GREENVILLE, Pa. (March 5) -- The Thiel College Softball team enters the 2026 season with lofty goals and expectations following last season's top-four finish in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament.
"We want to win a PAC Championship," first-year head coach Michael Kernan said in his season preview interview with SID Dante Parente. "We feel we can do that taking one game at a time and playing to our potential. We're definitely keeping the stakes high."
Thiel returns 7-of-9 regular starters from last season and is a veteran-laden squad with seven upperclassmen. Of those seven returning starters includes grad-student
Mackenzie Herman (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds), an All-PAC pick last season, and four-year starter
Kylie Heid (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley), a two-time All-PAC player.
Herman, who saw the bulk of her time behind the plate at catcher last season, figures to see significant innings in the circle and in the field as well. Herman was second on the Cats in slugging (.590) last season while finishing third on the team in runs (22), doubles (eight), triples (four), RBIs (20), OPS (.930) and total bases (65)
Heid will slot in at shortstop again in 2026. She led the team and was eighth in the PAC in slugging (.667) last season. Heid led the team and was tied for the PAC lead with seven three-baggers while finishing tied for sixth in the PAC in home runs (five). She also tied for the team lead in RBIs (27) and led the Tomcats in total bases (76).
Dual-sport athlete
Kayley Risser (Reynoldsville, Pa./Dubois Central Catholic) will also play a large part in the Tomcats' offense in 2026. Risser, a sophomore, led the team in hitting (.375), hits (45) and runs scored (29) last season. She was second on the Cats in stolen bases (eight), doubles (nine) and total bases (66) while finishing tied for third in the PAC and second on the team in triples (six).
Herman along with junior
Alaina Fedder (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) figure to see the bulk of the action in the circle for the Cats while freshman Lilly Merolillo will also see starting action.
Like 2025, Thiel was picked 10th in the PAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The 2025 Tomcats defied that preseason prediction as they made the conference tournament and ultimately finished fourth after collecting a pair of victories.
Key Dates
Pivotal contests and dates of significance on the 2026 schedule can be found below. The full schedule can be found
here or by clicking the blue box above.
- March 8-13: Spring break trip to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina featuring 10 games over seven days.
- March 21: Home and PAC opener versus Grove City
- April 8 and 11: Two-game hometsand versus Saint Vincent and Hiram
- April 22: Home showdown with reigning PAC champions Westminster
- April 26: Regular season finale at Chatham
- April 30 - May 2: PAC Championship Tournament
Roster
The 2026 roster can be found
here or by clicking the blue box above.
Looking Ahead
The Tomcats open the 2026 campaign Sunday with a pair of matchups against Penn State DuBois (Noon) and Keystone (2 p.m.) from the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex.
