Bulldog Softball Adds Six Transfers to 2027 Roster
7/10/2026 11:03:00 AM | Softball
Bulldogs add five from portal, one from junior college ranks
RUSTON – Louisiana Tech head softball coach Josh Taylor announced the signing of six transfers who will join the Bulldogs for the 2027 season. Taylor and his staff added five NCAA Division I transfers from the transfer portal and one junior college transfer to the roster.
The Bulldogs' six newcomers include Graci Major (RHP | Columbus, Kan. | Seminole State College (OK)), Ansleigh Smith (C/OF | Ashford, Ala. | South Alabama), Mia Leone (C/UT | Dallas, Ga. | UT Chattanooga), Chloe Cummings (INF/OF | Mountain View, Calif. | Siena), Jacey Schuler (RHP | Antioch, Ill. | Michigan State) and Caroline McLendon (LHP | Mobile, Ala. | UAB).
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Jacey Schuler, Mia Leone, Chloe Cummings, Ansleigh Smith, Gracie Major, and Caroline McLendon to the Louisiana Tech Softball family," stated Taylor. "Each of these young women brings something unique to our program, but what stood out throughout the recruiting process was their character, competitiveness, and genuine love for the game. This class represents exactly what we're looking for as we continue building the future of Louisiana Tech Softball. They are talented athletes who have proven themselves on the field, but more importantly, they are outstanding people who value hard work, accountability, and being great teammates. Those qualities are what make championship programs."
Graci Major | RHP | Columbus, Kan. | Seminole State College (OK)
Major joins the Bulldogs after two standout seasons at Seminole State College in Oklahoma, where she tallied a 29-7 career record with a 1.95 ERA and 204 strikeouts across 233.0 innings pitched.
As a sophomore in 2026, Major earned NJCAA Division I Second Team All-America honors after posting a 17-1 record with a 1.17 ERA, one save and 104 strikeouts in 113.1 innings. She was named the NJCAA Region 2 Pitcher of the Year and earned First Team All-Region honors while finishing with the second-lowest ERA among all NJCAA Division I pitchers.
Major appeared in 34 games with 23 starts during her sophomore campaign, tossing 10 complete games and allowing just 19 earned runs all season. She also excelled as a freshman in 2025, going 12-6 with a 2.69 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 119.2 innings, giving her back-to-back 100-strikeout seasons.
Ansleigh Smith | C/OF | Ashford, Ala. | South Alabama
Smith joins LA Tech after two seasons at South Alabama, where she helped lead the Jaguars to the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA Regional appearance. Smith has appeared in 81 games with 78 starts during her collegiate career, making starts at both catcher and in the outfield. She totaled 40 hits, five doubles, one triple and 15 RBI over two seasons.
As a sophomore in 2026, Smith earned Conference USA All-Academic Team honors after maintaining a 4.00 GPA while majoring in criminal justice. She started 48 games behind the plate and played a key role in guiding a Jaguar pitching staff that led the Sun Belt Conference in shutouts (12) and called third strikes (95), while ranking second in the league with 353 strikeouts. Defensively, she threw out nine runners attempting to steal and posted a .994 fielding percentage. At the plate, Smith collected 21 hits and eight RBI while batting .429 during the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
As a freshman in 2025, Smith started 30 of the 31 games in which she appeared, including 28 starts in the outfield and two behind the plate. She batted .260 with 19 hits, two doubles, one triple, seven RBI and a .341 on-base percentage.
Mia Leone | C/UT | Dallas, Ga. | UT Chattanooga
Leone comes to Ruston after two seasons at UT Chattanooga, where she appeared in 75 games with 45 starts, mainly at catcher.
As a sophomore in 2026, Leone enjoyed a breakout campaign, batting .289 with 39 hits, 12 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBI in 50 games with 40 starts. She posted a .511 slugging percentage and ranked among Chattanooga's top run producers, while adding eight walks.
Leone appeared in 25 games as a freshman in 2025, making five starts at catcher. She batted .265 with nine hits, including one double and one home run, while driving in five runs and posting a .324 on-base percentage.
Chloe Cummings | INF/OF | Mountain View, Calif. | Siena
Cummings joins LA Tech after three successful seasons at Siena, where she appeared in 159 games with 154 starts. She has a .282 career batting average with 129 hits, 16 doubles, 76 runs scored, 49 RBI and 46 walks.
As a junior in 2026, Cummings earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors, College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition and MAAC All-Academic Team honors. She started 45 of 47 games and posted career highs with a .342 batting average, 51 hits, 25 RBI, seven doubles, a .398 on-base percentage and a .389 slugging percentage. She ranked third on the team and 14th in the MAAC in batting average, while her 51 hits were second on the team. Cummings also ranked 42nd nationally by striking out just once every 24.8 at-bats and finished fifth in the conference with only six strikeouts. Defensively, she was one of just eight players and three outfielders in the MAAC to record a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, totaling 107 putouts and 10 assists in center field.
