Friday, Feb. 6 – Alvy Early Classic (Bentonville, Ark.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Arkansas Tech, 11:30 a.m. – Field 8
Northwest Missouri State vs. Southern Arkansas, 2 p.m. – Field 8
 
Saturday, Feb. 7 – Alvy Early Classic (Bentonville, Ark.)
Northwest Missouri State vs. Southwest Baptist, 11:30 a.m. – Field 6
Northwest Missouri State vs. Truman State, 1:30 p.m. – Field 5
 
After gaining two wins in the opening weekend of play, the Northwest Missouri State University softball team will venture south to Bentonville, Ark., to play four games in the Alvy Early Classic.
 
The Bearcats will match up against Arkansas Tech, Southern Arkansas, Southwest Baptist and Truman State.
 
Northwest opened the 2026 season with back-to-back walk-off wins over Drury (W, 3-2) and Lewis (W, 8-7). The Bearcats dropped three straight matchups to close out the weekend against Oklahoma Baptist (L, 8-3), Minnesota-Duluth (L, 6-4) and Missouri-St. Louis (L, 6-2).
 
The Bearcats were running like crazy on the base paths at the Lone Star D2 Classic. Northwest swiped 15 bases in 15 stolen base attempts. The Bearcats set a single-game record with eight stolen bases in the season-opening nine-inning win over Drury. Eight different Bearcats stole a base, led by Mackenzie Mlnarik's five thefts. Northwest ranks No. 5 in the nation in stolen bases.
 
NCAA Div. II Stolen Base Team Leaders
1. Northeastern State  21
2. UC-Colo.-Springs   18
3. San Francisco St.    17
4. Washburn                16
5. Northwest Mo. St.  15
    Oklahoma Baptist   15
    West Florida           15
 
NCAA Div. II Stolen Base Individual Leaders
1. Makenzie Sais (Washburn)                         10
2. Olivia Mares (San Francisco State)            9
3. Kaley Cook (Oklahoma Baptist)                6
    Jennavieve Goldsworth (UCCS)                6
5. Mackenzie Mlnarik (Northwest Mo. St.)   5
    Lauren Deplitch (Cal St. San Marcos)       5
    Joryie McKnight (Delta State)                   5
    Jazmyne Moreno (Rockhurst)                    5
    Bryley Westfahl (St. Mary's, Texas)         5
 
Senior Alexis Brown leads the squad in batting (.400) with eight hits. She posted a pair of three-hit games against Lewis and Oklahoma Baptist. Brown produced at least one hit in four games at the Lone Star D2 Classic.
 
Sophomore Mackenzie Mlnarik had a team-best .556 on-base percentage and leads the squad in runs scored (5), stolen bases (5) and sacrifice hits (3).
 
Sophomore Kaylee Cords hit .368 and 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 .368 with seven hits and three RBI.
 
Senior Omara Love leads the squad with eight RBI. Love is batting .316 with six hits and four runs scored. Love ranks No. 7 on Northwest's all-time stolen base chart with 38. She ranks No. 8 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.) - 38
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. - Olivia Daugherty (2019-2023) - .356 (232-652
8. - Omara Love (2023-pr.) - .355 (156-439)
9. - S. Armstrong (1991-1993) - .345 (89-258)
10. - Erin Leslie (2007-2010) - .344 (217-631)
 
Sophomore Curstin Todd is batting .357 with a team-high three doubles.
 
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.
 
Sophomore Rien Moore tossed 13.0 innings and struck out 13 batters with a 2.15 earned run average. Moore picked up the win vs. Drury as she pitched six innings in relief and struck out 10 Panther batters.
 
Senior Jadyn Streigle made two pitching appearances and tossed 7.0 innings. She struck out six with a 5.00 ERA. Streigle ranks tied for No. 10 in program history with 33 pitching victories. She has produced 11 shutouts, which ranks No. 9 in school history. Streigle has struck out 205 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
10. Kendle Schieber (2015-2016) - 33
    Jadyn Streigle (2023-pr.) – 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 95 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.)                 95
 
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