Softball to Host Opening Weekend of Missouri Valley Conference Play

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University Softball team is set to host the opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play as the Bruins welcome the UIC Flames to E.S. Rose Park. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday starting at 1 p.m. CT, followed by a single game Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. 

First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for Friday, March 6 at 1 p.m. CT at E.S. Rose Park. The games will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live stats available on belmontbruins.com. 

What's Bruin 

• Belmont enters the weekend 13–6 overall and is coming off a 0–1 loss to No. 1 Tennessee, holding the Lady Vols to their smallest margin of victory of the 2026 season. 
• The Bruins opened the home slate with a perfect 5–0 weekend at E.S. Rose Park with wins over Central Michigan, Southern Indiana, and Ohio. 
• Belmont has already secured two ranked SEC wins during the 2026 season, defeating No. 15 Georgia and No. 18 Mississippi State — marking the first two ranked SEC victories in program history. 
• Maya Johnson continues to lead Belmont with three straight dominant weekends in the circle. Johnson is 8–1 with 136 strikeouts across 60 innings pitched and recently surpassed 900 career strikeouts. 
• The redshirt senior currently leads the NCAA in total strikeouts and strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 14.6 this season. 
• Johnson earned Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for the fourth consecutive week on March 2. She was also named NFCA Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season, D1 Softball Pitcher of the Week, and ranked third in Softball America's March pitcher rankings. 
• Most recently, she was named the starting pitcher in the NCAA's Michella Chester Lineup of the Week. 
• The veteran was named a preseason Second Team All-American by D1 Softball and Softball America and was tabbed the preseason No. 1 Mid-Major Player by D1 Softball. 
• Belmont returns five All-MVC honorees from last season, including Johnson (First Team, Pitcher of the Year), Rylee Spindler (First Team, Freshman of the Year), Nicole Hughes and Maddy Balsiger (Second Team), and Brenna Blume (All-Defensive Team). 
• The Bruins were picked first in the 2026 MVC Preseason Poll and have appeared in D1 Softball's Mid-Major Top 25 for five consecutive weeks, most recently ranking No. 9. 
• Johnson and Hughes were named Preseason First Team All-MVC selections, while Spindler, Balsiger, and Blume earned honorable mention honors. 
• Sophomore Rylee Spindler made an immediate impact this season, launching a first-inning two-run home run that accounted for the only hit in Belmont's win over No. 15 Georgia. 
• Sophomore Madison Dolecki delivered the game-winning RBI in Belmont's win over No. 18 Mississippi State, accounting for the Bruins' lone hit in the victory. 
• Junior pitcher Mackenzie Willis was ranked No. 1 in 64 Analytics' Top 10 Division I Softball Pitchers after a standout first home weekend, pitching six innings while allowing just one hit and recording 11 strikeouts. 
• Belmont is coming off a historic 2025 campaign, finishing 41–16 overall and 20–7 in Missouri Valley Conference play while capturing the MVC Tournament Championship for the first time in program history. 
• The Bruins are led by head coach Laura Matthews, now in her sixth season at the helm. 

Against the Field 

• Belmont holds a 7–1 all-time record against UIC. The Flames won the most recent matchup in April 2025, and the Bruins will look to secure their first conference win of the season this weekend. 

Follow Belmont Softball on social media — @BelmontSoftball on Twitter, @belmontsoftball on Instagram, and Belmont Bruins Softball on Facebook — for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official Belmont Bruins app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.