CONWAY, Ark. – Softball season is officially upon us! The 2026 Central Arkansas softball season begins on Friday, as the Bears play five games in the Bearkat Classic, hosted by Sam Houston State, facing South Dakota, Creighton, and Sam Houston State. The Bears will play two games on Friday (11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.), two games on Saturday (11 a.m. & 4 p.m.), and one game on Sunday (12:30 p.m.).
Friday will mark the first games of first-year head coach
Kayla Lucas's tenure as head coach, having spent the last five years as an assistant here at Central Arkansas. She takes over a team that brings back six full-time starters, and four players that started decent chunks of the year at various positions.
Among those returners are three All-ASUN players from last year's squad, notably, First Team All-ASUN, ASUN Freshman of the Year, and ASUN Preseason Player of the Year
Addie Graham. The sophomore centerfielder led the Bears hitting .389, adding 68 hits, 12 doubles and 34 RBI. The Bears also returned fellow sophomore Preseason All-ASUN first baseman
Kaitlyn Graham, who hit .308 with 48 hits, 11 doubles and 31 RBI. The final All-ASUN player coming back for this season is
Bailie Runner, who will headline the pitching staff in 2026. The senior was responsible for 11 wins last year, with two complete game shutouts and 81 strikeouts.
The Yotes enter the season after last year's campaign saw the team win 32 games and finish second in the Summit League. South Dakota returns 13 players from last season's squad, including five All-Summit League caliber players. South Dakota was selected to finish fourth in the Summit League in the preseason poll, with two players to watch entering the season.
Creighton returns 13 players from last year's team, including seven starters, a team that won 30 games and finished runner-up in the Big East Tournament. The Bluejays returned a pair of All-Big East players as well (Kaelan Schultz and Lily West), along with the Big East Defensive Player of the Year (Ashten Pierson).
The host, Sam Houston State, opens at home after posting a 28-29 record last season, including a 17-7 showing at home. The Bearkats and Bears played last season as part of the Louisiana Classic, where the Bears won 2-1 after crossing home twice in the bottom of the seventh. This season, Sam Houston State was selected fifth in the Preseason Conference USA poll, with pitcher Abigail Young earning Preseason All-CUSA honors. The Bearkats return nearly its entire pitching staff, bringing back more than 260 innings in the circle.
The Bears will not have any games streamed this weekend, but live stats will be available for all games during the Bearkat Classic.
