Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Canisius
Softball heads south for Chattanooga Challenge
2/12/2026 3:30:00 PM | Softball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Softball heads to Chattanooga, Tenn. to continue the 2026 season at the Chattanooga Challenge. The Blue Raiders will play five games over the span of three days, with the first pitch of Middle Tennessee's weekend on Friday, Feb. 13 at 2:00 p.m. CT against Canisius. Middle Tennessee will play Bellarmine two times this weekend, once on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and again on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Middle Tennessee will take on Ohio on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 11:30 a.m. and will face the host Chattanooga for the second time this season at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 to conclude the weekend play.
Blue Raider Notes
- Head Coach Jeff Breeden is the winningest coach in MTSU softball history and enters the weekend one win away from reaching the milestone 300 career wins.
- Mady Pint had a stellar debut for the Blue Raiders at the Trojan Classic, now leading Middle Tennessee in batting average, slugging percentage, RBIs, hits and total bases, on top of scoring the first Blue Raider home run of the season.
- Adaeze Nwogbo also had a breakout weekend at the plate for Middle Tennessee, now leading the Blue Raiders in doubles and holding the second-best slugging percentage on the team.
- Halle Klaiber made her Blue Raider debut in dominant fashion, securing her first win of the season and posting a 0.00 ERA, just one of four pitchers in Conference USA to do so.
Golden Griffin Notes
- The Golden Griffins open their season this weekend under first year head coach Joe Gierlack.
- Canisius was tabbed to finish eighth in the MAAC Preseason Poll after finishing fifth last season with a 15-10 record in conference play.
- Junior outfielder Ella Johel was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team.
Series History
The Blue Raiders are 1-0 all-time against the Golden Griffins; the single matchup played in 1997.
Knight Notes
- The Knights enter the weekend with an 0-5 record after opening their season at the UWG Opening Weekend Event.
- Bellarmine is led at the plate by Madison Davis, who leads the team in slugging percentage, OPS, hits, runs, RBIs, total bases and home runs.
- Makenzie Cowburn has seen the most action in the circle for the Knights, making three starts and leading the team in innings pitched, strikeouts and opponent batting average.
Series History
The series with Bellarmine is 1-1 all-time. The Blue Raiders won the latest matchup with the Knights in 1993.
Bobcat Notes
- Ohio enters the weekend 4-1 after opening the season at the Founders Classic.
- The Bobcats lead all teams competing at the Chattanooga Challenge with seven home runs and a .436 team batting average.
- Keegan More dominates the circle for Ohio with a team best 10 strikeouts and 1.40 ERA.
Series History
The Blue Raiders are 2-3 against the Bobcats all-time. Ohio topped Middle Tennessee in the most recent matchup in 2014.
Moc Notes
- The Mocs enter the weekend 3-2 after opening the season at the Trojan Classic.
- Abi Bunt is a big presence at the plate for Chattanooga, leading the team in OPS, hits, RBIs and total bases.
- Taylor Long threw a no-hitter for the Mocs last weekend against Middle Tennessee, while Emery Bales leads the team with a 2.47 ERA and a .235 opponent batting average.
Series History
The series against the Mocs is 21-2 all-time in favor of Chattanooga. The Mocs topped the Blue Raiders last weekend 4-0.
Keeping Up with the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media:
Facebook (Blue Raider Softball)
Twitter (@MT_Softball)
Instagram (@mt_softball).
