East Tennessee State University’s softball team will travel to Virginia for the 2026 Radford Invitational, scheduled for March 13 and 14 at the Radford Softball Stadium. The Buccaneers are set to face Lafayette College and host Radford University during the two-day event.
The tournament provides an opportunity for East Tennessee State, which currently holds an 11-6 record, to continue its early season momentum against teams from different conferences. The Bucs will play Lafayette (5-13) on March 13 at 4:30 p.m., followed by a matchup with Radford (8-14) on March 14 at 10 a.m., and another game against Lafayette later that day at 12:30 p.m.
Recent performances have highlighted several standout moments for the Buccaneers. During the Winthrop Invitational, one player recorded three home runs over three games, including a game-winning hit in a victory over Bucknell. The team also swept a doubleheader against Alabama A&M, with Fowler and Muncy each earning wins as pitchers. Another notable achievement was an 8-7 win over TSU, where a pitcher threw more than five innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
The team’s offensive strength was further demonstrated in a decisive 17-0 win over Tennessee State, marking the second-best scoring performance since a record-setting game in 2002. In that contest, nearly every player contributed offensively, with four players scoring multiple runs and one hitting her first home run as a Buccaneer.
Looking ahead, East Tennessee State is scheduled to play 52 regular-season games—25 at home and 27 away—against opponents from ten different conferences. Head coach Cheryl Milligan enters her fourth season leading the program alongside returning assistant coaches Bill and others. The roster features seven freshmen, eight sophomores, nine juniors, and five seniors.
The Buccaneers were picked to finish eighth in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll but aim to build on their strong start this year.
