KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off a 3-1 record at the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill last weekend, the App State softball team is slated to head to Knoxville, Tenn., to wrap up its road tournament schedule with the Tennessee Invitational this Friday-Sunday. App State will play a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday before wrapping up play with a single game on Sunday.
While in Knoxville, App State will square off with No. 1 Tennessee two times and No. 23 Penn State on Saturday. This weekend will feature three of App State's four games against high-major teams this season.
The Matchup
- Who: App State (11-2) vs. N.C. Central (1-12) // No. 1 Tennessee (14-0) // No. 23 Penn State (13-2)
- Where: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium // Tennessee Invitational // Knoxville, Tenn.
- When: Friday, Feb. 27 – Sunday, March 1
Tune In
- Watch | SECN+ (Tennessee games only)
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com (all games)
Last Time Out
App State posted a 3-1 record at the Tar Heel Invitational last weekend, posting two wins over Princeton and a victory over Rider. App State suffered a walk-off loss to North Carolina on Friday night to account for its lone loss of the weekend.
Freshmen played a huge role for the Mountaineers in Chapel Hill, especially during Feb. 21's doubleheader sweep, as the trio of
Taylor Schafer,
Madison Fletcher and
Emersyn Presutty bashed six home runs for the weekend. Schafer hit three home runs, which included a multi-homer game against Princeton to open the doubleheader, while Fletcher recorded a multi-homer game in her first career start against Rider to close the day. Presutty homered in her first career at-bat in the seventh inning against Rider.
In addition to the freshmen,
Makayla McClain tallied a team-best eight hits in 16 at-bats and hit her seventh home run of the season against the Tar Heels on Friday.
Julia Girk finished the weekend with a .400 batting average with a home run, while
Grace Barrett and
Leah Gore each totaled four hits.
Leading Off
App State enters the weekend in Knoxville on its best 13-game start in program history, owning a win in 11 of its first 13 games. App State started the year with eight straight wins before falling for the first time on a walk-off home run against UNCG on Feb. 14.
The Mountaineers enter the Tennessee Invitational with the fewest losses in the Sun Belt Conference with just two entering Friday. App State's .846 win/loss percentage is ranked 20th in the country entering the weekend. App State is one of just 21 teams in the country with two or fewer losses entering the weekend.
App State has gotten off to an 11-2 start this season thanks to the help of an eight-game win streak to open the season. That win streak marked App State's first win streak of eight or more games since 2021 (nine games). The Mountaineers' eight-game win streak marked its second-longest in program history, bested only by that nine-game win streak in 2021.
Three of App State's four games against Power Four competition this season are set to come this weekend in Knoxville. Additionally, the Mountaineers will play against two ranked teams this weekend in No. 1 Tennessee and No. 23 Penn State. These will be App State's first three games against ranked teams this season.
The Mountaineers' matchups vs. the No. 1-ranked Volunteers this weekend will be their first against a top-ranked squad in program history. App State has beaten one ranked team in its history, defeating No. 23 Louisiana back on March 25, 2023.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State returns an experienced group in 2026, as eight position players who started at least 35 games last season are back for another year. The Mountaineers returned all three of their all-conference players (Moshos, Barrett and McClain), as well as Gore (11 home runs and 34 RBIs in 2025) and
Macy Hamby (nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 2025).
Additionally, App State welcomed a batch of nine newcomers to the mountain this offseason (five freshmen and four collegiate transfers). App State's incoming class has made an immediate impact already this season as newcomers have combined to scorch 39 hits and bash 10 of App State's 20 home runs. Schafer ranks second on the team in home runs entering the weekend with three, while Fletcher,
Emilie Ching,
KB Bradshaw and Presutty have also hit homers this season.
App State saw two players named to the 15-player Preseason All-Sun Belt team on Jan. 28 in Barrett and McClain. It marked the first time that two Mountaineers garnered preseason recognition by the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers were one of four Sun Belt programs with multiple preseason All-Sun Belt selections.
Entering the Tennessee Invitational, the Mountaineers boast 11 top-50 national rankings. Most notably, App State stands in the top 50 in the country in ERA (33rd - 2.61), home runs (32nd - 20), runs per game (48th - 7.0) and walks (47th - 57). To put that into context, App State finished with a top-50 national ranking in just one category last season (home runs per game - 40th).
The Mountaineers have played complete this season, and enter play this weekend with a +48 run differential (91-43). App State's pitching staff is allowing just 3.3 runs per game, while its offense is scoring seven runs per game. Additionally, App State's defense enters the weekend ranked tied for second in the Sun Belt and 51st nationally in fielding percentage at .972. Six of the Mountaineers' 11 wins have come by three or more runs.
Girk has continued to be a driving force for App State's offense as she enters play this weekend with a .412 batting average, which ranks 20th in the Sun Belt. Girk, who typically bats ninth in the App State order, has done great at flipping the lineup over, as she has tallied 14 hits, three doubles and a home run at the bottom of the order.
In the circle, App State is led by the duo of Fisher and Moshos, who have combined to throw all but one inning this season. Fisher posted a 3-0 record last week and enters the weekend with a 7-0 record, while Moshos leads the Sun Belt in saves with three. Fisher's seven victories place her fourth nationally in that category.
Series History
- App State vs. N.C. Central
- Record: 12-1
- Last Meeting: March 29, 2023
- Trends
- Friday's contest will be the first of three games between the Mountaineers and Eagles this season.
- App State has won each of the last 10 games against N.C. Central.
- App State vs. No. 1 Tennessee
- Record: 0-7
- Last Meeting: March 4, 2023
- Trends:
- App State and Tennessee are set to square off for the first time since 2023 on Friday.
- The Mountaineers are looking to post their first win over the Volunteers this weekend.
- App State vs. No. 23 Penn State
- Record: 0-1
- Last Meeting: Feb. 7, 2014
- Trends:
- Saturday's contest against Penn State will be App State's first matchup against the Nittany Lions since 2014.
- Penn State won that contest, which was played in Tempe, Ariz., by six runs.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will open up their home schedule next weekend with the Mountaineer Classic, which is the first home tournament that App State will host in program history. The Mountaineers will match up against both Furman and Queens twice at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium. Every game of the Mountaineer Classic will be broadcast on ESPN+. Admission to Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium is free.
