Softball

MVC Softball Weekly Notebook (3-10-2026)

This week's Missouri Valley Conference weekly award winners in softball include Skylar Benesh of UNI; Maya Johnson of Belmont; Peyton Johnson of UNI; and Morgan Calhoun of Illinois State.

Player of the Week
Skylar Benesh, UNI
Benesh batted .714 in a doubleheader split with Murray State to open conference play, with five hits, five runs, and four RBIs in seven at-bats. Benesh recorded a double, a triple, and a home run in the two-game series with 11 total bases for a 1.571 slugging percentage. The sophomore second baseman recorded five putouts and six assists for a 1.000 fielding percentage. Benesh was 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-3 with runners on the base path. She was also 3-for-3 with two outs.

Pitcher of the Week
Maya Johnson, Belmont
Johnson went 2-1 last week with 28 strikeouts in 16 innings of work.  She held No. 1 Tennessee to the smallest win margin of its 2026 season (1-0), allowing a single unearned run against the Volunteers while striking out 11 batters in six innings.  She went 2-0 against UIC in the conference-opening weekend against the Flames, allowing one unearned run in 10 innings.  She three a five-inning no-hitter against the Flames in a shutout win, with nine strikeouts. 

Newcomer of the Week
Peyton Johnson, UNI
Johnson batted .500 in the two-game series with Murray State, with six hits, one run, and two RBIs in six at-bats and a walk. Johnson recorded six putouts for a 1.000 fielding percentage. The junior outfielder was 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position and 4-for-4 with success at advancing runners.

Freshman of The Week
Morgan Calhoun, Illinois State
Calhoun started all three games against Evansville this past weekend and batted .444 (4-for-9) with one triple, one home run, three walks, three runs scored and four RBIs. She went 3-for-4 in game one of the series with a triple, one RBI and two runs scored in the 3-2 victory.

Valparaiso coach Mike Armitage discussed the progress and challenges of his second year at the helm of the Beacons who have started the season with a 9-11 record through the team's first 20 games.



Weekend MVC Schedule
Friday, March 13
UIC at Indiana State (DH)
Evansville at Belmont (DH)
Valparaiso at Murray State (DH)
Drake at Illinois State (DH)
Bradley at Southern Illinois (DH)

Saturday, March 14
UIC at Indiana State
Evansville at Belmont
Valparaiso at Murray State
Drake at Illinois State
Bradley at Southern Illinois

The first installment of the 2026 NCAA Softball RPI was released on Monday (March 9).  Belmont leads the league at 33.  Two other MVC programs are in the Top 100:  Southern Illinois (68) and Illinois State (82).

TEAM HEADLINES
  • Belmont's Rylee Spindler hit .525 last week with six hits, two runs, two RBI, two triples, two walks, and a stolen base.  She had two hits against top-ranked Tennessee midweek. Notably, Belmont leads the league and ranks 18th nationally with its team ERA (2.30). Maya Johnson (0.50 ERA) ranks second in the NCAA, while her 14.3 strikeout average (per 7 innings) leads the nation. Johnson also tops the NCAA with 143 K's this season.
  • Erin Lee was one of the many Salukis who had a strong weekend at the plate against Valparaiso. The senior second baseman hit .500 with a .500 on-base percentage and .750 slugging percentage to go along with one double, three runs scored, and four RBI. Both the three runs and four RBI were tied for the most on the team. Shortstop Jordan Stewart had a big weekend offensively as SIU went 2-0 vs. Valpo. Stewart posted a .600 batting average, .600 on-base percentage, and a .800 slugging percentage while also tallying a tied for team-high four RBI. The freshman shortstop hit one double and did not strikeout once against the Beacons. And Emily Delgado was perfect in her four innings of work against Valparaiso. Delgado didn't allow a run, hit, or walk vs. the Beacons and recorded four strikeouts, the most on the team. With the strong outing, the junior improved to 4-2 on the year. 
  • Illinois State leads the MVC and ranks 16th nationally with 2.05 doubles per game this season. The Redbirds have collected 39 doubles as a team this year. Paige McLeod added two wins to her record during the Redbirds' doubleheader with Evansville last Friday. In game one, McLeod started in the circle and gave up two earned runs while striking out four batters in six innings. In the second contest, which ended in nine innings, McLeod pitched the final four frames and held the Purple Aces to one earned run to earn her seventh victory of the season and the Redbirds' second extra inning win this year.
  • Evansville's Taylor Howe batted .500 as the Purple Aces opened their MVC schedule against Illinois State over the weekend. She recorded five hits in 10 at-bats while posting three RBI, two walks, and a run. Howe began the weekend going 2-3 with an RBI in the series opener. Her single in the second inning tied the game at 2-2. Friday’s second game aw her go 1-3 with two walks, a run, and RBI. UE trailed 5-0 after the top of the first but rallied to force extra innings. Her bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth brought in the tying run. Howe completed the weekend with a 2-4 effort with another RBI in the 8-7 victory.  Her baserunning helped her reach on an error that resulted in the winning run being scored.
  • Bradley's Abby Rusher has five complete games this season is tied for second in the MVC. She's third in the Conference with 66.1 innings pitched this season.
  • The Drake softball team ended its time in the Rocky Mountain State on Monday afternoon with an extra innings victory over the Colorado State Rams by a score of 9-8. Frankie Rita leads the Bulldogs with a .346 plate average.  Tatum Aragon is the top run producer with 14 RBI and seven runs scored.
  • Indiana State's Morgan Goodrich hit .500 for the series, racking up 4 hits in 8 at-bats, highlighted by a triple in the first game. Goodrich was responsible for 5 runs scored during the weekend, crossing the plate twice in both the series opener and the series finale. She ranks fourth in the Conference in on-base percentage.
  • Nina Pesare of UIC had herself a week, batting .667 after going 4-6 with one run. She finished the series against Belmont going 4-for-6 with a .667 SLG% and a .714 OB%.  In game one against the Bruins, Pesare went 2-for-2. In the second inning, Pesare hit a bunt single, but would end up scoring the Flames lone run of the game as she made her way around the bases on a throwing error by the Bruins.
  • Parker Holcombe of Murray State hit .375 in a Friday doubleheader against UNI with three base hits and three RBI.  On a day that saw the Racers record five stolen bases, Holcombe notched a stolen base on one attempt. The junior also recorded a 1.000 fielding % at shortstop.  Notably, Karlye Graber was effective for the Racers, going 1-0 on the weekend with 10 strikeouts in 10.1 innings of work.
  • Indiana State's Lauren Sackett provided a steady and reliable presence in the circle for the Sycamores, earning the win in both of Indiana State’s victories over the weekend. Sackett tossed a total of 10.0 innings across the series, allowing only 4 earned runs to finish with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
  • In her first weekend of Valley action, UE's Ashtyn Holbrook batted .364 with two home runs, three RBI, and two runs scored. She picked up one hit through the first two games of the series before being the difference-maker in Evansville’s win in the series finale. Holbrook belted her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. She wrapped up the game going 3-4 with two homers, three RBI, and two runs scored.
  • Valpo, despite being blanked in both games of a Conference series at SIU last week, continues to lead the MVC in hitting with a .306 team batting average. The Beacons' .422 team on-base percentage leads the league and ranks 42nd nationally.