USAO Softball: Year in Review 2025-26
The Drover softball team concluded the season with an overall record of 48-11, including a 33-3 record against conference foes. They claimed their second consecutive SAC regular season championship and hosted the NAIA Opening Round for the sixth season in a row. They were also ranked No. 4 in the final NAIA Softball Coaches' Top 25 poll of the season, released on April 29. In total, USAO made its 13th appearance in the national tournament,
Furthermore, Head Coach Jadyn Wallis became the first coach in USAO history to surpass the 600 career wins milestone.
COACH OF THE YEAR: JADYN WALLIS
Coach Wallis has led the Drovers to a 48-11 record, as well as the SAC regular season championship. The Drovers played 17 games against opponents that are ranked in the top 25 poll and has put together an 10-7 record in those high-quality matchups, including a 7-2 clip against the top 10.
The SAC Coach of the Year award is the sixth of Wallis' career (17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26). In her 14 years at the helm for USAO, Wallis has produced a 607-170 record (.783), along with the 2018 NAIA National Championship, three SAC regular season crowns, and five SAC Tournament titles. After winning the national championship in 2018, she was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. Under her direction, the program has produced three NAIA Pitcher of the Year awards, one NAIA National Championship MVP, three SAC Player of the Year award winners, 10 SAC Pitcher of the Year award winners, 115 All-SAC selections, and 23 NAIA All-Americans.
Wallis has guided the Drovers to the NAIA national tournament 10 times, including five NAIA World Series appearances. Following the national championship in 2018, the Drovers have claimed third place at the World Series in three of the last six seasons, excluding 2020 due to COVID (2019, 2022, 2024).
AUBREE FERGUSON | NAIA & SAC PITCHER OF THE YEAR | FIRST TEAM ALL-SAC
Aubree Ferguson continues the line of dominant Drover pitchers, extending the streak to nine years in a row that USAO has been the home of the SAC Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, she is the fourth Drover to be selected as the NAIA Pitcher of the Year, following Emily Cerny's trio of trophies in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
Ferguson claimed her first SAC Pitcher of the Year honor, following Sophie Williams winning the award each of the last three seasons (2023-25), and a five-year reign by Emily Cerny (2018-22). In total, a Drover has claimed the SAC's top honor for a pitcher on 12 different occasions in program history.
This season, Ferguson produced a 25-3 record, along with a 0.82 earned run average with 175 strikeouts in 170.0 innings. Ferguson led the NAIA in ERA and ranks seventh in wins. She pitched 17 shutouts, which included a pair of no-hitters, and in 31appearances, she has allowed an earned run in only eight of those contests. The Sooner Athletic Conference also selected Ferguson as the Pitcher of the Week on three occasions this season.
In her career at USAO, the sophomore owns a 30-3 record, in addition to a 1.30 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 205.1 innings pitched.
FIRST TEAM ALL-SAC: (8 PLAYERS)
JAYDEN ANDERSON has produced another tremendous season, in which she was twice selected as the NAIA Pitcher of the Week and twice as the SAC Pitcher of the Week. She owns a 12-2 record with a 1.42 earned run average and has struck out 88 batters in 103.2 innings. Anderson pitched her first collegiate no-hitter on April 10 against Nelson University.
Anderson is now a three-time All-SAC selectee and owns a career record of 39-8 with a 1.67 ERA and has fanned 267 batters in 310.2 innings.
LEIGHANNE EATON delivered her best season to date and earned her second first team NAIA All-American selection after producing a .394 batting average with 65 hits, including 17 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 36 runs scored, and 82 runs batted in. Her 82 RBIs rank fourth in the NAIA.
In three years at USAO she has claimed three first team all-conference selections, as well as three SAC Player of the Week awards. She was a first team all-American in 2025 as well, and in her career, she is hitting .357 with 178 hits, 47 doubles, three triples, 29 home runs, 109 runs scored, and 175 runs batted in.
MALEA MCMURTREY earns her third consecutive First Team NAIA All-American selection after batting .481 with 64 hits, eight doubles, seven triples, 54 runs scored, 31 runs batted in, and 34 stolen bases. She has also been perfect defensively at shortstop, converting on all 95 of her total chances.
In her decorated career, she has claimed four first-team All-SAC selections, three SAC Gold Glove awards, and the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove award. The USAO legend has appeared in 214 games in her career, producing a .430 batting average with 281 hits, including 21 doubles, 18 triples, a home run, 231 runs scored, 129 runs batted in, and 132 stolen bases. In the program records, she ranks first in runs scored and triples, while ranking second in batting average, hits, and stolen bases. She also ranks sixth in runs batted in.
MADDY BABER had breakout year in her first season as a starter, and earned a third team NAIA All-American honor after producing a .449 batting average with 57 hits, including 22 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 26 runs scored, and 38 runs batted in. She is getting on base at a rate of .474 and is slugging a staggering .748. Baber has also been perfect defensively, converting on all 182 of her total chances.
KINZIE WILLIAMS claims her third consecutive first team All-SAC nod, producing a .377 batting average with 75 hits, including 10 doubles, 12 triples, 58 runs scored, 35 runs batted in, and 46 stolen bases. Her 12 triples led the NAIA. She is also perfect defensively this season in center field, converting on all 65 of her total chances.
In her career at USAO, Williams owns a .419 batting average with 190 hits, 20 doubles, 16 triples, a home run, 143 runs scored, 79 RBIs, and 88 stolen bases. She was a first team NAIA All-American in 2025.
MAVERYCK LIGHTFOOT was sensational at second base this season, compiling a .366 batting average with 59 hits, including 12 doubles, a home run, 38 runs scored, 27 runs batted in, and 38 stolen bases.
SECOND TEAM: (2 PLAYERS)
TAYLOR CRONIC has been tremendous this year, producing a .370 batting average with 54 hits, 18 doubles, a triple, two home runs, 44 runs scored, 33 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases.
JORDAN RAMSAY had delivered a .295 batting average with 31 hits, a double, three triples, 32 runs scored, 20 runs batted in, and 23 stolen bases.
HONORABLE MENTION: (1 PLAYER)
LILYANA PORTILLO has had a terrific freshman campaign, producing a .384 batting average with 28 hits, including three doubles, two home runs, and 20 runs batted in.
GOLD GLOVE: (1 PLAYER)
LEIGHANNE EATON follows her 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove award with another Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2026, as well as the SAC Gold Glove award, as the nation's top defensive catcher. This season, Eaton was error-free in 348 total chances, including 327 putouts, 21 assists, and she threw out 15 stolen base attempts on the basepaths.
Over the last two seasons, Eaton has committed only one error on 685 total chances (.999) and has thrown out 24 baserunners in that span. In her collegiate career, she has committed only five errors on 1,054 total chances (.995), and has thrown out 30 attempted thieves.
The softball team also excelled in the classroom, earning SAC Scholar Team honors with a 3.46 team grade point average.
Stay up to date on all USAO Athletics news by following us on our media platforms!
Athletics Website: www.usaoathletics.com
Live-stream: www.sacsportsnetwork.com/usao
YouTube: Drover Athletics
X: @DroverAthletics
Facebook: @DroverAthletics
Instagram: @drover_athletics
GIPHY: www.giphy.com/USAODrovers