Games 1-5: UWG Opening Weekend Event
Location: Carrollton, Ga.
Friday, Feb. 6 @ 12 p.m. – vs. Drexel
Friday, Feb. 6 @ 5 p.m. – vs. Austin Peay
Saturday, Feb. 7 @ 5 p.m. – at UWG
Saturday, Feb. 7 @ 7:30 p.m. – vs. Austin Peay
Sunday, Feb. 8 @ 12:30 p.m. – vs. Bellarmine
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ATLANTA – Georgia State softball opens the 2026 season on the road at the UWG Opening Weekend Event for a three-day tournament hosted by West Georgia. The Panthers will face Drexel, Austin Peay, host UWG and Bellarmine across five games beginning Friday, Feb. 6, at 12 p.m., and continuing through Sunday, Feb. 8.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia State holds a commanding 26-4 all-time record against Drexel in a series that dates back to 1989. The two programs first met in 1989, when the Panthers opened the series with a 1-0 victory. Drexel earned its first win in the matchup on April 14, 2007, edging Georgia State 6-5 in the opening game of a doubleheader. Since that setback, the Panthers have dominated the series, highlighted by a 14-game winning streak from March 21, 2009, through April 21, 2013. Georgia State's largest margin of victory came in a 13-1 win on April 10, 2011. In the latest meeting on April 21, 2013, the Panthers closed the series with a five-inning, 9-0 shutout on the road, winning each of the final 10 matchups against the Dragons.
This will mark the first meeting between Austin Peay and Georgia State in more than two decades, with the Panthers holding a perfect 3-0 record in the all-time series. Georgia State opened the series with a 7-0 victory on March 8, 1992, followed by a 9-1 win on March 7, 1993. The most recent matchup came on February 17, 2001, when the Panthers posted their largest margin of victory in the series with a dominant 15-0 shutout.
Georgia State holds a 6-3 all-time record against West Georgia in a series that dates back to 1984. The two programs first met on March 7, 1984, with West Georgia taking a pair of victories, 5-3 and 4-3. The Panthers responded by winning six of the next seven meetings, including a four-game stretch during the 1985 season. Georgia State also recorded back-to-back shutouts on April 16, 1986, winning 7-1 and 1-0. The most recent matchup came last season on March 7, 2025, when West Georgia claimed a 4-1 victory in Atlanta.
This weekend will mark the first-ever meeting between Georgia State and Bellarmine University.
INSIDE THE CIRCLE
Georgia State will feature a fresh look inside the circle this season as the Panthers' return only one pitcher from last season, Makayla Stephens. Stephens made 27 appearances during the 2025 campaign, striking out 103 batter to rank seventh in the conference in strikeouts and fourth in strikeouts looking (33). She will be joined by a group of newcomers in the circle, as freshman Brynn Belstle, Fort Valley transfer Tenison Myricks and Illinois transfer Briana Bower look to add new style to the Panthers' pitching staff.
NEW TO THE A
Georgia State welcomes nine new faces to the roster for the upcoming season, including four freshmen and five transfers ready to make an immediate impact. Freshmen Kya Walker, Maya Bagsby, Brynn Belstle and Samantha Breaux bring youthful energy and potential, while transfers Caitlyn Hall (Abilene Christian), Tenison Myricks (Fort Valley State), Briana Bower (Illinois), Allison Jones (Rhode Island) and Dillyn Suggs (Campbell) bring collegiate experience to bolster the Panthers' lineup.
GEORGIA ON OUR MIND
Georgia State's roster reflects a strong homegrown presence, with 14 out of 21 players hailing from the Peach State. The remaining seven players bring added depth to the roster, representing Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Missouri (1) and Texas (1).
NADLER HERE TO STAY
Following two standout seasons with the Panthers, Chloe Nadler joined the Owens coaching staff as a Graduate Assistant. She concluded her senior campaign as the team's offensive leader, starting 46 of 47 games. Nadler led the 2024 roster in nearly every major statistical category, including batting average (.296), home runs (7), triples (2), RBI (22), slugging (.520), and OBP (.390). During a highlight performance against Robert Morris on Feb. 23, 2024, she etched herself into the record book with a single-game home runs record (2), marking the second highest in a single game in program history.
Admission is free to all Georgia State softball home games in 2026.
