The 2026 Clearwater Invitational Game Draft

In a world of epic non-conference tournaments across the sport of softball, the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational always seems to bring the excitement. Serving at the season’s first major television showcase, Clearwater provides fans with a chance to catch wall-to-wall action featuring 16 of the top teams in the country. Ideally, everyone would watch all the games…but what if you could only watch five? Which ones would shoot to the top of a draft board? What if I had to make these decisions in concurrence with another softball writer?

These internal struggles led to me asking (okay, beseeching), my friend and colleague Brady Vernon to join me in the 2026 Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Game Draft.

​The rules are simple. Brady and I will go in snake fashion and pick five games each from the slate that excites us the most. Once a game is picked, it’s fully off the board.

Round 1, Pick 1—Gray: Texas Tech vs. Nebraska (Sunday at 6 pm ET)

​With the first pick, I went with the easy selection. The possibility of Canady vs. Bahl in the circle is too tantalizing to pass up, even if I can’t guarantee that those two will actually be pitching (make the right decision, Nebraska). Add in the fact that this game will assuredly get a prime TV channel with an outstanding broadcast crew and plenty of hype, and the choice was clear.

Round 1, Pick 2—Brady: Tennessee vs. Florida State (Sunday at 8 pm ET)

​Okay, why not take the other primetime game? These matchups almost always deliver with drama and quality, and it’s hard not to get excited about Karlyn Pickens and the Lady Vols facing off against Isa Torres and the Seminoles. This will be one of those games that could have a massive NCAA Tournament seeding impact down the line, so the stakes will be appropriately high, and wraps up a massive weekend for Florida State that includes other crucial matchups like…

Round 2, Pick 1—Brady: UCLA vs. Florida State (Saturday at 7 pm ET)

​The two best games on Saturday involve UCLA, so I’ll take the matchup against Florida State. The pitching intrigue for the Bruins stands out here, especially with the Tennessee game occurring earlier that day. Which game gets Taylor Tinsley in the circle? We’ll learn a lot about the pitching depth of the Bruins on Saturday, and this game may reveal a little more than the Tennessee contest earlier in the day.

Round 2, Pick 2—Gray: Tennessee vs. Nebraska (Friday at 12 pm ET)

​Not to keep rehashing a lot of the commentary so far, but the potential pitching matchup here is undeniable. Pickens vs. Bahl is just too tasty an option to leave off the table through two rounds. Nebraska has some massive opportunities in the non-conference for key wins that they didn’t get last year, and this is one of those chances to truly bolster the resume. This is Tennessee’s first game of the weekend too, and it’ll be fun to get an even closer look at how Karen Weekly has reloaded on offense.

Round 3, Pick 1—Gray: Nebraska vs. LSU (Thursday at 10 am ET)

​Give me the first game of the weekend! Clearwater starts with two teams filled with intrigue for me in 2026. LSU’s first major test will kick things off in Florida, and it’ll be fun to potentially see Jayden Heavener in the circle against a Nebraska lineup that will presumably take a step forward this year. Also, not to belabor the point, but how does Nebraska plan for pitching? I assume Jordy Bahl will get the ball against Tennessee and Florida State, but how will the Huskers manage Thursday Can’t wait to find out.

Round 3, Pick 2—Brady: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (Friday at 10 am ET)

​Wake up with the Aggies and Cowgirls in what should be a fun game. We certainly saw that last season when Karli Godwin walked it off for Oklahoma State amidst a tough late-game Aggies collapse. Now, we get a rematch between two teams that are hungry after exits in Regionals in 2025. The Aggies will try to set the tone for the weekend here, too, while Oklahoma State will be facing a third SEC team in 24 hours.

Round 4, Pick 1—Brady: LSU vs. UCLA (Sunday at 10 am ET)

​This one concludes a massive 24 hours for the Bruins. I already grabbed the game against FSU (and I mentioned Tennessee), so the stakes of this one for UCLA could be even higher depending on what happens the day before. For LSU, this game presents itself as a surefire opportunity to cap off a week that establishes the Tigers as a true contender. While not easy, LSU has a path to an undefeated week in Florida. Capping the trip with a win over UCLA would be quite the statement.

Round 4, Pick 2—Gray: Florida State vs. FAU (Friday at 7 pm ET)

​Two picks left, so I’ve decided to take a flier to round out the slate. Florida Atlantic was an awesome story last season, and there’s a strong chance the Owls will be ranked and ready for an in-state battle against the Seminoles. Logistically, this is the only game Florida State plays on Friday, so all options will be available. FAU gets Texas Tech right before this matchup. Can the Owls pick off one of those two and get a signature win early in the year? The possibility is there.

Round 5, Pick 1—Gray: Florida State vs. Texas Tech (Thursday at 1 pm ET)

​Hey, a Supers rematch! Last season, NiJa Canady and the Red Raiders rolled into Tallahassee and swept Florida State to advance to Oklahoma City. My guess is the Seminoles will want a little revenge. Texas Tech plays Northwestern later in the day, but odds are that Canady gets the ball as she tries to replicate her success from last May. Getting this game late feels like a steal, so I’m happy to have it rounding out my lineup.

Round 5, Pick 2—Brady: Georgia vs. Duke (Saturday at 4 pm ET)

​I’ll see your Supers rematch and raise you a Regionals rematch. In fact, we’ve seen this battle many, many times in the postseason, so it’ll be fun to watch it in the non-conference. This will be Georgia’s last game of the week, so one can assume that Tony Baldwin and company will go all in to try and finish strong. For Duke, we’ll learn a lot about the pitching this week against a healthy dose of SEC opponents. Odds are that this game will be fun, and it’s another one that’ll probably carry some bracket stakes the later we get in the year.

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