Softball | 12/17/2025 4:05:00 PM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla, - The Barry University Softball team is ready to step back on the clay after an incredible run in 2025. Head Coach, Sean Cotter, has released the 2026 slate as he prepares to lead the Bucs in his ninth season.
The season opens with back-to-back three game stretches against Alabama-Huntsville and West Florida between Buccaneer Field and NSU Softball Complex. It is followed by a six-game homestretch the next weekend against three different opponents in East Stroudsburg, Bentley, and Saginaw Valley State. The first round of non-conference action wraps up with a trip to North Georgia to take on the Nighthawks and Northwood for a pair of double-headers.
Through the first seven opponents, the Buccaneers will play three ranked opponents in no. 6 Saginaw Valley State, no. 7 North Georgia, and no. 16 East Stroudsburg. Five of the seven reached the NCAA national tournament field, SVSU and UNG ended their seasons at the NCAA DII Softball World Series.
Barry then ended the month of February opening Sunshine State Conference action with the first series against country rival Nova Southeastern and then hosting Embry-Riddle. The Buccaneers beat both NSU and ERAU in last year's series, taking two of three from the Sharks and sweeping the Eagles. Barry went on to play NSU in the NCAA South Regional twice, losing the opening round battle but winning the elimination game to move on and end the Sharks' season.
In March, the Buccaneers will use spring break to host Central Missouri and Kutztown for a pair of double-headers. Kutztown finished the year ranked 14th and advanced to the Atlantic Regional final. Last season, the Golden Bears took the head-to-head match up. Before returning to conference play, the Bucs will travel to Viera to play Ursuline in their lone appearance at the Space Coast Games. It is the only team out of conference that was sub-.500 in 2025.
The Buccaneers will dive right back into league play switching ff home and away with Florida Southern, Saint Leo, and Eckerd. Saint Leo hosted the second South Regional site last season as the no.2 seed in the bracket. To end March, Barry will travel for their midweek against Edward Waters to play a twin bill in Jacksonville.
In the only home series of April, the Buccaneers will host Lynn in the first weekend. They will then go on an eight-game road stint playing Rollins, Flagler, and Palm Beach Atlantic.
The regular season ends with six straight at home in May with Florida Tech and Tampa both making trips to Miami Shores. Barry forced a winner-take-all game to advance to the regional final with a spot to punch their ticket to the Super Regional. Ultimately, Tampa won and advanced to the World Series where they finished as the national runner up last year.
Overall, the Buccaneers are coming off their first 20-win season in conference play since 2003, they swept five league opponents, and won seven of the 10 series, while making their first postseason appearance since 2013. They will play 29 of their 54 games at Buccaneer Field against 12 different opponents.
Coaches' Corner with Head Coach Sean Cotter
Q1: Another home heavy schedule, how do you feel that helps give your team an edge?
A1: "I think anytime that you are playing a majority of your games at home and the players can sleep in their own bed helps. We are playing a lot of postseason hardened teams, so it certainly does not make it easy, but we are excited about the challenges of the schedule ahead."
Q2: With the success of last year, how will this schedule shape this team to continue to trend upward?
A2: "It is going to force us to. Just the first four weekends alone with West Florida and East Stroudsburg and Bentley being post-season teams, and then Alabama-Huntsville always in the mix. Then Saginaw Valley State, being one of the best teams we faced all last year and them making a World Series appearance. We finish up that start with a trip to North Georgia before conference play. It's 14 of our first 19 games that are against teams in the national tournament last season. So, it is going to force us to play at a high level from the beginning."
Q3: What are your thoughts on how the Sunshine State Conference will look like this year?
A3: "The conference has gotten better in the last four to five years. I think analytically we were the best overall conference in the country last year. With Tampa finishing runner-up, I think it is going to be a fight from top to bottom. I think everyone is going to be pretty good. I think that is what makes our conference so special."
Full schedule can be found here. Be sure to follow the journey on social on Instagram and X @BarryUSoftball pages.Â
