Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Ducks Well-Represented on Preseason Lists
01/21/26 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. – Ten Ducks, including All-Americans Lyndsey Grein and Rylee McCoy, are featured on multiple preseason honors lists, including USA Softball's Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List and D1 Softball's preseason All-Americans which were announced Wednesday.
Grein, a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist in 2025, was tabbed as a first team preseason All-American by D1 Softball, a second-teamer by Softball America and was one of 50 standouts named to USA Softball's Player of the Year preseason watch list. The senior from Mokena, Ill., went 30-3 last season with a 2.21 ERA and 236 strikeouts.
Grein was named the No. 11 overall player nationally by D1 Softball and No. 25 by Softball America. Among pitchers, Grein was ranked fifth nationally by D1 Softball and seventh by Softball America.
McCoy tied the school record by hitting 19 home runs a year ago was a was a top three finalist for NFCA National Freshman of the Year. A preseason second team All-American according to D1 Softball, McCoy was rated as the No. 30 player overall by D1 Softball and No. 51 by Softball America. She joins Grein on USA Softball's Player of the Year watch list.
McCoy was rated fifth nationally at first base by Softball America and third overall as a utility player by D1 Softball.
Amari Harper, a transfer from Texas A&M, joined Grein and McCoy on the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. An all-SEC selection for the Aggies a year ago, Harper hit .431 with a .536 on-base percentage in 2025. She had eight home runs, 11 doubles and 51 RBI. Harper was also ranked in Softball America's preseason top 100 (No. 73) and was named that publication's No. 7 utility player.
Other Ducks ranked in the preseason top 100 by D1 Softball include Addison Amaral (No. 70), Elise Sokolsky (No. 72), Stefini Ma'ake (No. 85) and Elon Butler (No. 93). Butler was also named to the Softball America's preseason top 100 (No. 71).
Both D1 Softball (No. 8) and Softball America (No. 10) listed Amaral in their top 10 shortstops. D1 Softball had Ma'ake 10th among designated players and Sokolsky 24th among pitchers. Butler was Softball America's No. 15 outfielder.
All three freshmen – Taryn Ho, Maddie Milhorn and Amanda Urbina – made D1 Softball's top 100 freshmen list, while Ho and Milhorn were on Softball America's freshman watch list.
Oregon was ranked fifth in the USA Softball and Softball America preseason top 25 and sixth by D1 Softball. The NFCA preseason poll comes out next week.
The Ducks open the 2026 season Feb. 6 with games against Missouri and No. 12 Clemson at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. Oregon will also play No. 23 Liberty, No 4 Tennessee and Southeastern Louisiana on opening weekend.
2026 HONORS
Elon Butler, Sr., OF
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#71)
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#93)
• Softball America Top OF (#15)
Lyndsey Grein, Sr., RHP
• D1 Softball Preseason All-America, 1st Team
• Softball America Preseason All-America, 2nd Team
• USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#25)
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#11)
• Softball America Top Pitchers (#7)
• D1 Softball Top Pitchers (#5)
Amari Harper, Sr., UTIL
• USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#73)
• Softball America Top UTIL (#7)
Elise Sokolsky, R-Sr., RHP
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#72)
• D1 Softball Top Pitchers (#24)
Addison Amaral, Jr., INF
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#70)
• Softball America Top SS (#10)
• D1 Softball Top SS (#8)
Stefini Ma'ake, So., UTIL
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#85)
• D1 Softball Top DP/UTIL (#10)
Rylee McCoy, So., INF
• D1 Softball Preseason All-America, 2nd Team
• USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#30)
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#51)
• Softball America Top 1B (#5)
• D1 Softball Top DP/UTIL (#3)
Taryn Ho, Fr., INF
• D1 Softball Top 100 Freshman Watch List
• Softball America Freshman Watch List (Big Ten)
Maddie Milhorn, Fr., RHP
• D1 Softball Top 100 Freshman Watch List
• Softball America Freshman Watch List (Big Ten)
Amanda Urbina, Fr., INF
• D1 Softball Top 100 Freshman Watch List
- www.GoDucks.com -
Grein, a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist in 2025, was tabbed as a first team preseason All-American by D1 Softball, a second-teamer by Softball America and was one of 50 standouts named to USA Softball's Player of the Year preseason watch list. The senior from Mokena, Ill., went 30-3 last season with a 2.21 ERA and 236 strikeouts.
