Softball | 2/13/2026 12:00:00 PM
WIAC Release
Madison, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team is tabbed to finish sixth in the 2026 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Preseason Poll according to the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
The Eagles finished 22-19 overall and 7-7 in the WIAC last season. Samantha Korn starts her third year as UWL's head coach in 2026.
Defending conference tournament champion UW-Oshkosh is the favorite to win the 2026 league title. UW-Whitewater, last year's regular season title winner, is second in the predictions followed by UW-Stevens Point, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Plattevile, UWL, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout.
Brooke Howard is a two-time All-WIAC First Team selection.
UW-Oshkosh is ranked 17th in the 2026 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)/Gorout National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Preseason Top 25 Poll while UW-Whitewater is ranked 11th and UW-Stevens Point 13th.
The Eagles return 12 letter winners from last season's squad, including five position starters and four pitchers with starting experience.
UWL welcomes back three All-WIAC selections, including two-time (2024-25) first team choice in junior outfielder
Brooke Howard of
Rock Falls, Ill. (H.S.). She started all 41 games last season, hitting .358 and leading the team in hits (49), runs (30), triples (6) and at-bats (137). Howard recorded at least one hit in 30 games and led UWL with 18 multiple-hit contests. She scored at least run in 22 games.
Senior catcher/first baseman
Marissa Pease of
Mukwonago (H.S.) was named to the 2023 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team while junior pitcher
Brynne Bieri of
McFarland (H.S.) was selected to the 2025 honorable mention squad. Pease played in 30 games with 25 starts, having at least one hit in 15 games. She had six multiple-hit contests. Bieri finished 6-2 with a 2.80 earned run average in 2025, leading the Eagles in victories (6). She made 16 appearances with four starts.
Marissa Pease started 25 games a year ago.
Senior first baseman/outfielder
Aliyah Langrehr of
Bangor (H.S.), junior pitcher
Carmen Follette of
Dousman (Kettle Moraine), junior outfielder
Carly Gross of
Sun Prairie (East), junior third baseman/outfielder
Ava Jaehnke of
Waterloo (H.S.), junior pitcher
Claire Springer of
Chatfield, Minn. (H.S.), junior pitcher/outfielder
Lindsay Steien of
Taylor (Blair-Taylor), sophomore infielder
Josie Flom of
Kenyon, Minn. (Kenyon-Wanamingo), sophomore outfielder
Amber Gonzalez of
Mosinee (H.S.) and sophomore pitcher/utility Kaley Niemiec of
Menomonee Falls (H.S.) all return this season.
Langrehr played in 22 games a year ago with seven starts while Follette went 4-6 with a 3.84 ERA and led UWL in appearances (25), complete-games (3), saves (7), innings (89.1) and strikeouts (63). Gross played in 37 games with 35 starts last season, hitting .302 with seven multiple-hit contests. Jaehnke appeared in 31 games with 22 starts.
Brynne Bieri led UWL in wins (6) last season.
Springer finished 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA in 13 appearances for the Eagles last season while Steien started all 41 games and hit .302. Steien tied for the team lead in home runs (4) and finished second in triples (2) and stolen bases (12).
Appearing in 29 games with 15 starts a year ago, Flom recorded a hit in 11 contests. Gonzalez played in 37 games, including 33 starts, with six multiple-hit contests, while Niemiec pitched in 19 games with 14 starts last season. She finished 6-6 with a 2.47 ERA, tying for UWL's lead in wins and ranking second in innings (68.0) and strikeouts (56).
The 2026 roster includes two seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores and nine freshmen.
UWL opens its season Saturday, February 21 with a pair of games in Mankato, Minnesota, facing Saint Mary's University (Minn.) at 1 p.m. and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) at 3:30 p.m.
