Softball Team Looks Forward to Challenging Schedule, Successful 2026 Season

Head coach Jon Cox has high hopes for his Eagle softball team this spring, thanks in part to four returning starters, including three who earned 1st Team All-Conference honors last year, and a good group of newcomers.

Now in his 15th year leading the program, Cox believes this year's pitching staff is one of, if not the best one, as a whole, he's ever had in that decade and a half. "Our biggest asset is our pitching. Our biggest question mark is our defense. If our offense can get things going – we like to bunt and run and put pressure on defenses – we really have a good chance to be top two in the GVC and make the state playoffs."

After two consecutive seasons of finishing just one or two wins short of the postseason, could this be the year they clear that hurdle?

"I've been telling the girls, 'It's not just one, two or three players: it's going to take every player and coach doing as much as we can to get victories," Cox said.

Helping him to get all 17 players to buy in is an experienced coaching staff that includes assistants Russell Morena, Daniel Sanchez, and former Eagle Zoe Mendez, who was First Team Utility during her two seasons on the team (2020-2022), then joined the staff in 2023.

"Our schedule is very tough, but hopefully it will prepare us for a tough conference season," said Cox, who sees Siskiyous as "one of three or four teams that have a shot at winning conference."

Returning from last year's team that finished 3rd in the Golden Valley Conference with an 11-7 record (19-21 overall) are 1st Team All-Conference players Kaelyn Lange from Coleville, Alexes Collier from Yreka, and Rylee Reasoner from Cloverdale, along with June Woster of Medford, who is again starting at second base.

Despite joining the team late last year after playing on the basketball team, left-handed pitcher Kaelyn Lange spun two no-hitters, allowed 5 or fewer hits in 12 of her 16 starts, and gave up only 48 hits in 88 innings. She ranked 3rd among GVC pitchers in Earned Run Average (2.61) and Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (1.26). She was 4th in conference with 8 wins, 4th in strikeouts per 7 innings (5.53), and 5th in strikeouts (70). She also produced at the plate, batting.375 with a .403 on-base percentage, .714 slugging percentage, and 18 RBIs in 56 at-bats. She was 2nd on the team with 12 extra-base hits, including 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs.

Lange chose to focus on softball only this year, and Cox said, "We're excited having her back and it's great to have her from the start." When the Eagles opened their season Feb. 6 at Hartnell, Lange threw six shutout innings before Hartnell scored the game's only run in the bottom of the 7th. She allowed 5 hits while walking 4 and striking out 2.

Alexes Collier will again be joining the team late after her second all-conference season with the basketball team. Last spring she led the conference in stolen bases with a school record-tying 19. Batting first in the lineup, she ranked 2nd on the team and 6th in conference with 32 runs scored, was 2nd on the team with a .353 batting average, tied for second-most hits (41) on the team, and finished 3rd on the team in on-base percentage (.409), slugging percentage (.440), and total bases (51).

Collier is moving to centerfield this season after playing shortstop as a freshman. "We'll be relying on her again to jump start the offense," Cox said.

Rylee Reasoner led last year's team and was among the GVC leaders in hits (45), RBIs (39), batting average (.381), on-base percentage (.444), and slugging percentage (.525). She led the team with 14 doubles and 15 extra-base hits and tied for the team lead in total bases (62). One of only three Eagles to play all 40 games last year, Reasoner ranked 2nd in conference in RBIs, 5th in hits and doubles, and was top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, and total bases. She struck out only 9 times in 135 plate appearances

"She's an offensive threat in the middle of our lineup and has gotten better defensively," Cox said, noting that Reasoner threw out two Hartnell runners who attempted to steal in the first two games.

June Woster is returning to play second base after a strong freshman season during which she ranked second in conference with 34 runs scored. "She's motivated to perform better this year," Cox said. "She'll be a key at the top of our lineup. With her speed and contact, she does a lot to get the offense going."

Sophomore catcher/outfielder Remie Strahm from Tualatin, OR, started last season splitting time at catcher with Rylee Reasoner. But Strahm had knee surgery after the eighth game and missed the rest of the season. "She's recovered and will help make our offense go," Cox said, pointing to her "leadership and ability to play both positions." Strahm's double was the Eagles' only hit in the opener at Hartnell.

