University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 6
Hattiesburg, Miss.
4:30 p.m.
Southern Miss
vs
Southeast Missouri State
Softball Kicks off the 2026 Season Hosting the Black and Gold Challenge
2/5/2026 6:27:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss Softball start the 2026 campaign Friday, hosting the Black and Gold Challenge. This weekend includes Lipscomb, Louisiana Tech, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Southeast Missouri State at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
The Golden Eagles' first game will be against SEMO at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The team follows day one with a contest against UAB at 2 p.m. and Lipscomb at 4:30 p.m. Wrapping up the tournament, Southern Miss will play two games on Sunday with Louisiana Tech and Southeast Missouri State, at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., on the slate.
The tournament marks the first time since 2023 that the Golden Eagles have hosted the Black and Gold challenge. Southern Miss boasts a 15-5 record through the previous five Black and Gold tournaments dating back to 2019.
16 returning players, 11 freshman, and one transfer, junior Katalina Ybarra, make up the roster for the Golden Eagles with fourth year-head coach Natalie Poole at the helm, who recently signed a three-year contract extension.
Included in the team's returners are seniors Paris Ferguson and Natalie Herrington, looking to provide leadership and experience in their final seasons. Hannah Christian, who was recently named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, Kayla Giardina and Carrie Green were among those who posted outstanding debut seasons in 2025.
Southern Miss and SEMO will face off against each other for the second time in program history with the first time resulting in a 0-7 loss on Feb. 15, 2020. Lipscomb joins SEMO in playing their second match in program history against Southern Miss with the last contest taking place Feb. 14 resulting in a 1-6 loss. UAB will face the Golden Eagles for the first time since 2022 marking the 50th matchup between the two teams and Louisiana Tech
Southern Miss Schedule
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), X (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
The Golden Eagles' first game will be against SEMO at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The team follows day one with a contest against UAB at 2 p.m. and Lipscomb at 4:30 p.m. Wrapping up the tournament, Southern Miss will play two games on Sunday with Louisiana Tech and Southeast Missouri State, at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., on the slate.
The tournament marks the first time since 2023 that the Golden Eagles have hosted the Black and Gold challenge. Southern Miss boasts a 15-5 record through the previous five Black and Gold tournaments dating back to 2019.
16 returning players, 11 freshman, and one transfer, junior Katalina Ybarra, make up the roster for the Golden Eagles with fourth year-head coach Natalie Poole at the helm, who recently signed a three-year contract extension.
Included in the team's returners are seniors Paris Ferguson and Natalie Herrington, looking to provide leadership and experience in their final seasons. Hannah Christian, who was recently named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, Kayla Giardina and Carrie Green were among those who posted outstanding debut seasons in 2025.
Southern Miss and SEMO will face off against each other for the second time in program history with the first time resulting in a 0-7 loss on Feb. 15, 2020. Lipscomb joins SEMO in playing their second match in program history against Southern Miss with the last contest taking place Feb. 14 resulting in a 1-6 loss. UAB will face the Golden Eagles for the first time since 2022 marking the 50th matchup between the two teams and Louisiana Tech
Southern Miss Schedule
- Feb. 6 - SEMO at 4:30 p.m.
- Feb. 7 – UAB at 2 p.m.
- Feb. 7 – Lipscomb at 4:30 p.m.
- Feb. 8 – Louisiana Tech at 9 a.m.
- Feb. 8 – SEMO at 11:30 a.m.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), X (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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