Trio of Tigers Named to USA Softball Top 50 Watch List

OKLAHOMA CITY – Catcher Maci Bergeron, utility player Tori Edwards and utility pitcher Jayden Heavener have been placed on USA Softball’s Top 50 Watch List for the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

LSU has had multiple members on the Top 50 Watch List in each of the past four consecutive seasons, and the three selections are tied for the most entering a season in program history (2016 and 2024). The Tigers have also been represented on the watch list with at least one player in 14 consecutive years. Overall, 24 universities and five athletic conferences are represented on the Top 50 Watch List, with the SEC leading all conferences with 24 athletes.

All three LSU Tigers are making their first appearance on the highly esteemed watch list.

Bergeron was named a 2025 NFCA All-American and All-SEC selection last season. She posted a .364 batting average with 60 hits, including nine home runs, scored 37 runs and drove in 49 RBI. Bergeron also drew 45 walks and finished with a .498 on-base percentage, ranking No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, in the program’s single-season record book. Defensively, she recorded a .994 fielding percentage with 312 putouts, 13 assists and two errors, caught five runners stealing and was part of two double plays. Entering the 2026 season, Bergeron is the program’s all-time leader with a .995 fielding percentage with a minimum of 800 chances.

Edwards was also named a 2025 NFCA All-American and earned 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year honors, becoming the third LSU Tiger to receive the award and the first since 2013. She set a program single-season record with an .802 slugging percentage and tied the school record with 18 home runs. Her 73 RBI rank No. 3 in the LSU record book, while her .495 on-base percentage ranks No. 9. Edwards finished the season batting .375 with 62 hits, 52 runs scored and 37 walks. At first base, she recorded 346 putouts and eight assists.

Heavener earned 2025 NFCA All-Region honors after posting a 13-5 record in the circle with a 2.75 ERA, striking out 152 batters in 119.2 innings. Her strikeout total ranks sixth among freshmen in program history, her 68 hits allowed are a program low, and her .164 opposing batting average is the seventh-lowest mark in a single season. She opened her collegiate career with a perfect game — the sixth in program history — striking out 13 batters against Charlotte on Feb. 7, 2025. The left-handed hurler went on to pitch four additional shutouts and recorded five games with 10 or more strikeouts.

The Top 25 Finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced on Wednesday, April 29. While an athlete does not have to be on the Watch List to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual recipient will be selected from the finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced Wednesday, May 13, followed by the Top 3 on Monday, May 18. The 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement among Division I female collegiate softball players nationwide. The award is voted on by previous award winners, coaching representatives from nine Division I conferences across the 10 USA Softball regions, and members of the national and local media who regularly cover Division I softball.

LSU opens its season at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La., hosting the Tiger Classic from Feb. 5–8 against Illinois, Lamar, Nevada and NC State.

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