Helen Peña

Biography

NOTES ENTERING 2026 SEASON - 62-47 Overall Record - 28-22 Mid-American Conference Record - Six Total All-MAC Honors - 2025 MAC Player of the Year - 2025 MAC Defensive Player of the Year - Four Total NFCA All-Great Lakes Region Honors - 22 Total Academic All-MAC Selections - 34 Total Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete Awards - 10 CSC Academic All-District® Softball Team Accolades Helen Peña enters her third season as Ball State’s head softball coach in 2026 looking to continue the program’s trajectory back to the top of the Mid-American Conference standings. Over Peña’s first two years at the helm, the former collegiate standout pitcher has guided the program to a 62-47 overall record, including a 28-22 ledger in MAC play. The Cardinals advanced to the championship series of the MAC Tournament in her first season, while falling in the final game of the elimination bracket to the eventual tournament champion last season. The 2025 season saw the Cardinals produce a 33-18 overall record and earn the No. 4 seed in the MAC Softball Championship with a 16-9 MAC mark. It was the program’s most wins since the 2021 squad went 37-18 (31-8 MAC) in a schedule heavy with league games coming off the COVID-19 global pandemic. Ball State’s success was exemplified by the pitching staff which boasted a 3.96 ERA and saw Ella Whitney become just the seventh pitcher in program history to record at least 20 wins in a season. A two-time MAC Pitcher of the Week, Whitney led all MAC pitchers with