CHICAGO – Three days out from its 2026 opening day, the UIC softball team is set to begin a new era. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Megan Coronado, the 21-player roster will begin action on Friday in Las Vegas at the UNLV Leadoff Classic where it will face California Baptist at 5 p.m. (CT) in its season opener.
 
Coronado and her staff — UIC alums Natalie Hernandez and Carlee Jo Clark, and NFCA Hall of Famer Eugene Lenti — have spent the offseason and preseason building a foundation for success in Chicago.
 
"We went through a big learning curve together, of our players learning who we are as a coaching staff, and then who they are, not only as individuals, but also as a team," said Coronado.
 
The Flames spent the fall welcoming five freshmen and four transfers to the team, joining the 12 returners from the 2025 season. With everyone on campus, the Flames competed in seven fall games to get a feel for where the team was at and give themselves a foundation for this spring's schedule.
 
Finding areas of success and areas to build on, the Flames feel eager to get to the spring and prepare for the season to begin. When asked what she's excited to see out of her team as they begin the season, Coronado shared about the team's willingness to play free.
 
"We've been talking about it a lot at practice. [We don't want them] to be scared to fail," said the Flames' first-year head coach. "Acknowledging that is easier said than done. We are not looking for perfect yet. We are still looking for free. We are looking for you to play. Just (asking them to) enjoy what they are doing, and they are doing that really well."
 
The first month of the season is an opportune time for team bonding to take place. UIC will be on the road for the entire month of February as it competes in four separate tournaments across the country. The team will spend time together in Nevada, Louisiana, Tennessee and Florida to open the non-conference schedule. Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play will then begin March 6-7, when the Flames head to Nashville to take on the reigning conference champions and this year's MVC preseason favorite, Belmont. After back-to-back road series to begin conference play, UIC will make its first appearance at Flames Field on St. Patrick's Day (Tuesday, March 17), when it welcomes Illinois State for a doubleheader, the opener of which will be televised live on Marquee Sports Network.
 
Fans can catch the Flames' 2026 season opener on Friday at 5 p.m. (CT) when they take on California Baptist at the UNLV Leadoff Classic, followed by two games each against host UNLV and Big Ten Conference opponent Purdue later in the weekend. Livestreams will be available on YouTube while live stats will be available on UICFlames.com.
 
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