Season Preview: 2026 Softball

3/5/2026 12:07:00 PM

By: Cael Dent - Coordinator of Athletics Communications and Broadcast

Granville, Ohio - After their first regular season title since 2011, the Big Red look to stay atop the NCAC rankings going into the 2026 season. Denison was picked second in the North Coast Athletic Conference preseason poll with 43 points, while DePauw stands at the top with 48.

2025 Recap

The Big Red started off their season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, where the team started 2-3 against tough competition from across the country. Denison went 10-9 in their out of conference slate before ramping into conference play, where the Big Red swept Ohio Wesleyan and Wittenberg to start off 4-0 in the NCAC. After a loss to Hiram, the team kicked it back into gear with a seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 48-7 in the process. They finished off the regular season with a sweep of last year's champion DePauw to claim a share of the NCAC regular season title and hosting rights for the NCAC Tournament. Denison would lose their first game to Wittenberg, but would bounce back and defeat Hiram in the double elimination round and avenge their loss against Wittenberg 9-1 to head into the championship game against DePauw. The Big Red battled, but would fall short in extra innings after a Tigers walk-off victory, effectively ending their season. Six players were named All-NCAC, with Sydney Silverstein winning Pitcher of the Year and Annabelle Calderon winning Player of the Year. Calderon was also named First Team All-Region, First Team All-America,First Team Academic All-America and Catcher of the Year.

2026 NCAC Preseason Poll

2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Softball Coaches' Poll
Place	Institution (1st Place Votes)	Total Points
1	DePauw (6)	48
2	Denison (2)	43
3	Wittenberg	37
4	Wooster	30
5	Ohio Wesleyan	24
6	John Carroll	21
7	Kenyon	13
8	Oberlin	8

Position-by-Position Breakdown

Outfield

The Big Red return solid production in the outfield, as rising sophomore Alex Longstreth started 32 games last season and batted .292 with 21 hits and six RBI's. Longstreth had a .931 fielding percentage with 27 putouts as well. Senior Brianna Gonzalez started the most games out of the outfield group with 39. Gonzalez batted .260 with 13 hits on 50 at-bats. She was tied on the team with the most steals with three, and racked up 10 RBI's. Rising junior Emily Orsini also saw time in the field, playing in 20 games with nine starts. Orsini totaled 11 hits with nine RBI's and a homer. Junior Bridget Haller also saw time, playing in nine games.

Infield

Denison will be tasked with replacing second team All-NCAC recipient Jacqui Abogado, who recorded 45 hits with a .378 batting average. Rising junior Leilah Ferrari earned third team honors last season, posting a .288 batting average with 30 hits and eight doubles. In the field, she had a .952 fielding percentage with 63 putouts and a team-leading 75 assists. Senior Indy Workman returns after a solid junior campaign, putting up a team fourth-best batting average of .310 with 36 hits and 18 RBI's. Workman had the best fielding percentage on the team out of qualifying chances with .987. Rising sophomore Carley Melton started in all 39 games with an average of .257 and slapping 27 hits with 10 RBI's. Rising sophomore Liana "Seri" Su and junior Natalie Omahen saw ample time, as Su was brought in mainly as a pinch hitter batting .364 and a homer, while Omahen played in 15 games and started in four.

Catcher

Denison will be challenged with their biggest loss in possibly program history, as Annabelle Calderon recently graduated with as much hardware and recognition one could imagine. She finished off her Big Red career as the program leader in batting average (.423), doubles (56), home runs (35), total bases (356), and on-base percentage (.539). In her senior season, Calderon broke the record for most doubles in a season with 20, and home runs with 11. Rising sophomore Elizabeth Allen will most likely step in and fill the role, and other first-years vying for the spot as well.

Pitcher

2025 NCAC Pitcher of the Year Sydney Silverstein graduated after a stellar senior season, but the Big Red still return firepower to the mound. Rising senior Brooke Surbaugh was second team All-NCAC in 2025, and was previously first team All-NCAC her first-year and sophomore years. She appeared in 22 games with 20 starts with nine complete games, and a 3.31 ERA. She pitched 116.1 innings and had 63 strikeouts, leading the Big Red in both, and a .264 batting average against. Junior Madilyn Moffitt stepped in for relief, appearing in 17 games and 35 innings pitched, She had four saves and 25 strikeouts, while also posting a .289 batting average against. Rising sophomore Andrea Care appeared in seven games, recording four strikeouts.