As a sophomore in 2025, Cummings started all 58 games while batting .240 with 42 hits, five doubles, 28 runs scored and seven stolen bases. She earned MAAC All-Academic Team and Academic Honor Roll recognition and finished second on the team in stolen bases while recording 10 multi-hit games.
Cummings made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2024, earning MAAC All-Rookie Team honors after appearing in 54 games with 51 starts. She batted .269 with 36 hits, 23 runs scored and 13 RBI while drawing 19 walks and striking out just nine times. Her 18 walks ranked third on the team, and she finished with seven multi-hit games.
Jacey Schuler | RHP | Antioch, Ill. | Michigan State
Schuler joins the Bulldogs after two seasons at Michigan State, where she appeared in 56 games and made 42 starts in the circle. She compiled a 12-25 career record with a 4.62 ERA, seven complete games, three shutouts and 116 strikeouts in 185.0 innings of work.
As a sophomore in 2026, Schuler earned Academic All-Big Ten honors while serving as one of the Spartans' top arms. She made 30 appearances with 22 starts, while registering five wins with a 5.25 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 92.0 innings. Schuler tossed four complete games, including two shutouts, and recorded one save.
Schuler made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2025. She led the Spartans with 93.0 innings pitched, 67 strikeouts and a 3.99 ERA while making 26 appearances and 20 starts. Her 12-strikeout performance against Longwood tied the Michigan State freshman single-game record, and she tossed her first career shutout against Omaha.
Caroline McLendon | LHP | Mobile, Ala. | UAB
McLendon comes to LA Tech after three seasons at UAB, where she appeared in 53 games with 33 starts in the circle. A spring 2026 graduate, she compiled a 12-13 career record with a 4.34 ERA, two shutouts and 105 strikeouts in 176.0 innings pitched.
McLendon enjoyed her best season in 2025, posting a 10-9 record with a 3.95 ERA in 33 appearances and 26 starts. She logged a career-high 131.0 innings, struck out 74 batters and recorded two shutouts.
She appeared in 18 games as a junior in 2026, striking out 30 batters in 41.2 innings, after making her collegiate debut in two relief appearances during the 2024 campaign.
Championships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the Bulldog Community Outreach which is the NIL collective that supports Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Softball, follow us on X (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LouisianaTechSoftball).
The Bulldogs' six newcomers include Graci Major (RHP | Columbus, Kan. | Seminole State College (OK)), Ansleigh Smith (C/OF | Ashford, Ala. | South Alabama), Mia Leone (C/UT | Dallas, Ga. | UT Chattanooga), Chloe Cummings (INF/OF | Mountain View, Calif. | Siena), Jacey Schuler (RHP | Antioch, Ill. | Michigan State) and Caroline McLendon (LHP | Mobile, Ala. | UAB).
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Jacey Schuler, Mia Leone, Chloe Cummings, Ansleigh Smith, Gracie Major, and Caroline McLendon to the Louisiana Tech Softball family," stated Taylor. "Each of these young women brings something unique to our program, but what stood out throughout the recruiting process was their character, competitiveness, and genuine love for the game. This class represents exactly what we're looking for as we continue building the future of Louisiana Tech Softball. They are talented athletes who have proven themselves on the field, but more importantly, they are outstanding people who value hard work, accountability, and being great teammates. Those qualities are what make championship programs."
Graci Major | RHP | Columbus, Kan. | Seminole State College (OK)
Major joins the Bulldogs after two standout seasons at Seminole State College in Oklahoma, where she tallied a 29-7 career record with a 1.95 ERA and 204 strikeouts across 233.0 innings pitched.
As a sophomore in 2026, Major earned NJCAA Division I Second Team All-America honors after posting a 17-1 record with a 1.17 ERA, one save and 104 strikeouts in 113.1 innings. She was named the NJCAA Region 2 Pitcher of the Year and earned First Team All-Region honors while finishing with the second-lowest ERA among all NJCAA Division I pitchers.
Major appeared in 34 games with 23 starts during her sophomore campaign, tossing 10 complete games and allowing just 19 earned runs all season. She also excelled as a freshman in 2025, going 12-6 with a 2.69 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 119.2 innings, giving her back-to-back 100-strikeout seasons.
Ansleigh Smith | C/OF | Ashford, Ala. | South Alabama
Smith joins LA Tech after two seasons at South Alabama, where she helped lead the Jaguars to the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA Regional appearance. Smith has appeared in 81 games with 78 starts during her collegiate career, making starts at both catcher and in the outfield. She totaled 40 hits, five doubles, one triple and 15 RBI over two seasons.
