2026 NSAA Softball Championships Preview
(Hastings, NE) - All three 2025 champions will defend their crowns when the tournament kicks off on Wednesday. Brackets - HERE
For the second consecutive year, all three defending softball champions will be back to defend their state championships when the 2026 state tournament kicks off on Wednesday at the Bill Smith Softball Complex in Hastings.
Lincoln Southwest in Class A, Grand Island Northwest in Class B, and Hastings St. Cecilia in Class C will all try to bring home titles for the second year in a row.
The three championship games will be played Monday, October 19, at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln. Prior to that a new scheduling format will take place with each class playing just one game on Wednesday and winner’s bracket finals being moved to Friday.
CLASS A: Red-hot Lincoln Southwest looking to defend title
Defending champion Lincoln Southwest is riding a wave of momentum into the Class A NSAA State Softball Championships.
The second-seeded Silver Hawks (24-6) roll into Wednesday’s 4:30 p.m. first-round matchup against seventh-seeded Lincoln East (18-12) at the Smith Complex in Hastings with a seven-game winning streak, anchored by a dominant pitching staff that hasn’t allowed a run since Sept. 28 — a stretch of six consecutive shutouts. Over their last 10 games, Southwest pitchers boast a sparkling 1.70 ERA, while holding opponents to a .149 batting average.
“Both Maisey McCarty and Bryn Pribnow have just been fabulous,” Silver Hawks coach Mitch Ohnoutka said of his dynamic pitching duo. “They’ve given us every opportunity to win every game — no doubt about it. This is the time of year where pitching becomes a pretty essential commodity to have because a lot of the pitchers in the state are getting a little tired.”
McCarty leads the staff with a 13-2 record and a 1.85 ERA. Pribnow is 10-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
While Southwest graduated five starting seniors from last year’s championship squad, the Silver Hawks have reloaded with experienced talent. Fifteen of the 20 players from last year’s state roster returned.
“We did have to replace people, but a lot of the people that replaced them have also been playing for a couple years,” Ohnoutka said. “They’ve kind of all been there. They know what’s coming up, they know what the goal is and they know what the end result is, too.”
Offensively, the Silver Hawks feature plenty of firepower. Senior Hadley Madson paces the squad with a .500 batting average, 12 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs. Morgan Gabel adds a .471 clip with 21 RBIs and McCarty contributes dual-threat excellence with a .422 batting average, five home runs, nine doubles and 27 RBIs.
Despite a challenging regular season that included losses to top-tier opponents like Millard North (8-0 and 9-5), Millard West (8-0), Papillion-La Vista (3-0) and Class B qualifier Hastings (4-1 and 5-4), Ohnoutka’s philosophy remains steadfast.
“You don’t win championships in September,” he said. “They’re won in October.”
To maintain that edge, the veteran coach emphasizes a loose, fun-loving dugout atmosphere, drawing inspiration from television’s “Ted Lasso” — encapsulated by a simple team mantra.
“One of the things we talked about was just ‘believe,’” Ohnoutka said. “Believe in what’s going to happen and believe in what you can do individually. Once we got the ‘me’ out of our team this year, we’ve been playing very good softball.”
Standing in Southwest’s path is a formidable Class A bracket. Top-seeded Millard North (30-4), which aims for its fourth consecutive state final appearance, opens against No. 8 seed Elkhorn North (18-10).
In other opening-round pairings on Wednesday, No. 4 seed Millard West (25-6) squares off against No. 5 seed Papillion-La Vista (25-9), which is making its staggering 34th consecutive state tournament appearance. No. 3 seed Elkhorn South (25-6) faces No. 6 seed Omaha Westview (17-8), making its historic first trip to the state tournament.
For the Silver Hawks, familiarity with the field and a deep tournament pedigree create a sense of calm as the postseason begins.
“Everybody kind of knows each other, so the scouting reports are flying around pretty heavy right now,” Ohnoutka said. “We will have some fun again. Our girls are very vocal in the dugout — we have probably one of the best dugouts around.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Tenley Kampbell, Millard North (.566 average, 17 HRs, 12 doubles, 59 RBIs); Mallory Closman, Millard North (.524 average, 13 HRs, 14 2Bs, 54 RBIs); Jules Severson, Millard North (15-2, 2.31 ERA); Lauren Jardine, Elkhorn North (.403 average, 15 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs); Camryn Debuse, Elkhorn North (.427 average, 18 extra-base hits, 28 RBIs); Logan Urban, Millard West (.573 average, 19 extra-base hits, 42 RBIs); London Garcia, Millard West (19-3, 2.51 ERA); Alexa Taylor, Papillon-La Vista (.457 average, 32 RBIs); Allison Dibelka, Papillon-La Vista (.437 average, 32 RBIs); Kaylee Huffman (18-5, 2.60 ERA); Ollie Songster, Elkhorn South (.436 average, 10 HRs, 37 RBIs); Isabelle Jackson, Elkhorn South (.458 average, 12 doubles, 36 RBIs); Elke Martin, Omaha Westview (.417 average, 17 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs); Hadley Madson, Lincoln Southwest (.500 average, 33 RBIs); Maisey McCarty (13-2, 1.85 ERA, .422 batting average, 27 RBIs); Lucy Barrett, Lincoln East (.479 average, 20 extra-base hits, 28 RBIs); and Paetyn Sandy (.360 average, 16 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs).
