Friday, April 11 – Maryville, Mo.
Emporia State at Northwest Missouri State, 2 p.m./4 p.m. (Doubleheader)
MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, April 12 – Maryville, Mo.
Washburn at Northwest Missouri State, 12 p.m./2 p.m. (Doubleheader)
MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University softball squad will play its final home MIAA games of the season this weekend against Emporia State and Washburn.
 
Northwest will play host to the Emporia State Hornets (25-17, 6-10 MIAA) Friday in a doubleheader slated to begin at 2 p.m. ESU leads the all-times series with Northwest by the count of 55-25. The teams have split a doubleheader result in each of the past two seasons. Bearcat head coach Naomi Tellez is 2-4 vs. ESU since taking over the Northwest program.
 
The Bearcats will battle the Washburn Ichabods (27-16, 9-7 MIAA) Saturday in a twinbill set to start at Noon. Washburn leads the all-time series against Northwest, 62-45. Washburn has won four straight matchups vs. Northwest dating back to the 2023 season. Tellez is 1-6 vs. Washburn.
 
On Saturday, Northwest will celebrate Senior Day by honoring eight of its players.
 
Lillie Filger (Liberty, Mo.)
Annie Gahan (Iowa City, Iowa)
Grace Lubben (Anamosa, Iowa)
Cassidy Paulson (Arvada, Colo.)
Skylar Pieper (Roca, Neb.)
Gaige Pinkerton (Spring Hill, Kan.)
Kylee Rockhold (Allerton, Iowa)
Marleigh Thurman (Lindale, Texas)
 
Northwest holds a record of 16-23 overall and 6-12 in MIAA play. Northwest is 1-5 this season against top-25 ranked opponents after capturing a 4-2 win over No. 6-ranked Central Oklahoma in Maryville. The Bearcats are 3-7 at home this season and have won three in a row after dropping its first seven home contests.
 
Northwest ranks No. 6 in the nation in fielding percentage (.977). The Bearcats have not committed an error in 53 consecutive innings. Northwest has made only nine errors in MIAA games and possesses a .982 fielding percentage in league games. Only Central Oklahoma (7) and Central Missouri (8) have made fewer errors in MIAA games this season.
 
NCAA Div. II Team Fielding Percentage
1. UT Tyler                 .986
2. Bridgeport               .981
3. Central Oklahoma   .981
4. Biola                       .980
5. Central Missouri     .978
6. Northwest Mo. St.  .977
7. Malone                    .976
8. Truman St.              .975
9. Charleston               .975
10. Colo. Christian      .974
 
Northwest has outscored its opponents in the first two innings of games this season, 67-36. Northwest owns a 40-27 scoring advantage in the first inning and a 27-9 lead in the second inning. Overall, the Bearcats have outscored the opposition, 189-163.
 
Northwest is hitting .314 as a squad, which ranks No. 5 in the MIAA. Northwest is third in the MIAA in hits (336). Northwest ranks No. 5 in the league in on-base percentage (.390). Northwest is 15-6 when it has more hits than its opponent. The Bearcats are 1-17 when they have the same or fewer hits than their opponents.
 
The Bearcats possess a 3.87 team earned run average. Bearcat pitchers have struck out 179 batters. Opponents are hitting .273 vs. Bearcat pitching.
 
Northwest is 11-2 when leading after six innings. In contrast, the Bearcats at 1-19 when trailing after six innings. Northwest is 11-2 when scoring six runs or more. The Bearcats are 5-21 when scoring five runs or less. Northwest is 12-1 when it holds the opposition to two runs or less. Northwest is 4-22 when the opponent scores three or more runs.
 
Three Bearcats have played all 39 games at the same position this season – Lille Filger (CF), Skylar Pieper (1B) and Curstin Todd (SS). Malia Cuevas has started 38 of the 39 games at second base. Filger is the only Bearcat batter to have batted in the same spot (leadoff) in the batting order in all 39 games.
 
