NEWBERG, Ore. -- In 2025, the George Fox softball team was one game away from an NCAA Regional appearance.

Now, they're back for 2026 — and hungry to make that leap.

After a one-year absence from the Northwest Conference Tournament in 2024, the Bruins had a resurgence under first-year head coach Nathan Ohta, finishing the year with a 26-17 record. Fox had wins over No. 16 Pfeiffer, No. 6 Virginia Wesleyan, and No. 4 Linfield (twice) en route to a third seed in the conference.

In the NWC Tournament, the Bruins advanced to the semifinals, where they fell to second-seeded Lewis & Clark, 5-7. That game would prove to have huge ramifications; the then-Pios (now River Otters) made the NCAA Regional while GFU did not. For Ohta and his team, that result is not something they take lightly.

"To be that close to a regional, you realize every day matters." the second-year Bruin coach said, "Every play matters. Last year, there were five or six games that could have had a different outcome if we changed one play. One of those games would've put us in a regional. That's been something we've discussed as a team."

The Bruins do lose several key players after a successful season: 2023 All-American catcher Sydney Sandifer, 2025 All-American first baseman Sharon Tomei, and longtime players Brooke Riggins, Nicole Campa, Anyrie Brown, and Madelyn Loughary. Now, new players will have to step up into leadership roles.

"Leadership-wise, our group of captains is doing a great job [of stepping up] this year, but it's also a shared responsibility throughout the entire team. Ohta said, "Whether it's designated or not,  everybody needs to take some responsibility for creating the dynamic, chemistry and culture that we want and have worked hard at developing."

After a senior-laden 2025 season, the Bruins have just two entering 2026: Brooklyn Alejo and Allison Heater. Alejo has appeared in 24 games over the past two years, starting 16, while Heater came as a junior transfer, appearing in 21 games and compiling a 4-4 record. Athletic juniors Sami Stadlander and Emily Benavidez, meanwhile, enter as academic seniors and will graduate in May.

"Our senior class is going to play a significant role for us for sure," Ohta said, "But at the same time, it's nice looking to the future knowing that only four of them are going to graduate. We're going to reload next year, too."

Junior Makayla Noone is one of those players who will help the team reload this year and next. The junior is one of two returning All-NWC players for the Bruins, earning a Second Team nod thanks in part to setting the program career stolen bases mark with 43. The junior after nabbed 19 bags on the season, also leading the conference in triples with four, while her batting average of .350 was good for second on the team.

Noone is joined by everyday starters Tinley Taylor and Kiley Harris, who combined for 66 hits at the plate. Harris had nine home runs on the season, including a walk-off shot that capped off a 31-home run weekend in their series against Linfield. And with seniors stepping out, players like Chrisilla Zagala, Scarlett Olivas, and transfers Riley Pirkle and Corine Doran now have their chance to step up.

"Our junior class is almost like two separate recruiting classes with our transfers," Ohta said, "But you can tell that everyone worked hard over the summer."

Fox's top returning pitcher statistically is Nicole Ledendecker, who became the Bruins' ace in the circle down the stretch in 2025. The sophomore appeared in a team-high 27 games, finishing with an 11-6 record, seven complete games, three shutouts, and a team-high 67 strikeouts. For her efforts, the pitcher was named All-NWC Honorable Mention.

But it's not just Ledendecker in the sophomore class; the pitcher is joined by defensive specialists Grace Wilson and Mia Cantu, who now could get their shot on the offensive side after primarily playing in the field as freshmen, as well as regular DP Bethany Wilkes, who started 37 games and totaled 25 hits and four homers.

"Our sophomore class made a big jump forward this year," Ohta said, "There is always an adjustment to the college game, but they worked hard last season and over the summer as well. They came back this year ready to go. It's one of the things that has me the most excited about this season."

Rounding out the group is a freshman class of six players including: Ironwood High's Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year Hailei Barney, Israeli national team member pitcher Sarah Jacobs, Hawaii's Cami Nakamura, Washington's Jaemyson Durfee, and Oregon locals Bailey Hill and Emery Curtis, there's plenty to be excited about — in fact, Ohta says that any one of the 27 athletes could make an impact.

"This year, I think we could win with any of our kids out there in the lineup," Ohta said, "and that's pretty rare for a team. Usually there's a pretty clear talent gap, but I don't feel like that's the case right now."

The Bruins won't have long to adjust for the tough slate ahead: Fox begins with a trip to California to face the No. 4 team in the country in Redlands. Then, in their first conference series of the year, the Bruins will welcome the always-dangerous Linfield Wildcats, who look for their fifth straight NWC title and enter the year No. 3 in the nation.

Amidst tough conference competition, the Bruins will also have a trip to Florida, where they play some key out-of-region teams in No. 21 Simpson (Iowa), Babson, DePauw, and Augustana (Ill.). All in all, Ohta believes his team has the schedule to compete once again, not only for a spot in the NWC Tournament, but for a spot in an NCAA Regional.

" Nobody can accuse me of padding our schedule just to stack up easy wins," Ohta said laughingly. "Our focus right now in practice is about training at a championship level every day, and making sure we come out ready to go… but a challenging schedule is good for us. We're going to see exactly where we're at."

If there's one thing that the casual fan has noticed about the Bruins in the 2020s, it's their hitting; Fox has been among the top in the nation in home runs hit. And with a full new turf to show off on, that won't change in 2026 — Fox hit four home runs in their two exhibition games against Warner Pacific. 

But now, the Bruins look to take those hits to the next level: the NCAAs.