Thursday, February 5
Orlando, FL
12 PM
Boston University
vs
CSU Bakersfield
Softball Set to Open Season Down South at Black & Gold Classic
February 4, 2026 | Softball
BLACK & GOLD CLASSIC (GAMES 1-5) INFORMATION
Teams: BU, Buffalo, Cal State Bakersfield, UCF, Maryland
Dates: Thursday, Feb. 5 - Saturday, Feb. 7
Venue: Orlando, Fla. | UCF Softball Complex
X: @BUGameDay | @TerrierSoftball
BOSTON – The three-time defending Patriot League tournament champion Boston University softball team will open its 39th season at UCF's Black & Gold Classic.
The Terriers will start off against Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday (Feb. 5) with a 12 p.m. start time followed by a 3 p.m. first pitch against the host Knights. BU will then face a pair of Power 4 programs in Maryland Friday morning (Feb. 6) at 9 a.m. and No. 16/19 Duke at 2 p.m. Finally, a matchup against Buffalo will take place Saturday (Feb. 7) at 9 a.m. All five contests will be streamed on ESPN+.
TERRIER TIDBITS
Cal State Bakersfield, 0-0 (Thursday, 12 p.m.)
Teams: BU, Buffalo, Cal State Bakersfield, UCF, Maryland
Dates: Thursday, Feb. 5 - Saturday, Feb. 7
Venue: Orlando, Fla. | UCF Softball Complex
X: @BUGameDay | @TerrierSoftball
BOSTON – The three-time defending Patriot League tournament champion Boston University softball team will open its 39th season at UCF's Black & Gold Classic.
The Terriers will start off against Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday (Feb. 5) with a 12 p.m. start time followed by a 3 p.m. first pitch against the host Knights. BU will then face a pair of Power 4 programs in Maryland Friday morning (Feb. 6) at 9 a.m. and No. 16/19 Duke at 2 p.m. Finally, a matchup against Buffalo will take place Saturday (Feb. 7) at 9 a.m. All five contests will be streamed on ESPN+.
TERRIER TIDBITS
- Reaching its third straight NCAA tournament, BU finished 39-19 last season with a 14-4 record in Patriot League play.
- 11th-year head coach and program record holder in wins at 363, Ashley Waters needs 37 more to reach the 400-victory milestone.
- BU returns its top seven batters, including three-time NFCA All-Region honoree Brooke Deppiesse who posted a .421 batting average with five homers, six triples, 17 doubles, 40 RBIs and 57 runs scored.
- Both Deppiesse and junior Kylie Doherty (.338, 13 HRs, 46 RBIs, eight doubles) were named to the preseason All-PL squad.
- The Terriers return the entire pitching staff led by two-time PL Pitcher of the Year and three-time All-Region member Kasey Ricard (26-12, 2.16 ERA).
- Sophomore Danika Nell (8-1, 2.88 ERA) is also back for a staff that combined for 339 strikeouts in 378.2 innings.
- BU finished the year batting .303 and holding opponents to .240 with leads in homers (32-27), triples (22-5) and doubles (69-58).
Cal State Bakersfield, 0-0 (Thursday, 12 p.m.)
- The Roadrunners went 16-34 last season with a 7-20 mark in the Big West.
- Hannah Garcia (.308 avg.) is the top returning hitter for a lineup that batted .264 in 2025 with 24 homers and 42 doubles.
- Maya Ramirez (2-9, 8.37 ERA) is the top returning pitcher for a staff that totaled 66 strikeouts in 306.2 innings while holding opponents to .324 batting average.
- BU and CSU Bakersfield will face off for the first time.
- Selected fifth in the Big 12 preseason poll, 2025 Austin Regional finalist UCF went 35-24-1 (12-12 Big 12) last season with a 2-2 mark in the NCAA tournament.
- Sierra Humphreys (.355 avg., 10 2Bs, 4 HRs, 15 SBs) and Aubrey Evans (.320 avg., 10 HRs, 33 RBIs) are the top returning hitters for a lineup that batted .287 in 2025 with advantages in homers (46-40) and doubles (77-48).
- Isabella Vega (14-7, 1.70 ERA) and Yessenia Lopez (2-8, 4.36 ERA) are the top returning pitchers for a staff that totaled 288 strikeouts in 398.2 innings of work while holding opponents to a .251 batting average.
- The Knights lead the series, 2-1, with a 6-4 home victory in 2005 and 6-2 win in 2022 played in California. The Terriers earned their lone victory, 6-5, in 2007 at UCF.
- The Terrapins went 18-31 last season with a 3-19 mark in the Big 10, earning a notable non-conference win against then-No. 21 California.
- The Big 10 listed Bailey Murphy (.326) and Sammi Woods (.294, 3 HRs, 9 2Bs) as players to watch this season from a lineup that batted .267 last season.
- The Big 10 also listed returning pitcher Keira Bucher (2-7, 5.06 ERA) as a player to watch from a lineup that totaled 196 strikeouts in 295.2 innings and held opponents to .279 batting average.
- Maryland leads the all-time series, 4-1, after earning a 3-2 victory in 2016 with Florida Atlantic serving as host. The Terriers posted a 1-0 victory in 2012 down in Clearwater, Florida.
- Selected fifth in the ACC preseason poll, the 2025 Athens Regional finalist Blue Devils went 41-18 last season with a 16-8 mark in the ACC and 3-2 record in the NCAA tournament.
- USA Softball Top 50 Watch List includes Aminah Vega, who batted .417 last season with 12 homers, 17 doubles, 52 RBIs and 80 hits. Duke batted .329 last season with 61-51 lead in homers and 76-75 edge in doubles.
- Cassidy Curd (15-8, 3.50 ERA) is the top returning pitcher on a staff that finished with 291 strikeouts in 383.0 innings while holding opponents to .259 batting average.
- The teams are tied at 1-1 after BU won the first meeting, 7-4 (8), in 2018 down in Florida and came up short, 4-2, in 2024 at Duke.
- Buffalo went 17-33 last season with a 10-17 conference mark in the Mid-American Conference.
- Emily Gorman (.395, 22 RBIs, 28 R) and Abbey Nagel (.340, 9 HRs, 33 RBIS) are two of the top returning hitters from a lineup that batted .260 with 21 homers and 57 doubles.
- Olivia Russ (8-12, 4.60 ERA) led the pitching staff last season with 80 strikeouts in 129.1 innings.
- The Bulls lead the all-time series, 3-2, after the Terriers swept a doubleheader (9-0, 7-0) and dropped the third meeting (1-0) in Tampa, Florida, back in 2007. Buffalo won the first two contests played a year prior in 2006 (7-4, 9-4).
- BU will next travel to South Carolina for five games on Feb. 13-15.
- The Terriers will face the host Gamecocks and Louisville two times apiece with one matchup against Kennesaw State.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
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