Friday, February 20
Jacksonville, Ala.
5 PM
Jacksonville State University
vs
DePaul
Photo by: Micah Neal--Jax State
Softball Hosts “Jax State Tournament” Over the Weekend
2/19/2026 5:06:00 PM | Softball
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — After being on the road for the first two invitational tournaments of the season, the Gamecocks now take their turn to host the "Jax State Tournament" on its home field, beginning on Friday.
Jax State will play a lone game on Friday night against DePaul, and will get right back into action on Saturday afternoon with a contest against Gardner-Webb, followed by a rematch game against DePaul. The Gamecocks conclude the weekend by taking on Northwestern State and Gardner-Webb once again on Sunday afternoon.
Head coach Julie Boland's squad has already been off to a hot start at Jana McGinnis Field this season, as it is coming off an 8-0 shutout victory over the Chattanooga Mocs on Wednesday night in the home opener.
The victory marked the Gamecocks fourth straight win and first shutout victory of the season.
Emma Elrod has had the hot bat for Jax State through that four-game span, picking up at least two hits in each of those four games, as she leads the team with a .450 batting average on the season.
Additionally, Mikayla Deville has been picking up her intensity at the plate recently as well, tallying at least one hit in all seven starts for her this season, including going 2-for-4 at the plate and picking up a season-high three RBIs against the Mocs.
Pitcher MacKinley Portillo tallied her first win of the season against Chattanooga, pitching all five innings, allowing just four hits and one walk, along with tallying three strikeouts in the performance.
DePaul enters the weekend slate with a 7-4 record, coming off its most recent loss to South Florida, falling 1-2 in eight innings last Sunday morning. The Blue Demons are led offensively by sophomore Chelsea Parker who boasts a .559 average at the dish with 19 hits and four homers this season.
Gardner-Webb has been on a hot streak as well, winning its last three straight games in a row over Lehigh, Queens and Tennessee Tech, respectively, to bring its record to 6-3. Sophomore Collier Reese has been a bright spot for the Runnin' Bulldogs so far this season, currently on a nine-game hit streak which started on the first game of the season.
Northwestern State has been off to a slow start this season, holding a 3-9 record on the year after losing four of its last six, most recently falling 3-12 to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night. Pitcher Mattison Buster has been the ace in the circle for the Lady Demons this season, boasting a 2.31 ERA across 33.1 innings pitched. The junior has picked up 27 strikeouts so far this year.
Following the five-game stretch, the Gamecocks will hit the road once more, traveling to Carrolton, Ga., to take on West Georgia on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Central.
Jax State will play a lone game on Friday night against DePaul, and will get right back into action on Saturday afternoon with a contest against Gardner-Webb, followed by a rematch game against DePaul. The Gamecocks conclude the weekend by taking on Northwestern State and Gardner-Webb once again on Sunday afternoon.
Head coach Julie Boland's squad has already been off to a hot start at Jana McGinnis Field this season, as it is coming off an 8-0 shutout victory over the Chattanooga Mocs on Wednesday night in the home opener.
The victory marked the Gamecocks fourth straight win and first shutout victory of the season.
Emma Elrod has had the hot bat for Jax State through that four-game span, picking up at least two hits in each of those four games, as she leads the team with a .450 batting average on the season.
Additionally, Mikayla Deville has been picking up her intensity at the plate recently as well, tallying at least one hit in all seven starts for her this season, including going 2-for-4 at the plate and picking up a season-high three RBIs against the Mocs.
Pitcher MacKinley Portillo tallied her first win of the season against Chattanooga, pitching all five innings, allowing just four hits and one walk, along with tallying three strikeouts in the performance.
DePaul enters the weekend slate with a 7-4 record, coming off its most recent loss to South Florida, falling 1-2 in eight innings last Sunday morning. The Blue Demons are led offensively by sophomore Chelsea Parker who boasts a .559 average at the dish with 19 hits and four homers this season.
Gardner-Webb has been on a hot streak as well, winning its last three straight games in a row over Lehigh, Queens and Tennessee Tech, respectively, to bring its record to 6-3. Sophomore Collier Reese has been a bright spot for the Runnin' Bulldogs so far this season, currently on a nine-game hit streak which started on the first game of the season.
Northwestern State has been off to a slow start this season, holding a 3-9 record on the year after losing four of its last six, most recently falling 3-12 to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night. Pitcher Mattison Buster has been the ace in the circle for the Lady Demons this season, boasting a 2.31 ERA across 33.1 innings pitched. The junior has picked up 27 strikeouts so far this year.
Following the five-game stretch, the Gamecocks will hit the road once more, traveling to Carrolton, Ga., to take on West Georgia on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Central.
Players Mentioned
Saturday, March 14
Saturday, March 14
Wednesday, March 11
Thursday, February 19
