The 2026 DII softball season is scheduled to open Jan. 30, with defending national champion UT Tyler taking the field in the DII First Pitch Invitational. The Patriots have pitched and slugged their way to consecutive titles and look to become the first three-peat in DII softball since Cal State Bakersfield did it from 1988-90.
HISTORY: Here are the DII softball programs with the most national championships
Manufacturing runs is always important, but let's face the reality. We love home runs. And those teams that hit the most tend to do very well on the national stage. UT Tyler, for example, finished fourth in DII last year with 72. However, the Patriots are losing 62 of those home runs in the starting lineup, with only Taryn Barney and her 10 home runs returning. It may be shocking to see the two-time defending champs not be on this list, but when you lose 86 percent of your power production, it is fair to take a wait-and-see approach.
Who else has a lineup heading into the new season that can keep up? Let's take a look at a few that should slug their way to the tournament in May.
6 of the top returning home run hitting teams in DII softball
West Texas A&M. The Buffs led DII softball in home runs last year, because of course they did. The Buffs are averaging 75.4 home runs a season over the past five years, and in four of those five years, they finished in the top 5 in DII softball for home runs. They do lose Emilee Boyer and Lauren Granger, who combined for 36 of their 98 home runs, but return Abby Howell, Avery Cannon, and Emily Liskai, who all hit double figures in home runs. Water is wet, and West Texas A&M mashes home runs; there are few certainties in life, but that’s simply one of them.
Carson-Newman. The Eagles finished tied for fourth in home runs last year with 72. They were a relative newcomer to crushing long balls, having not finished in the top 10 in home runs once in the previous five seasons. Much of that production was thanks to returner Macauley Bailey, who had an unreal 2025, hitting .447 with a team-high 18 home runs. Now, the Eagles do lose 44 of those 72 home runs with the losses of Hayden Dye, Brooklyn Lucero, Kennady Warder and Mari Robbins, but do retain Santana Anderson, who added eight home runs. The Eagles may see a big drop off, but they have the building blocks for another big year.
Marycille Brumby
North Georgia. The Nighthawks are a model of consistency. They have reached at least the super regionals in each of the past four seasons and made it to the finals in three of those, winning their second title in an eight year span in 2023. They also typically have one of the best lineups in the division, and that should be the same in 2026. That’s mainly because All-Universe catcher Carleigh Knowles is back. As a freshman, she finished second in DII in home runs with 21, and as a hitter that controls the strike zone, a repeat performance is not out of the question. Sydnee Reaves, who hit 11 home runs, and Marycille Brumby, who hit nine, are also back, giving the Nighthawks plenty of firepower for another home-run friendly lineup in 2026.
Emory & Henry. The Wasps finished seventh in DII with 68 team home runs a year ago. They do lose 25 of those home runs from Lydia Taylor (15) and Danielle King (10); however, they return a few young stars that should be taking another step forward. Liberty Johnson and Tristyn Tofano each slugged nine home runs a year ago, while Hannah Booth, Rachel Hill, Abigail Street and Karsen Simpson combined for 17 more. The Wasps improved from 18-23 in 2024 to 31-21 last year, so this is clearly a program on the rise — and their home run total should follow that trend this season as well.
Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears hit a lot of home runs in 2025. Their DII baseball counterparts set the DII single-season home run record, while the Bears on the softball diamond raked 95 homers to finish second in DII. They had five players reach double digits in home runs — and four are back. Madison Primm had a monster season, among DII’s leaders with a .436 average and 19 home runs, and Lani Warren (14 home runs), Avery Kiger (13) and Alexandria Gray (11) are all back and looking to improve their numbers. Add in Cassidy Wall, who hit .362 with nine home runs, and this lineup has five players who hit better than .360, each with an OPS higher than 1.000, while combining for 69.4 percent of the Bears 95 home runs a season ago.
Oklahoma Baptist. The Bison were sixth in DII last year with 69 home runs and have the luxury of returning their top home run hitter for the 2026 season. Last year, Greenlee Wells led the GAC with 15 home runs and a .776 slugging percentage. Prior to her arrival at Oklahoma Baptist, she had a 26-home run season with Eastern Oklahoma State, so we may have just seen a preview of what is to come. Now, the Bison lose 24 home runs in Morgan Max and Sammie Greene but return 22 home runs in Ally Ryan (8), Haley Hacker (6), and Kaley Cook and Nichelle Marshall, who hit four apiece. The Bison certainly experienced an unexpected power surge last season after hitting 104 total home runs between 2022-24, but this seems like there is enough firepower to keep it going.
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