Also returning is Maddi McClure from Winnemucca, who plays catcher and first base. "She struggled early last year but came on later and had some pop in her bat," Cox said. "She's a great teammate and does what it takes to help the team be successful."

Pitcher Alexis Perez from Central Point is a sophomore who transferred to Siskiyous this season from Bushnell University. She's athletic and expected to be a top pitcher and fielder this season, Cox said. In their 4-3 game-two loss at Hartnell, Perez struck out 5 in 7.2 innings while allowing 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks. She also had one of the Eagles' three doubles on offense.

The 10 freshmen on the 2026 roster are "all key parts of the program," Coach Cox said. They are: Pitcher Mia Perez from Burney, infielder Hailey Pebley from Redding, outfielder Chloe Sankey from Springfield, OR, utility player Bri Turrey from Medford, shortstop Aubree Schmidt from Grants Pass, outfielder Brooklyn Schmidt from Scappoose, OR, first base Megan Boudro from Redding, left-handed pitcher Caelli DePaul from Alturas, pitcher Avery Henderson from Vancouver, WA, utility player Hailey Walton from Palo Cedro.

Mia Perez and Caelli DePaul are both pitchers from small nearby high schools who throw with velocity and control.

Cox describes starting shortstop Aubree Schmidt as "a great addition" to the team. "She's athletic and has a lot of skills to be good while continuing to develop."

Two players from University Prep in Redding are expected to help the Eagles on the infield corners. Hailey Pebley at third base and Megan Boudro at first base "both are very good players, have a lot of energy and are active in the dugout," Cox said. "We'll rely on them on offense and defense." Boudro doubled, drove in a run, had two of the Eagles nine hits, and reached base on a fielding error that brought home a run in the second game at Hartnell. Pebley had a single.

Freshmen Brooklyn Schmidt and Avery Henderson are two of the team's better hitters, according to the coach, but neither was able to play at Hartnell. Schmidt, who was out with an illness, is an athletic outfielder with "huge speed." Henderson, who adds to the team's pitching and infield depth, was out with an injury.

Bri Turrey, who doubled and drove in two runs in game two at Hartnell, is a redshirt transfer from Bushnell who "hits with power," Cox said.

Chloe Sankey is an outfielder and developing pitcher. "Her specialty is the drop ball," Cox said, adding that she "threw strike after strike" on a high school team that did not field well. "She can give us a different look and will have better results with a better defense."

Freshman Hailey Walton, a 1st Team All-Conference soccer player for the Eagles this past fall, joined the softball team for a specific purpose. Cox said, "Her job is to pinch run in strategic situations, like stealing some bases or going from first to third."

Before opening their season at Hartnell, the Eagles went on an international tour to play three games in Costa Rica vs the Costa Rica national team. Cox said he believes they're the first California junior college team to make such a trip. "We got to experience international softball, enjoy great cultural experiences, and do community service projects with kids from the San Jose area. It was great for team bonding… We may have started a movement. It sparked the girls' interest in things they may want to do in the future."

The team's tough preseason continues with two Saturday games Feb. 21st at San Jose, which was a top five team in the state last year. They'll then play three doubleheaders in three days Feb. 26 to 28, at Chabot in Hayward, Ohlone in Fremont, and against Sequoias and defending state champion San Mateo in San Mateo.

After that, it's three doubleheaders in five days March 4 to 8 at Porterville, Taft and Coalinga, followed by two doubleheaders the following weekend at Cabrillo and Monterey Peninsula.

"We'll be challenged," Cox said. "We look forward to it."

After starting their conference schedule at defending GVC champion Yuba on Friday, March 20th, the Eagles will play their first home games of the season March 21st against Lassen.

Yuba finished 3rd in the state tournament last year after a perfect 18-0 GVC season but has few returning players. Cox sees Feather River and Butte as two of the teams to beat in conference this year.

Still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the summer, Cox said he is looking forward to getting back in the third base coaching box, something he was unable to do in the fall. "I can only stand sitting in the dugout so long," he said, hoping he'll be busy running and waving his arms in that spot while guiding his players frequently around the bases.

By Steve Gerace