Sunday, Feb. 23 – Topeka, Kan. (Washburn Invitational)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Wayne State, 11:30 a.m. (Silver Lake High School)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Minot State, 5:30 p.m. (Washburn) | WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
Monday, Feb. 24 – Topeka, Kan. (Washburn Invitational)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Maryville, 5:30 p.m. (Washburn Rural High School)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Northern State, 7:30 p.m. (Washburn Rural High School)
 
Tuesday, Feb. 25 – Topeka, Kan. (Washburn Invitational)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Minnesota-Crookston, 10 a.m. (Silver Lake High School)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Rockhurst, 2 p.m. (Silver Lake High School)
 
The Northwest Missouri State University softball team will play six games Sunday-Tuesday in the Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kan.
 
The Bearcats (4-5 overall) have not played since dropping two games Feb. 8 at the Alvy Early Classic in Bentonville, Ark. Northwest had its doubleheader at Missouri-St. Louis postponed until April 17.
 
Northwest is batting .316 as a team with 81 hits. Northwest has plated 10 first-inning runs, while giving up only three runs in the first inning this season. Northwest has outscored the opposition 14-4 in the first two innings of games. Northwest is 4-1 when leading after six innings.
 
The Bearcats possess a 3.64 team earned run average through nine games. Bearcat pitchers have struck out 39 batters.
 
Junior Alexis Brown was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week after she went 11-of-15 at the Alvy Early Classic. Brown tied a Bearcat single-game record by recording five hits in a 7-6 win over Illinois-Springfield. It is the sixth time in school history a Northwest softball player has recorded five hits in a game. Prior to Brown's feat against UIS, Lindy Tomlinson was the last Bearcat to achieve a five-hit game as she did it against Central Missouri on March 29, 2001. Brown has posted five multi-hit games this season. Brown has collected 19 career multi-hit games. Through nine games, Brown is batting .529 to rank No. 5 in the MIAA. Brown ranks second in the MIAA in hits (18). Brown has tallied five two-out hits to tie for first on the team. Brown is a perfect 6-for-6 when leading off an inning this year.
 
Junior Riahn Pinkerton ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in batting average (.571) and on-base percentage (.625). Pinkerton has eight hits in 14 at-bats through nine games. She is tied for second on the team with five RBI. She has two multi-hit games, including a four-hit contest, this season. Pinkerton is riding a five-game hitting streak entering the Washburn Invitational.
 
Senior Skylar Pieper ranks No. 3 on the team with a .400 batting average. Pieper is 10-for-25 with a team-best eight RBI. Pieper has drawn five walks. Pieper has 34 multi-hit games after gaining two hits vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State at the Alvy Early Classic. Pieper has three multi-RBI contests this season. Pieper has collected a team-high six hits with runners in scoring position. Pieper has reached base in all nine games this year.
 
Senior outfielder Lillie Filger has scored a team-best 11 runs. Filger has led off an inning with nine hits this year. She is credited with 51 multi-hit contests as a Bearcat. Filger has produced 15 three-hit games in her Bearcat career. Filger has tallied 156 career hits with a career average of .397 in 113 games in a Northwest uniform.
 
Junior Omara Love leads the squad in extra-base hits (5) with three doubles and two triples. She ranks third on the team in batting average (.353). She has produced six RBI. Love has struck out once in 34 at-bats. Love has produced 23 multi-hit games in her career and five games of three hits or more. Love has garnered five two-out hits this season.
 
Freshman Malia Cuevas has drawn a team-high seven walks. Cuevas is hitting .280 with seven hits in 25 at-bats. Cuevas has reached base in all nine games this season.
 
Freshman pitcher Rien Moore is 2-0 in 11 innings of work. She ranks second in the MIAA in ERA (0.64). Moore leads the MIAA in lowest opponent batting average (.150) an in hits allowed per seven innings (3.82). Moore has allowed six hits and three runs (one earned) with eight strikeouts. Moore has allowed only one extra-base hit (double).
 
Sophomore pitcher Olivia Moyer has struck out a team-high 15 batters in 16 1/3 innings of work in the circle. Moyer is 0-3 with a 3.86 ERA. Moyer leads the Bearcats with one save. Moyer has made three starts this season.
 
The Bearcats have posted back-to-back winning seasons for head coach Naomi Tellez with 28 wins in 2023 and 28 victories in the 2024 season. Northwest secured its first winning MIAA record (15-11) in 2024 for the first time since a 16-10 mark in the 2018 campaign.
 
Tellez is in her fourth season at the helm of the program and has generated 75 wins, including 35 triumphs in MIAA action. Tellez has an overall record of 75-90. She is 35-43 in league games.
 
The MIAA coaches projected Northwest to finish seventh in the preseason league poll.
 
2025 MIAA SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Rogers State [7] – 139 points
2. Central Oklahoma [6] – 137 points
3. Pittsburg State – 120 points
4. Washburn – 111 points
5. Missouri Southern – 85 points
6. Missouri Western – 83 points
7. Northwest Missouri State – 79 points
8. Emporia State – 71 points
9. Central Missouri – 69 points
10. Fort Hays State – 48 points
11. Nebraska Kearney – 32 points
12. Newman – 26 points
13. Northeastern State – 14 points