Friday, Feb. 27 – Midwest College Classic (Shawnee, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. MSU Moorhead, 10 a.m. – Field 4
Northwest Missouri State vs. Minnesota State, 12:30 p.m. – Field 5
 
Saturday, Feb. 28 – Midwest College Classic (Shawnee, Kan.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Quincy, 12:20 p.m. – Field 27
Northwest Missouri State vs. Concordia-St. Paul, 5 p.m. – Field 3
 
The Northwest Missouri State University softball squad will take a four-game winning streak into the Midwest College Classic for games Friday and Saturday in Shawnee, Kan., at the Mid-America Sports Complex.
 
The Bearcats are 12-5 overall and have won nine of their last 10 games.
 
Northwest is set to match up against MSU Moorhead (Friday, 10 a.m.), Minnesota State (Friday, 12:30 p.m.), Quincy (Saturday, 12:20 p.m. and Concordia-St. Paul (Saturday, 5 p.m.).
 
In scoring four wins at the Washburn Invitational, Northwest hit .377 and outscored its competition, 36-6. Emma Hague batted .500 with six hits and five runs as Northwest went 4-0 at the Washburn Invitational. She also stole a team-best four bases. Hague went 1-for-3 vs. Rockhurst, 1-for-4 vs. Montana State-Billings, 2-for-2 vs. Drury and 2-for-3 vs. Minnesota State, Mankato.
 
Bearcat pitchers possessed a 1.46 ERA with three complete games. Bearcat pitchers allowed six runs, five of those were earned runs. Jadyn Streigle went 2-0 with wins over Rockhurst and Drury. She had a 1.17 ERA, allowing two runs on eight hits in 12 innings of work. She struck out five batters. She allowed one earned run in a complete game vs. Rockhurst. She followed that up by allowing one earned run in another complete game vs. Drury.
 
Northwest is 5-1 in one-run games and has collected three walk-off victories this season.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 6 in the nation in stolen bases with 49. The Bearcats are 49-for-53 in stolen base attempts this season. Mackenzie Mlnarik leads the way with 11 thefts.
 
NCAA Div. II Stolen Base Team Leaders
1. Missouri Southern    64
2. Washburn                 63
3. St. Mary's (TX)       56
4. San Fran. St.   55
5. AUM               50
6. Northwest Mo. St.    49
7. Angelo St.                48
8. Miles               45
9. Okla. Baptist   43
10. UCCS           43
 
Northwest ranks No. 12 in the nation in fielding percentage (.982). Northwest has made only eight errors in 15 games.
 
NCAA Div. II Fielding Percentage Team Leaders
1. Winston-Salem        1.000
    Shaw               1.000
3. Minnesota-Duluth    .990
4. Carson-Newman      .989
5. Fairmont St.    .988
6. St. Cloud St.    .986
7. Purdue Northwest    .986
8. West Texas A&M    .985
9. UAH               .984
10. Lincoln (MO)         .984
11. McKendree   .983
12. Northwest Mo. St.  .982
 
Senior Omara Love is taking a 10-game hitting streak into the Midwest College Classic … Love is tied for the team lead with 23 hits and 17 RBI. She has scored 16 runs and has accumulated seven extra-base hits (3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs) … Love has a team-best 1.049 OPS with a .610 slugging percentage … she ranks second on the team in stolen bases (10) … has six multi-hit games … has four multi-RBI games … against Lewis on January 30 had three hits and four runs batted in… Hit two home runs and drove in four runs against Truman State on February 7… Recorded a triple and two stolen bases against Maryville on February 13. Love ranks No. 5 on Northwest's all-time stolen base chart with 46. She ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time batting average list at .361 with 167 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. - Omara Love (2023-pr.) – 46
6. - Erin Leslie (2007-2010) - 45
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.) - .361 (173-479)
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 ranks No. 20 in the nation  and No. 7 in the MIAA in stolen bases … she is batting .385 with 20 hits and has scored 17 runs … she has seven multi-hit games … she has two multi-RBI games … she has reached base in nine straight games entering the Midwest College Classic … Series against Truman State on Feb. 12 included 3 runs, 3 hits, and a home run… Fielding highlight with 1 error in 17 games… Recorded 3 hits, including a home run, against Montana State-Billings on Feb. 21… Logged 2 hits and 2 runs against Arkansas Tech on Feb. 6… Tallied 3 stolen bases in game against Southwest Baptist on Feb. 12… Contributed 27 putouts and 29 fielding assists.
 