Senior outfielder Lillie Filger has scored a team-best 31 runs and is batting .412. Filger ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in batting average. She is one of 10 MIAA players hitting .400 or better this season. Filger ranks No. 4 in hits in the MIAA with 56. Filger has 15 stolen bases to rank tied for No. 8 in the MIAA. Filger has tallied nine stolen bases in MIAA play, which ranks as the fourth-highest total in league games this season. Filger has led off an inning with 35 hits this year (35-of-60 - .583 average). She is credited with 67 career multi-hit games, including 19 this season. Filger has produced 17 three-hit games in her Bearcat career. Filger ranks No. 8 on Northwest's all-time hits list with 202. She has a career average of .406, which would rank first in Bearcat history. Filger is one of eight Bearcats to have recorded 200 or more hits in a career. She ranks No. 43 among active NCAA Div. II players with 202 hits. Filger's 41 career stolen bases ranks No. 6 on Northwest's all-time steals list. Filger has reached base in 11 straight games entering this week's games against Emporia State and Washburn.
 
NORTHWEST CAREER HITS
1. 244, Rebecca Maher (2015-2018)
2. 237, Kendra Smith (1997-2000)
3. 235, Torri Blythe (2014-2017)
    235, Kaitlyn Weis (2017-2021)
5. 232, Olivia Daugherty (2019-2023)
6. 217, Erin Leslie (2007-2010)
7. 210, Chantel Adams (2014-2017)
8. 202, Lillie Filger (2023-pr.)
9. 192, Katy John (2003-2006)
10. 190, Angie McCoy (2001-2004)
    190, Jaedra Moses (2016-2019)
 
NORTHWEST CAREER BATTING AVERAGE (min. 250 AB)
1. - Lillie Filger (2023-pres.) - .406 (202-498)
2. - Kendra Smith (1997-2000) - .396 (236-596)
3. - Stephanie Mark (2014-2015) - .388 (126-325)
4. - Kaitlyn Weis (2017-2021) - .382 (235-615)
5. - Casey Carper (2008-2009) - .368 (117-318)
6. - Rebecca Maher (2015-2018) - .361 (244-675)
7. - Olivia Daugherty (2019-2023) - .356 (232-652
8. - S. Armstrong (1991-1993) - .345 (89-258)
9. - Erin Leslie (2007-2010) - .344 (217-631)
10. - Amanda Urquhart (1997-2000) - .341 (189-554)
11. - Megan Spring (2001-2004) - .341 (189-555)
 
NORTHWEST CAREER STOLEN BASES
1. - Torri Blythe (2014-2017) - 68
2. - Katy John (2003-2006) - 67
3. - Kendra Smith (1997-2000) - 51
4. - Lindsay Stephenson (2003-2007) - 48
5. - Erin Leslie (2007-2010) – 45
6. – Lillie Filger (2023-pr.) – 41
7. - Karen Hopewell (1982-1986) – 33
    - Omara Love (2023-pr.) – 33
9. - Jordan Ereth (2012-2014) – 31
10. - Hailee Hendricks (2010-2013) - 29
 
Junior Omara Love ranks second on the team in hitting at .384 and in stolen bases (14). She ranks second on the team with 30 RBI. She tops the squad in triples (5), doubles (12) and extra-base hits (19). Love is tied for fourth in the MIAA in doubles (11). Love has garnered a team-best 14 two-out hits this season. She has posted 17 multi-hit games this season and has 40 multi-hit games in her career. Love has stolen 33 career bases to rank tied for No. 7 on Northwest's all-time stolen base list. Love was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week (March 31) after she led the Bearcats to a 3-1 mark vs. Central Oklahoma and Newman. Love cracked her first collegiate home run, a grand slam vs. Newman. It was her first home run in 370 collegiate at bats.
 
Junior Alexis Brown is third on the squad in hitting (.367). Brown has posted 12 multi-hit games this season. Brown has collected 26 career multi-hit games. 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. She was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week after she went 11-of-15 at the Alvy Early Classic.
 