Grein was named the No. 11 overall player nationally by D1 Softball and No. 25 by Softball America. Among pitchers, Grein was ranked fifth nationally by D1 Softball and seventh by Softball America.
McCoy tied the school record by hitting 19 home runs a year ago was a was a top three finalist for NFCA National Freshman of the Year. A preseason second team All-American according to D1 Softball, McCoy was rated as the No. 30 player overall by D1 Softball and No. 51 by Softball America. She joins Grein on USA Softball's Player of the Year watch list.
McCoy was rated fifth nationally at first base by Softball America and third overall as a utility player by D1 Softball.
Amari Harper, a transfer from Texas A&M, joined Grein and McCoy on the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. An all-SEC selection for the Aggies a year ago, Harper hit .431 with a .536 on-base percentage in 2025. She had eight home runs, 11 doubles and 51 RBI. Harper was also ranked in Softball America's preseason top 100 (No. 73) and was named that publication's No. 7 utility player.
Other Ducks ranked in the preseason top 100 by D1 Softball include Addison Amaral (No. 70), Elise Sokolsky (No. 72), Stefini Ma'ake (No. 85) and Elon Butler (No. 93). Butler was also named to the Softball America's preseason top 100 (No. 71).
Both D1 Softball (No. 8) and Softball America (No. 10) listed Amaral in their top 10 shortstops. D1 Softball had Ma'ake 10th among designated players and Sokolsky 24th among pitchers. Butler was Softball America's No. 15 outfielder.
All three freshmen – Taryn Ho, Maddie Milhorn and Amanda Urbina – made D1 Softball's top 100 freshmen list, while Ho and Milhorn were on Softball America's freshman watch list.
Oregon was ranked fifth in the USA Softball and Softball America preseason top 25 and sixth by D1 Softball. The NFCA preseason poll comes out next week.
The Ducks open the 2026 season Feb. 6 with games against Missouri and No. 12 Clemson at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. Oregon will also play No. 23 Liberty, No 4 Tennessee and Southeastern Louisiana on opening weekend.
2026 HONORS
Elon Butler, Sr., OF
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#71)
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#93)
• Softball America Top OF (#15)
Lyndsey Grein, Sr., RHP
• D1 Softball Preseason All-America, 1st Team
• Softball America Preseason All-America, 2nd Team
• USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#25)
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#11)
• Softball America Top Pitchers (#7)
• D1 Softball Top Pitchers (#5)
Amari Harper, Sr., UTIL
• USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#73)
• Softball America Top UTIL (#7)
Elise Sokolsky, R-Sr., RHP
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#72)
• D1 Softball Top Pitchers (#24)
Addison Amaral, Jr., INF
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#70)
• Softball America Top SS (#10)
• D1 Softball Top SS (#8)
Stefini Ma'ake, So., UTIL
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#85)
• D1 Softball Top DP/UTIL (#10)
Rylee McCoy, So., INF
• D1 Softball Preseason All-America, 2nd Team
• USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List
• D1 Softball Preseason Top 100 Players (#30)
• Softball America Preseason Top 100 Players (#51)
• Softball America Top 1B (#5)
• D1 Softball Top DP/UTIL (#3)
Taryn Ho, Fr., INF
• D1 Softball Top 100 Freshman Watch List
• Softball America Freshman Watch List (Big Ten)
Maddie Milhorn, Fr., RHP
• D1 Softball Top 100 Freshman Watch List
• Softball America Freshman Watch List (Big Ten)
Amanda Urbina, Fr., INF
• D1 Softball Top 100 Freshman Watch List
- www.GoDucks.com -
Players Mentioned
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UTIL
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UTIL
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INF/OF
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