STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Following a record-breaking season and a second consecutive appearance in the WAC Tournament Championship game, Tarleton State Softball head coach Mark Cumpian has added five transfers to the Texans' 2026 fall roster.

The signing class features three Texas natives, one Californian and one Louisiana native, including a catcher, pitcher, infielder and two utility players.

"The transfers we picked up fill our needs right away," said Cumpian. "I'm excited about the addition of each of these players and the value they bring to our team. They will all fit in well within the Stephenville community."

Kaiya Fabela, Catcher

Kaiya Fabela was the first addition to the Texans' transfer class, arriving in Stephenville after spending her freshman season at BYU.

During her freshman season at BYU, Fabela appeared in 14 games with 11 starts behind the plate, showcasing her potential as one of the Big 12's promising young catchers. She posted a .980 fielding percentage with 42 putouts and eight assists while collecting five hits, four RBI, one double and two home runs at the plate. The Fort Worth, Texas, native earned her first collegiate home run in an 8-5 victory over Utah Valley, where she finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Before beginning her collegiate career, Fabela earned recognition on both the D1Softball D100 Freshman Watch List and the Softball America Freshman Watch List, highlighting her potential as one of the nation's top young players.

Prior to BYU, Fabela was a four-year varsity letter winner at Keller High School and a member of the Impact Gold Jackson select team, racking up several accolades including:

• Four-time District 6-4A Catcher of the Year
• Three-time Fort Worth Star Telegram All-Area Team
• Three-time Dallas Morning News All-Area
• Three-time DFW Metroplex All-Area Team
• Two-time Texas 6A Regional finalist
• Two-time Super Cup All-Tournament Team
• GM Sports Media DFW Defensive MVP
• Alliance Fastpitch National Runner-Up
• PGF National Runner-Up
• Extra Innings Top 20 Class of 2025
• Line Drive Media Top 20 Class of 2025
• TFL Alliance Fastpitch 2025 Watchlist
• PGF Player Watchlist

Fabela intends to major in Elementary Teacher Education while attending Tarleton State.

Lauryn Soeken, Pitcher

Lauryn Soeken joins Tarleton State after spending her freshman season at LSU, where she was part of a Tigers team that earned a berth in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. 

A right-handed pitcher from Katy, Texas, Soeken arrived in Baton Rouge as one of the top prospects in the state after earning 19-6A All-District First Team honors at Katy High School. She was also recognized individually with the USSSA State Gold Glove Award while competing for Impact Gold, showcasing her defensive ability and athleticism. Soeken adds valuable depth to the Texans' pitching staff while bringing experience from one of the nation's premier softball programs.

Jaedyn Valdez, Utility

Jaedyn Valdez joins Tarleton State after an outstanding freshman season at North Dakota, where she earned All-Summit League Second Team honors. 

Valdez started all 46 games she appeared in and led the Fighting Hawks with a .349 batting average, adding 44 hits, 14 doubles, three home runs, 18 RBI, and 23 runs scored while posting a .423 on-base percentage and .532 slugging percentage. Valdez recorded 14 multi-hit games and finished with the highest batting average by a North Dakota freshman in the Division I era.

Prior to attending North Dakota, Valdez was a four-year letter winner at Arroyo Grande High School and also competed for I-5 Softball. During her high school career, she hit .458 with a .539 on-base percentage, .810 slugging percentage, and recorded 10 home runs, earning her an array of accolades:

• 2025 All-League MVP
• 2025 First Team All-League honors
• 2025 Arroyo Grande Senior Softball Athlete of the Year
• 2025 Offensive Player of the Year
• 2024 Defensive Player of the Year

Valdez intends to major in Marketing while attending Tarleton State.

Aubriella Martinez, Infielder

Aubriella Martinez arrives at Tarleton State after one season at Creighton, where she was part of a Bluejays squad that posted a 32-27 record. The freshman infielder appeared in four games during her debut season, scoring runs against Northern Colorado and UConn.

Before beginning her collegiate career, Martinez attended John H. Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, where she helped lead the Wildcats to three state tournament appearances. During her final two seasons, the infielder recorded fielding percentages of .990 and .957 as well as batting averages of .425 and .308. Martinez also spent three years with Texas Hotshots Naudin under the direction of Jon Erik Villegas. During her prep career, Martinez earned several honors including:

• District 5-6A Defensive Player of the Year
• District 5-6A First Team All-District honors
• District 5-6A Academic All-District honors
• Class 6A-1 Honorable Mention All-District honors
• Denton Record-Chronicle All-Area honors

Martinez intends to major in Business while attending Tarleton State.

Gabbie Stutes, Utility

Gabbie Stutes joins the Texans as a utility player after two seasons with Louisiana-Lafayette.

Stutes transfers to Tarleton State after appearing in 64 games over two seasons at Louisiana. She batted .240 while recording one double, four triples, 13 walks, three stolen bases, and 14 RBI while also totaling 43 putouts and 33 assists, providing a steady presence both offensively and defensively. A three-time Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List selection, Stutes brings versatility, defensive reliability and valuable Division I experience to the Texans.

Stutes attended St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, where she lettered in both softball and volleyball while also competing for the Houston Hotshots for six years. She finished her senior season batting .525 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and 60 runs scored, ranking among the state's top offensive players. Her accomplishments earned numerous honors, including:

• Three-time All-District honors
• Two-time All-District MVP
• Two-time All-State honors
• Three-time All-Metro honors
• 2023 Division 1 Select Softball State Championship
• 2021 and 2022 Division 2 Select Volleyball State Championship
• 2023 Louisiana East vs West All-Star Game participant
• All-Star Game MVP

Stutes intends to major in Kinesiology while attending Tarleton State.