Friday, Feb. 20 – Washburn Invitational (Topeka, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Rockhurst, 4 p.m. – Washburn Rural High School | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Feb. 21 – Washburn Invitational (Topeka, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Montana State-Billings, 4 p.m. – Washburn Rural High School | LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, Feb. 22 – Washburn Invitational (Topeka, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Drury, 1 p.m. – Silver Lake High School | LIVE STATS
Northwest Missouri State vs. Minnesota State, 3 p.m. – Silver Lake High School | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University softball squad will play four games in the Washburn Invitational Friday-Sunday in Topeka, Kan.
 
Northwest will square off against Rockhurst (Friday, 4 p.m.), Montana State-Billings (Saturday, 4p.m.), Drury (Sunday, 1 p.m.) and Minnesota State (Saturday, 3 p.m.)
 
The Bearcats (8-5 overall) are coming off a 3-1 weekend in Branson, Mo. Northwest outscored its four opponents, 16-4. The Bearcats had a pitching staff ERA of 0.99 in the four games.
 
Northwest is 5-1 in one-run games and has collected three walk-off victories.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 7 in the nation in stolen bases with 36. 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  49
2. Washburn                44
3. AUM                       43
4. Angelo State           42
5. Edward Waters       40
6. St. Mary's (TX)      37
7. Northwest Mo. St.  36
8. Missouri Western   34
9. West Florida           33
10. Northeastern St.    32
    San Francisco St.    32
 
Northwest ranks No. 10 in the nation in fielding percentage (.982). Northwest has made only six errors in 12 games.
 
NCAA Div. II Fielding Percentage Team Leaders
1. Winston-Salem       1.000
2. Carson-Newman     .995
3. Minnesota-Duluth   .994
4. West Texas A&M   .990
5. Glenville St.            .989
6. UAH                       .985
7. St. Cloud St.            .985
8. Lincoln, Mo.           .984
9. Ill.-Springfield        .983
10. Northwest Mo. St. .982
 
Senior Omara Love leads the squad in runs scored (13), hits (17), triples (2), home runs (2), RBI (14) and sacrifice flies (1). She ranks second on the team in stolen bases (8). Love ranks third on the team in batting average (.378). 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 44. She ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time batting average list at .359 with 167 career hits. Love is riding a six-game hitting streak entering the Washburn Invitational.
 
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. - Omara Love (2023-pr.) – 44
7. - Lillie Filger (2023-2025) - 43
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.) - .359 (167-465)
8. - Olivia Daugherty (2019-2023) - .356 (232-652
9. - S. Armstrong (1991-1993) - .345 (89-258)
10. - Erin Leslie (2007-2010) - .344 (217-631)
 
Sophomore Mackenzie Mlnarik has stolen a team-best 11 bases. She is batting .390 with 12 hits and has scored 12 runs. She leads the team with six multi-hit games this season.
 
 
Senior Alexis Brown has started all 13 games in right field. Brown is batting .271 with 13 hits and nine runs scored. She is 5-for-5 in stolen bases.
 
Sophomore Kaylee Cords is batting a team-best .415 with a 1.015 OPS. She is tied for the team lead in hits (17). She ranks second on the squad with 13 RBI. She has drawn five walks. Cords ripped her first career home run in a win over Truman State (Feb. 12) in Branson, Mo. She 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 has produced five multi-hit games.
 
Sophomore shortstop Curstin Todd has made only three errors in 53 chances in the field.
 
Senior Sara Farlow has reached base in eight straight games. She is batting .269 with seven hits and a homer. She 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.
 
Sophomore Timber Wilson leads the team with five doubles. Wilson is batting .259 with five RBI.
 
Junior Emma Hague is batting .240 in 11 games played.
 
Sophomore Rien Moore has pitched a team-high 30.0 innings with a 2.33 ERA. Moore is 2-0 with 24 strikeouts and a save.
 
Senior Jadyn Streigle is 3-1 and tied for the team lead with 24 strikeouts. Streigle has a 1.96 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. She tossed a four-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over UMSL (Feb. 13). She picked up a save in a 2-1 win over Southwest Baptist (Feb. 12).
 
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. Streigle ranks tied for No. 8 in program history with 36 pitching victories. She has produced 12 shutouts, which ranks No. 9 in school history. Streigle has struck out 223 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
    Jadyn Streigle (2023-pr.) – 36
10. Shelly Navara (1986-1987) - 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.) - 12
10. Jennifer Spencer (1995-1996) – 10
 
Fifth-year head coach Naomi Tellez has produced 101 wins in her five seasons at the helm of the Bearcat softball program. She became 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.)                 101
 
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