Central Arkansas softball will play its first home game of the 2026 season on Wednesday, hosting Northern Iowa at Natalie Shock Stadium in Conway. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
The Bears, currently holding a 5-4 record, return home after competing in two tournaments on the road. Last weekend at Troy’s Cardinal Classic, Central Arkansas struggled early but responded with improved offensive performances on Saturday, scoring a total of 20 runs over their final two games.
Trinity Brandon has been a key contributor for Central Arkansas so far this season. She leads the team with a .400 batting average from 30 at bats and has recorded 12 hits, including five doubles. Addie Graham follows closely with ten hits and shares the team lead in stolen bases with Renee Christian, both having six steals each. Emma Robertson leads the Bears in home runs with three.
Freshman pitcher Jaleigh White has made an impact early in her career for Central Arkansas. She has won both of her starts and holds a 1.24 ERA over 11.1 innings pitched, allowing only two earned runs and striking out eight batters.
Northern Iowa enters the game with a 2-3 record after opening its season at home last weekend. The Panthers secured wins against Kansas City and Butler, including a high-scoring victory over Butler by a score of 15-11. Three UNI players—Sykora Smith (.588), Kate Lappe (.533), and Skylar Benesh (.529)—posted batting averages above .500 during their opening weekend, combining for 27 hits along with six doubles and six home runs between them. Pitcher Morgan Vertz has not allowed an earned run through her first 7.2 innings this year.
In preseason projections, Northern Iowa was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference poll and had five players named to the preseason All-MVC team following their 32-18 record last year that included reaching the MVC Tournament semifinal.
Live statistics for Wednesday’s game will be available online.