As a sophomore in 2026, Smith earned Conference USA All-Academic Team honors after maintaining a 4.00 GPA while majoring in criminal justice. She started 48 games behind the plate and played a key role in guiding a Jaguar pitching staff that led the Sun Belt Conference in shutouts (12) and called third strikes (95), while ranking second in the league with 353 strikeouts. Defensively, she threw out nine runners attempting to steal and posted a .994 fielding percentage. At the plate, Smith collected 21 hits and eight RBI while batting .429 during the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
As a freshman in 2025, Smith started 30 of the 31 games in which she appeared, including 28 starts in the outfield and two behind the plate. She batted .260 with 19 hits, two doubles, one triple, seven RBI and a .341 on-base percentage.
Mia Leone | C/UT | Dallas, Ga. | UT Chattanooga
Leone comes to Ruston after two seasons at UT Chattanooga, where she appeared in 75 games with 45 starts, mainly at catcher.
As a sophomore in 2026, Leone enjoyed a breakout campaign, batting .289 with 39 hits, 12 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBI in 50 games with 40 starts. She posted a .511 slugging percentage and ranked among Chattanooga's top run producers, while adding eight walks.
Leone appeared in 25 games as a freshman in 2025, making five starts at catcher. She batted .265 with nine hits, including one double and one home run, while driving in five runs and posting a .324 on-base percentage.
Chloe Cummings | INF/OF | Mountain View, Calif. | Siena
Cummings joins LA Tech after three successful seasons at Siena, where she appeared in 159 games with 154 starts. She has a .282 career batting average with 129 hits, 16 doubles, 76 runs scored, 49 RBI and 46 walks.
As a junior in 2026, Cummings earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors, College Sports Communicators Academic All-District recognition and MAAC All-Academic Team honors. She started 45 of 47 games and posted career highs with a .342 batting average, 51 hits, 25 RBI, seven doubles, a .398 on-base percentage and a .389 slugging percentage. She ranked third on the team and 14th in the MAAC in batting average, while her 51 hits were second on the team. Cummings also ranked 42nd nationally by striking out just once every 24.8 at-bats and finished fifth in the conference with only six strikeouts. Defensively, she was one of just eight players and three outfielders in the MAAC to record a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, totaling 107 putouts and 10 assists in center field.
As a sophomore in 2025, Cummings started all 58 games while batting .240 with 42 hits, five doubles, 28 runs scored and seven stolen bases. She earned MAAC All-Academic Team and Academic Honor Roll recognition and finished second on the team in stolen bases while recording 10 multi-hit games.
Cummings made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2024, earning MAAC All-Rookie Team honors after appearing in 54 games with 51 starts. She batted .269 with 36 hits, 23 runs scored and 13 RBI while drawing 19 walks and striking out just nine times. Her 18 walks ranked third on the team, and she finished with seven multi-hit games.
Jacey Schuler | RHP | Antioch, Ill. | Michigan State
Schuler joins the Bulldogs after two seasons at Michigan State, where she appeared in 56 games and made 42 starts in the circle. She compiled a 12-25 career record with a 4.62 ERA, seven complete games, three shutouts and 116 strikeouts in 185.0 innings of work.
As a sophomore in 2026, Schuler earned Academic All-Big Ten honors while serving as one of the Spartans' top arms. She made 30 appearances with 22 starts, while registering five wins with a 5.25 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 92.0 innings. Schuler tossed four complete games, including two shutouts, and recorded one save.
Schuler made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2025. She led the Spartans with 93.0 innings pitched, 67 strikeouts and a 3.99 ERA while making 26 appearances and 20 starts. Her 12-strikeout performance against Longwood tied the Michigan State freshman single-game record, and she tossed her first career shutout against Omaha.
Caroline McLendon | LHP | Mobile, Ala. | UAB
McLendon comes to LA Tech after three seasons at UAB, where she appeared in 53 games with 33 starts in the circle. A spring 2026 graduate, she compiled a 12-13 career record with a 4.34 ERA, two shutouts and 105 strikeouts in 176.0 innings pitched.
McLendon enjoyed her best season in 2025, posting a 10-9 record with a 3.95 ERA in 33 appearances and 26 starts. She logged a career-high 131.0 innings, struck out 74 batters and recorded two shutouts.
She appeared in 18 games as a junior in 2026, striking out 30 batters in 41.2 innings, after making her collegiate debut in two relief appearances during the 2024 campaign.
"We believe this group has the potential to make an immediate impact while also helping shape the culture of our program for years to come," echoed Taylor. "They have embraced our vision, and we are honored they chose to continue their academic and athletic careers here in Ruston. Our staff can't wait to get them on campus, watch them compete in the red and blue, and help them grow as players, students, and young women. Bulldog Nation has a lot to be excited about, and we're proud to officially welcome Jacey, Mia, Chloe, Ansleigh, Gracie, and Caroline to the Louisiana Tech family."
SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICSChampionships require championship resources. Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the Bulldog Community Outreach which is the NIL collective that supports Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand. You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents. By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way. Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Softball, follow us on X (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LouisianaTechSoftball).
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