Texas Tech University Athletics

Softball announces 2026 signing class
November 13, 2025 | Softball
Red Raiders ink seven student-athletes
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech softball announced the signing of seven student-athletes from the 2026 class on National Signing Day.
Head coach Gerry Glasco and staff welcome Ariel Arambula, Avery Howerton, Braelynn Jones, Sydona "SJ" Meiser, Amaya Del Olmo, Trinitey Spencer and Hagen Walker to the program.
"This class is made up of absolutely outstanding students in the classroom without exception," Glasco said. "Each athlete has exceptional work habits, and their GPAs show it. We're adding a balance of left-handed hitters and right-handed power. I think we've addressed some defensive needs that will become necessary to fill after the 2026 and 2027 seasons."
Ariel Arambula | Houston, Texas | 1B/OF
Arambula hails from Houston, where she plays at Cypress Ridge High School. A power-hitting lefty, she plays first base and outfield and competes in travel ball for Hotshots Fastpitch under coach Nathan Nelson.
She is a four-star recruit and the No. 18 player in Texas according to Rivals. Arambula is the 17-6A District MVP, Cy-Ridge Offensive MVP, 2025 Colorado Sparkler Champion and PGF 16U Runner-Up National Champion. She has hit over .525 in each of her first three seasons at Cypress Ridge, totaling 37 home runs and 107 RBIs over that span.
"Ariel Arambula is an exceptional left-handed power hitter — one of the best offensive players in the country this past summer," Glasco said. "She can also play defense and run the bases well. Along with SJ Meiser, she's one of the best left-handed hitters in Texas."
Avery Howerton | Whitesboro, Texas | RHP/OF
Howerton is a right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Whitesboro, where she plays at Whitesboro High School and competes in travel ball for Texas Glory under coach Kevin Shelton.
She was named to the 2025 18U TCS P5 Patriot Games All-Tournament Team, 2025 NFCA High School Second Team All-Region, and the UIL Class 3A State All-Tournament Team. Howerton led Whitesboro to the 2025 state championship game for the first time in school history. She has maintained an ERA under 1.75 in each of her three seasons and went 21-4 last season with 226 strikeouts. Offensively, she boasts a .491 career average with 136 RBIs and 34 home runs.
"Avery Howerton is a true two-way player — an experienced pitcher with a good mix of velocity, location and off-speed," Glasco said. "She's a power hitter who makes consistent contact and drives in runs. Best of all, she's played elite national-level competition her entire travel ball career."
Braelynn Jones | Seabrook, Texas | RHP
Jones is a right-handed pitcher from Seabrook, where she plays at Deer Park High School and competes for Hotshots Fastpitch under coach Nathan Nelson. She holds a three-star rating from Rivals.
"Braelynn Jones is a super competitive kid with really good off-speed pitching and is outstanding in the classroom," Glasco said. "She's pitched at the highest levels of travel ball, and we're excited to see how high her ceiling can be as she develops in a college program."
Sydona "SJ" Meiser | Keller, Texas | 1B/OF
Meiser plays first base and outfield for Keller High School and travel ball for Texas Glory under coach Kevin Shelton. A left-handed power hitter, she was named to the TGCA 6A All-State and TSWA 5A All-State teams in 2025 and holds a three-star rating from Rivals.
She is Keller High's single-season home run record holder, District 4-6A MVP and a TCS 2025 Colorado Fireworks/Sparkler First Team All-Tournament selection. Meiser hit .468 with 51 RBIs, 11 home runs, 13 doubles and four triples in her junior season, posting a 1.517 OPS.
"SJ Meiser, I felt, was the best left-handed hitter in the 2026 class in Texas — and when I saw Ariel, I felt they were neck and neck," Glasco said. "SJ is an exceptional lefty who can go yard at any moment and make great contact. She's also an outstanding defensive first baseman with the ability to move to the outfield."
Amaya Del Olmo | Moorpark, California | C
Del Olmo is a catcher from Moorpark, California, where she plays for Agoura High School and competes in travel ball for Firecracker Select under coaches Sean Brashear and Tony Rico.
She batted .425 last season with 32 RBIs and 12 home runs. Over her high school career, she owns a .418 average with 104 hits and 108 RBIs.
"Amaya Del Olmo is an exceptional defensive catcher from the Firecrackers organization in Southern California," Glasco said. "She's an outstanding student with elite speed and quickness at her position. She's one of the best defensive catchers in the country and has the potential to develop into a strong offensive threat during her career."
Trinitey Spencer | La Marque, Texas | 2B/OF
Spencer is a second baseman and outfielder from La Marque, where she plays for Texas City High School and competes in travel ball for Hotshots Fastpitch under coach Nathan Nelson.
She holds a four-star rating from Rivals and is ranked as the No. 20 player in Texas. Spencer is a two-time PGF National Champion, No. 26 player in the 2026 class by Line Drive Media, and District 20-5A MVP. She hit .486 in her junior season with 24 RBIs and 19 extra-base hits, striking out just three times in 93 plate appearances while drawing 17 walks.
"Trinitey Spencer, like Ariel, comes from the Hotshots organization led by Nathan Nelson," Glasco said. "She's a hard-nosed, tough-minded offensive player who reminds me of Hailey Toney in her physical style and ability to drive the inside pitch. She's an outstanding outfielder who can also play multiple infield positions, with a great combination of speed and power."
Hagen Walker | Lubbock, Texas | C
Walker is a Lubbock native who plays for Lubbock-Cooper Liberty and competes in travel ball for Epic NTX under coach Jordyn James. She was named one of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's players to watch for the 2025 season.
"Hagen Walker is a power-hitting catcher who has always wanted to be a Red Raider," Glasco said. "She's an energetic player, a great student and someone who brings tremendous enthusiasm to the field. We're excited to see her join our program — her power at the plate could become a major factor in her career."
