TROY, Ala. - For the first time since 2022, the App State softball team is set to participate in the Sun Belt Tournament, which is hosted by the Troy Trojans in Troy, Ala. App State earned the sixth seed in the 2025 tournament, the second-highest seed it has received as a member of the league, and earned a bye to the quarterfinal round. The Mountaineers will take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT) in Game 3 of the tournament. Every game can be streamed on ESPN+ with the championship game also being broadcast on ESPN2.
The Mountaineers and Ragin' Cajuns didn't face each other in the regular season but have faced each other 17 times before. Despite owning a 2-15 record against Louisiana all-time, the Mountaineers have taken two games over the last nine matchups, which includes the team's first ranked win over Louisiana in 2023. App State and Louisiana have never met at the Sun Belt Tournament.
The Matchup
- Who: No. 6 App State (23-26, 13-11 SBC) vs. No. 3 Louisiana (28-24, 14-10 SBC)
- Where: Troy, Ala. // Troy Softball Complex // Sun Belt Softball Championship
- When: Thursday, May 8 – Saturday, May 10
Tune In
- Watch: ESPN+
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
In what turned out to be a thrilling regular-season and home finale, App State took two-of-three from the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, with both wins coming in walk-off fashion.
Taylor Chumbley provided the walk-off hit in both of the Mountaineers' victories, scoring
Grace Barrett in the eighth inning with two outs on both occasions.
Makayla McClain provided one of the most electric performances in the country last weekend against the Chanticleers as she batted 9-11 (.818 batting average) with three doubles, a triple and a home run. On Saturday, the junior made history as she hit for the first cycle in program history, tallying a double in the first, a single in the third, a home run in the fifth and a triple in the seventh. Because of this, McClain was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week and the NFCA Co-Player of the Week on May 6, which was App State's first time ever earning that award.
Another record went down on Saturday as
Summer Simpson smacked a fifth-inning home run over the center-field wall, marking the Mountaineers' 54th long ball of the year. This home run set the single-season record for home runs. App State hit six home runs last weekend, highlighted by two apiece from
Leah Gore and
Macy Hamby.
Leading Off
App State is set to make its first appearance in the postseason since 2022 when play kicks off on Thursday. The Mountaineers haven't qualified for the Sun Belt Tournament since the league expanded to 12 teams prior to the 2023 season. When the Mountaineers take the field on Thursday, it will mark their fourth appearance at the Sun Belt Tournament since joining the league.
Entering play on Thursday, the Mountaineers own a 1-5 record at the Sun Belt Tournament, with the lone win coming in the 2021 season against Georgia State. All time, the Mountaineers have played in 44 games at their conference's tournament and have posted 14 wins.
Thanks to their sixth-place finish in the regular-season standings, the Mountaineers earned a first-round bye and will not start their tournament journey until the quarterfinal round. App State has made the quarterfinal round of its conference tournament just three other times, with one of those instances coming in the 2021 Sun Belt Tournament. With a win, the Mountaineers would advance to the semifinal round on Friday, which is a round they haven't advanced to since 2004.
Finishing the regular season with 13 league wins, App State tied the program record for regular-season Sun Belt wins. App State has won 13 games against Sun Belt opponents just once before (2019). An App State team has bested the 2025 team's 13 wins just three other times (14 in 2009, 15 in 2011 and 17 in 2013).
Additionally, the Mountaineers finished the regular season with a winning percentage above .500 in league play for the first time since 2013. App State has accomplished that feat just four other times (2013, 2011, 2009 and 2007). App State has finished its league schedule with a record of .500 or better just five times with this season being the sixth instance.
The Mountaineers saw three players garner all-conference recognition on May 6 in McClain (first team), Barrett (first team) and
Sophie Moshos (second team). It marks the first time since 2014 that the Mountaineers have seen at least three players named all-conference. It's also the first time since App State joined the league that two players have received first-team distinction.
Scouting the Mountaineers
It has been a historic season in the High Country in 2025 as several program records have already gone down. Simpson hit the team's 54th home run of the year last Saturday, setting the single-season record for home runs in a season, while Gore's double on April 26 set the single-season mark for doubles in a season. Additionally, the Mountaineers currently sit just seven runs away from setting the single-season runs scored record, which is 276 set by the 2022 team. If the season ended today, the Mountaineers would also own the top spot in single-season slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
In Sun Belt play, the Mountaineers have been one of the best offensive teams in the league as they enter the tournament with top-five marks in batting average (fifth), runs (second), hits (fourth), doubles (fifth), home runs (second), RBIs (second), total bases (second), slugging percentage (second) and on-base percentage (T-third). App State's 37 home runs in conference play are the most it has hit in league play since joining the league.
App State carries a young team - 58 percent are underclassmen - into the Sun Belt Tournament. In fact, of App State's most-used starting lineup, there are no seniors. However, entering the postseason, the young Mountaineers have thrived as 75 percent of the team's 375 hits, 74 percent of the team's 257 RBIs and 74 percent of the team's 57 home runs have come from underclassmen. Freshmen and sophomores take up eight of the top 10 marks on the team in hits and RBIs and seven of the top nine marks in home runs entering the postseason.
In addition to the youth, App State is a deep team. Every player in the Mountaineers' most-used starting lineup this season has hit at least one home run, and every player has at least 10 RBIs. Additionally, App State sees six players with at least five home runs entering the postseason, which is something it has not seen since 2022.
Along with her All-Sun Belt nod, McClain was also named the Sun Belt and NFCA Co-Player of the Week on May 6. It was her third SBC Player of the Week nod of the season and App State's first ever NFCA Player of the Week nod. McClain became the first player in program history to earn conference Player of the Week three times in the same season and stands as one of just three App State players to receive the honor three or more times in their career (Katie Boyd and
Kayt Houston).
Coach Jones made it a point of emphasis all offseason long to play fast, aggressive softball. That has paid off this season as the speed the Mountaineers brought in this past offseason has resulted in 46 steals on 47 attempts. The last time an App State team stole 46 or more bases in a season was in 2018 when that team tallied 62 steals.
The Mountaineer offense has drawn at least five walks in 16 games this season, which includes four games with nine or more. The last time an App State team drew at least five walks in 15 games was the 2022 team (22 times). Entering play on Thursday, the Mountaineers see four players in the top 35 in the Sun Belt in walks in McClain (eighth),
Madison McIntyre (T-14th),
Julia Girk (25th) and
Marti Henkel (T-31st). The last time four Mountaineers finished a season in the top 35 in walks was 2022 (five players).
Series History
- App State vs. Louisiana
- Last Meeting: March 30, 2024
- Record: 2-15
- Trends:
- App State and Louisiana will meet at the Sun Belt Tournament for the first time ever on Thursday.
- The Mountaineers have won two of the last nine games against the Ragin' Cajuns, which includes the team's first ranked win in 2023.
Up Next
With a win over Louisiana on Thursday, App State would move on to the semifinals of the 2025 Sun Belt Tournament and will play at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) on Friday. The Mountaineers would take on the winner of No. 2 Marshall and either No. 7 Coastal Carolina or No. 10 Southern Miss. Every game at the 2025 Sun Belt Tournament can be streamed on ESPN+ with the championship game also being broadcast on ESPN2.
