TEMPE, Arizona – Texas State softball will open its 2026 season on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 4:30 pm (CT) against Toledo as they begin the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona hosted by Arizona State.
The Bobcats will play two games against RV Northwestern and games against Memphis and RV Arizona State in addition to the opener against Toledo. Live stats will be available at txst.com/stats for all five games, with only the Bobcats game against Arizona State being streamed on ESPN+.
Texas State is coming off a 34-19 campaign which included a Sun Belt Conference Regular Season Championship and were named Preseason Favorites in the Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll. Texas State returns 96.8% of its innings pitched and 75.5% of its at-bats from the 2025, championship winning season.
The Bobcats will open the season with five road games before returning home for 24-straight home games. All tournament passes, single game and season tickets for all home Bobcat Softball games are available for purchase at txst.com/tickets.
2026 Kajikawa Classic Schedule
Farrington Softball Stadium | Tempe, Arizona
For the most updated game information, visit txst.com/sports/softball/schedule
Thursday, Feb. 5
Texas State vs Toledo | 4:30 pm | Live stats
Friday, Feb. 4
Texas State vs Northwestern | 1:45 pm | Live stats
Texas State at Arizona State | 7:15 pm | Live stats | ESPN+
Saturday, Feb. 8
Texas State vs Memphis | 1:45 pm | Live stats
Texas State vs Northwestern | 4:30 pm | Live stats
GAME NOTES
- Texas State returns all 16 players from last year's team, including pitchers Maddy Azua, Emma Strood, Analisa Soliz and Abigail Jennings as well as field players Megan Kelnar, Karmyn Bass, Sydney Harvey, Keely Williams, Aiyana Coleman, Kate Bubela, Kat Zarate, Bailee Slack, Mel Reeves, Abby Garza, Emily Fish and Mayson Garrett.
- Junior Kat Zarate redshirted the season in 2025 and will return in 2026.
- Head coach Ricci Woodard will enter her 26th season at the helm of Texas State softball.
- A coach with 14 conference championships and 11 NCAA Regional appearances, Woodard enters the season with 878 career wins.
- Woodard is in the top-20 among active Division I coaches in career wins. Woodard is one of just 11 of the top 25 winningest head coaches to accumulate all her wins at one program.
- Texas State has won four-consecutive Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors, with Azua being recently named the 2026 season award recipient after earning the honor in 2025. Additionally, Aiyana Coleman was named Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year. The pair and senior Megan Kelnar were named Preseason All-Conference.
- Texas State's roster contains eight seniors, including four which have played all four seasons of their careers at Texas State.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Toledo
All-time series: Texas State trails 0-1
Last meeting: 1986 (L, 0-4)
Streak: L1
Northwestern
All-time series: Texas State leads 2-0
Last meeting: May 15, 2009 (W, 8-0)
Streak: W2
Arizona State
All-time series: Texas State trails 3-5
Last meeting: Feb. 22, 2024 (W, 12-2)
Streak: TXST W2
Memphis
All-time series: Texas State leads 1-0
Last meeting: Feb. 28, 2014 (W 2-0)
Streak: TXST W1
