BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Campbell softball team travels to Greenville, N.C., for its second road tournament of the season to compete in the Battle at the Max from Feb. 27 to March 1. The Camels will face Rider, St. John's and host East Carolina.

Campbell will play Rider and St. John's on Friday, then face the same opponents Saturday before closing the weekend against ECU on Sunday. The Camels open the tournament at 10 a.m. Friday against Rider.

Live stats will be available for all games. Campbell's game against ECU on Sunday will be streamed on ECUPirates.com.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT (RIDER)

Rider enters the weekend with a 3-5 record. The Broncs went 1-2 at last weekend's Tar Heel Invitational, earning a win over NC Central. Rider is led by Davon Ortega in her ninth season. Last season, the Broncs returned to the MAAC Championship Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons, falling one run short of the title game in an extra-inning loss to nationally ranked Marist.

Rider was picked sixth in the MAAC preseason coaches poll. Kendall Reda-Fehsal, a 2025 All-MAAC second-team selection, was named to the preseason All-MAAC team. Junior catcher Abby Cruz leads the Broncs offensively with 12 hits and a .444 batting average.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT (ST. JOHN'S)

St. John's enters the weekend with a 12-3 record, including an 11-0 mark in neutral-site games. The Red Storm went 3-2 at the Stetson Invitational last weekend, with both losses coming against host Stetson. St. John's is led by Michelle DePolo in her third season. In 2025, DePolo guided the program to its fourth BIG EAST regular-season title and a program-record 39 wins. DePolo and her staff were named 2025 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

St. John's was picked to finish first in the 2026 BIG EAST Softball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Red Storm returned four All-BIG EAST selections, led by 2025 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-BIG EAST honoree Ana Serafinko. Senior outfielder Jess Bianco paces the offense with 26 hits, 14 RBIs, two triples and a .491 batting average.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT (ECU)

ECU is 10-7 this season. The Pirates went 3-2 at last weekend's Pirate Clash. On Tuesday, ECU upset nationally ranked Duke, 5-4, on the road. Last season, the Pirates finished 31-26 with a 14-13 record in the American Athletic Conference, marking the program's first back-to-back winning seasons since 2010-11. ECU advanced to the conference tournament semifinals before falling to USF.

ECU is led by Shane Winkler in his fifth season. Senior outfielder Anna Sawyer leads the Pirates with 22 hits and a .440 batting average. ECU added eight transfers and four freshmen in the offseason, including graduate catcher Sarah Stone, who transferred from Indiana after earning All-Big Ten honors. Stone was named to D1Softball's preseason Mid-Major D100 list.

SERIES HISTORY

Campbell is 5-0 all-time against Rider. The most recent meeting came in 2024 at the UNC Mizuno Invitational, a 4-3 Campbell win. Allyiah Swiney went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Campbell and St. John's will meet for the eighth time. The Camels hold a 4-3 advantage in the series. The last meeting was in 2019 at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C., a 4-3 St. John's win. Campbell's last victory in the series came in the 2012 season opener at the Red & Black Showcase in Athens, Ga.

ECU leads the all-time series 41-13. The teams last met in 2025, when the Pirates won 6-0 in Greenville. Campbell's last win in the series came in 2016, a 3-2 victory at home.

PUTTING THE LEAGUE ON NOTICE

Charlie Montgomery was named CAA Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 10 following her performance during the Camels' opening weekend. Montgomery slashed .643/.688/.857 in five games at the Campbell Stampede. Allyiah Swiney earned CAA Player of the Week honors on Feb. 17 after a standout showing at the War Eagle Classic. Swiney posted a .571/.625/.929 slash line in four games against top competition. It marked the second time since joining the CAA that the Camels have claimed back-to-back Player of the Week honors. The first instance came in 2024 with Alyssa Henault (March 25) and Mariana Rodriguez (April 1).

PRESEASON RECOGNITION

Campbell had a league-high four players named to the Preseason All-CAA team: Hannah Cornetto, Amber DeSena, Charlie Montgomery and Allyiah Swiney. The Camels also added two honorable mentions, Alyssa Armijo and Madison Ford, tying for the league high. Campbell's six total Preseason All-CAA selections are the most among all CAA teams.

NEWCOMERS IN THE CREEK

Campbell welcomes nine newcomers for the 2026 season. The group includes six transfers and three freshmen. Freshmen Katelyn Hubley, Lexi Kirby and Kylie Specht enter their first season, along with transfers Emily Allegood, Ryleigh Bennett, Cheyenne Jackson, Grace Kealy, Aubrey Tamayo and Kasey Wolfe.

STAY TUNED

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