser, which reached the GNAC tournament final last season, returns a lineup that hit .322 as a team and features Cassidy Affeldt and pitcher Monica Bourque. The matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs and could be the only one, as Simon Fraser plans to leave NCAA competition following the 2027 season.

Mississippi College enters the season after a 36-19 campaign and an NCAA South Regional appearance. The Choctaws return six starters from a lineup led by Blakely Gill, Shelby Samples and Madelyn England, along with pitcher Camryn Bailey, who posted a 2.19 ERA in 2025. It will be the first meeting between Angelo State and Mississippi College.

Saint Martin’s qualified for the NCAA West Regional last season and brings back seven of its top 10 hitters, including Heather Ebner, who set a GNAC single-season RBI record with 67. The Saints lost ace pitcher Chloe Leverington, who accounted for 19 wins a year ago.

Chadron State opens the season under first-year head coach Skye Koehl and returns Aliyah Rothstein as its top hitter. The Rambelles and Eagles are 1-1 all-time, with their last meeting coming in 2016.

Angelo State was picked third in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll, receiving two first-place votes. The Rambelles enter their 25th season of Division II softball owning a program record of 988-362-1 since 2002, including 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, six regional titles and the 2004 national championship.

Despite the program’s history, this year’s roster features significant turnover, with only 364 at-bats returning from last season’s lineup. Trotter and Abby Brand are the lone returning everyday players, while Bri Waters is the only returning pitcher among 14 newcomers expected to see action in 2026.