STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College softball has announced its 2026 schedule, highlighted by a 10-game season-opening trip to Florida and a spring slate featuring nine Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheaders.

The Monks open the season at THE Spring Games in Florida on Sunday, March 8 with games against Otterbein (14-17 in 2025) and Brandeis (8-30). Saint Joseph's will also face Washington College (Md.) (12-25) twice during the trip, along with Husson (27-12), Bowdoin (21-19), Carroll (14-22), Wittenberg (27-14), Earlham (25-16), and Ohio Wesleyan (11-27) from March 9-13 in Clermont, Winter Haven, and Bartow.

Saint Joseph's returns to New England with a GNAC road doubleheader at University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (22-19) on March 22 and a non-conference road twin bill at Salem State (18-20) on March 25 before opening the home schedule on Thursday, March 26 with a doubleheader against Southern Maine (20-20) in Standish.

GNAC play on the 2026 slate includes doubleheaders against University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), Simmons (20-22), Emmanuel (15-24), Norwich (5-17), Regis (15-22), Colby-Sawyer, New England College (14-23), Rivier (22-15), and Albertus Magnus (27-17). The Monks are scheduled to host Emmanuel (March 29), Regis (April 11), Colby-Sawyer (April 12), Rivier (April 19), and Albertus Magnus (April 25), while traveling to University of Saint Joseph (March 22), Simmons (March 28), Norwich (April 4), and New England College (April 18).

Additional non-conference home dates include Thomas (17-20) on April 1, University of New England (11-29) on April 6, and Maine-Farmington (16-19) on April 16. Saint Joseph's also plays a non-conference road doubleheader at Bates (16-19) on April 15.

Coming off a 17-24 season that included a 10-6 run through GNAC play, Saint Joseph's heads into 2026 with longtime skipper Jamie Smyth '92 set to begin his 28th year in charge of the program at his alma mater. With a seasoned roster, the Monks will look to climb above their preseason expectations and position themselves for a deeper conference tournament push.

Senior Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) returns after a big year at the plate, earning her status as a two-time All-Conference selection while hitting .409 (52-for-127) with 28 runs, 13 doubles, six home runs, 35 RBI, and a .654 slugging percentage. Fellow senior Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine), a two-time MCBSA All-State honoree, produced a .377 average (55-for-146) with 43 runs, 11 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 26 RBI, and five stolen bases.

In the 2025 GNAC Tournament, Saint Joseph's opened with a 4-3 win over New England College (April 29) before a 10-inning, 5-4 setback at Rivier and an 18-10 loss to Albertus Magnus ended the postseason run.