FORT MYERS, Fla. – Olivia Black and Maddox Thomas were named to the preseason All-ASUN team, the conference announced Wednesday.

"We're proud of Olivia and Maddox for being recognized, but this is really a reflection of our entire team and the work they put in every day," head coach Lindsay Fico said. "Both of them represent what we value in our program – being great teammates, competing the right way, and most importantly, holding themselves and others to a high standard. Individual recognition is earned through team success, and they understand that."

Black was named to the Preseason All-ASUN Team as an outfielder after finishing ninth nationally in stolen bases with 38 in 2025. Her 38 swipes set the FGCU Division I single-season stolen base record. She also led the team in slugging (.436), OPS (.826), runs scored (43) and triples (4). The CSC Academic All-District, ASUN All-Academic and Suncoast Credit Union April Scholar-Athlete of the Month, Black hit .339 with a .390 OBP while starting all 59 games, and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on 54 chances in the outfield.

Thomas, who is the catcher on the Preseason All-ASUN team, enters her senior season after finishing 23rd nationally in whiff percentage (4%) in 2025. She returns as the Eagles' leader in OBP (.399) and RBI (27). A CSC Academic-All District honoree, she hit .283 over 55 games played and 49 starts. Behind the plate, she had a .987 fielding percentage and caught ten runners stealing. She had a standout performance against West Georgia, scoring three runs and stealing two bases.

As a team, FGCU was selected fifth. Central Arkansas' Maddie Graham was named the Preseason Player of the Year. Austin Peay's Brie Howard was recognized as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and North Florida's Kalyn McCarthy was tabbed the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Emily Simon and Alivia Wilken, both from North Alabama, were named the Preseason co-Pitcher of the Year.

The full Preseason All-ASUN Team and Coaches Poll is below

Preseason All-ASUN Team
Name Pos. School
Emily Simon P North Alabama
Alivia Wilken P North Alabama
Maddox Thomas C FGCU
Kiley Hinton IF Austin Peay
Kaitlyn Graham IF Central Arkansas
Kennedy Drafton IF EKU
Briley Dover IF North Alabama
Brie Howard OF Austin Peay
Addie Graham OF Central Arkansas
Olivia Black OF FGCU
Amber Chumley UT/DP Stetson

Preseason Coaches Poll
1. North Florida (12) 144
2. EKU 121
3. Central Arkansas 112
4. Austin Peay 106
5. FGCU 98
6. Stetson 85
7. North Alabama 74
8. Lipscomb 65
9. Jacksonville 56
10. Queens 31
11. West Georgia 26
12. Bellarmine 1


Tickets for all 31 games at the FGCU Softball Complex starting at $14 per game for adults can now be obtained at FGCUtickets.com or by calling 1-866-FGCU-TIX. Season tickets and mini-plans, including the Seventh Inning Stretch and Double Play Flex Plan, are still on sale. 

The Eagles open the 2026 campaign with a 14-game home stand comprised of the FGCU Kickoff Classic, the FGCU Eagle Invitational and the Gulf Coast Classic, featuring UConn, Wisconsin and Louisville, among others, along with midweek contests against Kansas and FAU. 

For more information on FGCU Softball, follow @FGCUSoftball on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit fgcuathletics.com.