CLEMSON — Clemson softball fans will be greeted by some familiar sights this season – Julia Knowler making plays at first base, Macey Cintron headed to the circle to pitch, and Jamison Brockenbrough holding down the centerfield position.

But the Tigers will also be without some staple players from the last few years, including All-American second baseman Maddie Moore, All-ACC third baseman Alex Brown, ACC Pitcher of the Year Reese Basinger, pitcher Brooke McCubbin and veteran catcher Aby Vieira, along with seven other veterans who will not return.

“We lost Brooke and Reese, and three position players, everyday players,” head coach John Rittman said.  “Aby Vieira, behind the plate, was a huge loss. Maddie Moore, a two-time All-American, was a very tough offensive player, great defensive player. And then Alex Brown, who I thought, was probably the best, if not one of the best leadoff hitters in the country last year. She was phenomenal for us. So, those are some big holes for us to fill.”

Brown, Moore, and Viera combined for 139 total RBIs last year, in addition to 24 home runs. In their absence, Rittman and the Tigers welcome seven freshmen — three pitchers, two outfielders, an infielder, and a catcher.

The Tigers, who finished 48-14 last season and reached the Super Regional Round of the NCAA Tournament, also added transfers Corri Hicks, a first baseman and catcher from Oklahoma, Sierra Maness, a right-handed pitcher from USC Upstate, Abby Dunning, a pitcher from Boston College, and shortstop Kiley Channell from Florida Atlantic University.

“We have a transfer, Kiley Chanell, who’s pretty much locked up the shortstop position for us,” Rittman said. “She’s been making all the plays, all the throws at short. She’s been a really, really consistent hitter for us in our fall scrimmages and so far in January.

“Certainly, Marian Collins returns. She was our shortstop last year and she’s at her more natural position I think at third base and she’s just a phenomenal defensive player.”

With Collins manning third base, Knowler will return to anchor the infield at first. According to Rittman, Pipkins, who got several opportunities in the outfield last year, and sophomore Madi Lardizabal are competing to start at second. 

Kylee Johnson, the hero of last year’s ACC Tournament Championship win, will start in left field, Brockenbrough in center, and the right field position may be taken by a familiar home run slugger.

“Macey Cintron, we moved to the outfield a little bit this year, so she’ll play possibly out there as well as pitching,” the veteran coach said. “And then Mac Pavese, a freshman, has shown well at both first base and the outfield. Sarah Breaux is another freshman that’s pushing to get in the lineup, big hitter for us. So, we have a lot of depth, a lot of versatility, a lot of good young players.”

When asked about her new potential role in the outfield, Cintron’s response was simple.

“I don’t know yet. Whatever coach decides. I’m just ready to do whatever he wants me to do,” she said.

Along with a potential shift to the outfield, after starting as a designated player last year, Cintron will serve as only one of two returning pitchers this season. Last season, the Tigers relied heavily on Basinger and McCubbin down the stretch of the postseason, but Cintron added 62 1/3 innings and maintained a 2.25 Earned Run Average across 23 appearances. 

In four years at Boston College, Dunning kept a 3.11 ERA over 412 innings. At USC Upstate, Manness maintained a 2.42 ERA in 329.1 innings in two seasons. Junior Olivia Duncan finished with a 2-0 record in seven appearances for the Tigers last year.

“We have seven pitchers, so we can throw a lot of different looks at people,” Rittman said. “Each has their own strengths, and  it’s a bonus to have a pitching staff and to be able to utilize all seven of them and we will. Now, if a couple step up and take charge, you know, we’re not afraid to go that route either.”

As a sophomore leader with postseason experience, Cintron believes it is her time to step up as a veteran in the circle, at the plate, and in all of the moments in between.

“This year since there’s not a lot of upperclassmen, us underclassmen, me and Marian Collins, we’re gonna have to step up and help the freshman and the new people get acquainted with the ways we do things here,” Cintron said. “There’s a big standard here, like our core values and how we come to the field every day. There’s obviously goals in mind, but if we don’t live by the core values, then the program is just going to go astray.”

Cintron and the Tigers will have their first chance to show their new-look team on Thursday when they kick off the 2026 season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The ninth-ranked Clemson Tigers’ first game against Southeast Louisiana will start at 7 p.m.