By MATT PIKE
The MIAA Conference announced its postseason awards and All-MIAA selections for the 2026 softball season with the regular season in the books and the page turning to the MIAA tournament this week.
Missouri Western State University Softball had four athletes recognized on the All-MIAA teams, with three earning Third Team honors and one receiving Honorable Mention recognition. Pitcher Harley Pruetting, shortstop Kalee Higdon, and utility player Ashlyn Finarty all earned All-MIAA Third Team honors
Pruetting put together a strong 2026 season in the circle. She finished with a 14-4 record across 31 appearances and seven starts. Pruetting recorded a 2.54 ERA over 104.2 innings, allowing 38 earned runs while striking out 115 batters. She added five complete games, two shutouts, and three saves, proving effective in both starting and relief roles. Opponents hit just .253 against her as she allowed 49 total runs.
Higdon started all 49 games for the Griffons, batting .335 with 54 hits, including 12 doubles, two triples, and four home runs. She drove in 37 RBIs and scored 39 runs while posting a .509 slugging percentage and a .426 on-base percentage. She also added 24 walks and 27 stolen bases. The lone junior on the Third team, Finarty appeared in and started all 49 games, leading the team with a .359 batting average and collecting 51 hits in 142 at-bats. Finarty totaled 15 home runs, seven doubles, and two triples, driving in 45 RBIs and scoring 29 runs. She posted a .754 slugging percentage and a .440 on-base percentage while drawing 18 walks.
On the All-MIAA Honorable Mention squad was third baseman Ayva McComas. McComas started all 49 games at third base, batting .323 with 50 hits in 155 at-bats. McComas recorded 11 doubles and five home runs while driving in 37 RBIs and scoring 34 runs. She finished with a .490 slugging percentage and a .395 on-base percentage, adding 19 walks while striking out just 14 times. Defensively, she totaled 38 putouts and 94 assists with only six errors for a .957 fielding percentage.
MoWest Softball is the No. 9 seed in the MIAA tournament and will face No. 8 seed Washburn in the first round today at 3 p.m. in Emporia, Kansas. Should the Griffons win, they would face No. 1 seed Missouri Southern in quarterfinals on Thursday at 11 a.m. Semifinals are on Friday at 12 and 2:30 p.m. with the championship on Saturday at 12 p.m. The tournament is single elimination.
For Northwest Missouri State University, the Bearcats softball team is represented by three selections for the 2026 All-MIAA teams. Utility player Mackenzie Mlnarik gained third-team accolades, while pitcher Jadyn Streigle and outfielder Omara Love landed honorable mention status.
Mlnarik led the team with 41 runs scored, 19 stolen bases and 14 sacrifice bunts. She hit .309 with 43 hits and drove in 17 runs. Mlnarik started in 47 games at second base and was a part of 11 double plays. She ranked third on the squad with 76 assists. Streigle produced a record of 15-8 in the circle. She tossed 137 innings and has a 2.50 earned run average. She threw 17 complete games and four shutouts. She struck out 76 batters and induced 215 groundouts.
Love led the Bearcats in batting average (.364), hits (60), extra-base hits (13), RBI (36), total bases (79) and multi-hit games (18). She recorded 70 putouts and two assists from left field. In 165 at-bats, Love only struck out 12 times.
Northwest earned the No.10 seed and will take on No. 7 seed Northeastern State in the opening round of the 2026 MIAA Tournament today at 5:30 p.m. in Emporia, Kansas. The winner of the Northwest-NSU game will take on No. 2 seed Central Oklahoma Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the fourth quarterfinal.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.