LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University softball is set to begin its quest for the Red Banner at the 2026 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round hosted by University of Mobile. The Mountaineers enter bracket play as the No. 2 seed and will face No. 3 seed Campbellsville University on Monday at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Eastern Oregon enters the national tournament with a 38-11 overall record and an 18-6 mark in Cascade Collegiate Conference play under seventh-year head coach
Nicole Christian. The Mountaineers earned an at-large bid after finishing as the CCC regular-season runner-up and climbing to No. 6 in the national rankings. This marks Eastern's fifth appearance in the NAIA Opening Round, including three under Christian, after advancing to the NAIA World Series final site last season.
The Mountaineers are led by senior outfielder
Hope Burke, who earned CCC Player of the Year honors, First Team All-Conference recognition, and an Outfield Golden Glove award. Burke hit .393 with 12 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .488 on-base percentage. She added 23 walks and posted a .980 fielding percentage with just one error.
Raygun Klippert has also been a key contributor, batting .367 with 11 doubles, seven triples, 45 stolen bases, and 54 runs scored while finishing with a .952 fielding percentage.
Lexi Grumbois provided another strong bat, hitting .423 with five home runs, 50 RBIs, and a .503 on-base percentage while adding 15 stolen bases. She posted a .954 fielding percentage at third base.
In the circle, Eastern turns to the staff of
Natalie Dimitrov,
Maliyah Mann, and
Camille Schmitz. Dimitrov went 7-4 with a 2.55 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 90.2 innings, earning All-CCC Honorable Mention. Schmitz compiled a 12-2 record with a 1.91 ERA, three saves, and 60 strikeouts in 80.2 innings to earn All-CCC Second team, while Mann led the staff with 104 strikeouts and a 3.28 ERA across 100.1 innings.
Campbellsville enters the tournament with a 35-15 overall record and a 15-7 mark in MidSouth Conference play after earning an at-large bid. The Tigers are led by ninth-year head coach Alison Sellers-Cook, who guided the program to a runner-up finish at the 2022 NAIA Softball World Series and Opening Round appearances in 2023 and 2025.
As a team, Campbellsville is hitting .329 with a .395 on-base percentage and has scored 220 runs in 50 games. Outfielder Diana Arcay leads the Tigers with a .444 batting average, totaling 67 hits, 20 doubles, and 49 RBIs while posting a .494 on-base percentage. Lucy Spisto follows with a .431 average, 66 hits, 13 RBIs, and a team-leading 30 stolen bases. She has also recorded 16 walks and a .494 on-base percentage.
In the circle, Campbellsville turns to Avery Harrell, who owns a 1.60 ERA and a 16-7 record across 161.2 innings pitched with 74 strikeouts. Katelynn Kempton has posted a 1.25 ERA in 95.1 innings while compiling a 13-2 record with four saves and 51 strikeouts.
Monday's matchup will mark the first meeting between Eastern Oregon and Campbellsville.
With a win over the Tigers, Eastern Oregon would advance to face the winner of Game 3 between No. 1 seed University of Mobile and the Game 1 winner on Tuesday, May 12, at 2:30 p.m. CT. With a loss, the Mountaineers would move into the elimination side of the bracket and face the loser of the matchup between No. 4 seed Indiana Institute of Technology and No. 5 seed Truett McConnell University.
