LIVINGSTON, Ala. - With the University of West Alabama Softball team set to begin their season in one week, the UWA Athletics Department provides fans with an in-depth look at the 2026 roster.
The Tigers enter the 2026 campaign after putting together a 30-19 record in 2025. Head Coach Stephanie Defeo enters her fifth year with the program while bringing in Jacob Stanley as the team's Head Assistant. Defeo has accumulated a 133-78 overall record at West Alabama and currently holds 480 total wins in her career.
The Tigers lost three of their top players from last season in Marissa Mitchell, Taylor Clegg, and Madison Wright. Mitchell ended her career as the program's all-time leader in Batting Average (.408), Slugging Percentage (.905), and OPS (1.411) while Clegg helped anchor UWA's offense with a .361 batting average, five Home Runs, and 27 RBIs. Wright served as the Tigers' Game One starter all season, accumulating 172.0 innings pitched and a 2.98 ERA.
Losing Mitchell, Clegg, and Wright is a big deal for West Alabama which is why Coach Defeo sought out the transfer portal to help fill those voids. This past offseason, the Tigers brought in impact transfers in Sha'Keria Washington, Trinity Brooks, and Hailey Thurber.
Washington is a standout talent who played for Enterprise CC the past two seasons. As Enterprise CC's starting Catcher in 2025, Washington hit .312 at the plate along with eight Home Runs and 40 RBIs. The incoming junior recorded 19 extra base hits, leading to a .592 slugging percentage which ranked 22nd in the country.
As for Brooks, she's a transfer from Carson Newman who's expected to play immediately in the Outfield for the Tigers. Brooks accumulated a .318 batting average in two seasons with the Eagles, showcasing her prowess as a contact hitter. The junior's .318 batting average would've ranked third amongst West Alabama in 2025.
For Thurber, she will provide UWA with much needed depth at the Catcher position. Thurber, a transfer from MSU Moorhead, played immediately as a true freshman, accumulating 109 at bats. The sophomore flashed potential in her introductory year with the Dragons and will now look to build on that with the Tigers.
While Washington, Brooks, and Thurber are important transfer portal adds, West Alabama also returned Ann Marie Stanbridge, Eleanor De Block, Haley Shannon, Ella Watson, and Trinity Hatcher.
Stanbridge served as a UWA's lone Preseason All-GSC selection after finishing second on the team in RBIs with 38 and third in batting average with a .309 mark. The senior has been one of the best offensive players in school history as she enters the new season just 26 RBIs away from breaking the School Record in that category.
Even though she was left off the All-GSC team in 2025 and the Preseason All-GSC squad in 2026, De Block is without a doubt one of the top pitchers in the Gulf South. Last season, De Block led UWA and ranked sixth in the league with a 2.12 ERA in 123.1 innings of work. The Right-hander is slated to be West Alabama's ace this season and will more than likely get the ball to begin the Tigers' season against Saint Leo on January 30.
Shannon, Watson, and Hatcher all played in the Outfield a year ago, with Shannon serving as the squad's DP much of the season. Shannon is a pure contact hitter and stands as one of the leagues best bunters which led to the Junior racking up 35 hits in 2025. Shannon is also a threat on the base paths as she swiped 16 bags in 17 attempts. Watson enters her sophomore season after a productive year as a true freshman. The Center Fielder finished fourth on the team in RBIs with 20, while carrying a .259 batting average. Hatcher played alongside Watson, serving as West Alabama's everyday Left Fielder. Hatcher was also the Tigers' usual leadoff hitter where she cranked four Home Runs, including a Grand Slam against Mississippi College on February 16.
UWA's freshman class consists of Lee Lott, Alexis Parson, Kayla Morris, Lizzy Austin, and Carolyn Cagle. All five will look to make an immediate impact as they're set to begin their collegiate softball journey on January 30.
