Softball

MVC Weekly Softball Notebook (3-31-26)

This week's Missouri Valley Conference weekly softball award winners include DP Brynn Acton of UNI; Emma McDonald of Evansville; and Maya Johnson of Belmont.

KEY LINKS
National Statistics  |  Ranking Summary
NCAA Softball Record Book  |  MVC Softball Records (PDF)
MVC Standings  |  MVC Individual Stat Leaders  |  MVC Team Stat Leaders


Player and Freshman of the Week
DP Brynn Acton, UNI, Fr., Winterset, Iowa
Acton had a monster week for the Panthers who went 3-1 over the week with a victory over Illinois and a 2-1 series edge against Illinois State. Acton recorded eight hits and seven runs in 19 at-bats for a .421 batting average. Acton's eight hits included six home runs and 15 RBIs for a 1.368 slugging percentage. Against ISU, Acton had five home runs (of her seven hits), including three home runs in game three of the series. Acton was key in a 13-run comeback victory over Illinois State, which saw UNI claim a 24-16, six-inning victory after trailing 13-0 through the top of the third frame. Acton became the first Panther to hit three long balls in the same game since Mya Dodge in 2023 against Southern Illinois. Acton hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the bottom of the third inning alone, the first time a Panther has had multiple home runs in the same inning since Sammey Bunch in 2021 against Evansville.

Newcomer of the Week
OF Emma McDonald, Evansville, So., Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Another solid weekend saw Emma McDonald bat .429 in the road series sweep at Drake. She completed the weekend with two runs, an RBI, and walk. McDonald opened the series going 1-2 with an RBI before posting a strong effort in Saturday’s opener. She went 2-for-3 while scoring two runs in a 5-3 victory. McDonald reached on a walk in the series finale.

Pitcher of the Week
RHP Maya Johnson, Belmont, Sr., Columbia Station, Ohio
Johnson put together a 3-0 week, with three complete games. She threw 21.0 innings and recorded 33 strikeouts in wins over Murray State and Southern Illinois (twice).  Against the Racers midweek she struck out 12 batters and surrendered five hits.  In the two victories against SIU, she struck out 21 batters in 14 innings with and allowed no earned runs and walked none.


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MVC Leaders in the NCAA Stats (Top 10)
  • Shutouts -- Belmont (8th, 11)
  • Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio -- Belmont (2nd, 5.32)    
  • Team Strikeouts/7 Innings -- Belmont (1st, 10.85)
  • Whip -- Belmont (5th, 1.00)
  • Complete Games -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 18)
  • ERA -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 0.53)
  • Games Started -- Abby Rusher, Bradley (4th, 21)
  • Fewest Hits Allowed/7 Innings -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (3rd, 3.06)
  • Home Runs/Game -- Kate Lappe, UNI (9th, 0.47)
  • Saves -- Hannah Meshnick, Illinois State (5th, 4)
  • Shutouts -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 9)
  • Slugging -- Kate Lappe, UNI (9th, 1.057)
  • Walks Per Game -- Kate Lappe, UNI (4th, 1.00)
  • WHIP -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 0.58)
  • Wins -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (3rd, 17)
  • Strikeouts/7 Innings -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 13.9)
  • Strikeouts -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 236)
  • Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio -- Maya Johnson, Belmont (1st, 13.88)

Belmont leads the MVC in the most recent iteration of the RPI as the Bruins are No. 38, which includes two wins against top-25 teams.  Southern Illinois (77), and Illinois State (82) are also in the Top 100.  The Salukis and UIC lead the MVC with three Top-50 wins this season. The Conference is 14th as a league in the NCAA RPI conference rankings. Last year, Belmont (63) and Southern Illinois (70) topped MVC teams in the final RPI rankings and the league was 20th overall in 2025.


