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Canisius infielder Bailey Alatorre is shown throwing a ball during game action versus St. Bonaventure at the Demske Sports Complex on March 20, 2025
Jarrett Abelson

Softball

Softball Starts 2026 Season in Chattanooga Challenge

2026 Chattanooga Challenge
Game No. 1
Canisius (0-0) vs. Ohio (4-1)
Date | Time: Feb.13 | 12:30 p.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE

Game No. 2
Canisius vs. Middle Tennessee (1-4)
Date | Time: Feb.13 | 3 p.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE

Game No. 3
Canisius vs. Bellarmine (0-5)
Date | Time: Feb.14 | 12:30 p.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE

Game No. 4
Canisius at Chattanooga (3-2)
Date | Time: Feb.14 | 5:30 p.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE

Game No. 5
Canisius at Chattanooga
Date | Time: Feb.15 | 11 a.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE

The Canisius softball team officially opens the 2026 season on Friday at 12:30 p.m., when the Golden Griffins take on Ohio on the first day of the 2026 Chattanooga Challenge, hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tenn.

BATTING PRACTICE
• The 2026 season opener against Ohio University will be the first game for the Griffs under new head coach Joe Gierlak. Gierlak, who served as an assistant coach with the team last season, was named the third head coach in program history on June 30, 2025.
• Canisius went 26-26 overall and 15-10 in MAAC play last season. The Griffs qualified for the 2025 MAAC Softball Championships, the team's fifth straight postseason appearance, and the program's 27th trip to the league tournament overall.
• The Griffs were picked to finish eighth in the 2026 MAAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Canisius returns five position players and three pitchers from last year's roster.
• Junior Ella Johel, who was named to the 2026 Preseason All-MAAC Team, is one of those five returning position players for the Blue and Gold. A 2025 All-MAAC First-Team honoree and an NCFA All-Northeast Region Second Team selection, Johel started all 52 games for the Blue and Gold last season, where she hit a team-best .395, which ranked fifth in the league.
• Junior pitcher Olivia Manchester is the Griffs' top returning hurler. Last season, she posted 17 wins in the circle and fanned 109 batters in 147.0 innings of work.

ABOUT OHIO
• The Bobcats opened the 2026 season last weekend at the USC Upstate Founders Classic. Ohio won all four games by mercy-rule, and its lone loss came in 10 innings by the hands of the host USC Upstate Spartans.
• Canisius will be playing Ohio University for the third time in series history, and for the first time since the 2013 campaign. The Bobcats lead the all-time series, 3-0.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE
• Middle Tennessee started its 2026 campaign at the Troy Trojan Classic last weekend, where the Blue Raiders went 1-4.
• Canisius has played Middle Tennessee one time previously, and the Blue Raiders won that game, 2-1, on March 29, 1997.

ABOUT BELLARMINE
• Bellarmine is led by first-year head coach Whitney Arion. Last weekend, the Knights went 0-5 at the West Georgia Opening Weekend Event.
• Saturday will serve as the first game between Canisius and Bellarmine on the softball diamond.

ABOUT CHATTANOOGA
• The host Mocs are 3-2 on the season after Chattanooga opened the 2026 campaign at the Troy Trojan Classic. One of Chattanooga's wins came after the team defeated Middle Tennessee, 4-0, on Feb. 7. In that game, Chattanooga pitcher Taylor Long threw her first career no-hitter.
• Canisius has played Chattanooga twice previously, and both schools have a win in the series. The last time these teams met was in 2012. 


 
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Players Mentioned

Ella Johel

#10 Ella Johel

OF
5' 5"
Sophomore
L/R
Olivia Manchester

#28 Olivia Manchester

P
5' 6"
Sophomore
L/L

Players Mentioned

Ella Johel

#10 Ella Johel

5' 5"
Sophomore
L/R
OF
Olivia Manchester

#28 Olivia Manchester

5' 6"
Sophomore
L/L
P