Championship aspirations for Upstate Softball are set as the Spartans reignite matchup with No. 3 seed, Radford

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A new season is brewing as the 2026 Big South Softball Championships have begun with much excitement where USC Upstate Softball plays the host of the tournament with aspirations for a three-peat. The journey begins reigniting play with number two seed Preseason Favorite, Radford.

Overview

As the host of the 2026 Big South Softball Championships, the goal for the Spartans remains the same which is to hoist the championship specifically in front of their home fans. Radford returns to Hub City after dropping the series opener to Upstate in a sweep following a walk-off in the ninth inning of game one and sweeping day two over the Highlanders. USC Upstate finished the regular season with a 33-21 overall and placed second in the conference with a 12-6 record. Radford finished with a 23-25 overall record and placed third in the conference with a 10-8 record. The matchup will feature the Big South Player of the Year against the Big South Pitcher of the Year.

Thursday's Matchup

May 7, 2026| 12:00 P.M. EST

(2) USC Upstate Spartans (33-21; 12-6 Big South) vs. (3) Radford Highlanders (23-25; 10-8 Big South)

Location: Hawkins Field at Cyrill Stadium| Spartanburg, South Carolina

TV: ESPN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App

How they Stack Up

All-time Series vs. Radford: USC Upstate leads 20-5

Last Five Matchups: Mar. 21, 2026 (UPST 6; RAD 5); Mar. 21, 2026 (UPST 3; RAD 1); Mar. 20, 2026 (UPST 1; RAD 0); Mar. 29, 2025 (RAD 3; UPST 1); Mar. 29, 2025 (UPST 12; RAD 3)

Implications: Winner moves to the Winner's Bracket and faces the winner of (1) Winthrop and (5) Gardner-Webb) on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Noon. Loser heads to the Loser's Bracket and will face (4) Presbyterian in the elimination game on Thursday, May 9, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern.

Players to Watch

USC Upstate: Senior Outfielder, Taliyah Thomas is a name that has been heard many times if a fan has kept up with Upstate Softball as she was named Preseason Player of the Year and lived up to the hype with a career year, resulting in being named Big South Player of the Year on Tuesday, May 5. Thomas appeared and started in 52 games where she led with a .401 batting average, added 69 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, 43 RBI, 56 run scored, six home runs, and 27 stolen bases. Thomas has been the engine that sparks the Upstate offense and has maintained her presence in the outfield with 78 putouts and a 1.000 fielding percentage. Seeing success and what the big stage has felt like, Thomas' leadership will a key contributor as the Spartans look to open the Softball Championships on a high note.

Radford: Sophomore Pitcher, Dakota Redmon as she was named the Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season, proving to be the player many batters have to deal with. Redmon led the conference with a 2.88 ERA while striking out 102 batters, added 14 complete games, five shutouts and a 9-12 record. Redmon contributed at the plate batting .293, added 24 hits, seven runs scored, six doubles, three home runs, 16 RBI and added a .476 slugging percentage. Redmon will look to battle against the number one batting team in the conference while pushing her team to success in the Championships.

Up next for the Spartans

The winner of the Radford/Upstate game will be able to finish the day watching who their opponent will be between (1) Winthrop and (5) Gardner-Webb in the Winner's Bracket on Friday, May 8 at noon. The loser of the game will have one game in between before having to return to the field for an elimination game at 5:00 P.M. on Thursday against (4) Presbyterian.

USC UPSTATE TO HOST 2026 BIG SOUTH SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Buy your tickets now for the 2026 Big South Softball Championship to be held at Hawkins Field at Cyrill Stadium. The event will be held May 6-9 and for more information and tickets, click here. (A clear bag policy will be enforced for this event.)

TICKETS ON-SALE FOR SPARTY'S BALL – MAY 15th
Support USC Upstate student-athletes at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraising event of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF), to be held Friday, May 15, 2026, at The Piedmont Club. For tickets, sponsorship and auction information, click here!

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Players Mentioned

Taliyah Thomas

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