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS: Millard North (30-4) vs. Elkhorn North (18-10), 9 a.m.; Millard West (25-6) vs. Papillion-La Vista (25-9), 11:30 a.m.; Elkhorn South (25-6) vs. Omaha Westview (17-8), 2 p.m.; Lincoln Southwest (24-6) vs. Lincoln East (18-12), 4:30 p.m.
CLASS B: Loaded Field and Dominant Pitching Headline “Anyone’s” Tournament
After the past eight seasons in Class A, with a state championship to show for it, Gretna coach Bill Heard chuckles at the “move down” to Class B this season. The competition certainly hasn’t been less.
“When you look at this state tournament field, there is a part of me that wishes we could be back in Class A,” Heard joked of a field that is loaded from top to bottom. “The thing with softball is that it always starts with pitching and Class B is just loaded with good pitchers right now. I think there are four Division I kids (in this tournament).”
Indeed, three juniors – Hastings’ Ella Tinsman, Crete’s Maddy Dunham and Northwest’s Graclyn Simmons – as well as Gretna senior Taelyn Rupiper have all committed to Division I schools. Tinsman will head to Oklahoma State, Dunham to Nebraska, Simmons to Omaha and Rupiper to South Dakota State.
Dunham and Simmons would be slated to face each other in the first round when the conference mates collide at 11:30. Northwest defeated Crete 7-0 in the Central Conference final on October 2nd in Hastings.
“I think with the depth of pitching, you might see some unpredictability in this tournament,” Heard said. “Even after those four you have some good offenses and excellent pitching.”
The top-seed, Gretna East, has one of the top offenses in the field and has balanced three pitchers during their 25-4 campaign. Five regulars bat over .400 with senior Aubrey Horst batting .453 with 40 RBI, 10 doubles and eight home runs. The Griffins will face 2025 finalist Beatrice (18-8) in the opening round.
On the bottom half of the bracket are Hastings and Gretna, with formidable opponents. The Tigers will face Wahoo (23-3) while Heard’s Dragons face an Omaha Skutt Catholic team they have yet to beat this season. Skutt features one of the state’s top hitters in sophomore Leyton Michaelis who has 12 home runs in her 28 hits this season.
Hastings and Tinsman – also one of the state’s best hitters – will face a Wahoo team that swept Blair 4-1 and 7-3 in the district final. Heard said that result should open eyes to the field as well as, “Blair is one of the best offensive teams in the state.”
Who comes out of the Class B bracket is anyone’s guess, but Heard believes he knows what the winning team will have over anyone else come next Monday’s championship game.
“In a tournament like this, your best players have to be your best players,” Heard noted. “And, then you will have a team that has one or two kids at the bottom of the lineup have their moment. That’s usually who comes out on top.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Rylie Hayduk, Gretna East (.488 batting average, 39 RBIs); Tatum Templemeyer, Beatrice (.519 batting average, 27 RBIs, 14 extra-base hits); Abby Dinkelman Northwest, (.649 batting average, 28 RBIs, 25 extra-base hits); Becca Dinkeman, Northwest (.427 batting average, 36 RBIs, 12 home runs); Maddy Dunham, Crete (20-1 pitching record, 1.20 ERA, .457 batting average, 37 RBI, 12 home runs); Maddie Kurrus, Gretna (.405 batting average, 29 RBI, 12 extra-base hit); Reece Barry, Omaha Skutt Catholic (.552 batting average, 13 RBIs, 13 extra base hits); Emma Meyer, Wahoo (21-2 pitching record, 1.20 ERA; Emily Kratzer, Hastings (.415 batting average, 31 RBIs, 11 extra-base hits).
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS: Gretna East (25-4) vs. Beatrice (18-8), 9 a.m.; Northwest (22-3) vs. Crete (27-3), 11:30 a.m.; Gretna (22-5) vs. Omaha Skutt Catholic (21-4), 2 p.m.; Hastings (26-4) vs. Wahoo (23-3), 4:30 p.m.
CLASS C: “Baby Jays” Ready for Run to State Title
It’s one thing to think you might have a good team in the preseason.