What to Expect

With Tiffany Ozbun stepping down after last season and interim head coach Adrienne Henery stepping in, Denison looks to replicate the success they have had over the past couple seasons. Although losing their Player and Pitcher of the Year, along with some other key pieces, the Big Red have shown to step up to the challenge, and even with a small senior class of three, the leadership and expectations remain the same with the experience this group has seen over their years.

A Look at the Schedule

Denison heads back down to the NFCA Classic for a three-day stretch of six games against teams from across the country from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8. They then travel to Elizabethtown, Kentucky for the Pioneer Classic for a four-game road stretch. Their first home game will be against Mount St. Joseph in a double header on Monday, March 16 at 4:30/6:30pm. Their first conference matchup will come on Saturday, March 28 against Wittenberg at 1/3pm. Senior day will commence on Saturday, April 25, at 1pm against Oberlin, and their last regular season double header will be at Wooster on Saturday, May 2 at 1/3pm. The NCAC Tournament will begin on Thursday, May 7 and run through Saturday, May 9.

Date	Location	Opponent	Time
3/6/26	Columbus GA	Stevens	3:00 PM
3/6/26	Columbus, GA	Saint Mary's University	5:30 PM
3/7/26	Columbus, GA	Berry College	10:00 AM
3/7/26	Columbus, GA	Belhaven University	12:30 PM
3/8/26	Columbus, GA	Pomona- Pitzer	9:00 AM
3/8/26	Columbus, GA	East Texas Baptist University	11:00 AM
3/13/26	Elizabethtown, KY	Milwaukee School of Engineering	12:15 PM
3/13/26	Elizabethtown, KY	Transylvania University	2:30 PM
3/14/26	Elizabethtown, KY	Franklin College	11:00 AM
3/14/26	Elizabethtown, KY	Hanover College	1:15 PM
3/16/26	Granville, OH	Mount St. Joseph University	4:30 PM
3/16/26	Granville, OH	Mount St. Joseph University	6:30 PM
3/18/26	Granville, OH	Muskingum University	3:30 PM
3/18/26	Granville, OH	Muskingum University	5:30 PM
3/26/26	Granville, OH	Case Western Reserve University	5:00 PM
3/26/26	Granville, OH	Case Western Reserve University	7:00 PM
3/28/26	Granville, OH	Wittenberg University	1:00 PM
3/28/28	Granville, OH	Wittenberg University	3:00 PM
3/31/26	Granville, OH	Marietta College	3:30 PM
3/31/26	Granville, OH	Marietta College	5:30 PM
4/4/26	Granville, OH	DePauw University	1:00 PM
4/4/26	Granville, OH	DePauw University	3:00 PM
4/11/26	University Heights, OH	John Carroll University	1:00 PM
4/11/26	University Heights, OH	John Carroll University	3:00 PM
4/12/26	Gambier, OH	Kenyon College	1:00 PM
4/12/26	Gambier, OH	Kenyon College	3:00 PM
4/15/26	Westerville, OH	Otterbein University	3:00 PM
4/15/26	Westerville, OH	Otterbein University	5:00 PM
4/18/26	Granville, OH	Ohio Wesleyan University	1:00 PM
4/18/26	Granville, OH	Ohio Wesleyan University	3:00 PM
4/25/26	Granville, OH	Oberlin College	1:00 PM
4/25/26	Granville, OH	Oberlin College	3:00 PM
4/28/26	Alliance, OH	University of Mount Union	3:00 PM
4/28/26	Alliance, OH	University of Mount Union	5:00 PM
5/2/26	Wooster, OH	The College of Wooster	1:00 PM
5/2/26	Wooster, OH	The College of Wooster	3:00 PM
5/7-9/26	TBD	NCAC Championships	TBD

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