SB | 2026 Schedule Preview - SMC California Athletics

MORAGA, Calif. — We are less than three months away from the start of softball season, as the Saint Mary's Gaels look for the three-peat as WCC Champs, and have put together a schedule that should best prepare them for their third straight conference title share. Here's a look at the full 2026 Saint Mary's Softball Slate:

NORCAL CLASSIC (Hosted by Sacramento State and UC Davis)
2/6/2026 12:00 PM vs. Colorado State (@ Sac State)
2/6/2026 2:30 PM @ Sacramento State
2/7/2026 9:30 AM vs. Cal Poly (@ Sac State)
2/7/2026 12:00 PM @ Sacramento State
2/8/2026 9:30 AM @ UC Davis

2/13/2026 12:30 PM vs. CSUN
2/13/2026 3:00 PM vs. CSUN
2/14/2026 12:00 PM vs. CSUN

MARY NUTTER COLLEGIATE CLASSIC (Big League Dreams, Cathedral City, Calif.)
2/20/2026 5:30 PM vs. San Diego State
2/20/2026 8:00 PM vs. Washington
2/21/2026 5:00 PM vs. Hawaii
2/21/2026 8:00 PM vs. South Carolina
2/22/2026 11:30 AM vs. Long Beach State

TEXAS A&M INVITATIONAL (Hosted by Texas A&M)
2/27/2026 11:30 AM vs. Kennesaw State
2/27/2026 2:00 PM vs. Louisiana
2/28/2026 2:00 PM vs. Louisiana
2/28/2026 7:00 PM @ Texas A&M
3/1/2026 11:00 AM vs. Kennesaw State

3/3/2026 2:00 PM vs. Sacred Heart

SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC II (Hosted by San Jose State)
3/7/2026 3:00 PM vs. Fresno State
3/7/2026 5:30 PM vs. Fresno State
3/8/2026 10:00 AM @ San Jose State
3/8/2026 12:30 PM @ San Jose State

3/12/2026 1:00 PM vs. Montana
3/12/2026 3:30 PM vs. Montana
3/13/2026 3:00 PM vs. Montana
3/19/2026 1:00 PM @ Colorado State
3/20/2026 1:00 PM @ Northern Colorado
3/21/2026 11:00 AM @ Northern Colorado
3/21/2026 1:30 PM @ Northern Colorado
3/27/2026 3:00 PM vs. Pacific*
3/28/2026 1:00 PM vs. Pacific*
3/29/2026 12:00 PM vs. Pacific*

STANFORD ROUND ROBIN (Hosted by Stanford)
4/2/2026 2:00 PM vs. Washington
4/3/2026 2:00 PM vs. Washington
4/3/2026 5:00 PM @ Stanford
4/4/2026 3:30 PM @ Stanford

4/10/2026 5:00 PM @ Seattle U*
4/11/2026 2:00 PM @ Seattle U*
4/12/2026 12:00 PM @ Seattle U*
4/14/2026 3:00 PM vs. UC Davis
4/17/2026 3:00 PM vs. Oregon State*
4/18/2026 1:00 PM vs. Oregon State*
4/19/2026 12:00 PM vs. Oregon State*
4/21/2026 3:00 PM vs. Cal
4/24/2026 6:00 PM @ San Diego*
4/25/2026 4:00 PM @ San Diego*
4/26/2026 12:00 PM @ San Diego*
5/1/2026 3:00 PM vs. LMU*
5/2/2026 1:00 PM vs. LMU*
5/3/2026 12:00 PM vs. LMU*
5/7/2026 6:00 PM @ Santa Clara*
5/8/2026 6:00 PM @ Santa Clara*
5/9/2026 1:00 PM @ Santa Clara*

SEVEN FROM LAST YEARS TOURNEY
The Gaels will get a look at seven different teams who made last season's NCAA Tournament. Three of those matchups will come at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in week three of the season, as the Gaels will get a chance at defending Mountain West Champs San Diego State as well as Washington and South Carolina. A year ago at the Nutter, the Gaels went 4-1 with their lone loss coming on the final day to San Diego State by a narrow one run margin, 6-5. The Gaels will get their first look at the Washington Huskies for the first time since 2020 and their first ever look at the Gamecocks of South Carolina as they look for their first program wins against both of these sides. A week later, the Gaels will be in College Station to take part in the Texas A&M Invitational, where they will see last year's number one overall seed, the Aggies, led by Saint Mary's Alum, all-time hits leader and former Head Coach Trisha Ford (nee Dean). Following their first week of conference play, the Gaels will use their WCC bye week to take part in the Stanford Round Robin, where they will see the Huskies twice again, then take on the Cardinal of Stanford in their brand new Softball Stadium. Saint Mary's will host their lone matchup against a 2025 NCAA Tournament team when they bring the Golden Bears of Cal through the Caldecott tunnel for a midweek matchup, before closing out their season with their 2025 WCC Co-Champions, Santa Clara in the South Bay.

BACK TO THE ROCKIES
Last season, the Gaels made a four game road trip to Pocatello, Idaho and Logan, Utah, and had an offensive explosion, using the altitude to their advantage to score 43 runs in those four contests and go 3-1. Saint Mary's blasted 12 home runs in those four games, half of which came from Sam Buckley, while Braxton Brown and Tori Cervantes each laced two. The Gaels will head back to the Rockies this season for four games against Colorado State and Northern Colorado, and will hope to have the same bombastic success at the plate as they did last year.

A CHAMPIONSHIP COLLISION COURSE
Last year, Saint Mary's and Santa Clara shared the West Coast Conference Crown, so it is almost poetic that these two teams will meet in the final week of the season, with a chance to once again decide the conference champion. In 2024, the Gaels downed LMU in the final game of the year to win the conference outright. In 2025, the conference championship was also decided on the final day, with a win from Santa Clara against Oregon State and a win by the Gaels against LMU, both on the road, earned each of them a share of the title.

#GaelsRise

Schedule

SB | 2026 Schedule Preview

Players Mentioned

Braxton Brown

Sam Buckley

Tori Cervantes

GAELS IN THE PROS

CHAMPIONS

HALL OF FAME

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Softball versus Colorado State on Feb. 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Softball at Sacramento State on Feb. 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM

Upcoming Event: Softball versus Cal Poly on Feb. 7, 2026 at 9:30 AM

Upcoming Event: Softball at Sacramento State on Feb. 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Softball at UC Davis on Feb. 8, 2026 at 9:30 AM

Upcoming Event: Softball versus CSUN on Feb. 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM

Upcoming Event: Softball versus CSUN on Feb. 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Softball versus CSUN on Feb. 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM