LOOKING FOR RESPECT: Nonnewaug Chiefs Aim For Berkshire League Title, Deep State Tourney Run

ONCE A PANTHER, NOW A WILDCAT: Former Masuk Star Julia Bacoulis Transfers To Kentucky

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591585/fan_mail/new] Former Masuk pitching sensation Julia Bacoulis, who helped the Panthers win four of their seven straight state titles before the 2026 season, has announced she is transferring to the University of Kentucky this fall. After leaving Masuk, Bacoulis attended Florida Gulf Coast University, but a coaching change after her commitment just didn't feel right to her during her freshman year in Florida, so Bacoulis entered the transfer portal and found a new home in the SEC. Bacoulis talked to The Inside Corner Podcast about the transfer, about her first season in college, about her four years at Masuk and more.

STATE FINALS PREVIEW: A Look At All Four State Championship Games

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591585/fan_mail/new] Today we drop a very special edition of The Inside Corner Podcast. With the high school season winding down, we are joined once again by Fairfield Ludlowe coach Adam Laliberte and Stratford/West Haven-Notre Dame coach Gary Sherrick as we preview all four of Saturday's state championship games. The action begins on Saturday at 10 a.m., at UConn's Burrill Family Field in Storrs and runs all day with the last game slated for 7 p.m.

DIANA PEPIN: Former ECSU Coach Reflects On A 25-Year Career

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591585/fan_mail/new] Following the 2026 college softball season, longtime Eastern Connecticut State University softball coach Diana Pepin announced her retirement. Serving as the program's sixth permanent head coach from 2002 through 2026, Pepin coached 969 games, winning 611, losing 355 and tying three for a winning percentage of .632. The Willimantic native and 1992 Eastern graduate served as head coach for half of the program's seasons, coached 51.2 percent of its 1,893 games and recorded 49.9 percent of its 1,224 victories. Pepin took some time out to talk to the CT Softball Blog's The Inside Corner podcast about her career as well as her future and the future of her chosen sport.

THE NEW KIDS IN TOWN: Enfield Wins CCC Championship

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591585/fan_mail/new] Last week, the Enfield Eagles stunned much of the state when it advanced to the CCC championship game and knocked off state power Southington, a Top-10 team in both the CT Softball Blog and GametimeCT Media Poll. It was the first time in Enfield Coach Andrea Silva's coaching career that the Eagles had beaten Southington. Coach Silva joins us along with captains Claire Bouffard and Paige Cekala to talk about the 2026 season, the run to the league championship and the state tournament, where Enfield is the No. 3 seed.

LOOKING FOR RESPECT: Nonnewaug Chiefs Aim For Berkshire League Title, Deep State Tourney Run

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2591585/fan_mail/new] The Nonnewaug Chiefs are once again flying under the radar, through an 18-2 season that left them as the No. 1 seeded team in the CIAC Class M ranks; a spot they should remain for the upcoming state tournament. Yes, the Chiefs play in a league that doesn't garner the respect of some around CT's softball circles, but with a tough non-conference schedule, Nonnewaug has done all it can this season to work hard, get better and prove the naysayers wrong. This week, Coach Chris Martin and his five captains sat down with The Inside Corner Podcast to talk about the season and the upcoming state tournament.