How East Carolina Softball Is Building Toward 2026
East Carolina Softball Building Towards 2026
The East Carolina Pirates softball team returns off a 31-26 2025 season that ended in the AAC Tournament Semifinals. Since then, Coach Shane Winkler and the Pirates have seen a bit of a roster turnover. While key players were lost to the portal and graduation, they have brought in a solid group of transfers and freshmen. Twelve newcomers altogether in eight transfers and four freshmen.
Fall Focus and Team Growth
This fall’s focus, as you would expect, has been spent on learning on both sides. New players in the system are learning what ECU’s program is all about, and coaches are learning what drives the newcomers and makes them tick. Coach Winkler is very optimistic and likes what he sees from the team as a whole. The ceiling is very high.
“I’m really excited about where our potential is. I think we still have some figuring out to do on where people will be and some growth to be made from a couple individuals,” Winkler said. “Our ceiling is very high, which is exciting. We’ve shown that in a few of our games so far this fall. A lot of positives and, at the same time, a long way to go, but that’s the fun stuff.”
Leadership and Team Chemistry
With so much newness in the program paired with the returners, one always wonders how the chemistry is in the locker room and on the field. The Pirates have some returning leaders that Winkler is pleased and happy with.
“A lot of that is helped by having great leadership in our senior class. Anna Sawyer and Chloe Geijer have been phenomenal. We have some great leadership from kids that really care about the program,” he said.
Sawyer in particular is a lifelong Pirate from Greenville, North Carolina. This is the big last ride year for her, something that was discussed after last season ended.
“Sawyer’s a local kid, and when the season ended, I talked to her about finally having her opportunity to be the voice in the program, this being her program,” he said. “That meant a lot to her because she’s a lifelong Pirate fan. So for her leading the way, it makes it easier when you have kids who are passionate about the program.”
Offensive Potential and Power
Anna Sawyer hit .363 with six home runs last season and has the chance this season to take another leap even more. Coach Winkler mentioned how she is the big pressure moment kind of player, and he feels that her ownership of the program now as a senior will help her elevate her play even more.
With a ton of home run production from last season now gone, forty-eight homers in just three players combined, Winkler still feels confident in their ability to hit it out of the park.
“Yeah, we lost a lot of power, but we’ve still got players who can hit it out. Sarah Stone is a double-digit home run hitter from the Big Ten. Anna Sawyer and Chloe Geijer have both shown growth, and Gabby Fowler has that same kind of power potential,” said Shane Winkler.
“Some of our new players, like Lillian Martineau and Hailey Deter, add extra pop and gap to gap strength. We’ll still hit home runs, but the biggest improvement will be versatility.”
Versatility is the key word there. Last season, he mentioned how the Pirates didn’t find good ways to score if the home run wasn’t hit. That is one of the main things that I always pay attention to in softball. How will you score if you can’t hit those, and he feels this year’s team can attack all fields, move runners, and produce runs in more ways.
Pitching Depth and Development
In the circle, the Pirates have four pitchers on the roster. That is one down from the five they had last year, but Shane Winkler likes the staff he has. He stated, “We only have four pitchers, but in some ways, this is the deepest staff we’ve had.”
Starting with junior Taylor Apple, who sort of shared that number one role last season, is back and ready to show the growth that she has made in the offseason. Apple made 21 starts in 2025 in 38 appearances and registered a 13-8 record with a 3.01 ERA. In 135 innings pitched, she struck out 128 which placed her second in the AAC, and 44 went down looking, putting her at third in that category.
“We’re excited about the growth she’s made, more comfortable, more mature, and more consistent. She’s up to 65 or 66 miles per hour at the end of last season, and when she locates her changeup, it makes her velocity look like 69 or 70. She’s locating pitches better now and showing more consistency,” Winkler said.
I asked about her stuff and what made her such a big strikeout looking pitcher.
“When her off-speed is working, the change in velocity really messes with hitters. She also goes up in the zone well, and hitters get so worried about chasing that they freeze on pitches they could hit,” he said.
The Pirates have two transfers in Julia Apostolakos from USF, who is hitting 68 and attacks both sides of the plate well, and Abby Huhn from Iowa State, who can work lower in the zone and changes speeds well. Both who Winkler is extremely confident about and likes what they bring to the table.
Sydney Rainford is a freshman from Lake Village, Indiana who was a beast in high school, finishing with 1,068 career strikeouts. Her senior year, she sat down 373 batters with only a 0.35 ERA, leading North Newton to a state championship. “She’s been mature beyond her years. Our hitters say she’s probably our toughest pitcher to face,” said Winkler.
With these four pitchers, they will be counted on to not only provide depth but also to perform well consistently. “We’ve had five pitchers in past years but relied heavily on two,” he explained. “This year, we’ll see all four consistently, which gives us depth and balance. Having four is manageable and keeps everyone involved while maintaining strong competition.”
Defensive Stability
Defensively, the Pirates are solid at shortstop going into 2026 with senior Mary-Kathryn Scott. Scott started 48 games at short last season and recorded 75 putouts and 70 assists.
“Defensively, she’s elite, she plays shortstop like a baseball player, with a cannon arm and great range. Offensively, she’s taken big strides too. Even if she just gives us solid offense, her defense alone keeps us in games,” Winkler stated. Last season she hit .241 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 83 at bats. The potential is there for the offensive production, but that talented ability at shortstop is very important.
Behind the Plate
In another key position, catcher, it is looking like transfers Addison Lund and Sarah Stone will both get time behind the plate. Both bring the tools to command that spot, and for Lund she also is well suited at third base as well.
“Addison’s bat ensures she’ll get plenty of time, catching, playing third, or at DP. Her energy, work ethic, and team-first attitude have been awesome. She fits perfectly into our culture and is always looking to help the team however she can,” said Coach Winkler.
Looking Ahead
Coach Winkler and ECU are looking forward and confident in this year’s team. The schedule shows that they are ready for any and all opportunities to put themselves in the best position possible when postseason résumé talk arrives.
The Pirates open the season at an invitational setup at Georgia Tech, where they will face both the Jackets and the Alabama Crimson Tide. From there, ECU will host tournaments featuring programs such as Notre Dame and Maryland. The Pirates will also take on Stanford, NC State, and North Carolina as well throughout the season.
“We want a schedule that gives us a strong postseason résumé and a shot at the NCAA Tournament,” said Winkler. “Our league has been a multi-bid league. We just want to control what we can and stay in that conversation.”
The culture, chemistry, and buy-in are strong in Greenville, North Carolina, and Winkler is pleased with what he sees from this group both on and off the field.
“When you bring a bunch of transfers in, they’re coming into a great culture already. The chemistry has been phenomenal. We’ve always hung our hat on culture, but somehow this is probably the best overall culture we’ve had, even with so many new kids. We brought in a lot of talent with those eight transfers and four freshmen, but we lucked out bringing in the right kids, the right mentality, and the right attitudes.”
“That’s helped speed things along and makes practice fun every day. When we go out to condition, it makes conditioning fun because we’re going to get after it anyway. The kids work hard, but they enjoy being around each other and around our staff. It’s really a fun environment every day. It’s been a blast this fall with the work we’ve put in. We’ve got a little ways to go before we shut things down and get ready for the spring, but from a culture standpoint and chemistry, it’s outstanding. I think that’s going to be our secret sauce for success in the spring.”
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