A&M-Victoria softball picked 4th in Red River Athletic Conference Preseason Poll
WACO – The Red River Athletic Conference announced its 2026 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday.
In it, the Texas A&M University-Victoria softball team was picked to finish fourth. The Jaguars are coming off their 10th NAIA Tournament appearance after a 29-23 season in 2025, marking the 18th consecutive winning season since the program started in 2008.
Last season, A&M-Victoria ranked fourth in the Red River Athletic Conference offensively with a .299 team average and third in home runs with 24.
Headlining the returning offensive firepower are 2025 All-RRAC honorees Alyssa Carter (second team) and Fayth Hoover (honorable mention), and RRAC All-Tournament selection Daizie Fuentez.
Carter and Hoover lead the returners as far as average goes, slashing .347 and .318, respectively, in 2025. The two also combined for 34 RBIs and 13 extra base hits.
Fuentez came on strong in the postseason for A&M-Victoria, hitting .428 with five RBIs. The Victoria native delivered a career-high three RBIs in A&M-Victoria's 7-4 win over rival Texas A&M-San Antonio in the opening round of the conference tournament.
Jocelyne Galvan headlines the returners on the pitching staff after posting a 7-4 record in 18 appearances last year. The Aransas Pass native struck out 31 batters with a 3.00 ERA over 65.1 innings of work last season.
The Jaguars added reinforcements to the pitching staff with Haley Noska (McLennan Community College) and Zoe Hardy (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).
No. 13-ranked LSU Alexandria was picked to win the conference with nine first-place votes. No. 22 Texas A&M-Texarkana and No. 12 Our Lady of the Lake were picked ahead of the Jaguars.
A&M-Victoria opens the season at home with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against former RRAC foe Huston-Tillotson on Saturday, Jan. 31.