LINCOLN, Calif. – The Warriors are preparing to return to the diamond at Foskett Regional Park as Jessup Softball announces their 2024 schedule. Looking to return to the national tournament, the Warriors will again play a stacked schedule featuring many teams that made a run at a red banner in 2023.
 
Jessup is coming off a 24-23 record last season, as their championship hopes ended in the GSAC Tournament. The Warriors will be hoping their final NAIA season resembles the 2022 campaign, a year that saw Jessup win the GSAC Championship and advance to the NAIA Opening Round.
 
Head coach Brie Campbell, beginning year five in the third base dugout, introduces a new support staff for the 2024 season. With Associate Head Coach Ryan Stevens making the move to McBean Park, Campbell has added two new assistants to pair with returning volunteer Kayla Altheide.
 
Kristin Worley, a former Chico State Wildcat, makes her collegiate coaching debut with the Warriors this year. Experienced coach Mark Watson also joins the staff as he helps with a roster that includes his daughter, Lexi.
 
The new-look coaching staff will guide their team into battle for the first time on February 3 as Jessup opens with none other than the reigning National Champions, Southern Oregon. This will be part of a four-game weekend at Simpson's Red Hawk Round Robin, as the Warriors will also see No. 24 Eastern Oregon twice.
 
Jessup then makes their home debut on February 9 as they play five times across the weekend. The Warriors will square off with Corban three times, with their other two games coming against Westcliff.
 
Then it will be off to Georgia, the site of the NAIA World Series, as Jessup gets their shot at some of the NAIA's best in the NAIA Leadoff Classic. While in Columbus, the Warriors will see No. 3 Cumberlands, No. 4 Georgia Gwinnett, No. 12 Mobile, along with Milligan and Louisiana Christian. The NAIA Leadoff Classic is scheduled for February 16 – 18.
 
From there, it's back home to Foskett Regional Park as the No. 1 ranked Oregon Tech Owls come to town. The Warriors will host a two-day event on two fields at Foskett as they play the Owls twice, along with a game against the No. 13 ranked Yotes of the College of Idaho.
 
The preseason ends with a home series against Saint Katherine, followed by a trip to future PacWest rivals Academy of Art. Then it is on to the GSAC, as the Warriors' final GSAC season starts on March 9 with a trip to Menlo, another school making the leap to NCAA Division II.
 
Jessup will play each GSAC opponent four times, two coming at home and the other two on the road. The regular season will end with Jessup's second doubleheader with Menlo, as Senior Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 20.
 
But the Warriors hope April 20 is not the end of the road, as the GSAC Tournament is scheduled for April 29 – May 1. The top four teams in the conference will earn a bid to play in the double-elimination tournament held at Irvine's OC Great Park, with the winner gaining an automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round.
 
Jessup's schedule will have them prepared for the postseason path ahead of them, as 18 of Jessup's' 42 regular season games are against teams receiving national votes in the preseason poll.
 
The final NAIA season in Jessup University history starts in just two weeks, and the Warriors will be looking to keep their NAIA era alive as long as possible.
   
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).