Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina softball is just over two weeks away from its season-opening doubleheader in Greensboro against North Carolina A&T, opening the season in the Piedmont Triad on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
CatamountSports.com is previewing the 2026 softball team ahead of its season, beginning with the pitchers in the circle.
WCU softball's pitching staff features a trio of returners and two new faces to begin the 2026 campaign. Head coach Jim Clift looks to sophomore Amanda Fulton (Woodstock, Ga.), and classmate AG Batson (Six Mile, S.C.), to build upon strong debut seasons in Catamount Country.
Fulton and Batson are joined by senior Riley Pennington (Mount Airy, N.C.). who transferred from Presbyterian before 2025, to round out the trio of returners. Freshman Amari Burce (Lula, Ga.) and Briony Bunsic (Morristown, Tenn.) round out the 2026 WCU pitching staff.
Catamount Returning Pitchers:
Fulton returns from a strong debut season in 2025 that saw her total a team-best 10 wins, tied for seventh in the SoCon. She was one of only five players in the conference to reach the 100-strikeout mark, as paired with graduating senior Tessa Juett, became the first WCU pair to total 100 or more strikeouts in the same season since 2016 (Taylor Sigmon – 202 & Courtney Buchanan – 126).
Fulton finished with a team-high 11 complete games, tied for fourth in the SoCon, and was fourth with 33 strikeouts looking. She made a name for herself early in her Purple & Gold career as she opened with a 7-1 start, including a two-hit, 13-strikeout performance in the Catamount Classic against N.C. A&T in the Catamounts' regular-season opener. She also picked up her first collegiate save on April 5 against Chattanooga, while earning her first collegiate hit in walk-off fashion over chromatic rival Furman with an RBI single.
Fellow sophomore Batson returns as the two-way standout and looks to build off a strong opening season in Cullowhee. She earned three wins in the circle for WCU last season, tossing 59.1 innings and recording 32 strikeouts with four complete games. Her first win came in a seven-inning one earned run allowed decision on the road against Jacksonville on opening weekend. She also tossed three shutout innings against NCAA Super Regional participant Georgia early on in her debut season. At the plate, she picked up nine hits with four runs scored and four RBIs, as she made three starts at first and nine starts as the designated player.
Pennington, the final Catamount returner, begins her second year in Cullowhee after playing at Presbyterian in 2024. She appeared in three games in the circle against Jacksonville and Michigan State as a reliever. Pennington made her first start against Tulsa. She also picked up a hit and scored a run in nonconference play against the Blue Hose.
Catamount Newcomers in the Circle:
The first of two freshmen to join the 2026 staff is Amari Burce, who carried a .384 career batting average, along with a 2.61 ERA in the circle, during her high school career.
Burce posted a .500 batting average as a junior and hit .415 in her senior campaign. During her senior year, she was named first-team All-Region, along with second-team All-State. Burce also garnered offense and pitching awards along with her team's MVP award. As a junior, Burce received the NFCA Scholar Athlete Award along with first-team All-Region plaudits.
"Amari brings a strong arm that really helps round out our bullpen and gives us added depth in the circle. She's a strong defensive pitcher with great upside," said Clift.
The second of the newcomer arms is Briony Bunsic. The two-way standout finished her high school tenure with a .453 batting average from the leadoff spot, legging out seven triples and stealing 18 bases. She also dominated in the circle with 12 wins and 184 strikeouts. During her high school career, she totaled a school-record 816 strikeouts and set the school record for wins.
"Briony will be a solid presence in the circle for us this season and comes in with a stellar resume. She also has both average and power at the plate, and her ability to play multiple positions makes her a valuable all-around player," Clift said.
Bunsic earned Player of the Year honors all four years and was thrice named Pitcher of the Year. She also collected the Lakeway Player of the Year multiple times in her prep career. Bunsic was a part of four conference championships and three district tournament titles. She set a freshman record in the circle, tallying 206 strikeouts.
The Catamounts begin the 2026 season with a doubleheader on Wednesday, Feb. 11, against North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. After the opening day, WCU heads to the Low Country Classic for a three-day, five-game tournament. The Catamounts will play Penn, host College of Charleston, Akron, and UConn starting on Friday, Feb. 13.
WCU opens its home schedule in doubleheader fashion against Winthrop on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the on-campus Catamount Softball Complex. Admission to each of WCU's home games throughout the 2026 season is free of charge, courtesy of First Bank.
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