Belmont Softball Picked as 2026 MVC Preseason Favorite; Five Bruins Earn All Conference Honors

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont softball has been selected as the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite, as voted on by the league's coaches and announced Thursday afternoon, Jan. 22. 

The Bruins collected six first-place votes and 104 total points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll, finishing ahead of UNI (99 points) and Southern Illinois (94).

Belmont also earned national preseason recognition, entering the 2026 season ranked No. 12 in D1Softball's Mid-Major Preseason Rankings, further underscoring the program's rise on the national stage. 

In addition to the team honor, five Belmont student-athletes earned preseason recognition, with two Bruins named to the 2026 MVC Preseason All-Conference First Team and three receiving honorable mention honors. 

Senior pitcher Maya Johnson earned a spot on the Preseason All-MVC First Team, continuing a run of national and conference recognition following a dominant 2025 campaign. Johnson has already been named a Preseason Second Team All-American and enters the season ranked No. 1 overall among mid-major players by D1Softball. 

Joining Johnson on the First Team is senior infielder Nicole Hughes, who is coming off an impressive 2025 season in which she earned Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors and was named NFCA Third Team All-Region. 

Belmont also had three players recognized with honorable mention preseason honors: 

• Maddy Balsiger, sophomore outfielder – 2025 Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference 
• Rylee Spindler, sophomore infielder – 2025 MVC Freshman of the Year; 2025 First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference 
• Brenna Blume, senior catcher – 2025 All-Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Team; 2025 Second Team MVC Scholar-Athlete 

The preseason recognition sets high expectations for the Bruins heading into the 2026 campaign.