EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Softball is set to begin the 2026 season at home, hosting the UTEP Invitational from Feb. 6–8 at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex. The Miners will welcome a competitive field featuring Utah Valley, St. Thomas, UT Arlington and UMass Lowell for opening weekend in the Sun City.

Ticket Information

Tickets for the opening weekend tournament are sold as day passes, with each day of the tournament requiring its own pass.

• Price: $12.55 per day
• Access: Admission to all games played that day

Fans can secure their seats through the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office by calling (915) 747-UTEP, emailing tickets@utep.edu, visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets, or in person at 201 Glory Road (Brumbelow Building, UTEP Campus) during business hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Opening Weekend Schedule 

Fans can follow live stats for all games throughout the weekend. UTEP games on Friday and Sunday will be streamed on ESPN+.

DATE	TIME	MATCHUP	WATCH	PROMOS
Fri. Feb. 6	10 AM 1 PM 4 PM	Utah Valley vs. St. Thomas UTEP vs. Utah Valley UTEP vs. St. Thomas	--- ESPN+ ESPN+	NGWSD (Poster and Tote Bag Giveaway) Free small popcorn w/ purchase at concessions
Sat. Feb. 7	11 AM 2 PM	UTEP vs. UT Arlington UTEP vs. UT Arlington	--- ---	$10 Combo (med. drink + hot dog) at concessions
Sun. Feb. 9	9 AM 12 PM	UTEP vs. Utah Valley UTEP vs. UMass Lowell	ESPN+ ESPN+	$3.50 Hot Cocoa at concessions
	^ All Times Mountain Standard		SIDEARM LiveStats

Roster Breakdown

UTEP enters the season with a 24-player roster, including 13 returners and 11 newcomers. The Miners feature:

• 6 freshmen
• 7 sophomores
• 4 juniors
• 7 seniors (including a fifth-year senior and a graduate student)

Of the 11 newcomers, six are transfers, adding experience across the lineup.

2025 Season Recap

The Miners are coming off a 22-29 overall record and a 10-17 mark in Conference USA, marking their second straight 20-win season for the first time in 15 years. UTEP was dominant at home, posting an 18-9 record at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.

UTEP opened the 2025 season with a bang, highlighted by a record-setting Opening Day performance that included a three-home-run game from Amaya Lee as part of a 21-run outing — the program's highest Opening Day scoring output in more than two decades. That momentum carried into the Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament, where the Miners went 5-0 and outscored opponents 42-9.

Rivalry games were a major highlight, as UTEP went 5-0 against New Mexico and New Mexico State, marking the first perfect rivalry season in program history and tying the program record for most rivalry wins in a season. The stretch included UTEP's first-ever series sweep of NMSU.

Midseason success included a series sweep of FIU, capped by a walk-off home run from Kenna Carranza and a 16-6 finale that marked head coach TJ Hubbard's 300th career win. The Miners also took series wins over WKU (2-1) and Kennesaw State (2-1), while sweeping FIU (3-0), New Mexico (2-0), and finishing a perfect 5-0 against teams from New Mexico.

Individually, Marissa Burchard earned a spot on the CUSA All-Freshman Team, while the Miners also excelled in the classroom with four earning CSC Academic All-District, including Halle Hogan and Iliana Muñoz.

Pitching Staff Preview

UTEP returns one starting pitcher from last season in Serenity Jacoway, who put together a solid freshman campaign. Jacoway finished 2025 with a 4-7 record and a 4.60 ERA, appearing in 27 games with 14 starts, throwing 94.1 innings and recording five complete games. Overall, the Miners will feature a seven-pitcher staff in 2026.

Defensive Leaders

Iliana Muñoz led UTEP with 219 putouts at first base. Bri Garcia returns after recording 80 assists and turning 14 double plays at second base

At the Plate

UTEP brings back significant production in the lineup, including:

• Kenna Carranza: .303 batting average, 9 doubles, 15 walks
• Marissa Burchard: 37 runs scored, 3 triples, 6-for-6 in stolen bases
• Halle Hogan: 38 hits, 8 home runs, 68 total bases
• Iliana Muñoz: 24 RBIs, 9 doubles

UTEP Returns…

• 55% of its hits, 62% of its extra-base hits, and 60% of its RBIs, resulting in a returning team batting average of .284
• 65% of its putouts and 45% of its assists, for a returning .966 fielding percentage

Scouting the Field

Utah Valley
Utah Valley returns one of the most experienced rosters in the league, led by preseason All-Conference selection Britney Moreno, a 2025 First Team All-Conference honoree who ranked second among returning players in the league with 57 hits. The Wolverines feature eight seniors and four juniors with Division I experience, highlighted by grad transfer left-hander Hannah Ortega, the former SWAC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year at Bethune-Cookman. Senior Angelique Mann enters her fourth and final season after playing every inning in center field in 2025, while Emma Haygood returns after a breakout junior season.

St. Thomas
The Tommies enter the weekend as the defending Summit League regular-season champions, led by All-Summit League selections Ava Kleinfeldt, Laken Lienhard and Avery Wukawitz. St. Thomas nearly doubled its win total from 2024 to 2025 and returns the majority of its roster that went 14-4 in league play. The Tommies were picked second in the Summit League preseason poll and return 78.8% of their at-bats from last season. 

UT Arlington
UT Arlington finished 2025 with a 24-25 record, highlighted by a signature road win at Baylor. The Mavericks return preseason All-WAC selections Kailee Bautista and Mia McNulty and were picked third in the WAC preseason poll. UTA has added eight newcomers and brings fresh energy into the 2026 season. 

UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell is coming off a 17-29 season and is led by preseason All-America East honorees Olivia DeCitise and Thyanais Santiago. DeCitise logged 125.1 innings with 132 strikeouts in 2025, while the River Hawks return multiple everyday contributors and add eight newcomers for added depth. 

All-Time Series

• Utah Valley: Series tied, 1-1
• St. Thomas: First-ever meeting
• UT Arlington: Series tied, 2-2 (first meeting in El Paso)
• UMass Lowell: First-ever meeting

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For complete coverage of UTEP Softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepsoftball (Instagram/X) and UTEP Softball on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com. 

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