The 2026 college softball season is underway. Opening weekend kicked off with invitationals and tournaments across the country, and seniors began their final journey in hopes of reaching the Women’s College World Series.
For some of those athletes, their careers won’t stop in the NCAA; they’ll receive Golden Tickets, signifying their selection to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), and continue playing professionally. The six teams each carry a 16-player roster, and after the AUSL Draft in December, 18 spots remain for draftees.
It may be early, but these are the NCAA seniors to keep an eye on throughout the 2026 season.
Pitchers
Pitchers will be at a premium in the 2026 college draft class. All six AUSL teams have an opening for an additional pitcher, and the inaugural season proved that having a large, versatile staff is a must for success (we’re looking at you, championship-winning Talons).
There could be as many as eight pitchers selected in the draft, since the Oklahoma City Spark and Utah Talons have only three pitchers on their rosters. There’s little doubt the first pick and most of the first round will be pitchers. Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens and Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady are at the top of that predicted list.
Oregon’s Lyndsey Grein threw a no-hitter opening weekend with a career-high 14 strikeouts and just two walks against Missouri. Taylor Tinsley out of UCLA, and Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm (formerly Bahl) are other top arms in the 2026 class.
Catchers
Every team except the Texas Volts has only one catcher on their roster right now. Last summer, we saw most teams utilize a single starter for every game, but a backup is necessary to manage the staff and load. The catcher position has proven to be one of the toughest to break into in professional softball. Still, the AUSL’s expansion creates more opportunities for an athlete out of college to become a part of a battery and possibly earn the starting role.
One of the biggest differentiators is the offensive attributes, making Reese Atwood a notable catcher out of Texas. She was the 2025 NFCA Catcher of the Year and Johnny Bench Award winner while also excelling on offense. For back-to-back seasons, she’s had an on-base percentage above .500 and a slugging percentage beyond .800. Jocelyn Erickson at Florida was the 2024 NFCA Division I Player of the Year and might be a great fit for a team that needs a versatile defender; she can also play first base. Sydney Stewart at Arizona is another utility catcher and dynamic defender, plus her home runs, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage ranked second in the Big 12 Conference last year.
Softball America put seniors Maci Bergeron (LSU) and Amanda Hasler (Oklahoma State) on their preseason catcher rankings this year, too.
Middle Infielders
The AUSL has so much depth in the middle infield that this position will most likely be drafted to teams with specific needs. That being said, talented middle infielders are coming out of college this year. Second basemen Aminah Vega at Duke and Taryn Kern at Stanford should both be on the watchlist. Both have been starters since their freshman seasons and have racked up the accolades. Vega has earned First Team All-ACC honors in three straight seasons. Kern is a power lefty who slashed .348/.509/.774 last year and posted a team-leading 1.283 OPS.
Kern’s partner in the middle infield, River Mahler, is another to watch on the Cardinals. Not only is she consistent at the plate, but she also has the clutch factor. Mahler hit nearly .500 with runners on base (50-for-109) in 2025.
Corner Infielders
Most teams locked down corners for first and third base at the draft, but the Chicago Bandits have a clear opening after losing Sydney McKinney and Delanie Wisz. Jordan Woolery could be a perfect fit – she has experience at both positions for the Bruins. She’s been a starter at UCLA since her freshman year, swings a big bat, and is coming off her best offensive numbers in 2025. Her slash line as a junior was .424/.510/.887.
Outfielders
Outfield is another position that will be team-specific in draft picks; some franchises secured returning starters from last year, while others, like the Spark and Carolina Blaze, have clear open spots.
Dakota Kennedy (Arkansas), Mihyia Davis (Texas Tech), and Ashton Maloney (Texas) are all lefty bats that could diversify that part of the lineup.
Kennedy transferred to Arkansas from Arizona for her final season, but has predominantly played left field. She started 44 games for Arizona in 2025, but missed 17 due to an injury. Despite that, she still led the team in average (.444) and posted career-high numbers in OBP (.539), slugging (.689), and OPS (1.228).
Davis plays center and has elite speed; she is an NFCA Golden Shoe Award winner. She transferred from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to Texas Tech, following head coach Gerry Glasco, and picked up where she left off after being named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. She was selected to the WCWS All-Tournament Team following the Red Raiders’ postseason run last year.
Maloney has been a staple at the top of the Texas lineup and outfield for years. Her offensive numbers also trended up last year, including a career-high .415 average.
Utility
These athletes could have been slotted in multiple positions, but utility fits best and may pay off for them at the next level. AUSL rosters sometimes require athletes to play secondary positions, so being versatile is a quick route into a starting lineup.
Megan Grant is arguably the strongest utility in the senior class. She’s a two-time All-American (First Team in 2025, Second Team in 2023). In three years, Grant has started 70 games in right field, 61 at first base, 31 at third base, eight as designated player, five in left field, and three at shortstop. Most recently, she became the third Bruin in program history to hit three homers in a game against UC Riverside on Sunday.
Oregon’s Amari Harper would be the right fit for a team that needs depth on the right side of the field – she can play first and second base. Georgia’s Sarah Gordon has experience at catcher, first base, right field, and as the designated player.
There’s no rushing the most anticipated time of the year for softball fans, and AUSL general managers will use the collegiate season to watch and scout the 2026 senior class before making their selections later this spring at the 2026 AUSL College Draft.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.
