Tigers Set for Season-Opening Weekend at Kajikawa Classic

Friday, February 6

Tempe, Ariz.

4:30 p.m.

University of Memphis

Toledo

Photo by: Steven Spehar

Tigers Set for Season-Opening Weekend at Kajikawa Classic

Feb 05, 2026 | Softball

Game Notes - Kajikawa Classic

TEMPE, Ariz. – Memphis softball begins year two of the Trena Prater era with five games in the 2026 Kajikawa Classic this weekend in Tempe, Arizona, hosted by Arizona State.

Over the first weekend of the season, the Tigers will face Toledo twice, followed by contests against Texas State, Northwestern and Arizona State. Only Memphis' final game of the Classic against Arizona State will be broadcast on ESPN+.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Memphis looks to improve upon its 2025 season after recording the program's highest overall win total since 2019 under head coach Trena Prater.

The Tigers look to replace a key piece from last year's team with Zoe Adebayo's graduation with a multitude of pieces added by Prater in the form of high school signees and transfers. At the plate, Memphis has two key returners in Neely Taylor and Kennedy Semien. In 2025, both hit over the .300 mark with Semien recording a team-leading 36 runs scored and Taylor beginning the past season with a 12-game bases reached streak.

New faces to the Tigers include a pair of athletes with international experience in transfer outfielder Paris Brienesse and freshman infielder/pitcher Taylor Caton. Brienesse, an Angelo State transfer, is a member of the Swedish Senior National Team and posted strong numbers with the Rambelles. Caton, a member of the Canadian Under-18 National Team, adds talent to both sides of the game after setting Jackson Prep's records in career batting average, home runs and strikeouts.

Memphis' pitching staff returns three arms in Jericho Tate, Taniyah Brown and 2025 Memphis wins leader Rylee Dugar. Dugar looks to build off a season where her ERA improved by over three. The returning pitchers are supplemented by Iowa transfer Mya Clark, UNLV transfer Jazmine Chavez, along with Caton and fellow freshman Avery Stutts.

SCOUTING THE KAJIKAWA CLASSIC

Toledo enters the weekend after a 19-28 campaign in 2025, including a 12-14 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The Rockets return multiple key pieces from the previous season, including MAC Freshman of the Year Samantha Bolding and second team All-MAC selection Eli Enriquez. Bolding's freshman season included a team-leading 13 home runs and a 1.040 OPS while also hitting .322. Enriquez missed part of the season but carried a .419 average with 52 hits and 22 stolen bases, both marks that led Toledo. Also returning is Toledo's leader in batting average in Audrey Miller, who hit .338 last season.

Texas State starts the 2026 season after a Sun Belt Conference regular season title and being named the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt. All three of the Bobcats' postseason award winners from 2025 return for this season in Aiyana Coleman, Madison Azua and Megan Kelnar all being named to the first team. Coleman was also named the Sun Belt's Player and Newcomer of the Year and is the Preseason Player of the Year in the conference. Azua was selected as the Sun Belt's Preseason Pitcher of the Year, with Kelnar being named to the Preseason All-Conference team. Coleman, a transfer from Texas A&M, set Texas State's program records in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage while hitting .421 on the season.

Northwestern, a national power, is entering the season after its seventh-straight NCAA Regional appearance. The Wildcats are led by 2025 All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection Kaylie Avvisato. Avvisato's first collegiate season saw her hit .348 with a team-leading 57 hits and 22 stolen bases. After going 9-11 in the circle last season in 87.2 innings junior pitcher Riley Grudzielanek will step into a role of leading the pitching staff with the graduation of All-Big Ten pitcher Lauren Boyd.

Arizona State is Memphis' third opponent of the Classic coming off an NCAA Regional appearance in 2025. The Sun Devils were picked third in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, with Kenzie Brown and Tanya Windle being selected to the preseason all-conference team. Brown's selection was unanimous after striking out the fourth-most batters (289) in the nation last season en route to being named an All-American by the NFCA, D1Softball and Softball America. Windle logged a team-best 63 hits last season with 21 extra-base hits and a .371 batting average.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST THE FIELD

This will be the second time that the Tigers have taken part in the Kajikawa Classic, previously going 3-1 in the event in 2008. It will also be the first time that Memphis has played either Toledo or Northwestern.

Memphis' lone matchup against the Texas State Bobcats was a loss by a score of 2-0 in the 2014 Gulf Coast Softball Classic.

The Tigers have the most history with Arizona State out of this weekend's opponents, but trail four-games-to-none in the series, most recently falling by a 13-5 run-rule in the 2024 Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Arizona.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For complete information on Memphis Tigers Softball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram , and Facebook.