ATLANTA, Ga. – Fort Valley State University softball placed three student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) First Team, as announced by the league office.
Jasmin Stewart earned First Team honors as an outfielder after returning one of the conference's most productive bats from the 2025 season. Stewart posted a .366 batting average while slugging .673 in 32 appearances, collecting 37 hits including nine doubles, five triples, and four home runs. She drove in 34 runs, scored 31 times, and finished the season a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts, compiling a .439 on-base percentage
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Gabrielle Stonecypher was named to the First Team as a starting pitcher following a strong 2025 campaign. Stonecypher recorded a 3-3 record across 18 appearances, logging 59 innings with a sub-4.00 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. She struck out 25 batters while holding opposing hitters to a .240 average.
Taylor Watson secured First Team recognition as a relief pitcher after leading Wildcat returners in conference play. Watson posted a 6-3 SIAC record over 17 appearances, throwing 56.1 innings with 35 strikeouts. She finished the season with a 5.11 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP, limiting opponents to a .272 batting average.
Fort Valley State was picked to finish third in the SIAC East Division. The Wildcats mirrored that projection in 2025, finishing third in the regular season standings before making a run to the SIAC Tournament championship game.
The Wildcats open the 2026 season on the road with a doubleheader at Shorter University on Saturday, January 31, with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.