CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia softball team (0-0) opens the 2026 season this weekend at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic hosted by Coastal Carolina.
The Cavaliers will play give games at the tournament, including two games against No. 9 Arkansas, two games against host Coastal Carolina and a single game against Akron. Play begins at 10 a.m. on Friday when the Hoos and Razorbacks face off.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats are provided for all games, while games against Coastal Carolina will be streamed on ESPN+ through the ESPN app and at ESPN.com. Links to both are at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official account on X (@UVASoftball).
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday
10 a.m. vs. No. 9 Arkansas
3:30 p.m. vs. Coastal Carolina
Saturday
11 a.m. vs. No. 9 Arkansas
1:30 p.m. vs. Akron
Sunday
1:30 p.m. vs. Coastal Carolina
NOTING THE HOOS
• Virginia enters the 2026 season coming off a back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history after an appearance at the NCAA Columbia Regional last season
- The Cavaliers return 16 players from last year’s squad, including second team All-America selection Jade Hylton and three NFCA All-Region selections in Eden Bigham, Bella Cabral and Macee Eaton
- The Hoos are ranked in the Softball America (No. 23) and D1Softball (No. 25) polls, while receiving votes in the preseason NFCA Coaches poll
- The Virginia bullpen returns 80 percent of innings pitched from a year ago with five of six pitchers returning that accounted for 30 of Virginia’s 38 wins in the 2025 campaign
- Hylton set the UVA single-season (19) and career marks for home runs (49) last year, while also setting the single-season mark for runs scored (64), slugging percentage (.802) and extra-base hits (35)
- Bigham set the single-season (6) and career mark for saves (11) and ranks in the top 10 at UVA in career wins (No. 8 at 46), strikeouts (No. 8 at 418) and shutouts (No. 7 at 17) to earn first team All-ACC and All-Region nods
- Eaton set the single-season mark in RBI (64) last season to earn second team All-ACC and All-Region honors
- Cabral finished tied for third in the ACC in assists last season (114) as she split time between 2B and 3B as part of a formidable left side and middle infield with Hylton who led the ACC in assists (117) last season
- Virginia welcomes a freshman class of seven players that includes four players ranked among the top 100 recruits and two Gatorade Players of the Year in Karly Meredith and Taylor Smith
- Jaiden Griffith was named to the D1Softball Top 100 Freshmen list, while the trio of Meredith, Smith and Hannah Weismer were named to the Softball America Freshmen To Watch list
ON DECK FOR THE HOOS
Virginia will return home to host Delaware State next Friday (Feb.13) in a game that has been added to the schedule conflicts with another team forced changes to the Longwood Lancer Tournament schedule. First pitch in that single game will be 1 p.m. at Palmer Park.