2026 Season Preview: Softball
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Central Baptist (AR) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 3 |
|
Louisiana Christian | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Central Baptist (AR) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
|
LSU Alexandria | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 2 |
Erik Holth, CBC Sports Information Director
Conway, Ark. – Coming off a trip to the NAIA Opening Round, Central Baptist College softball opens the 2026 season tomorrow in Pineville, La., at the Louisiana Christian Invitational. CBC opens with the hosts first at 3 p.m. before taking on #13 LSU-Alexandria at 5 p.m. with Thursday's games taking place at the Ward 9 Sportsplex.
CBC returns 16 players from last year's 31-27 squad for coach Keith Hinson's fifth season at the helm. The Mustangs are led by returning all-conference selections, Kinley Johnson, Taviah Bradley and Kori Truelove, who all, along with Elizabeth Stoufer earned Preseason All-Conference honors. Bradley and Stoufer also earned gold gloves last year and Bradley is the only junior of the group. The rest of the returners are pitchers Ryleigh Keele, Isabella Sawyers, Liv Lowery, Kayla O'Kelley and Melanie Phillips; catchers Casi Saunders and Sydney Weiser; infielders Eden East, Meg Ainsworth and Keely Hoffman; and outfielders Taylyn Shuffield and Dakota Hobson.
A group of 10 talented newcomers join the squad this season led by outfield transfer Tayler Southern from National Park, who had 59 stolen bases in two seasons in Hot Springs. The rest of the returners include freshmen pitchers Emma Fenley from Quitman and Lauren Woodard from Corrigan, Texas; freshman catcher Gracee McGuire from Tuckerman; freshman infielders Rachel Havens from Bryant, Karlee Broadway from Walnut Ridge, and Adrianne Benedict from Flippin; and outfielders Hailee Willey from Pea Ridge, McKenna Garcia from Lubbock, Texas, and Kassidy Oberan from Huntsville.
The Mustangs were runners up in the AMC Tournament last year and were picked to finish third in the AMC's preseason coaches poll. Columbia and Williams Baptist were selected just in front of the Mustangs, who don't have to deal with the reigning tournament champions, Missouri Baptist, who left the conference.
In addition to LSU-Alexandria, CBC plays two other preseason top 25 teams. #22 Texas A&M-Texarkana and CBC will play in Conway on Feb. 17 before the Mustangs end their regular season on April 24 against #25 Evangel. Williams Baptist is CBC's conference opener this year on March 27 at City of Colleges Park while the Mustangs and Columbia meet on April 17 in Columbia. Senior Day for CBC will be April 11 against Hannibal-LaGrange. The AMC Tournament will be played from April 28-May 2 this year at the Branson Rec. Plex in Missouri.