But to think that when nearly half your roster is freshmen? And knowing those freshmen are going to play big roles? That’s another thing entirely.
Then Ashland-Greenwood started the season 7-0.
And now, a couple months later, the Bluejays are the No. 2 seed in the Class C state tournament with a lineup that sees seven freshmen contributing nearly every game.
This isn’t some up-and-coming program, either. Coach Morgan Zahnow’s squad won the 2023 state championship. Prior to that it was a five-time state runner-up. The Bluejays are a known commodity in the softball world.
“We knew we had a lot of talent coming in. That wasn’t really a secret to us. But we weren’t sure how this team was going to mesh and how everyone was going to play next to each other,” A-G coach Morgan Zahnow said. “But after that first game of the season against Seward, where it was close the whole time, and they kept level heads and were very mature softball players, I knew that this team could do it.”
Indeed, A-G has played with a maturity beyond its years. At 19-6 entering state, the Bluejays haven’t lost back-to-back games all season. And after that seven-game winning streak to start the year, A-G heads to state on a five-game surge that includes 10-0 and 11-3 wins over Auburn in their district final.
The “baby Jays” have led the way statistically. Six freshmen have played in 20 or more of A-G’s 25 games, have 116 of the team’s 159 hits, 73 of 113 RBI, five of 10 home runs, and 24 of the squad’s 33 doubles.
Halle Rech is the pace car, with a team-best .395 batting average, 30 hits, 14 doubles and 21 RBI. In the circle she’s 15-3 with 149 strikeouts and a 1.94 ERA. Freshmen Jordan Dill, Mariah Merrill, Mackenna Crnkovich and Olive Welch are all hitting .300 or better.
With two seniors and three juniors on the roster, Zahnow said leadership hasn’t been an issue.
“We had 16 go out for softball this year, and 1 through 16, they support each other,” Zahnow said. “This team wants each other to succeed. So that’s been something really special to coach this year — watching them push each other, even if they’re competing for the same spot.”
Ashland-Greenwood is part of a Class C field that is as loaded as it’s been in years. The last five programs to win a Class C state championship are in the bracket, as are recent runners-up Kearney Catholic and Douglas County West.
The only “newbie” is Centura/Central Valley, which is at state for the second year in a row and won two games at last year’s state tournament. Kearney Catholic, which finished second in 2020, is the top seed with a 22-3 record and a 12-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, defending champion Hastings St. Cecilia has won 11 of its last 13 games and shut out five of its last six opponents while 2024 champ Bishop Neumann has won seven straight. Even No. 6 seed Fort Calhoun (19-6) comes in hot, having won 10 a row.
That doesn’t mean though, that Ashland-Greenwood’s youngsters will change their approach.
“We are ready. We have been playing our game all season long, and we need to continue to do so,” Zahnow said. “Yes, we’re at a high level, yes we’re at a different venue and there’s way more people watching. But we’re going to play the exact same way we’ve played all year long.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kynlee Ruyle, Kearney Catholic, (.586 average, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 42 runs scored, 31 SB, .909 fielding percentage); Addi Jones, Yutan/Mead, (.415 average, 5 homers, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 33 RBI); Emerson Kissinger, Hastings St. Cecilia, (14-4 record, 2.69 ERA, 122Ks, .317 average, 15 RBI); Whitney Bruckner, Douglas County West, (.393 average, 3 homers, 6 doubles, 20 RBI); Isabelle Stuhr, Bishop Neumann, (.468 average, 7 homers, 9 doubles, 36 RBI, 16-3 pitching record, 2.13 ERA); Tracy Belina, Fort Calhoun, (.436 average, 1.217 OPS, 4 homers, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 39 RBI, 8-2 pitching record); Halle Rech, Ashland-Greenwood, (.395 average, 14 doubles, 21 RBI, 15-3 pitching record, 149 Ks, 1.94 ERA), Calleigh Sundberg, Centura/Central Valley, (.482 average, 8 doubles, 34 RBI, 21-6 pitching record, 198 Ks).
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS: Kearney Catholic (22-3) vs. Yutan/Mead (22-7), 9:00 a.m; Hastings St. Cecilia (18-7) vs. Douglas County West (20-9), 11:30 a.m; Bishop Neumann (20-4) vs. Fort Calhoun (19-6), 2:00 p.m.; Ashland-Greenwood (19-6) vs. Centura/Central Valley (22-7), 4:30 p.m.
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Tony Chapman (Class B) is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.
Chris Basnett (Class C) is a freelance writer based in Lincoln. He has covered prep and college sports for more than 20 years and most recently was the assistant sports editor at the Lincoln Journal Star. He currently provides content for the Harvest Sports Newsletter.
Terry Douglass (Class A) is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He is the former sports editor of the Grand Island Independent.