Bolivar, Mo. – The SBU softball team begins their 2026 campaign this Friday afternoon in Bentonville, Arkansas as they compete in the Alve Early Classic. They will begin with a four-game round robin with two on Friday and two on Saturday.
 
Leading the team for his 4^th season is Head Coach Tripp Swisher who has consistently increased the teams' winning total every year. Last year he led a team that narrowly missed out on the conference tournament. With additions to his coaching staff in Graduate Assistant Dez Duncan and Volunteer Coach Kaila Miner, he looks to lead them into the GLVC tournament this season.
 
A healthy mix of returners and strong new talent will give the Bearcats a fighting chance in this new season. Some key returners include Shalie Wooden, Keeley Elsea, and Abby Leer. Wooden was dangerous on both ends of the ball hitting .284 while driving in 25 batters, the second highest on the team in 2025. She was also second on the team in ERA and had a team leading eight wins. Elsea, a sophomore hit just under .300 in her freshman season but had an impressive .449 on base percentage. Sophomore pitcher Abby Leer had the highest ERA on the team last season winning five games and striking out 38 batters.
 
Additions to the team include one transfer and eight freshmen. The solo transfer is #1 Joscelyn Bennett who is expected to have an immediate impact on the team. The transfer from Bryant and Stratton had a .378 batting average in her two seasons as a Bobcat Another new Bearcat expected to have a strong impact early is freshman #11 Ashley Gruben. The Native of Woodward, California comes to Missouri expecting to have an impact within the Bearcat infield.
 
The team will begin on Friday against East Central (11:00am) and Arkansas-Monticello (1:30pm). Then Saturday they'll end the Alvy Early Classic against Northwest Missouri (11:30am) and Missouri Southern (2:00pm).