No. 19 SEU Softball Set to Open Season in Lakeland

LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 19 Southeastern Softball opens the 2026 season on Friday with a home doubleheader against Bryan at the SEU Softball Field, kicking off a new campaign filled with national expectations and a veteran roster. Friday's twin bill provides SEU an early chance to set the tone at home while facing a Bryan squad that arrives with momentum of its own to begin the year.

Schedule
Friday, February 6 — vs. Bryan (DH)
Game 1 — 1 p.m. | Game 2 — 3 p.m.

All games will be played in Lakeland at the SEU Softball Field.

How to Follow
Fans can watch both games live on the Urban Edge Network app (Smart TV and mobile) or online via the Urban Edge Network website.

Fire 5

1. SEU opens 2026 ranked No. 19 nationally after a 42–11 season and NAIA National Tournament appearance in 2025.
2. The Fire return 15 players, including all four pitchers from last season and 13 position players who saw game action.
3. Last year's offense was among the NAIA's best, hitting .344 with 293 runs, 493 hits, and 115 stolen bases.
4. Four returners hit .365 or better — Ella Brooks, Raylei McKinney, Lauren Sekinger, and Hailey Bradley. 
5. The pitching staff is anchored by two proven aces in Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year Maria Zelenka and 20-game winner Edan Playa.

About SEU
Southeastern enters the new season with continuity and experience across the roster. Fifteen returners are back from a team that finished 42–11 overall, recorded 14 wins over ranked opponents, and went 20–2 at home. The Fire once again advanced to the NAIA National Tournament and continued to establish themselves among the NAIA's most consistent programs under head coach Kayla Watkins.

Returners accounted for 63% of runs, 64% of hits, 86% of doubles, and 61% of RBIs from last year's totals, giving SEU a veteran core on both offense and defense entering 2026.

At the Plate
Southeastern's lineup blends speed, power, and high-contact hitters throughout the order. Ella Brooks returns after batting .378 with 62 hits, 40 runs, 31 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases, making her a catalyst at the top of the lineup. 

Raylei McKinney provides middle-of-the-order power after hitting .365 with a .623 slugging percentage, tallying 12 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, and a team-high 48 RBIs. 

Lauren Sekinger and Hailey Bradley add elite consistency. Sekinger hit .381 with a .433 OBP and struck out just seven times in 147 at-bats, while Bradley batted .380 with a .420 OBP and 46 hits in her freshman season. 

Depth remains a strength as well, with Hailey Brooks (.375), Katie Short (.381, .524 SLG), and Nicole Wasserstrom (.363 OBP) all contributing quality production. Returning hitters combined for a .346 average and 315 hits last season. 

In the Circle
The Fire bring back one of the most experienced pitching staffs in the conference. Maria Zelenka returns after earning Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year honors, going 17–4 with a 1.30 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 139.2 innings. 

Edan Playa complements her with durability after logging 171.2 innings with a 1.71 ERA and 20 wins. Together, SEU's returners powered the Fire to a 1.58 team ERA last season, one of the NAIA's top marks. 

About Bryan
Bryan enters the season on Friday and returns several key contributors from a  2025 team that went 29–14 overall and 19–6 in conference play last season. Addison Bunty leads the group after batting .419 with 57 hits and 19 stolen bases, while Brooklyn Malone hit .341 with eight doubles and a .477 slugging percentage. Savanna Schaffer (.310) and Juliana Santillanes (.286) add experience behind the plate and in the lineup. In the circle, KP Smith returns after recording 11 wins and 117 strikeouts in 119.2 innings. Bryan hit .329 as a team last season with a 3.36 ERA. 

Series History
Southeastern holds a 3–1 advantage in the all-time series since the first meetings in 2022. The Fire split the inaugural doubleheader before sweeping the 2023 meetings in Lakeland by run-rule scores of 10–2 and 9–0. All previous matchups have been played at the SEU Softball Field.

Looking Ahead
Southeastern continues its season-opening homestand next week with a full slate in Lakeland. The Fire host Thomas on Feb. 13 (1 p.m. & 3 p.m.), Abraham Baldwin on Feb. 14 (12 p.m. & 2 p.m.), and Mobile on Feb. 16 (1 p.m. & 3 p.m.), giving SEU an extended opportunity to build rhythm at home before moving deeper into the spring schedule.