LINCOLN, Calif. - After an incredible run to a 2025 NCCAA National Championship title last year, Jessup Softball continued to make strides in the postseason this year, as the Warriors caught fire in their final stretch of games to sneak into the postseason and claim the final spot in the tournament, making their fifth consecutive postseason appearance across the NAIA, NCCAA, and NCAA.
    
The season kicked off in Irvine, California at the CUI Kickoff Classic, a tournament that saw the Warriors play five games in three days to begin the 2026 campaign. They would finish this stretch of games at 2-3, dropping matchups against the University of Nebraska-Kearney, Cal Poly Humboldt, and Northwest Nazarene, and defeating CSU San Bernardino and CSU Dominguez Hills. Two more away games would be played before Jessup's 2026 home opener, with the Warriors splitting a doubleheader at Chico State, losing 8-0 and winning 3-1. The week after, Jessup would begin a stretch of home games, first against NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon University. The Raiders would take care of business, sweeping the day and dropping the Warriors to 3-6 on the year.
    
A common theme for the Warriors this year would be their fight with the elements, as rain in the area would force the relocation or cancellation of six of their next eight games, starting with a four-game series against Concordia, which needed to be moved to nearby American River College. The Golden Eagles would take three of four, with the Warriors preventing the sweep via a 3-2 game two victory. After this series, the Warriors would pack up and head for the islands of Hawai'i, the site of their next twelve games. They would start the trip off hot, pulling off a dominant 11-2 win over Hawai'i Hilo, but the Vulcans quickly took momentum back and evened the series with a 4-1 win. The next day was supposed to see the series' rubber matches, but severe weather in Hilo prevented that from happening, forcing the cancellation of the two conference games. From there, the Warriors hopped islands for their next two series against Hawai'i Pacific and Chaminade, and they would begin to find their groove in the second leg of the trip, taking 3-1 series wins over both Hawai'i schools, with the cherry on top being a dominant 2-0 shutout win over Chaminade in the final game of the series.
    
Coming off what was then the high point of their season, the Warriors returned home for a series against the Vanguard Lions. These two teams traded tightly contested matchups, as the Warriors and Lions split the series, with the most lopsided game being decided by just four runs. Looking to return to the level of their red-hot performances in Hawai'i, they would travel to Menlo for a two-game series that would be the start of a huge midseason push. After a 7-3 loss in game one, Jessup responded with a 6-2 win to split the day, and this would be the beginning of a seven-game win streak. The next weekend, the Warriors traveled to San Francisco State and Dominican, sweeping both two-game series in a dominant trip to the Bay Area. Their hot streak continued at home the following week with two huge conference wins over the Menlo Oaks, their sixth and seventh victories in a row.
    
As quickly as they seemed to put themselves back into the playoff conversation, the Warriors' next eight games would seemingly be the nail in their season's coffin, as Jessup would drop seven of their next eight games, five of these being against PacWest opponents. The dry spell began in Seaside, as the Warriors dropped two games to CSU Monterey Bay in a non-league affair, before being swept in a four-game series by the Biola Eagles at home. These six games, plus a split with Azusa Pacific in the first two games of that series, would place Jessup's backs against the wall with just four games left to play.
    
The final four games of Jessup's season had everything on the line, and the Warriors stepped up to the plate in a massive way. They would defeat Azusa Pacific in the final two games to take that series 3-1, setting up a crucial two-game Senior Day series against the Dominican Penguins. 

Before the series got underway, the Warriors recognized three seniors on the final day of the regular season: Maddy Ybarra, Kylie Nunes, and Neva Adams. These three have made major contributions to Jessup Softball over their illustrious careers, making major contributions to the program's postseason success in recent years. With everything on the line, these three and the team as a whole would make sure that these games were not their last. The Warriors came out firing on all cylinders, winning 10-2 in the first game of the series, and rode that momentum straight into game two, winning a tight 8-5 contest and officially clinching their spot in the PacWest Tournament as the #4 seed.
    
The Warriors would have their work cut out for them early on in the tournament, being matched up with the #1-seeded Concordia Golden Eagles in the first round, and Concordia would take care of business with a 6-2 victory, sending Jessup into the loser's bracket. The Warriors woke up the next morning not ready to go home just yet, as they would pull off their signature win of the season, knocking out NCAA Regional Qualifier Hawai'i Hilo in a dominant 10-2 victory. Maddy Ybarra and Kaiya Miller led the way in this game, each recording two hits and two RBI. On the mound, Korrie Almond pitched a gem, allowing just two runs over a complete game's work and striking out four. The Warriors' championship hopes would come to an end in their next elimination game, however, as the eventual NCAA Super Regional qualifier Biola Eagles would clinch a spot in the championship game with a convincing 11-2 win over the Warriors, ending their season just shy of the tournament championship.
    
After the season, the PacWest named two outstanding Warriors First Team All-PacWest: Maddy Ybarra and Maliyah Lawson. Ybarra finished her incredible Jessup career without skipping a beat, as the second baseman batted .409 with a 1.171 OPS, slugging seven home runs and driving in 47. She was also a major threat on the base paths, stealing 42 bases in 2026. This total, combined with her 50 stolen bases in 2025, was the most in a two-year stretch in PacWest Conference history. Maliyah Lawson also had an incredible 2026, batting .380 with an OPS of 1.004. She roped a team-high eight triples and stole a remarkable 33 bases herself, continuing to the Warriors' terrorizing play on the bases. Other impressive seasons on Jessup's offensive front include Neva Adams, Aaliyah Tinoco, and Evangelina Chavarria, who each batted over .300. In the circle, the Warriors were led by Evangelina Chavarria, who logged a 3.80 ERA over 105 innings of work with an 8-5 record. Nohemi Livingston and Korrie Almond also logged significant innings, with Livingston throwing 136 and Almond throwing 94. Livingston was a workhorse in her time on the field, recording 14 complete games and leading the team in strikeouts with 39. As a team, the Warriors also wrote themselves in the record books in two categories. Their 122 stolen bases were good for second-most in PacWest Conference history, and their 25 triples on the year tied the conference record.
    
While the future of Jessup Softball is as bright as ever, a significant chapter came to a close at the end of the season, as Brie Campbell's departure as head coach became official this summer. She leaves in order to fully transition to an executive role in Jessup's athletic department, officially marking the end of the winningest head coaching era in the program's history. Her 195 wins, an NAIA National Championship game appearance, and an NCCAA National Championship are just a few of the many accolades Campbell racked up across her seven-year career.
    
A new era of softball at Jessup University will begin in 2027, with Mark Watson assuming head coaching duties for a squad looking to pick up where they left off at the conference tournament last year.  
About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. 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 (Instagram & X).