2026 Lakeland Softball Recap
 
Head Coach: Kayla Bryant (2nd year)
Assistant coaches: Hannah Nelson (2nd year), Jordan August (1st year)
Record: 26-17-1 overall, 16-8 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
NACC regular season finish: tie-4th of 13 teams
NACC Tournament finish: (2-2) Def. No. 8 Wisconsin Lutheran 5-4; Def. No. 4 Aurora 8-4; Lost to No. 1 Dominican 2-1; Lost to No. 3 Concordia Wisconsin 3-2 (9 inn.)
Home Record: 7-7
Away Record: 10-4-1
Neutral Record: 9-6
Long Winning Streak: 7 games (twice)
Long Losing Streak: 5 games
Record vs. nationally ranked teams: 0-1-1
NACC Player of the Week: Lily Pettit (Pitcher, April 19)
All-NACC Team: Callie Linders (1st Team), Natalie Ziebell (1st Team), Abby Heitman (Honorable Mention), Lily Pettit (Honorable Mention)
NACC All-Tournament Team: Sam Marchant, Natalie Ziebell
NACC Scholar-Athlete Award winners: Madelyn Abler, Tian Brooks, Addison Dierschow, Abby Heitman, Lexi Howard, Kaylee Hunt, Jacie Jones, Maddie Klauer, Callie Linders, Sam Marchant, Dailyn Marine, Avery Meister, Sydney Meyer, Carlie Morrow, Mackenzie Ondrejcak, Lily Pettit, Grace Portenier, Maddie Raske, Reyna Rupnow, McKenzie Staudinger, Kamrynn Wiltzius, Natalie Ziebell
Leader in Games Played: Lexi Howard/Sydney Meyer/Carlie Morrow/McKenzie Staudinger (44)
Leader in Hits: Callie Linders (55)
Leader in Runs Scored: Callie Linders (32)
Leader in Doubles: Abby Heitman (9)
Leader in Triples: Abby Heitman (3)
Leader in Home Runs: Sam Marchant (2)
Leader in Runs Batted In: McKenzie Staudinger (30)
Leader in Batting Average: Callie Linders (.396)
Leader in Stolen Bases: Carlie Morrow (6)
Leader in Multiple-Hit Games: Callie Linders (18)
Multiple RBI Games: Callie Linders (9)
Longest Hit Streak: Callie Linders (7)
Longest Reached Base Streak: Callie Linders (23)
Leader in Games Pitched: Lily Pettit/Natalie Ziebell (24)
Leader in Wins: Lily Pettit (11)
Lowest Earned Run average: Natalie Ziebell (2.02)
Leader in Innings Pitched: Natalie Ziebell (121 1/3)
Leader in Strikeouts: Natalie Ziebell (44)
Leader in Complete Games: Natalie Ziebell (8)
Leader in Saves: Jacie Jones (4) 

Single-game highs: 
Hits: Callie Linders, 4 at Rockford, April 25
Home Runs: 1 on three occasions, twice by Sam Marchant and once by Abby Heitman
RBIs: Sam Marchant, 7 at Concordia Chicago, March 21
Runs Scored: 3 on nine occasions
Stolen Bases: 2, by Carlie Morrow vs. Alverno, April 18 and by Madelyn Abler vs. Marian, May 1
Innings Pitched: Natalie Ziebell, 9 at Edgewood, April 26
Strikeouts: Natalie Ziebell, 10 vs. Franciscan, March 13           
 
Season Highlights

• Muskies qualified for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament for the third straight year and advanced to the tourney's double-elimination final four for the second time in three years
• Lakeland won seven straight games on two occasions, first on spring break in Florida from March 10-14 and again in NACC play from April 9-19
• Muskies outscored opponents 244-145 on the season
• Of their 26 wins this season, Muskies won 15 games by seven or more runs
• Muskies scored at least six runs in 15 games and went 15-0 in those games
• Team played an incredible 17 one-run games, finishing with a 9-8 record in those contests. Twenty-three of the team's 44 games were decided by two runs or less (11-12 record)
• Muskies finished 1st in NACC in earned run average (2.83), fewest earned runs allowed (118), runners thrown out stealing (14)
• Sydney Meyer led NACC in sacrifice bunts (16)
• Callie Linders finished 4th in NACC in walks (23), 10th in runs scored (32) and on-base percentage (.479) and tied for 10th in hits (55)
• Carlie Morrow tied for 3rd in NACC in times hit by pitch (8) and tied for 5th in walks (22)
• Abby Heitman tied for 6th in NACC in triples (3)
• Lexi Howard tied for 6th in NACC in times hit by pitch (7)
• Sam Marchant led NACC in runners thrown out stealing (12) and tied for 8th in times hit by pitch (6)
• Jacie Jones led NACC in saves (4)
• Natalie Ziebell finished 2nd in NACC in earned run average (2.02), 3rd in innings pitched (121 1/3), 6th in opponents batting average (.267) and tied for 7th in wins (9)
• Lily Pettit finished 3rd in NACC in fewest walks allowed (12), 5th in wins (11) and opponents batting average (.265) and 6th in earned run average (2.57)

 
Ranked among NCAA Division III Top 30 in 4 individual statistical categories:           
No. 8 sacrifice bunts/game (Sydney Meyer, 0.36)
No. 10 saves (Jacie Jones, 4)
No. 15 runners thrown out stealing (Sam Marchant, 12)
No. 26 fewest walks allowed/7 innings (Lily Pettit, 0.91)