Head coach Gerry Glasco and staff welcome Ariel Arambula, Avery Howerton, Braelynn Jones, Sydona "SJ" Meiser, Amaya Del Olmo, Trinitey Spencer and Hagen Walker to the program.
"This class is made up of absolutely outstanding students in the classroom without exception," Glasco said. "Each athlete has exceptional work habits, and their GPAs show it. We're adding a balance of left-handed hitters and right-handed power. I think we've addressed some defensive needs that will become necessary to fill after the 2026 and 2027 seasons."
Ariel Arambula | Houston, Texas | 1B/OF
Arambula hails from Houston, where she plays at Cypress Ridge High School. A power-hitting lefty, she plays first base and outfield and competes in travel ball for Hotshots Fastpitch under coach Nathan Nelson.
She is a four-star recruit and the No. 18 player in Texas according to Rivals. Arambula is the 17-6A District MVP, Cy-Ridge Offensive MVP, 2025 Colorado Sparkler Champion and PGF 16U Runner-Up National Champion. She has hit over .525 in each of her first three seasons at Cypress Ridge, totaling 37 home runs and 107 RBIs over that span.
"Ariel Arambula is an exceptional left-handed power hitter — one of the best offensive players in the country this past summer," Glasco said. "She can also play defense and run the bases well. Along with SJ Meiser, she's one of the best left-handed hitters in Texas."
Avery Howerton | Whitesboro, Texas | RHP/OF
Howerton is a right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Whitesboro, where she plays at Whitesboro High School and competes in travel ball for Texas Glory under coach Kevin Shelton.
She was named to the 2025 18U TCS P5 Patriot Games All-Tournament Team, 2025 NFCA High School Second Team All-Region, and the UIL Class 3A State All-Tournament Team. Howerton led Whitesboro to the 2025 state championship game for the first time in school history. She has maintained an ERA under 1.75 in each of her three seasons and went 21-4 last season with 226 strikeouts. Offensively, she boasts a .491 career average with 136 RBIs and 34 home runs.
"Avery Howerton is a true two-way player — an experienced pitcher with a good mix of velocity, location and off-speed," Glasco said. "She's a power hitter who makes consistent contact and drives in runs. Best of all, she's played elite national-level competition her entire travel ball career."
Braelynn Jones | Seabrook, Texas | RHP
Jones is a right-handed pitcher from Seabrook, where she plays at Deer Park High School and competes for Hotshots Fastpitch under coach Nathan Nelson. She holds a three-star rating from Rivals.
"Braelynn Jones is a super competitive kid with really good off-speed pitching and is outstanding in the classroom," Glasco said. "She's pitched at the highest levels of travel ball, and we're excited to see how high her ceiling can be as she develops in a college program."
Sydona "SJ" Meiser | Keller, Texas | 1B/OF
Meiser plays first base and outfield for Keller High School and travel ball for Texas Glory under coach Kevin Shelton. A left-handed power hitter, she was named to the TGCA 6A All-State and TSWA 5A All-State teams in 2025 and holds a three-star rating from Rivals.
She is Keller High's single-season home run record holder, District 4-6A MVP and a TCS 2025 Colorado Fireworks/Sparkler First Team All-Tournament selection. Meiser hit .468 with 51 RBIs, 11 home runs, 13 doubles and four triples in her junior season, posting a 1.517 OPS.
"SJ Meiser, I felt, was the best left-handed hitter in the 2026 class in Texas — and when I saw Ariel, I felt they were neck and neck," Glasco said. "SJ is an exceptional lefty who can go yard at any moment and make great contact. She's also an outstanding defensive first baseman with the ability to move to the outfield."
Amaya Del Olmo | Moorpark, California | C
Del Olmo is a catcher from Moorpark, California, where she plays for Agoura High School and competes in travel ball for Firecracker Select under coaches Sean Brashear and Tony Rico.
She batted .425 last season with 32 RBIs and 12 home runs. Over her high school career, she owns a .418 average with 104 hits and 108 RBIs.
"Amaya Del Olmo is an exceptional defensive catcher from the Firecrackers organization in Southern California," Glasco said. "She's an outstanding student with elite speed and quickness at her position. She's one of the best defensive catchers in the country and has the potential to develop into a strong offensive threat during her career."
Trinitey Spencer | La Marque, Texas | 2B/OF
Spencer is a second baseman and outfielder from La Marque, where she plays for Texas City High School and competes in travel ball for Hotshots Fastpitch under coach Nathan Nelson.
She holds a four-star rating from Rivals and is ranked as the No. 20 player in Texas. Spencer is a two-time PGF National Champion, No. 26 player in the 2026 class by Line Drive Media, and District 20-5A MVP. She hit .486 in her junior season with 24 RBIs and 19 extra-base hits, striking out just three times in 93 plate appearances while drawing 17 walks.
"Trinitey Spencer, like Ariel, comes from the Hotshots organization led by Nathan Nelson," Glasco said. "She's a hard-nosed, tough-minded offensive player who reminds me of Hailey Toney in her physical style and ability to drive the inside pitch. She's an outstanding outfielder who can also play multiple infield positions, with a great combination of speed and power."
Hagen Walker | Lubbock, Texas | C
Walker is a Lubbock native who plays for Lubbock-Cooper Liberty and competes in travel ball for Epic NTX under coach Jordyn James. She was named one of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's players to watch for the 2025 season.
"Hagen Walker is a power-hitting catcher who has always wanted to be a Red Raider," Glasco said. "She's an energetic player, a great student and someone who brings tremendous enthusiasm to the field. We're excited to see her join our program — her power at the plate could become a major factor in her career."
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