East Mississippi set to open softball season with five scheduled home doubleheaders in February
With five scheduled home doubleheaders during the month of February, East Mississippi Community College’s 2026 softball season is slated to get started Tuesday (Feb. 3) with an 11 a.m. home twin bill against Marion Military Institute on the Scooba campus.
SCOOBA – With five scheduled home doubleheaders during the month of February, East Mississippi Community College's 2026 softball season is slated to get started Tuesday (Feb. 3) with an 11 a.m. home twin bill against Marion Military Institute on the Scooba campus.
EMCC's other February home softball doubleheaders are scheduled for Feb. 10 (Shelton State), Feb. 17 (Moberly Area), Feb. 19 (Coastal Alabama-North) and Feb. 27 (Gadsden State). During their non-conference schedule, the Lions are also slated to travel to Coastal Alabama-North (Feb. 7), Marion Military Institute (Feb. 12) and Shelton State (March 2) for return twin bills on the road.
East Mississippi's MACCC softball schedule begins with home doubleheaders versus East Central (March 7) and Holmes (March 10). The Lions will also play host to league foes Pearl River (March 21), Northwest Mississippi (March 24), Copiah-Lincoln (April 3), Coahoma (April 15) and Hinds (April 18) on the Scooba campus.
EMCC's seven MACCC road twin bills will be against Southwest Mississippi (March 14), Mississippi Delta (March 18), Meridian (March 28), Itawamba (March 31), Jones (April 11), Northeast Mississippi (April 21) and Mississippi Gulf Coast (April 24).
Under the guidance of fourth-year head softball coach Mackenzie Byrd and second-year assistant coach Taylor Cameron, EMCC's 18-member softball squad is comprised of six returners and 12 newcomers along with being evenly balanced with nine sophomores and nine freshmen.
The trio consisting of veteran corner infielders Madison Newburn (Wayne County HS) and Savannah Fralix (Haleyville, AL) as well as returning pitcher Allee Bennett (St. Patrick Catholic HS) looks to headline the team's returning sophomore class that appeared in postseason play a season ago for the first time in eight years while also having earned double-digit conference wins for the first time since 2018.
The Lions also have Annagrace Stewart (Sebastopol HS), Marleigh Cockrell (Hatley HS) and AJ Johnson (Louisville HS) returning from last year's EMCC team.
In addition, the Lions have secured three experienced sophomore newcomers who played last season at the two-year level before transferring to EMCC. Outfielder RaMiyah Price, from Meridian Community College, previously played at West Jones High School. California native Savannah Mitchell, a pitcher/infielder, competed for Northeast Mississippi CC a year ago. Alabama product Hannah Borden, an infielder, participated at Bevill State CC last season following her prep career at Belgreen High School.
With several newcomers contending for significant playing time this season, East Mississippi's nine incoming freshmen include Hanna Boleware (Sebastopol HS), Liberty Brown (Presbyterian Christian School), Devin Bourgeois (Bay HS), Daelyn Earls (Lake HS), Reese Edwards (Pell City [AL] HS), Chaley Peterson (Hancock HS), Raven Ramsey (Northeast Lauderdale HS), Olivia Saucier (Pass Christian HS) and Blayne Sturgeon (Mantachie HS).
This year's EMCC softball team looks to replace five valuable players from last year's squad who are currently continuing their playing careers at the four-year level. Twin sisters Gail Wisher and Karen Wisher along with catcher Rachel Rommel are teammates at Blue Mountain Christian University. Also continuing as collegiate teammates, former EMCC Lions Brianna Byrd and Sasha King have reunited at the Mississippi University for Women (MUW).