SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 5, 2026) – The Western New England softball team, coming off its second consecutive Conference of New England title, will shift its focus to the upcoming 2026 season, where the opening 12 games of the season come at The Spring Games in Florida, beginning on Sunday, March 8. 

The Golden Bears will be tested early in the season, playing some of the top talent from NCAA Division III at The Spring Games in Clermont and Kissimmee, Florida. The 2026 season opens with a pair of contests on March 8, beginning with Penn State Brandywine at 10:00 AM, followed by Hood College at 12:30 PM. The schedule continues the next day, March 9, with games against Ohio Northern University (10:00 AM) and Russell Sage College (12:30 PM). Following a one-day break, the Golden Bears take on both Calvin University (2:45 PM) and Wesleyan University (5:00 PM) under the lights of Legends Way Ballfields on Thursday, March 12. The Golden Bears return to action with six games left on their Spring Break Trip, taking on Lasell University on Thursday, March 12, at 1:30 PM and Otterbein University on the same date at 3:45 PM. From there, WNE plays Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1:30 PM) and Utica University (3:45 PM) on Friday, March 13, before rounding out the opening 12 games of the schedule with Simpson College (10:00 AM) and University of Wisconsin-Stout (12:15 PM) on Saturday, March 14. 

Western New England returns and opens its home slate with four straight games, a pair of doubleheaders, welcoming both Wheaton College (Mass.) to Golden Bear Softball Park on Wednesday, March 18 for 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM starts before entertaining the University of New England for a pair of Conference of New England (CNE) games on Sunday, March 22 at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. The Golden Bears have their first CNE road contests of the season at Gordon College on Saturday, March 28, at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. The month of March wraps up with a doubleheader with crosstown rival Springfield College on Tuesday, March 31, at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM. 

16 of Western New England's final 20 games of the regular season will come in CNE play. The Golden Bears head to Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday, April 4, to open the month. A weekend full of CNE play is up next for the Golden Bears, hosting the University of Hartford on Saturday, April 11, before heading to Milton, Massachusetts, for conference action against Curry. The Golden Bears take a short pause from CNE play and take on Westfield State University on Thursday, April 16 for 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM starts in Westfield. The Blue and Gold return to conference action with a weekend at home, entertaining both Roger Williams University (April 18) and Nichols College (April 19) at Golden Bear Softball Park, for 12:00 PM and 2:00 first pitches, respectively. The 2026 regular season schedule wraps up with a trip to Endicott College (April 25), hosting Johnson & Wales University (April 26), and the final week of the regular season, spent on the road, seeing WNE meet Eastern Connecticut State University on April 30 and Suffolk University on May 2. 

The Golden Bears will then begin the CNE Tournament, which will take place from Tuesday, May 5 – Saturday, May 9. WNE has reached the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons, traveling to Tufts University in 2024 and Virginia Wesleyan University in 2025. The Golden Bears look to make it three straight trips to the big dance in 2026. To view the full schedule, click here.