Oregon State
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Oregon State Softball Opens Regular Season in Los Angeles
February 04, 2026 | Softball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Oregon State softball will open the 2026 season this weekend, traveling to Los Angeles, Calif., to play five games against four different opponents.
Oregon State Beavers Opening Weekend Tournament
Feb.6: Utah Tech / 10:30 a.m. / LBSU Softball Complex / Live Stats
Feb. 6: Long Beach State / 1 p.m. / LBSU Softball Complex / Live Stats
Feb. 7: UC Santa Barbara / 10:30 a.m. / Bill Barber Park / Live Stats / Live Stream
Feb. 7: UCLA / 5 p.m. / Bill Barber Park / Live Stats / Live Stream
Feb. 8: Long Beach State / 10 a.m. / LBSU Softball Complex / Live Stats / Live Stream
BRACE FOR THE BAM:
As a freshman in 2025, Paige Bambarger made an immediate impact in the Oregon State infield, starting all 47 games at second base and quickly establishing herself as a steady defensive presence. She finished the season with 75 putouts and 50 assists while anchoring the middle infield. Offensively, the Murrieta, Calif., native led the team with two triples while finishing her freshman campaign a perfect 5-5 when stealing bases.
After a strong debut season, Bambarger was named to the WCC's All-Freshman team.
KEY CONTRIBUTOR:
In her first season at Oregon State in 2025, Jaeya Butler was a fixture in the lineup, one of two players to feature in all 47 games. She hit .278 with a .490 slugging percentage, totaling 42 hits, a team-high 11 doubles and seven home runs while driving in 20 runs. Defensively, she handled a heavy workload with 71 putouts and 73 assists across 158 total chances during the 2025 campaign, leading the team with 73 assists. For her performances, Butler was an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.
A STAR IN THE MAKING:
The team-leader in batting average (.383), runs scored (29) and stolen bases (16), Jada Lewis was a First Team All-WCC selection in 2025, also ranking fourth in the conference with a .483 on base percentage. Her OPS, .970, led the team as she ranked second on the team for hits (44) and doubles (10). With her strong performance last season, the Vallejo, Calif., native was voted to the WCC's All-Preseason Team in January and will be a fixture of the Beaver lineup in 2026.
EARNED IT:
The Beavers ended last season with an ERA of 3.17, the third lowest in the Berg Era. The Beavs started the 2025 campaign with an ERA of 3.54 for third in the WCC but ended the season at the top of the conference, putting a gap of .24 between them and second place.
OPPORTUNITY AWAITS:
The Beavs have a large role to fill as they head into the 2026 season without their starting pitchers, Logan Hulon and Ellie Garcia, who graduated this past year. Hulon lead the conference in strikeouts last year, averaging 7.0 per game and 167 for the season. Between Hulon and Garcia, they tallied seven shutouts.
With Hulon and Garcia combining to pitch over 300 innings, none of the team's rostered pitchers entering the 2026 season have thrown a single pitch for the Beavers, leaving creating a unique opportunity for each of the six arms to stake their claim as part of the rotation.
HITTING FOR POWER:
OSU ranked third in the WCC with 36 home runs in 2025, coming in just behind LMU (42) and Saint Mary's (43) but ahead of Pacific (28), San Diego (19) and Santa Clara (18). Of the six players to hit at least two out of the ballpark, five are back in 2025, including each of the team's top five. Tristian Thompson, who led the team with 10 home runs and 32 RBI, is back, along with Butler (seven home runs, 20 RBI), Nikki Donahue (five home runs, 26 RBI), Morgan Howey (four home runs, 20 RBI) and Lici Campbell (four home runs, 25 RBI).
Originally from Waco, Texas, Thompson's strong sophomore season resulted in an All-WCC Honorable Mention selection as she was one of just three players in the conference to tally double-digit home runs.
BACKSTOP:
Nikki Donahue enters her second season as a Beaver in 2026 after playing two years at UT Arlington. In 2025, her first at OSU, the Honolulu native started 46 of the team's 47 games, tallying five home runs and leading the team with 31 walks drawn. Defensively, her fielding percentage (.993) was the Beavers' top mark and ranked second in the West Coast Conference among players with at least 66 total chances.
YEAR 14:
Laura Berg enters year 14 leading Beaver softball in 2026, the second longest tenured head coach in program history. Only Kirk Walker (1995-2012; 18 seasons) has spent more time at the helm of the program. Of the eight head coaches in program history, Berg ranks second behind walker with 328 career victories, while her conference winning percentage is the top mark.
BACK THE PAC:
After two seasons as affiliate members of the WCC, the Beavers will return to the Pac-12 following the 2026 season. Along with Washington State, the Beavs will resume Pac-12 play with the new members on the conference: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State. New members will officially join July 1, 2026.
UP NEXT:
Oregon State softball continues its season next weekend at the Campbell Cartier Classic hosted by San Diego State, playing five games from Feb. 13-15.
OUR MISSION:
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
