After a long offseason filled with new faces, the Auburn Tigers softball team is back and ready to step foot on the diamond once again. The 2026 season officially commences this weekend in the Sunshine State, where Auburn opens its year with a packed weekend full of tests.
This season marks year two of the husband-and-wife coaching campaign on the Plains, as the Malveaux duo brings high expectations and hopes after a crushing defeat in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament last season to Florida State.
“We're so excited to get this thing going again this year,” said co-head coach Chris Malveaux. “This season couldn't come soon enough. We've been at it since August. Throughout the fall, we just couldn’t wait to see these players get on the field and do their thing. It's going to be a fun group to watch. They're young, but they're going to be very exciting. We can't wait to see them out there competing against other teams.”
Fans may notice that this season’s roster is full of changes, as just eight out of the 23 players from 2025 remain in Auburn. In the offseason, this turnover forced the Malveauxs to focus on the transfer portal to acquire talent. Six athletes on the Tiger’s current roster came from the transfer portal, including highly touted infielder Alyssa Hastings and a dominant arm in Ella Harrison.
Hastings enters Auburn as a junior from Lipscomb, where she excelled in her first two seasons, racking up numerous all-conference awards and leading her squad with an eye-catching .413 batting average. The transfer hopes to make an impact both in the infield and at the plate to help replace some of the holes from the offseason.
Harrison aims to continue her previous success from her time at Rutgers University, where she was in the circle as the righty won All-Freshman honors for the Big 10 conference while recording 12 wins with a 2.61 ERA. Harrison also proved she is not afraid to go deep into games, tossing a total of 18 complete games while representing the Scarlet Knights.
Auburn rounded out its roster for this upcoming year with high school commits, including six position players and one pitcher, which landed the Tigers in the top 10 for 2025 recruiting class rankings.
The Tigers season will begin in an unfamiliar territory, as the team travels to Florida for a six-game stretch before heading back home to Jane B. Moore Field. Thursday, Feb. 5 will mark opening day for the squad, as Auburn faces North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, looking to start the season on a positive note.
Following the first contest of the road trip, Auburn will head to Clearwater, Florida, to get set for the NFCA Leadoff Classic, when the team will face five out-of-conference opponents over the course of the weekend.
Friday’s schedule includes back-to-back tests against Notre Dame and Michigan State, starting at 4 p.m. CST.
The following day, starting at 3 p.m. CST, the Tigers will go head-to-head against No. 9 Clemson and then the Pittsburgh Panthers.
On Sunday, Auburn will wrap up its opening weekend bright and early with its first pitch against Penn State at 9 a.m. CST.
Last year, the Malveaux coaches started their first season 11-0, so Auburn will look to repeat their strong starting performance in this year’s opening matchups. All questions revolving with the Tigers' new squad will soon be answered, as the 2026 season will officially commence this afternoon against North Florida at 3 p.m. CST.
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Will is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @willdembo
