MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference has released its 2026 softball preseason poll and All-GSC team, as determined by the league's head coaches, with Auburn University at Montgomery earning a No. 2 ranking heading into the upcoming season. 
 

Chloe Baynes, Reese Cauley, and Chelisa Newsome were selected to the Preseason All-GSC Team, while Gabbi Barnowsky, Chloe Hollon, and Karris Rhine were named to the Newcomers to Watch list. 
 

Yesterday afternoon, the team was ranked No. 12 in the first NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll of the season.  
 

The Warhawks are coming off a historic 2025 season in which they captured the Gulf South Conference regular season championship and advanced to the NCAA South Region Tournament. Under the direction of 2025 GSC Head Coach of the Year Scottie Wilkes Laney, AUM looks to build on its successful campaign, returning 10 letterwinners and welcoming nine new faces to the 2026 roster. 
 

Preseason All-GCS Team  
 

Chloe Baynes 
Baynes appeared in 50 games during the 2025 season, starting all 50, and finished the year with a .373 batting average. She totaled 59 hits, 41 runs scored, and 21 RBIs, while adding 36 stolen bases on the season. Baynes recorded a season-high four hits and four RBIs against Delta State and Lee, respectively, and posted multiple three-run performances throughout the year. Defensively, she was nearly flawless, recording a .989 fielding percentage with 90 putouts and just one error. 
 

Cauley delivered a dominant 2025 season in the circle for the Warhawks, posting a 23–5 record with a 1.27 ERA across 32 appearances. She logged 193.1 innings of work, striking out 137 batters while holding opponents to a .173 batting average. Cauley recorded 16 complete games and six shutouts, including an eight-inning, eight-strikeout performance at Delta State. Cauley also contributed offensively, batting .255 with six home runs and 22 RBIs during the 2025 season. 
 

Newsome made her presence known for the Warhawks' pitching staff in 2025, posting a 16–6 record with a 1.74 ERA over 116.1 innings. She struck out 74 batters while allowing just 29 earned runs and holding opponents to a .218 batting average. Newsome recorded 12 complete games and five shutouts, including a career-high nine strikeouts against Christian Brothers. She was perfect in the field with a 1.000 fielding percentage, helping lead the Warhawks' defensive efforts throughout the season. 

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Keep an eye on the Warhawks' freshmen and transfers this season. Barnowsky joins the outfield from Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, FL, while Hollon will play in the infield after starring at Prattville Christian Academy in Deatsville, AL.  
 

Rhine, an outfielder from Marion, IL, comes to the program after time at Santa Fe College. With a strong early collegiate track record, including 0.387 batting average and 39 RBIs last season, she is poised to make an immediate impact. 



 

Preseason Coaches Poll 
1. West Florida (6) - 115 
2. AUM (6) - 114 
3. Mississippi College - 95 
4. UAH - 93 
5. West Alabama - 74 
6. Valdosta State - 72 
7. Montevallo - 59 
8. Trevecca Nazarene - 58 
9. Lee - 39 
10. Union - 30  
11. Delta State - 23 
12. Christian Brothers - 20 
First-place votes in parentheses 



 

The Warhawks open their 2026 season at the Gulf Shores Invitational on Friday Jan. 30 at 11 am in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  
 

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