SEATTLE - Three freshmen and two transfer student-athletes in Audrey Borup, Ava Day, Kaia Galaviz, Ellie Bostedt and Jay Ross, will join the Seattle U softball team ahead of the 2026 season, as announced by head coach Geoff Hirai.
Borup, Day and Galaviz complete the class of 2029, joining fellow freshmen Redhawks Aurora Zepeda, Oona Capristo, Mia Powell and Jaeden Sajec who signed this past fall. Bostedt and Ross signed by way of Morgan State/UNLV and Cal State Dominguez Hills respectively.
Both Borup and Day are local products, with Borup hailing from Sammamish, competing for Eastlake HS and travel ball with the Washington Ladyhawks. The catcher/infielder has played varsity softball for Eastlake all four years. In three seasons, she has accrued 262 putouts while holding a .965 fielding percentage.
“Audrey and I share a unique tie,” head coach Hirai shared. “I played against her father growing up, so getting her here with our program is really special and a full circle moment. She is a local talent that has a huge amount of power and I see her competing for first base right away.”
Day, a native of Silverdale, joins the program following graduation from Central Kitsap HS. She also competes as a member of the AI Bandits club team. Day plays primarily infield and has been a member of Central Kitsap’s varsity team all four years. Through three seasons, the future Redhawk posted a .474 batting average and totaled 83 runs and 92 hits.
“Ava is also local to us here and the definition of versatile,” said Hirai. “She is a great athlete who can play in multiple positions and that ability gives us various avenues to work with.”
Galaviz, a product of Fresno, California, was a four year varsity athlete for Central East, while playing travel ball with Suncats Jimenez. She guided Central East to a 23-4-1 record overall to rank 11th in the state of California, while ranking ninth in the state in struck out batters in 2025. Her excellence from the circle orchestrated a semifinals appearance at the CIF Central Section Softball Championships.
“Kaia is a dynamic hybrid of spin and power coming in as a pitcher,” Hirai shared. “We look forward to her immediate impact and seeing how she will elevate our competitiveness in the circle.”
The Fresno Bee Player of the Year and West Coast Preps Central Valley Athlete of the Year carved her name into Central’s record books, amassing 279 strikeouts in a season, the most in history of the program. The mark ranked Galaviz 91st in the nation. She catalogued 20 wins from the circle while holding a 1.75 ERA, while tossing a no-hitter in her final season with the Bengals. She appeared in 24 games from the circle, throwing for 168.0 innings.
Bostedt, a junior pitcher/infielder, transferred to the program following stints at UNLV and Morgan State. She made her collegiate debut with the Bears in 2024, where she appeared in the circle for 23 games. The Las Vegas native also competed in 43 games as a hitter, logging 28 hits and 14 RBI in 119 at bats. As a pitcher, she guided Morgan State to five wins, pitching four complete games and 74.0 innings pitched. Bostedt struck out 52 in her lone season with the Bears.
Bostedt captured four MEAC player of the week recognitions en route to an All-MEAC second team honor. Prior to playing at the collegiate level, Bostedt was a four year varsity starter for Centennial HS, competing in travel ball with Explosion Denio/Hagberg and Arizona Storm Mathis.
“Ellie is our two-way player, posing a dual-threat for us from the circle and in the field,” shared Hirai. “Her experience at the Division I level combined with her expertise across varying avenues is really exciting for our program. We look forward to seeing what she can do for us here at SU.”
Rounding out the group is Ross, an incoming graduate utility player. She joins from Cal State Dominguez Hills, where she competed three seasons following one year at Long Beach City College. In three seasons with the Toros, the Whittier, California native was named All-CCAA first team twice and All-CCAA second team along with two first team All-West Region honors. While at LBCC, she was tabbed All-State and All-SCC first team while capturing All-American JUCO honors.
This past season with Dominguez Hills, Ross appeared and started in all 56 contests for the Toros, accounting for 64 hits and 35 RBI in 172 at bats. Prior to her collegiate career, Ross was a four year varsity starter for Whittier HS, guiding the program to the CIF playoffs. She was tabbed offensive player of the year in back-to-back seasons while also earning All-Del Rio League first team twice. Ross played club with So Cal Athletics Berouty.
“Jay has been one of the best hitters at the Division II level out here on the West Coast,” Hirai said. “She’s a competitor and aiming to take her game up to the next level. We’re looking forward to her bat being a big impact for us.”
Including Borup, Day, Galaviz, Bostedt and Ross, a total of nine new Redhawks will join the program this fall, meeting the 13 returners from last year’s roster. The 2026 Redhawks will be the first group through the West Coast Conference as the program prepares to make their debut in 2026, after Seattle U joined the league on July 1, 2025.
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