MVC HEADLINES
  • Austin Comstock of Bradley put together a dominant week at the plate, hitting an impressive .579 (11-for-19) across five games. She scored seven runs and drove in nine more, highlighted by three home runs and 20 total bases for a 1.053 slugging percentage, while posting a .600 on-base percentage.
  • UNI's Brynn Acton is the first UNI player to hit three long balls in the same game since Mya Dodge in 2023 (against Southern Illinois). Acton hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the bottom of the third inning alone, the first time a Panther has had multiple home runs in the same inning since Sammey Bunch in 2021 against Evansville.
  • Valpo senior Mack Gallagher drew four walks over the Beacons' three-game series against Indiana State, pushing her season total to 29 - already tied for seventh-most in a single season in program history. Despite playing in just her second season at Valpo, Gallagher also ranks seventh on Valpo's career walks chart with 65 free passes.
  • With two victories against Illinois State, UNI Coach Ryan Jacobs moved up to No. 4 on the Valley’s MVC wins list, passing Rich Calvert (DU, 2003-23) in the No. 4 spot with 284 league wins. Jacobs has 285 MVC victories.
  • Illinois State's Bella Atkinson started all three games at third base for the Redbirds against UNI this past weekend. She hit .500 (6-for-12) with three doubles, a grand slam, four RBIs and five runs scored for a 1.000 SLG% and .538 OBP%.
  • Kate Ridgway of Evansville keyed a Purple Aces sweep at Drake picking up two victories and a save. Ridgway matched her career mark with 10 strikeouts in six innings of work in the series opener. She allowed just two hits while tossing her earning a shutout in her third consecutive MVC start. She wrapped up the week with a 1.57 ERA and struck out 21 batters in 13 1/3 innings of work.
  • Indiana State's Caylee Gaytan earned both victories in the series win at Valparaiso, posting a 2.10 ERA across 13.1 innings of work. Gaytan improved to 7-5 on the season, headlined by a complete-game effort in Saturday’s nightcap where she allowed just two runs on four hits.
  • Maleah Blomenkamp of Southern Illinois posted a .667 batting average, going 6-for-9 with one double, one triple, and one run scored. Southern Illinois' right fielder also had one walk, a .700 on-base percentage, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and a 1.000 fielding percentage. The outfielder is now batting .607 in conference play with a .703 on-base percentage and .786 slugging percentage.
  • In two appearances and two starts against Belmont, SIU freshman pitcher Brooklynn Danielson went 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 10.1 innings pitched. Danielson recorded seven strikeouts and allowed three runs, three walks, and seven hits in the series. The freshman's .189 opposing batting average led the team. Danielson earned her sixth win of the season in game two on Saturday where she finished with a line of 4.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, no runs, three walks, and five strikeouts.
  • Murray State catcher Allie Waldron finished the weekend with a .455 batting average across three games with a pair of doubles, one home run, and five RBI.  The freshman exploded in the opening game of the weekend, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and five RBI in a win at Belmont.  
  • Indiana State's Sophie Esposito led Indiana State to a 2-1 road series win at Valparaiso, hitting .625 (5-for-8) across the three-game stretch. Esposito recorded at least one hit in every game, highlighted by a game-winning two-run home run in the sixth inning of Sunday’s rubber match to secure the 5-4 victory. She finished the weekend with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
  • Lauren Flowers of Illinois State batted .500 (5-for-10) with two doubles, two sacrifice flies, a team-high eight RBIs and two runs scored.
  • Ashtyn Holbrook of Evansville wrapped up the week batting .286 while adding two more RBI to her season tally. Holbrooke put forth her top effort in the series opener at Drake going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. She picked up an RBI in game two of the series before reaching on a walk in game three.
  • Drake nearly mounted an historic comeback after trailing Evansville, 8-0, in the second game of a twinbill on Saturday.  Drake scored four times in the fifth and three more times in the final frame to turn an 8-0 deficit into a narrow 9-7 loss. Drake's Ava Husak hit a two-run homer for the Bulldogs in the comeback attempt.
  • UNI's 24 runs against Illinois State set a UNI Division I era record and the 40 combined runs are a program record. The 24 runs are the most in the MVC this season and tied for 7th-best in the NCAA in a single game.
  • Evansville senior Taylor Howe batted .545 with six hits in 11 at-bats to lead the Purple Aces to their first MVC road sweep since 2019. Howe recorded three RBI, three runs, a walk, and home run. She opened the Drake series in style going a perfect 4-for-4 while posting two runs and two RBI in a 9-0 victory. She reached on a walk in game two before going 2-4 with a home run in the series finale, a 9-7 UE victory.
  • UIC's Siena Stickney finished the week leading the Flames with a .667 AVG after four games. She went 8-for-12 with four runs, eight RBI, a double, a .833 SLG%, and a .714 OB%.