Senior Alexis Brown has started all 17 games in right field … she is batting .302 with 19 hits and 13 runs scored … is 7-for-7 in stolen bases … has three multi-hit games … Achieved a 4-hit game against Montana State-Billings on February 21… Hit a triple while earning 3 hits and an RBI against Oklahoma Baptist on January 31.
 
Sophomore Kaylee Cords is batting a team-best .426 with a 1.029 OPS … tied for the team lead in hits (23) and RBI (17) … has drawn seven walks … tallied a pair of game-winning walk-off hits at the Lone Star D2 Classic … 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 … 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 … has produced seven multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games … has recorded 65 putouts and eight assists over the season … she has reached base in eight straight games entering the Midwest College Classic.
 
Sophomore shortstop Curstin Todd has made only three errors in 77 chances in the field … Todd is batting .200 with eight hits, including three doubles … she has scored five runs and knocked in three … she is 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts … has two multi-hit games … leads the team with 50 fielding assists.
 
Senior Sara Farlow has reached base in 12 straight games … leads the team with 12 walks … is batting .265 with nine hits and a homer … has totaled 108 putouts, leading the team … connected on Northwest's only home run of the Lone Star D2 Classic against Minnesota-Duluth … has hit three career home runs as a Bearcat.
 
Sophomore Timber Wilson leads the team with five doubles. Wilson is batting .241 with six RBI … has two multi-hit games … Achieved three hits and two RBIs against Lewis on Jan. 30… Added two hits and an RBI against Missouri-St. Louis on Feb. 1… Scored one run and hit a double versus Truman State on Feb. 7… Contributed a double and one RBI against Missouri-St. Louis on Feb. 13… Recorded a total of 28 putouts and one assist in the field.
 
Junior Emma Hague is batting .324 … she has played in 15 games with 12 starts in center field … has scored seven runs and driven in three … Season-high 2 hits and 2 stolen bases against Drury University on Feb. 22… Hit a double against Rockhurst on Feb. 20… Achieved an on-base percentage of .750 with 2 hits and 2 RBIs against Minnesota State University on Feb. 22… has successfully stolen eight bases … has drawn seven walks… Contributed nine putouts in the field.
 
Senior Jadyn Streigle is 5-1 and leads the squad with 29 strikeouts … she has a 1.70 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) … she earned a win in a complete game 6-1 victory over Rockhurst and another complete game win over Drury at the Washburn Invitational … she struck out a career-high 11 batters in a 2-1 complete game victory over Southwest Baptist in Bentonville, Ark.
 
Streigle ranks tied for No. 7 in program history with 36 pitching victories. She has produced 12 shutouts, which ranks No. 9 in school history. Streigle has struck out 228 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. Jadyn Streigle (2023-pr.) – 38
8. Shelly McClure (1984-1987) - 37
9. Breck Dickey (2020-2024) - 36
10. Shelly Navara (1986-1987) - 35

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
 
Sophomore Rien Moore has pitched a 35.0 innings with a 2.40 ERA … she is 3-0 with 25 strikeouts and a save … she has tossed two complete games … she has appeared in eight games with four starts … opponents are batting .171 vs. Moore this season.
 
Junior Olivia Moyer is 3-2 with a. 5.56 ERA. She has appeared in eight games and made four starts in the circle … Moyer has struck out 21 batters … she gained the win against Montana State-Billings by allowing four hits and two runs (one earned) in 4.0 innings.
 
Sophomore pitcher Erika Gore picked up a save by tossing three innings against Montana State-Billings at the Washburn Invite … Gore has appeared in seven games with three starts … She is 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA in 16 2/3 innings pitched … she has struck out 12 batters.
 
 
 
Fifth-year head coach Naomi Tellez has produced 105 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.)             105
 
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