Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: SAWYER BURKE; NEWS EDITOR
Coming off a challenging 11–35 season, the St. Bonaventure softball team is looking to use the offseason as a launching point for a major turnaround this spring. That rebuild began with significant changes to the program’s leadership, highlighted by the arrival of new head coach Camden Decker and assistant coach Mari Cook. The Bonnies also boosted their roster with six incoming freshmen, adding fresh talent, energy, and competition as the team works toward a stronger, more resilient 2026 season.
The Bonnies split their fall matchups, finishing 2–2 after a doubleheader against Alfred University and single games against Niagara University and the University at Buffalo. Reflecting on the early competition, head coach Camden Decker acknowledged the team’s uneven start.
“In our two play days we had, we had the doubleheader, which was, to me, a little disappointing,” Decker said. “Just in the fact that we didn’t really play well.”
Though the Bonnies took the first game, they fell to the Saxons in the second. Decker attributed some of the inconsistency to the team’s transition phase. “I think that was a lot of newness—you know, it was still somewhat early, still getting to know each other,” he said.
However, the following weekend showed clear improvement.
“When we played at Buffalo, we played so much better,” Decker noted. The fall season marked the beginning of implementing a new culture within the program.
Junior utility and public health major, Kendall Stull, said the fall went well and gave insight into the team’s strengths and weaknesses. “It gave us a chance to shake off the rust and see what things we need to work on this winter and spring,” said Stull.
The fall also came with challenges for some of the newcomers adjusting to the pace and expectations of college softball. Freshman third baseman and sports media major Grace Miller said the transition took time.
“Coming in as a freshman, it was a little hard at first because you haven’t bonded with some of your teammates, and then you’re already playing with them,” Miller said.
However, she noted that the team’s chemistry steadily improved as the fall season progressed.
“Once I was able to bond with my teammates, we started getting more comfortable, and we all started getting more into the swing of things—especially after our first play day of games,” she added.
Last spring, the Bonnies finished with a difficult 35 losses, posting a .200 win percentage. With those struggles in mind, Decker emphasized that creating a winning mentality has become a central goal. “We are trying to create more of an expectation of winning,” he said. “You know, working on little stuff—kind of back to the basics, but in a little bit more depth than maybe some people have experienced before.”
One of the greatest resources for the St. Bonaventure softball team this year has been the indoor facility. With fall bringing colder weather and shorter practice windows on the field, the Bonnies rely heavily on having indoor space to train consistently. Decker said the facility was one of the biggest draws when he first interviewed for the job.
“That’s a huge resource for us. Just the amount of space that we have in there to be able to put a full infield,” Decker said. “There are a lot of teams up there in the Northeast that don’t have anywhere near the space and resources that we have with that place. But overall, the UFC has been a really, really good resource.”
As they prepare for the 2026 season, the Bonnies will open the spring with several weekends on the road in the South. Their opening weekend will take them to Commerce, Texas, where they’ll face strong non-conference opponents. Sophomore shortstop and triple-certification elementary education major Abigail Ahern said she’s excited for the challenge.
“It’s a lot of games against really good competition, especially because we start the first month down south,” Ahern said. “But I’m very excited about it, and it’s going to really prepare us for conference play.”
Miller says she is excited about playing at the University of Texas at Austin. “I’m definitely excited to be able to say that we’re going to play the reigning college softball World Series champions, and the other high-caliber teams we’ll get to play this coming spring season,” said Miller.
A common theme from both players and coaches is the desire to build a successful season with a winning record. Decker outlined his vision clearly. “If I had a goal of what a successful season looked like, the first goal would be a winning record or a .500 record, and then trying to make it to the tournament,” he said.
Players have also begun setting their own personal goals for the spring. Miller said she hopes to contribute not only on the field, but to the team’s culture as well. “My goals for the spring season are to be the best teammate and be the best version of myself I can be on the field,” Miller said. “I want to make sure that my effort is as much as I can give and make sure that everyone is giving their all when it comes to the team, so we can all have the best season possible.”
As the Bonnies move closer to the start of the 2026 season, the program is focused on building not just wins, but identity—one grounded in hard work, accountability and belief. With new leadership, a new freshman class and a renewed sense of purpose, the team enters the spring determined to redefine itself.
The challenges ahead are real, but so is the team’s commitment to improvement. While the fall laid the foundation for growth, the spring will be the test of how far the Bonnies can go. And this is a group that is eager to rewrite last season’s story, so the opportunity couldn’t come soon enough.
