LANCASTER, Pa. - Dina Henry '94 begins her first season as head coach of the Franklin & Marshall softball team in 2026, as the Diplomats seek their first trip to the Centennial Conference Tournament since 2017. That season, F&M earned the program's first Centennial Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
18 players return for the 2026 campaign while five first-year players add depth across the infield and behind the plate.
2025 Recap
The Diplomats ended 2025 with a 10-25, 4-12 Centennial Conference record.
F&M began the year with ten games at the Tucson Invitational Games, going 4-6 with three wins over Salve Regina and one victory over NAIA side Viterbo. In the Centennial Conference, F&M swept Haverford at home, including a 12-11 victory in nine innings in the second game, while the Diplomats went on to split the series against McDaniel and Dickinson. In non-conference play, the Diplomats split their doubleheaders against Penn State Brandywine and York (Pa.).
Alexa Klepper was named to the All-Centennial Conference First Team at second base following a season where she ranked first in OPS (1.175), second in batting average (.464) and on base percentage (.505), and third in slugging percentage (.670) among Centennial Conference players.
Players to Watch
P/DH - Kate DelGrippo - So.
OF -
Grace Header - So.
P -
Ainsley McClure - Sr.
3B -
Madison Martin - Jr.
INF -
Gabby Mundy - Sr.
Sophomore pitcher and designated hitter Kate DelGrippo made an impact in the circle and at the plate in her first collegiate softball season. Appearing in 15 games with seven starts as a pitcher, she posted a 3.68 ERA over 53.1 innings of service with 32 strikeouts and two complete games. She had several notable performances including a 7.0 inning complete game with one earned run and four strikeouts against Alvernia, four hitless innings with three strikeouts in a start against Dickinson, and a seven-strikeout performance in 5.2 innings in victory over York (Pa.). As a hitter, she posted a line of .286/.304/.381 with the best OPS among returning Diplomats, totaling 12 hits, four doubles, seven RBI, three runs scored, two walks, and two sacrifice flies. She totaled four multi-hit games.
Sophomore outfielder Grace Header swung .260/.288./.388 in her first season with 20 hits, three doubles, one home run, eight RBI, nine runs scored, three walks, two sacrifice bunts, and three stolen bases. Along the way, she had four multi-hit games, two games with three RBI, and a two-run inside-the-park home run in victory against Dickinson. Header primarily played in center field in 2025.
Senior pitcher Ainsley McClure logged the most time in the circle for the Diplomats last season, notching the Centennial Conference's fourth-best ERA (2.55) across 60.1 innings of service. She also ranked eighth in strikeouts (51) and eighth in looking strikeouts (15). Her best performance came in her complete game win over Haverford where she allowed two earned runs with four strikeouts over seven innings. In F&M's victory over Penn State Brandywine, she totaled ten strikeouts with two earned runs in six innings of service.
Junior third baseman and team captain Madison Martin slashed .273/.347/.318 in 2025, the second-best OPS among returning players, totaling 12 hits, two doubles, five walks, two sacrifice flies, and a sacrifice bunt across 18 starts and 23 appearances.
Senior middle infielder Gabby Mundy posted an effective .280/.329/.307 line in her junior year, leading the Centennial Conference with nine sacrifice bunts. Across the season, she totaled 21 hits, one triple, eight RBI, eight runs scored, six walks, one sacrifice fly, nine sacrifice bunts, and two stolen bases. She posted four multi-hit games including a three-hit, three-RBI performance in the final game against Haverford. She secured a 12-11 victory in that contest in the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly.
Other Returners
In addition to Header, five other outfielders will return to vie for time in the corner outfield positions, including regular corner outfielders from a season ago in juniors Natalia Garza and Nora Sidorski. Garza led the Diplomats in walks, tying for the sixth-most among Centennial Conference players with 19 across 25 starts and 29 appearances, while Sidorski logged 17 starts and 21 appearances a year ago. Other returning outfield options include senior captain Kaitlin Herrick, senior Mia Lanter, and sophomore Ellie LoPiccolo.