In MIAA play this season, senior Grace Lubben is batting .413 with 19 hits in 46 at-bats. Lubben ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in batting (.413) in league games only. In league games, Lubben has clubbed three homers and ripped six doubles with 11 RBI. She has also drawn 16 walks in 18 MIAA contests, which ranks as the second-best total in the league. She has recorded at least one hit in 13 of her 18 MIAA games this season. In all games, Lubben is batting .350 with 21 hits in 60 at-bats. She is tops on the team in slugging percentage (.617).
 
Junior Gaige Pinkerton is one of seven Bearcat hitters batting above .300 (.351). She has drawn a team-best 19 base-on-balls. Pinkerton is tied for No. 3 in the nation and is tied for the MIAA lead by throwing out 12 would-be base stealers.
 
Senior Skylar Pieper leads the Bearcats in RBI (31) and two-out RBI (11). She leads the team in home runs (4). She is batting .303 with a .496 slugging percentage. Pieper has 42 multi-hit games in her Bearcat career, including 11 this year. Pieper has nine multi-RBI contests this season. Pieper ranks No. 3 all-time on Northwest's career putouts chart with 1,044. She has made only 14 errors in 1,122 chances as a Bearcat.
 
NORTHWEST CAREER PUTOUTS
1. - Janelle Krohn (2005-2008) – 1,230
2. - Janet Schieber (1984-1986) – 1,083
3. - Skylar Pieper (2022-pr.) – 1,044
4. - Nichole Strawn (1998-2001) - 902
5. - Amy Erickson (1986-1989) - 800
6. - Jessica Rawie (2015-2018) - 796
7. - Stephanie Mark (2014-2015) - 677
8. - Megan Spring (2001-2004) - 633
9. - Kristen Hessel (2008-2011) - 625
10. - Ashley Pride (2003-2006) - 610
* Putout statistics were not available in 1991, 1996
 
Freshman Malia Cuevas is hitting .336. She ranks tied for second on the team with 13 two-out hits. She has eight multi-hit games and three multi-RBI contests this season. She gained her first three-hit game of her career at Nebraska-Kearney (March 22). Cuevas has recorded eight hits in her last 10 at bats. She went 3-for-3 vs. No. 6-ranked Central Oklahoma. She went 2-for-4 and 3-for-3 in a doubleheader vs. Newman.
 
Freshman Curstin Todd has started all 39 games at shortstop. She has committed only two errors in 144 chances (.986 fielding percentage). She has been a part of six double plays.
 
Freshman pitcher Rien Moore is 5-4 in 40 2/3 innings of work and ranks second on the team with 42 strikeouts. She has allowed 33 hits, but only four for extra bases (3 doubles; 1 home run). Opponents are batting .224 against Moore this year.
 
Sophomore pitcher Olivia Moyer has struck out 41 batters in 50 1/3 innings of work in the circle. Moyer is 1-5 with a 4.45 ERA. Moyer has made nine starts this season. Moyer tied a season-high with eight strikeouts in four innings of relief against Northeastern State. Her previous season high of eight strikeouts came in a start against Upper Iowa when she went six innings in the circle.
 
Junior pitcher Jadyn Streigle is 6-7 with a 3.73 ERA in 7.0 innings in the circle. Streigle leads the team with 50 strikeouts, six complete games and two shutouts. Streigle has a 2.86 ERA in MIAA games in 49.0 innings of work. She is 5-4 with 29 strikeouts in MIAA action. Streigle has tossed 31 career complete games. She is 29-26 in her Bearcat career.
 
Freshman pitcher Erika Gore tossed her first collegiate shutout with at two-hit gem against Newman. Gore is 1-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 39.0 innings of work.
 
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 87 wins, including 41 triumphs in MIAA action. Tellez has an overall record of 87-108. She is 41-55 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