NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont softball standout Maya Johnson earned widespread preseason recognition this week, collecting honors from both Softball America and D1Softball following a dominant 2025 campaign.
Johnson was named a Softball America Preseason Second Team All-American on Tuesday, Jan. 13, while also ranking No. 32 overall and No. 9 among pitchers in Softball America's Preseason Top 100 Players list.
Softball America's Preseason Top 100 rankings are informed by advanced analytics from 64Analytics, including Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), which evaluates run prevention independent of defensive performance, and Weighted Runs Created (wRC), which estimates overall offensive contribution.
In addition, D1Softball ranked Johnson No. 23 overall and No. 8 among pitchers in its Preseason D100 Player Rankings and Position Rankings on Wednesday.
Johnson appeared in 35 games with 32 starts during the 2025 season, posting a 24–6 record in the circle. She logged 207 innings with a 1.52 ERA, throwing 23 complete games, including 11 shutouts. Johnson recorded 366 strikeouts, tallying 24 games with double-digit strikeouts, and matched a career-high 18 strikeouts against Indiana State on May 3.
Her postseason accolades included being named Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, earning First Team All-MVC honors, and being selected as the MVC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
With preseason honors from multiple national outlets, Johnson enters the season recognized as one of the top pitchers and overall players in college softball.
