2026 Softball Season Preview
Santa Fe Softball opens with doubleheader Friday
Gainesville, FL
Santa Fe Softball awaits a three team round robin style opening day vs. Walters State at 10:00am and vs. St. Johns River at 2:00pm at the Santa Fe Softball Field. The Vikings enter the season #3 in the NJCAA DII preseason poll.
The Saints enter the 2026 season after finishing 37-23 in 2025 and had earned a spot in the FCSAA Tournament for the second straight year. The team will be led by Head Coach Savanah Webster who enters her 5th season with the Saints. She will retain Katie Chronister and add Darian Pippin to her staff for 2026. Pippin brings along a plethora of playing experience and national recognition to the staff as they hope for their 5th straight 30-win season.
The Saints will have a good mix of new and familiar faces in 2026, as they are looking to replace some key contributors from a year before. As a team, Santa Fe totaled 53 home runs in 2025, posting a .303 team batting average while holding opponents to hit a mere .227. Look for Rylie Blankenship, Laura Pierce, Tegan Grizzard, Camryn VanGalder, Haylee McCrea, Jazmyn Thompson, Sydney English, and Belle Mancillas to bring their veteran leadership and connection to the program and culture to make a big impact. VanGalder was named to the 2025 FCSAA All-Tournament Team during their state tournament run. The roster rounds out with 11 incoming players and 4 transfers into Santa Fe.
The Saints will begin Citrus Conference play on the road at St. Petersburg College on Tuesday, February 24th in a doubleheader at 1:00 and 3:00pm. The will round out the regular season at home vs Eastern Florida on Monday, May 4th at 2:00 and 4:00pm.
The NJCAA Region 8 and Citrus Conference will again be one of the strongest in the country. The Saints check in at the preseason poll #17 in the nation, with the #2, 8, 16 and 23 in the Citrus Conference alone. The Saints will square off against each of these teams a total of four times each during the 60-game regular season.
The state tournament will take place May 12-16th at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida.