OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City opens its softball season this weekend in Mesquite, Texas, with high expectations, as always.
 
The Stars were NAIA runner-up last season and finished the year at 53-11. The 2026 version returns All-American infielders Analise Rayburn and Tara Hoehner but question marks remain as All-America battery mates Emersen Heron and Tiffany Paul.
 
Returning Players
Rayburn, a shortstop, batted.486 and led the NAIA with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs. Rayburn was Player of the Year in the NAIA and the Sooner Athletic Conference. She led the nation with 25 doubles, a 1.028 slugging percentage and 218 total bases. Rayburn was also second in the NAIA with 103 hits.
 
Hoehner made the first team as an infielder but will primarily be an outfielder this season. She was fifth in the NAIA with 74 RBIs and was a first-team All-SAC selection. Hoehner was a NAIA Player of the Week in February. She was fourth in the country with 74 runs scored.
 
"We feel, offensively, we will put out a pretty good product one through nine and even have some on the bench who could pinch hit and be productive," said Associate Head Coach Bobbi Bridges. "We bring back two All-Americans and a Player of the Year, so they will be able to ground our lineup and guide the freshmen, who are quite talented.
 
The Stars will rely not only on the two All-Americans but also on other returning starters and players ready to step into vacated roles.
 
"Analise Rayburn will be a great leader in the infield and Tara Hoehner will be a great leader in the outfield," said Bridges. "They are both great hitters, so that will be an asset. Brynlee Alsip has big shoes to fill in the circle, but she is up to the challenge and working to be a great leader."
 
The Stars also bring back Kindalyn Miller, Iliana Ashford, Carlee Mollett and Jaslyne Williams – all of whom started 30 or more games last season. Pitcher Morgandee Sawatzky, catcher Jacquelyn Purtell and infielder Jessica Phares also return.
 
Freshman Class
Five freshmen dot the roster this season and a few are expected to make a quick impact. Infielder Hadley Gibson and pitcher McKenna Snyder are almost certain to see early action with Peyton Barrow, Kaiden Spidell and Gabby Moreno ready to meet the expectations of OCU softball.
 
"All of our freshmen will have the possibility to be special, but we will be expecting Hadley Gibson to be strong right from the start," said Bridges "We also expect McKenna Snyder to help fill the hole of All-American pitcher Emersen Heron."
 
The Lineup
There's a strong group of hitters who have proven themselves at the NAIA's top level. The newcomers are expected to get there as well, but growing pains may rear their heads.
 
"We believe that 1-9 and some pieces off the bench can impact the game at any time," said Bridges. "We are excited about the new players and trust that the returners will be even better. We are optimistic that by the end of the season, we will be where we want to be. Phil (head coach McSpadden) always says for every freshman you have in the lineup, you will lose a game as a result, so early may be a bit hectic, but these trials will make us better in the end."
 
The Pitching
As stated, the Stars are looking to replace an All-American in the circle. To that end, they've added a veteran pitching coach in Lindsey (Voss) Hardaway, who holds the strikeout record for the storied program.
 
"The pitchers have been working very hard and have made great strides with new pitching coach Lindsey Hardaway," Bridges said. "We have great complementary pieces who work hard and are determined to keep getting better."
 
The Schedule
OCU competes in the Sooner Athletic Conference and that schedule includes a trip to Chickasha against the ninth-ranked Drovers of USAO. That battle typically decided the regular-season conference winner. The Stars open the conference season against Wayland Baptist on March 6 at Ann Lacy Stadium.
 
"We have the ability to be vying for the top of the SAC this year," Bridges said.
 
But the SAC season comes after a strong lead-up of non-conference games. The Stars open the season Friday and Saturday in Mesquite, Texas, facing up-and-coming challengers Friends and British Columbia, along with Bethel and Concordia.
 
Defending NAIA champion Southern Oregon drops in on Feb. 19 for a national champion rematch at OCU. The Stars then head to Shawnee, where they face Baker, Friends, No. 25 Evangel and Benedictine. Baker, Friends and Benedictine received votes in the preseason poll.
 
Goals
Despite the predictable hiccups, the Stars expect to take their usual place in a final-site dugout at the NAIA World Series in May.
 
"Since we lost a few great players who will be hard to replace, and we are filling some of those holes with freshmen, there will be some ups and downs early, but we should be strong by the end," said Bridges. "As always, we feel that we can make it to the final site if we can compete with some great teams early."
 
Milestone
The Stars are coached by college softball legend Phil McSpadden, who is the leader in coaching victories at all levels with 1,998. Much is being made outside of the softball family about the upcoming 2000^th win, but within, that milestone is something the team wants to accomplish for the coach who doggedly rejects the personal limelight.
 
The season begins at 2:40 on Friday against Bethel College in Mesquite, followed by British Columbia at 4:30. The Southern Collegiate Sports Invitational concludes for the Stars on Saturday with games against Friends and Concordia, beginning at 10 a.m.