Florida Atlantic University’s softball team is set to begin its third season of American Conference play with a three-game series against Charlotte, starting Friday. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+, with the first game scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by games at 1 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.
The Owls currently hold a 17-6 record and are aiming for their third consecutive American Conference regular season championship as well as their third straight series win over the 49ers, who have a 12-10 record. Florida Atlantic is coming off a five-game winning streak, having won 12 of its last 14 games and outscoring opponents by an aggregate score of 99-19.
In their most recent game, Florida Atlantic achieved season highs in both runs (14) and hits (15) during a run-rule victory over FGCU. Six players had multiple hits, including senior first baseman Yani Guzman with a career-high three hits. The team scored in each inning played and saw home runs from sophomore Lily Holtje and senior catcher Chloe Yeatts.
Head Coach Jordan Clark enters her fourth season leading the program with an overall record of 138-54. She and her coaching staff were recognized as the American Conference Coaching Staff of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. The Owls began this season ranked No. 1 in the American Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll after back-to-back regular season championships.
Senior pitcher Autumn Courtney became the program’s fifth All-American in May 2025 after being named unanimous American Conference Pitcher of the Year. She started this season by earning American Pitcher of the Week honors and leads the team with 46 strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA.
Statistically, Florida Atlantic leads the conference in several categories: batting average (.324), runs (147), hits (188), doubles (43), RBI (130), walks (81), on-base percentage (.420), runs allowed (69), strikeouts thrown (156), opposing batting average (.232), and fielding percentage (.982).
Lily Holtje has received recognition as both an American Player of the Week and twice as Honorable Mention. She leads FAU in batting average (.448), hits (26), OPS (1.363), doubles (nine), RBI (23), walks (16) and on-base percentage (.553). She shares the team lead in home runs with four and has reached base in her last fifteen games.
Redshirt junior outfielder Kylie Hammonds also has four home runs this year, leads FAU with 23 runs scored, and recently set a new program record for career hit-by-pitches at twenty.
Senior third baseman Jesiana Mora has registered at least one hit in sixteen out of eighteen games played this season; she tied FAU’s single-game walk record with four against Coastal Carolina on February 28.
Yani Guzman is enjoying her best start yet, currently second on the team with a .424 batting average.
Freshman pitchers Makenna Lee, Ashlynn Durkin, and Madilyn Byrd have collectively allowed only fourteen earned runs across nearly thirty-eight innings pitched this year; they combined for a five-inning no-hitter against Southern Indiana earlier this season.
Charlotte’s Head Coach Courtney Breault holds a two-year record of 42-37 leading her squad into conference play. Junior outfielder Teagen Ritchie tops both Charlotte’s roster and the conference leaderboard with seven home runs so far this year; reigning Player of the Year Jenna Lord has tallied twenty-nine hits along with twenty-three runs scored; sophomore pitcher Taylor Jones leads all conference pitchers with eleven starts for Charlotte; notable victories include wins over nationally ranked Clemson (#23) and Virginia Tech (#14).
After facing Charlotte, Florida Atlantic will return home to Joan Joyce Field at FAU Softball Stadium for another three-game series against East Carolina from March 13 to March 15, also airing on ESPN+.
Fans can follow updates about FAU softball through social media @FAUSoftball.
