The Three Time WCC Champion Gael Softball Class of 2026
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
Kroner's Corner Softball Edition: Once is Happenstance, Twice is Coincidence, Three Times is a Trend
5/6/2026 10:09:00 AM | Softball
At the end of March, the Saint Mary's softball team was riding a program-record 10-game winning streak and had opened West Coast Conference play with a three-game sweep of Pacific.
What then happened in the first few days of April cemented the notion that the 2026 season would become a special one for the Gaels.
"That weekend just really sealed the deal for me in terms of what we're capable of," SMC head coach Sonja Garnett said.
In four games in the Stanford Round Robin event, the Gaels twice beat then-No. 14 Washington (extending their winning streak to 12 games), lost 6-1 to the Cardinal and finished the event by picking up a 5-1 victory over Stanford, which was ranked 24th.
"That gave us a lot of confidence," outfielder Hannah Ferguson said.
Since then, the Gaels have gone 11-2, improving their overall record to 38-13. The 38 wins are a school record, and the 38th came Sunday at Cottrell Field when SMC closed its home schedule with a 6-1 victory over LMU.
That win gave the Gaels a 13-2 conference record and clinched at least a tie for the WCC title for the third consecutive year.
"I'm very happy with our team," Garnett said Sunday near the end of the title-clinching celebration in left field.
Among the reasons for the Gaels to celebrate were several team and individual program records set this season, in addition to the wins and winning streak already mentioned:
** An 18-game home winning streak that included the final three home games of 2025
** 28 career home runs by infielder Sam Buckley
** 49 RBIs in a season by infielder Braxton Brown
** 10 triples in a season and 15 triples in a career by Ferguson
** 49 career wins by right-hander Odhi Vasquez
"For her to have the ability to come out and perform consistently for us has just been huge," Garnett said of Vasquez.
The senior is 18-4 with a 2.43 ERA and seven saves this season. She has racked up 128 strikeouts in 124 innings.
Vasquez is "just a really hard worker," Garnett said. "She knows what her pitches should look like, she holds herself to a high standard and she competes every day for us."
In turn, Vasquez credited Garnett for much of the individual and team success the Gaels have enjoyed in 2026.
"I've never met somebody so passionate about the sport and so loving toward her players," Vasquez said. "I thank God every day for giving me such a loving and patient coach."
Ferguson, who leads the Gaels with a .417 average this season and owns the program record for career stolen bases with 61, echoed Vasquez's sentiments about Garnett.
"She really cares about us as athletes and as people," Ferguson said. "If anything, she cares about us as a person more than as an athlete -- and I think that really plays into our team culture."
As rewarding and memorable as the 2026 season has been for the Gaels, it is by no means over. SMC plays a three-game series at Santa Clara beginning Thursday night. The Gaels need one win to earn the outright conference title and a berth in an NCAA regional the following week.
And perhaps recalling that productive weekend at Stanford in early April, Garnett believes the Gaels could more than hold their own if they reach the postseason.
"It's all about what we do," Garnett said. "You never know when your last game's going to be, but with this talent, I think we have the capability to go get some upsets on our way."
Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has worked as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+ the past two seasons.
What then happened in the first few days of April cemented the notion that the 2026 season would become a special one for the Gaels.
"That weekend just really sealed the deal for me in terms of what we're capable of," SMC head coach Sonja Garnett said.
In four games in the Stanford Round Robin event, the Gaels twice beat then-No. 14 Washington (extending their winning streak to 12 games), lost 6-1 to the Cardinal and finished the event by picking up a 5-1 victory over Stanford, which was ranked 24th.
"That gave us a lot of confidence," outfielder Hannah Ferguson said.
Since then, the Gaels have gone 11-2, improving their overall record to 38-13. The 38 wins are a school record, and the 38th came Sunday at Cottrell Field when SMC closed its home schedule with a 6-1 victory over LMU.
That win gave the Gaels a 13-2 conference record and clinched at least a tie for the WCC title for the third consecutive year.
"I'm very happy with our team," Garnett said Sunday near the end of the title-clinching celebration in left field.
Among the reasons for the Gaels to celebrate were several team and individual program records set this season, in addition to the wins and winning streak already mentioned:
** An 18-game home winning streak that included the final three home games of 2025
** 28 career home runs by infielder Sam Buckley
** 49 RBIs in a season by infielder Braxton Brown
** 10 triples in a season and 15 triples in a career by Ferguson
** 49 career wins by right-hander Odhi Vasquez
"For her to have the ability to come out and perform consistently for us has just been huge," Garnett said of Vasquez.
The senior is 18-4 with a 2.43 ERA and seven saves this season. She has racked up 128 strikeouts in 124 innings.
Vasquez is "just a really hard worker," Garnett said. "She knows what her pitches should look like, she holds herself to a high standard and she competes every day for us."
In turn, Vasquez credited Garnett for much of the individual and team success the Gaels have enjoyed in 2026.
"I've never met somebody so passionate about the sport and so loving toward her players," Vasquez said. "I thank God every day for giving me such a loving and patient coach."
Ferguson, who leads the Gaels with a .417 average this season and owns the program record for career stolen bases with 61, echoed Vasquez's sentiments about Garnett.
"She really cares about us as athletes and as people," Ferguson said. "If anything, she cares about us as a person more than as an athlete -- and I think that really plays into our team culture."
As rewarding and memorable as the 2026 season has been for the Gaels, it is by no means over. SMC plays a three-game series at Santa Clara beginning Thursday night. The Gaels need one win to earn the outright conference title and a berth in an NCAA regional the following week.
And perhaps recalling that productive weekend at Stanford in early April, Garnett believes the Gaels could more than hold their own if they reach the postseason.
"It's all about what we do," Garnett said. "You never know when your last game's going to be, but with this talent, I think we have the capability to go get some upsets on our way."
Steve Kroner has covered Bay Area sports for more than four decades, mainly at KPIX-TV (Channel 5) and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has worked as an analyst alongside Brian Brownfield on SMC men's basketball telecasts on ESPN+ the past two seasons.
Players Mentioned
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