Thursday, Feb. 12 – D2 Battle & Juco Jam (Branson, Mo.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Truman State, 12 p.m. – Famous Dave's Field
Northwest Missouri State vs. Southwest Baptist, 4 p.m. – Famous Dave's Field
 
Friday, Feb. 13 – D2 Battle & Juco Jam (Branson, Mo.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. UMSL, 9:30 a.m. – Tanger Field
Northwest Missouri State vs. Maryville, 12 p.m. – Track Field
 
The Northwest Missouri State University softball team will travel to Branson, Mo., this Thursday and Friday to take part in the D2 Battle & Juco Jam.
 
The Bearcats (5-4 overall) will match up against Truman State, Southwest Baptist, UMSL and Maryville. The Bearcats went 3-2 at the Alvy Early Classic in Bentonville, Ark., and posted wins over Arkansas Tech, Southwest Baptist and Truman State.
 
Northwest is 4-0 in one-run games and have collected three walk-off victories in the first two weekends of play.
 
The Bearcats rank tied for No. 10 in the nation in stolen bases with 22. The Bearcats are 22-for-22 in stolen base attempts this season. Mackenzie Mlnarik leads the way with six thefts.
 
NCAA Div. II Stolen Base Team Leaders
1. Missouri Southern  38
2. Angelo State           34
3. San Francisco St.    32
4. Edward Waters       30
5. Oklahoma Baptist   29
    Washburn                29
7. AUM                       28
8. St. Mary's Texas     26
9. West Florida           24
10. Northwest Mo. St. 22
    Northeastern St.      22
 
Northwest ranks No. 10 in the nation in fielding percentage (.981). Northwest has made only six errors in nine games.
 
NCAA Div. II Fielding Percentage Team Leaders
1. Minnesota-Duluth   1.000
    Barton                     1.000
    Lenoir-Rhyne          1.000
4. West Florida           .992
5. Lincoln Memorial   .990
6. Glenville State        .989
7. Carson-Newman     .988
8. West Texas A&M   .988
9. St. Cloud State        .985
10. Northwest Mo. St. .981
 
Senior Omara Love leads the squad in batting average (.367), runs scored (9), hits (11), doubles (2), triples (1), home runs (2), RBI (13) and sacrifice flies (1). Love produced her first career two-home run game in a 10-2 win over Truman State in Bentonville, Ark. Love ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time stolen base chart with 40. She ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time batting average list at .355 with 156 career hits.
 
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 (2023-2025) - 43
7. - Omara Love (2023-pr.) - 40
8. - Karen Hopewell (1982-1986) - 33
9. - Jordan Ereth (2012-2014) - 31
10. - Hailee Hendricks (2010-2013) – 29
 
Northwest Career Highest Batting Average (min. 250 AB)
1. - Lillie Filger (2023-2025) - .397 (213-536)
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. - Omara Love (2023-pr.) - .358 (161-450)
8. - Olivia Daugherty (2019-2023) - .356 (232-652
9. - S. Armstrong (1991-1993) - .345 (89-258)
10. - Erin Leslie (2007-2010) - .344 (217-631)
 
Senior Alexis Brown is tied for the team lead with 11 hits and is batting .324 through nine games. Brown has started all nine contests. She has scored six runs and is 3-for-3 in stolen bases.
She posted a pair of three-hit games against Lewis and Oklahoma Baptist.
 
Sophomore Mackenzie Mlnarik has stolen a team-best six bases. She is batting .357 with 10 hits and has scored eight runs. She leads the team with four multi-hit games this season.
 
Sophomore Kaylee Cords tallied a pair of game-winning walk-off hits at the Lone Star D2 Classic. Cords came through in the ninth-inning with a two-out, run-scoring single to plate Curstin Todd and give Northwest a 3-2 win over Drury. Cords worked her magic again in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off double to right field that scored Omara Love for an 8-7 victory over Lewis. Cords is batting .345 with 10 hits and six RBI. Cords has produced three multi-hit games.
 
 
Sophomore Curstin Todd is batting .273 with three doubles. She has committed only one error in 33 chances in the field at shortstop.
 
Senior Sara Farlow connected on Northwest's only home run of the Lone Star D2 Classic against Minnesota-Duluth. Farlow has hit three career home runs as a Bearcat. Farlow possesses a team-best 1.078 OPS through nine games.
 
Sophomore Timber Wilson leads the team with four doubles. Wilson is batting .286 with four RBI.
 
Junior Emma Hague is batting .333 in seven games played.
 
Sophomore Rien Moore has pitched a team-high 19.0 innings with a 2.95 ERA. Moore is 1-0 with 17 strikeouts and a save.
 
Senior Jadyn Streigle struck out a career-high 11 batters in a 2-1 complete game victory over Southwest Baptist in Bentonville, Ark. Streigle is 2-1 on the season in 17 innings pitched. She has struck out a team-high 20 batters. She has a 2.88 ERA.
 
made two pitching appearances and tossed 7.0 innings. She struck out six with a 5.00 ERA. Streigle ranks tied for No. 9 in program history with 35 pitching victories. She has produced 11 shutouts, which ranks No. 9 in school history. Streigle has struck out 219 batters in her Bearcat pitching career.
 
Northwest Career Pitching Wins
1. Michele Ansley (1997-2000) - 53
2. Jenna Creger (2010-2013) - 48
3. Cola Krueger (2006-2009) - 47
4. Shelly MacDonald (2002-2005) - 43
5. Kelly Morris (2006-2008) - 41
6. Shelley Lewis (1982-1985) - 39
7. Shelly McClure (1984-1987) - 37
8. Breck Dickey (2020-2024) - 36
9. Shelly Navara (1986-1987) - 35
    Jadyn Streigle (2023-pr.) – 35
10. Kendle Schieber (2015-2016) - 33


 
Northwest Career Shutouts
1. Shelley Lewis (1982-1985) - 17
2. Cola Krueger (2006-2009) - 16
    Shelly MacDonald (2002-2005) - 16
4. Jenna Creger (2010-2013) - 15
5. Kelly Morris (2006-2008) - 13
6. Shelly McClure (1984-1987) - 13
    Shelly Navara (1986-1987) - 13
    Michele Ansley (1997-2000) - 13
9. Jadyn Streigle (2023-pr.) - 11
10. Jennifer Spencer (1995-1996) – 10
 
Fifth-year head coach Naomi Tellez has produced 98 wins in her five seasons at the helm of the Bearcat softball program. She is looking to become the fifth Bearcat softball coach to reach 100 victories.
 
Northwest Coaching Victory Leaders
1. Ryan Anderson (2007-21)              345
2. Gayla Steenbergen (1982-84)         273
3. Pam Knox (1997-02)                      146
4. Susan Anderson (2003-06)             124
5. Naomi Tellez (2022-pr.)                 98
 
The Bearcats were projected to finish ninth in the preseason MIAA coaches poll.
 
2026 MIAA SOFTBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Pittsburg State [10] – 141 points
2. Central Oklahoma [1] – 125 points
3. Missouri Southern [1] – 116 points
4. Rogers State [1] – 111 points
5. Central Missouri – 101 points
6. Washburn – 96 points
7. Missouri Western – 84 points
8. Emporia State – 65 points
9. Northwest Missouri State – 49 points
10. Fort Hays State – 45 points
11. Nebraska Kearney – 43 points
12. Northeastern State – 26 points
13. Newman – 12 points 
[#] - First Place Votes