The Western Kentucky softball team is young, but experienced.

After starting seven underclassmen last season, WKU now gets to reap the rewards of that experience – looking to improve on last year’s 30-21-1 record. Head coach Amy Tudor said the team made great strides last season and is hopeful that can lead to bigger things in 2026.

“I feel like last year we were a little young and I still feel like we are a little bit young, but we’ve got a lot of experience,” Tudor said. “I’m really excited to get the season started and hopefully some warmer weather.”

Tudor added WKU has plenty to build off of from last season.

“I thought by the end of the season they really, really grew,” Tudor said. “I thought we reached our max last year. For this year we return everyone that started last year except Randi Drinnon – our catcher for four years. We’ve got a lot more experience. They know the routine. They know things can get mundane when you are inside because of snow. I think it will be fun to see the depth of our team. I think last year one of the things I thought we could be better at was we needed more depth and someone to push the person behind them. I do believe iron sharpens iron, so I feel like we have that in a positive way.”

WKU opened the season in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Friday with two games in the Bash in the Boro hosted by UNC Greensboro. The biggest battle in the days leading up to that season opener was with Mother Nature as the Hilltoppers were kept indoors due to winter weather and a lengthy stretch of cold temperatures.

The cold stretch is something Tudor said she joked with former player Kathryn Smith about it giving off 2015 vibes – when WKU dealt with similar weather in the preseason and went on to finish 36-14 – advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

“I think they have had great attitudes,” Tudor said. “Having a place to go and practice pretty much at will is wonderful. Nothing is like getting on the dirt and nothing is like competition, but you can’t recreate that even if you are outside. It’s just part of it. They don’t really dwell on it.

“They’ve worked really hard. They’ve grinded. Now the hope is that they trust the process and they go out there and play and have fun and compete.”

WKU not only brings back experience at the plate, but experience in the circle as well. All four pitchers who saw action are back. Erica Houge, who made the Conference USA All-Freshman team, started Friday’s season opener against Eastern Illinois.

Ryland Smith, who has been limited recovering from an injury, led WKU in wins and strikeouts last season but Tudor said it may take a while for her to get back to the ‘good ole Ryland.’

Josie Lashley is the newcomer giving the Hilltoppers a left-handed option on the staff.

With all the experience, Tudor said focus in the nonconference schedule will be to put all the pieces together.

“Trying to see who our competitors are,” Tudor said. “You can be a cage rat, but we need people that can go out and do it when the lights are on. There are just different things that we are looking for to figure out our offense. I think we should be better offensively than we were last year and we should be better as a whole in the circle as last year, and we should be faster and quicker on the bases. I feel a little more complete with this team, but I want to see them compete. Obviously the goal is to see them peaking when we get to May. These games are to help me as well.”

WKU will open Conference USA play on March 6, looking to build off a run last season that saw the Hilltoppers finish second in conference play.

WKU is picked fourth in the preseason poll, garnering one first-place vote. Liberty is the preseason pick to win the conference, with Louisiana Tech second and Jacksonville State third.

“Paper tigers don’t win awards,” Tudor said. “I feel like those things are great. Don’t get me wrong. But I feel like we want to be at our best and focus on what we are doing no matter who we are playing.”