Siena Softball enters the 2026 season in pursuit of its fourth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship Series title in five years. That journey begins Friday, as the Saints open their campaign the same way they did a year ago—at the Charleston Southern (CSU) Kickoff Tournament.
This year's tournament will be split between Charleston Southern and the College of Charleston. Siena will face St. John's and CSU at CSU on Feb. 6 at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively. On Feb. 7, the Saints will take on Central Michigan at 10 a.m. and the College of Charleston at 3 p.m. at the College of Charleston, before closing the weekend against CSU on Feb. 8 at 10 a.m.
Projected to finish third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Siena is coming off a program-record 36-win season in 2025. The Saints set single-season program records in runs (272), doubles (82), triples (20), RBI (235), walks (180), strikeouts (304), and fielding percentage (.974). Sixth-year head coach
Casey Bump returns 17 players from that record-setting squad.
Among the key returning hitters are Second Team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Tournament Team selections
Emma Petersen and
Gracie Goewey, both of whom earned Preseason All-MAAC honors. Petersen, a senior, is coming off a career-best season with 60 hits, which led the team and ranked among the top single-season totals in program history. She led the MAAC with 21 doubles and drove in 44 runs, ranking among the program's all-time single-season leaders in both categories. Petersen enters the season ranked in the program's top 10 in career RBI (6th, 103), total bases (8th, 237), and slugging percentage (T-10th, .503).
Goewey was a standout both in the circle and at the plate in 2025. The junior posted an 11–2 record with a 2.06 ERA, ranking second in the MAAC and 32nd nationally, while her 109 strikeouts over 91.2 innings ranked among the nation's leaders. She also set a single-game program and MAAC record with 16 strikeouts against Saint Peter's. Offensively, Goewey hit .296, led the team with 38 runs, and tied for the team lead with six home runs.
Siena will open the season against four familiar opponents. The Saints will face St. John's for the first time since 2010 and seek their first win over the Red Storm. Siena will also look for its first win over the College of Charleston in the teams' first meeting since 2004. The Saints aim to maintain their unbeaten 3–0 record against CSU in two matchups and improve on their 1–3 mark against Central Michigan.
Following the CSU Kickoff Tournament, Siena will travel to Florida for the Make It Happen Games in Madeira Beach from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1.
