BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Gulf South Conference unveiled its 2026 softball all-conference selections and individual award winners. The conference also announced its first-ever GSC Gold Glove Team. All selections were made by the conference’s 12 head coaches via an online poll.
 
AUM’s Reese Cauley was named the GSC Pitcher of the Year, while teammate and outfielder Chloe Baynes was named GSC Player of the Year. West Florida outfielder Miranda Harmon was voted GSC Freshman of the Year and Argonaut head coach Ashleigh McLean was named GSC Coach of the Year. 
 
In all-conference voting, GSC regular-season champion West Florida led the way with six All-GSC selections. UAH followed with five honorees. Mississippi College, Montevallo and Trevecca Nazarene had four honorees apiece. AUM had three, while Valdosta State and West Alabama each had two and one for Delta State.
 
The inaugural Gold Glove was comprised of nine defensive standouts from six schools. Named to the lineup was UAH’s Baylee Darby (2B), AUM’s Baynes (OF) and Rebecca Komers (SS), Mississippi College’s Blakely Gill (C) and Shelby Samples (OF), Montevallo’s Riley Tyree (1B), West Alabama’s Megan Roe (P) and Trinity Hatcher (OF), and West Florida’s Nicole Mergen (3B).
 
In 184.2 total innings pitched, third-most among GSC leaders, Cauley was the conference’s co-leader in wins (26), while rankings second in strikeouts (158), earned run average (1.48) and opposing batting average (.184). She also posted a .258 batting average (24-for-93) with 22 runs batted in, 10 runs scored and six home runs, tied-second among team leaders. Cauley is the second Warhawk in three seasons recognized as GSC Pitcher of the Year.
 
Baynes finished the season as the conference-leader in batting average (.449) and total hits (75) and stolen bases (47). She also ranked second among GSC hitters in on-base percentage (.523) and runs scored (54), while being fourth in triples (5), and eighth in walks (26). Baynes is the first Warhawk in program history named GSC Player of the Year.
 
Harmon earned West Florida’s first GSC Freshman of the Year award since Teala Howard in 2019. Against conference opponents, the rookie finished the season as the GSC-leader with 33 runs scored and second in stolen bases (21), while her 
59 hits against all competition was sixth-best. She also finished the season a .335 batting average (59-for-176) and scored 53 runs.
 
McLean guided the Argonauts to their first GSC regular season crown since 2019. West Florida finished the regular season with a 40-10 record overall and 25-8 record in conference play. Under McLean’s direction, the Argonauts led the conference in batting average (.324), RBI (276) and total runs (318), while finishing second in hits (444) and doubles (92). 
 
2026 GSC Softball Yearly Awards
Player of the Year: Chloe Baynes, Sr., OF, AUM
Pitcher of the Year: Reese Cauley, So., AUM
Freshman of the Year: Miranda Harmon, OF, West Florida
Coach of the Year: Ashleigh McLean, West Florida
 

First Team All-GSC
P – Reese Cauley, AUM
P – Eleanor De Block, West Alabama
P – Taylor Lloyd, Montevallo
C – Blakely Gill, Mississippi College
1B – Hannah Harper, West Florida 
2B – Emma Brice, West Florida
SS – Rebecca Komers, AUM
3B – Nicole Mergen, West Florida
IF – Ann Marie Stanbridge, West Alabama
OF – Chloe Baynes, AUM
OF – Shelby Samples, Mississippi College
OF – Taylor Rogers, Montevallo
OF – Jill Cockrell, UAH
DP – Mia Brown, UAH
UTL – Bailey Goad, Trevecca Nazarene
 
Second Team All-GSC^
P – Haley Guffey, West Florida
P – Katie Bracken, UAH
P – Megan Shurtz, UAH
C – Sarah Kinderdine, Trevecca Nazarene
1B – Kylie Ballentine, UAH
2B – Shay Hollingsworth, Trevecca
SS – Ellie Fryar, Mississippi College
3B – Becca Benton, Montevallo
IF – Morgan Lavergne, Mississippi College
OF – Saylor McNearney, Valdosta State
OF – Addy Grace Summers, Trevecca
OF – Jessie Baughan, West Florida
OF – Miranda Harmon, West Florida
DP – Chloe Eichelberger, Valdosta State
UTL – Emma Faulk, Montevallo
UTL – Maeve Lavoy, Delta State
^ roster expanded due to tie in voting