Senior catcher and team captain Megan Wiarda split catching duties with departing Claire Sullivan last year, and she'll be joined by three first-year players vying for time behind the plate.
Martin and Mundy are joined by five other returning infielders. Sophomore infielder Erika Stewart earned 15 starts and 23 appearances at shortstop, slashing .260/.327/.280 with a team-leading five stolen bases. Senior third baseman Hillary Murse split responsibilities at third base with Martin last season, totaling 16 starts in 2025. Other returning infielders include senior first baseman/outfielder Catie Kozub, junior infielder Ayla Steinberg, and sophomore first baseman/third baseman Cate Shrader.
Sophomores Alex Kilpatrick and Grace D'Angelo enter their sophomore season to complete a four-player pitching rotation. Kilpatrick logged 15 innings across eight games with two starts, while D'Angelo made one appearance.
Joining the Diplomats
Five players will begin their collegiate career with the Diplomats this spring. Abigail Favazza and Sara Hess will join Megan Wiarda as options behind the plate, while Morgan Risnychok will offer versatility as a catcher and infielder. Dani Guzzo (2B) and Lauren Steiner (3B) add depth across the infield for the Diplomats.
Centennial Conference Poll
Totaling 19 points in the coaches preseason poll, the Diplomats were selected to finish eighth in the Centennial Conference. Defending champions Swarthmore, who earned their third Centennial Conference title in 2025, lead the poll with 64 points and eight first-place votes, while 2024 Centennial Conference champions Gettysburg follow with 56 points and one first-place vote. Click here to view the full poll.
The Road Ahead
The 2026 Franklin & Marshall softball season begins at THE Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. From Sunday, March 15, through Friday, March 20, the Diplomats will play single games against Chicago, SUNY Old Westbury, Plattsburgh State, Trinity (Conn.), Ripon Plymouth State, William Paterson, Smith, Keene State, and Amherst. Seven games will feature first-time opponents excluding the contests against Plattsburgh State, Ripon, and Smith.
The Diplomats return from their spring-break trip by hosting Penn State Brandywine (March 24) and Lancaster Bible (March 26). Other non-conference contests include hosting Albright (April 2) and away days at Penn State Schuylkill (March 28), Delaware Valley (April 9), Alvernia (April 12), and York (Pa.) (April 16). Lancaster Bible and Penn State Schuylkill are new additions, while all other opponents return to the calendar.
F&M begins Centennial Conference action when they host Swarthmore on Tuesday, March 31. Other home dates include McDaniel (April 11) midway through the conference schedule and Ursinus (April 21) and Washington College (April 25) in the final week of the regular season. Away trips for 2025 include Haverford (April 4), Muhlenberg (April 7), Gettysburg (April 14), and Dickinson (April 18).
Overall, F&M's 2026 schedule includes 10 neutral site games in Florida, 14 home games and 16 away games.
THE Spring Games Coverage
Tournament Home Page
Ticket Information
Gate entry passes can be purchased in advance of THE Spring Games on the tournament's Ticket Page, including a multi-day pass option.
- Multi-Day Passes
The Diplomats will be playing across five days, making the five-day pass the most cost-effective way of attending the event if attending for the entire week. Attendees can choose the specific five days on THE Spring Games Ticket Page.
Multi-Day pricing is as follows:
- Adult (13-64): $75
- Children (5-12): $35
- Senior (65+): $65
- Military: $65
- Single-Day Passes
Single-day pricing is as follows:
- Adult (13-64): $20
- Children (5-12): $10
- Senior (65+): $15
- Military: $15
Streaming Coverage
All tournament games are slated to be streamed on FloCollege. For the $19.99/month subscription fee, viewers will receive live coverage plus 90-day video on-demand access of all games.
Steaming Links:
Stats Coverage
Live stats will be provided for games played in Florida as able. Regardless of whether live stats are available for specific games, same-day box scores and daily recaps will be posted on GoDiplomats.com.
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