CARROLLTON, Ga. - With February comes college softball, and the UWG softball team is set to open their 2026 season at home this weekend, hosting 13 games total and playing six at University Field on Friday, February 6 through Sunday, February 8.
The Schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Time |
| Friday, Feb. 6 |
Bellarmine |
2:30 p.m. |
| Friday, Feb. 6 |
Austin Peay |
7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 |
Bellarmine |
12:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 7 |
Georgia State |
5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, Feb. 8 |
Drexel |
10:00 a.m. |
| Sunday, Feb. 8 |
Austin Peay |
3:00 p.m. |
UWG will look to get off to a solid start in year two of Division I and year four of the Kristy Burton era.
West Georgia won 12 games in their inaugural Division I campaign and look to improve on that with a core group of returners and some talented transfers and incoming freshmen debuting in 2026.
Last week, we completed our position previews, looking at the infielders, outfielders, and the pitchers and catchers.
Scouting the Opponents
The Wolves open with two teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference, albeit teams from the Gold Division that the Wolves do not play in regular season competition. It begins with Bellarmine, who went 7-34 in 2025. The Knights were 2-21 in ASUN play last season, but have a new head coach in 2026. Bellarmine was picked last in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll.
In game two, UWG takes on Austin Peay, who was picked fourth in the Preseason Poll and is coming off a season in which they finished 39-16 with a 14-10 mark in ASUN play. APSU is led by Brie Howard who was the league's Preseason Player of the Year. Howard hit .354 in 54 starts in 2025, recording 56 hits, 37 RBIs, and eight home runs.
The third opponent on UWG's weekend schedule is Georgia State who went 12-41 last season including a loss to UWG on March 7. Maia Mumpfield is the Panthers' leading returner at the plate after hitting .328 with 45 hits and 20 RBIs last season. GSU brought in a fifth-year pitcher, Briana Bower, who pitched at Mississippi State and Illinois before transferring to the Capital City for her final season.
UWG will take on Drexel on Sunday morning in their fifth game of the weekend, a rematch of the Wolves' Division I opener in 2025. UWG run-ruled Drexel 15-1 on Gardner-Webb's field in their first-ever DI competition, with Calli Hardison earning a complete-game victory while Jenna Samuel drove in three runs. Drexel went on to finish 5-41, and like Bellarmine will debut a new head coach in Carrollton this weekend.
The tournament begins on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. with five games scheduled for Friday and Saturday and three games scheduled for Sunday for a total of 13 games featuring, UWG, Bellarmine, Austing Peay, Georgia State, and Drexel.
