Clemson Softball is back, and this time it will be with a brand new team in a brand new era. To start the 2025 campaign, head coach John Rittman’s team will head to not one, but two Florida-hosted tournaments against top teams from around the country. Let’s talk about the opening tournament in Boca Raton, Florida: the Paradise Classic.
Clemson Softball’s brief program success is well documented. Despite the Tigers losing ten seniors from their inaugural class, Clemson came in at No. 25 on the preseason NFCA poll, and are receiving votes in the USA Softball/ESPN poll. They will return All-American and Preseason All-ACC second baseman Maddie Moore, alongside All-Conference third baseman Alex Brown. While the pitching staff will be reworked around two transfers (Reese Basinger, Winthrop; Brook Melynchuk, Louisiana Tech) and a true freshman (Macey Cintron, Cumming, GA), they will look for senior stalwart Brooke McCubbin to anchor the team in the circle this weekend and beyond.
Below is a preview of each Clemson opponent and when the Tigers will meet them on the field.
Ole Miss Rebels (Thursday, February 6th, 11am)
The first of a double-header to begin the season will be against Ole Miss. Ole Miss is a familiar foe to the Tigers, having played the Rebels in Clemson early last season – a 9-1 Tiger victory. This year, however, Ole Miss will be led by their Preseason All-American and Player of the Year candidate Aliyah Binford. The right-handed pitcher and utility player is a senior transfer from Baylor, where she was All-Big 12 as well as D1 Softball’s 2024 Comeback Player of the Year. As a pitcher, Binford is 40-23 with a 3.12 ERA over 410.2 innings pitched. As a hitter, she’s tallied a .297 batting average with 19 home runs, 96 RBI, 37 doubles and 21 stolen bases.
Otherwise, pitchers Miali Guachino and Abby Herndon, two-way player Persy Llamas and infielder Mackenzie Pickens were all selected to Softball America’s Top 100 Freshman to Watch. They will look to give a bunch of freshmen on the Tiger side some trouble in the season opener between two teams receiving votes in the USA Softball/ESPN preseason poll.
Kansas Jayhawks (Thursday, February 6th, 2pm)
The 2024 season marked a series of accomplishments for the Kansas Jayhawks, as the team achieved a program-record 28 wins. Kansas will bring back 14 players this season, including juniors Presley Limbaugh and Hailey Cripe. Limbaugh posting a .379 batting average in 2024, with Cripe topping the team with 10 doubles, 75 total bases, 34 RBIs, and two grand slams. In the circle, the Jayhawks will rely on Preseason All-Big 12 senior pitcher Katie Brooks. Brooks finished with a 12-6 record across 105 innings pitched, and leads the team with a 3.13 ERA, 64 Ks, and only 4 HRs (second-least in the Big 12 in 2024).
Worth noting, John Rittman has a past connection with the Jayhawks. Rittman served as the associate head coach at Kansas on Megan Smith’s (now the head coach at North Carolina) staff in 2015 and 2017, before taking the head coaching position at Clemson. This will be the first matchup in history between these two programs.
Florida Atlantic Owls (Friday, February 7th, 6pm)
This will also be the first time Clemson has played Florida Atlantic in softball. Last season, Florida Atlantic made a strong impact in their inaugural year in the AAC, finishing with an impressive 41-16 record. The Owls dominated conference play, posting a 21-6 mark to secure the AAC regular season championship. Their success earned them a long-awaited return to the NCAA Regionals for the first time in eight years. FAU emerged as an offensive force, finishing 2024 with the second-highest team batting average in the conference at .301.
The Owls will look to AAC Freshman of the Year sophomore shortstop Kiley Channell and All-conference junior third baseman Jesiana Mora to continue that offensive trend. In the circle, senior pitchers Ainsley Lambert (89 Ks, All-AAC) and Gabby Sacco (90 IP, 3.38 ERA, Conference USA Pitcher of the Year) are expected to build on their strong performances from last year.
The program will honor the 2024 Owls with a ring ceremony during the tournament on February 8th, to commemorate their 2024 AAC conference championship.
Georgia State Panthers (Saturday, February 8th, 11:15am)
Georgia State poses a unique threat to the Tigers over the weekend in Boca Raton. Among the 16 returners to this veteran team is Chloe Middlebrooks, who started in all 53 games in 2024 and led the team in at bats (158), hits (45), runs scored (28), doubles (7) and stolen bases (17). The Panthers also return the three top pitchers from last season, including Sydney Boulware, Makayla Stephens and Kate Kastelic. Boulware led the team on the mound during the 2024 season with six wins and a 4.58 ERA.
The Panthers will have a new leader at the helm in 2025, as Becca Mueller has been tabbed to lead the Georgia State softball program as the fourth head coach in school history. As an assistant coach, she helped three different programs – UCF, California and Georgia – reach NCAA regionals over the last six seasons.
Missouri State Bears (Sunday, February 9th, 11:30am)
The Missouri State Bears will act as the final opponent of the Clemson Softball team in the Paradise Classic. Led by All-Mountain Valley selection Kayla Ulrich (.361, 26 RBI), the Bears will also be looking to end their time in Boca Raton on a high note. Utility player McKenzie Vaughn will join fellow senior pitcher Mackenzie Chacon in the circle for the Bears this season.
Missouri State will also be starting 2025 with a new leader, as Director of Athletics Kyle Moats announced on June 5th that Kasey Griffith had been named the next head coach of the Bears. Griffith has been on the MSU staff for the last two seasons, serving as associate head coach under long-time head coach Holly Hesse in 2024. Hesse retired following the 2024 season after leading the Bears Softball program for 36 seasons and ending her career with a record of 922-889-2.
Catching All the Action
You can catch all of the Clemson Softball games during the Paradise Classic this weekend to watch on FloCollege ($). The first two games will be available to listen online via the Clemson App, and the final three games will be broadcast on WCCP FM.
