List, Legzdin Named Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference, JMU Picked Seventh in Coaches Poll

NEW ORLEANS — James Madison softball redshirt junior Payton List and sophomore Cali Legzdin have been named to the Sun Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, as announced by the league office on Wednesday morning.

List, selected as a designated player, earned preseason honors following a strong 2025 season in which she made an impact both in the circle and at the plate. As a pitcher, List logged 107.0 innings and posted a 3.07 ERA with a 12-8 record. She held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average and collected 74 strikeouts. At the plate, she hit .380 while homering 14 times and driving in 34 runs – all team-highs for the Dukes.

Earning a spot on the preseason team at third base, Legzdin had an impressive freshman campaign. She set the JMU freshman single-season record for stolen bases with 28, ranking second all-time as a Duke. At the plate, she recorded 48 hits for a .348 batting average, good for third on the team. She added seven home runs and 31 RBIs.

In the coaches poll, the Dukes were picked to finish seventh, garnering 75 points. Texas State was picked as the favorite, earning eight first-place votes out of 12. The other first-place votes went to Coastal Carolina (two), Louisiana (one) and Marshall (one), picked respectively to finish fourth, third and fifth in the Sun Belt.

2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Awards

Preseason Player of the Year
Aiyana Coleman, Texas State (Sr., 1B – College Station, Texas)

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Madison Azua, Texas State (Jr., LHP – Round Rock, Texas)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
P Madison Azua, Texas State (Jr., LHP – Round Rock, Texas)
P Alana Barnard, Georgia Southern (Sr., RHP – Statesboro, Ga.)
C Megan Kelnar, Texas State (Sr., C – Kyle, Texas)
1B Aiyana Coleman, Texas State (Sr., 1B – College Station, Texas)
1B Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina (Jr., 1B – Mount Gambier, Australia)
2B Morgan Brown, ULM (R-So., 2B – Katy, Texas)
2B Makayla McClain, App State (Sr., 2B – Liberty, N.C.)
3B Olivia Branstetter, South Alabama (Jr., 3B – Liberty, Mo.)
3B Cali Legzdin, James Madison (So., 3B – Beaver Falls, Pa.)
SS Grace Barrett, App State (Jr., SS – Milton, Ga.)
OF Meagan Brown, ULM (Jr., OF – Katy, Texas)
OF Hannah Christian, Southern Miss (So., OF – Hoover, Ala.)
OF Diamond Leslie, Marshall (So., OF – Alpharetta, Ga.)
OF Brooklin Lippert, ULM (Jr., OF – Loganville, Ga.)
DP Payton List, James Madison (R-Jr., DP – Beaver, Pa.)

2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll

Texas State (8) – 138
ULM – 113
Louisiana (1) – 109
Coastal Carolina (2) – 104
Marshall (1) – 100
App State – 85
James Madison – 75
Georgia Southern – 64
Troy – 63
South Alabama – 42
Southern Miss – 29
Georgia State – 14

JMU opens the 2026 season on Feb. 6 in Elon, N.C. at the Elon Softball Classic against North Carolina, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.

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