KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced new Athletes of the Week for week eight of the 2026 softball season. Northwest Missouri's Alexis Brown was named the Hitter of the Week for the Bearcats' first weekly honor of the season and Rogers State's Kinsley Hill was named the Pitcher of the Week for the Hillcats' first weekly honor of the season.
MIAA HITTER OF THE WEEK: Alexis Brown, Northwest Missouri
Alexis Brown led all MIAA hitters through week eight of the 2026 season with an impressive .727 batting average through 11 at-bats as the Bearcats split a pair of MIAA doubleheaders on the road against Rogers State and Northeastern State. The senior outfielder totaled eight hits, six RBI and scored four runs. In Northwest Missouri’s 4-2 win over Rogers State, Brown went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored. In a doubleheader against the RiverHawks, Brown did not make an out in six at-bats to finish a perfect 6-for-6 with four RBI, a triple and three runs scored. She also added six outs on defense with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
MIAA PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Kinsley Hill, Rogers State
Kinsley Hill delivered stellar showings in the circle for Rogers State as Hill and the Hillcats collected wins against Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western at home. The freshman right-handed pitcher tossed two complete-game shutouts, finishing the weekend with a 0.00 ERA. She allowed just three hits in 13.0 innings of work while tallying 15 strikeouts. The 50 batters she faced only hit .075 against her. Hill is now 7-1 on the season.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
HITTERS
Heather Arnett, Pittsburg State
Heather Arnett slashed .611/.632/.889 with 11 hits, six runs scored, six RBI, five doubles and a trio of stolen bases to lead the Gorillas to a pair of sweeps over Nebraska Kearney (Mar. 20) and Fort Hays State (Mar. 21) to begin MIAA action. The back-to-back defending MIAA Hitter of the Week recorded three hits in each game against the Lopers and in the series finale against Fort Hays State, while also scoring and driving in at least one run in each contest. The Pittsburg, Kan., native has now successfully hit in a MIAA record 33 straight games (tied-fifth in Division II history) and scored in all but one game this season. This season, Arnett is hitting .477 with 71 hits, 51 runs scored, 31 RBI, 28 stolen bases and 11 doubles to go with four triples. For her career, she is hitting .468 with 331 hits, 224 runs scored, 145 stolen bases and 106 RBI. Already the MIAA career hit and consecutive games with a hit record holder, Arnett is nearing the conference career records for runs scored and stolen bases.
Taylor Nuckolls, Missouri Southern
Taylor Nuckolls batted .533 with a .867 slugging percentage and a .563 on-base percentage as Missouri Southern went 2-2 over its opening MIAA weekend. The senior shortstop notched eight hits, eight RBI, three runs, two doubles and a homer. Nuckolls had a hit in all four games and is currently on a six-game hitting streak. She went 2-for-4 in Southern’s 9-4 game two win over the Tigers with a homer, walk and two RBI. Nuckolls then went 3-for-4 with two RBI in the opener in Kearney. She wrapped the weekend, 2-for-4 in the Lions’ 9-1 victory over the Lopers with a trio of RBI and a double.
Addison Callaway, Emporia State
Addison Callaway hit .533 with a 1.533 OPS, six RBI and seven runs scored as the Hornets went 3-1 last week. The freshman designated player had at least two hits and scored a run in every game last week. She was 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and an RBI in the Hornets’ 5-4 loss at Drury in game one. She also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in ESU's 10-3 win in the nightcap in Springfield. Callaway went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a run and an RBI in the 7-1 matinee win at Newman and then 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and four RBI in game two’s 14-1 victory. She raised her batting average by .33 points during the week, from .360 to .393 on the year.
PITCHERS
Carleigh Kinnaird, Central Oklahoma
Carleigh Kinnaird led No. 17 Central Oklahoma to three of its four wins this week as the Bronchos went 4-1. The freshman threw a complete game, 5-2, in a win at Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday (March 17) in Oklahoma City. Kinnaird then picked up wins against Washburn and Central Missouri to open MIAA play. On the week, opponents hit .179 against her as she finished 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA, striking out 12 batters in 19 innings of work. She tossed back-to-back shutouts in her first two career starts in the MIAA.
Emma Crabb, Pittsburg State
Emma Crabb went 2-0 against Nebraska Kearney (13-2) and Fort Hays State (11-2) on the road to begin MIAA play. The Mountain Home, Ark., native in 9.0 innings posted a 0.78 ERA with 10 strikeouts and opponents hitting .200 against her in 35 total at-bats. She recorded five strikeouts in each of her outings last week which were both run-rule victories for the Gorillas. This season, Crabb is 10-0 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and .178 opponent batting average while striking out 57 batters in 57.0 innings of work.
ALSO NOMINATED:
HITTERS – Sherri Mason [Central Oklahoma], Saylor Brown [Rogers State], Kalee Higdon [Missouri Western], Jadyn Sheffield [Central Missouri], Audrey Gillespie [Fort Hays State], Zaria Brigham [Nebraska Kearney], Madison Nance [Northeastern State]
PITCHERS – Hannah Butterbaugh [Emporia State], Jadyn Streigle [Northwest Missouri], Claire Kirby [Fort Hays State], Jensyn Elder [Northeastern state]
WEEK ONE HITTER: Korynn Tindel, Northeastern State
WEEK ONE PITCHER: Emily Davis, Missouri Southern
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WEEK TWO HITTER: Katie Gray, Missouri Southern
WEEK TWO PITCHER: Harley Pruetting, Missouri Western
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WEEK THREE HITTER: Kalee Higdon, Missouri Western
WEEK THREE PITCHER: Sadie Walker, Washburn
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WEEK FOUR HITTER: Lexie Davis, Pittsburg State
WEEK FOUR PITCHER: Hannah Butterbaugh, Emporia State
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WEEK FIVE HITTER: Rylee Lemos, Central Oklahoma
WEEK FIVE PITCHER: Shelby Beard, Central Oklahoma
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WEEK SIX HITTER: Heather Arnett, Pittsburg State
WEEK SIX PITCHER: Madison Hamilton, Central Oklahoma
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WEEK SEVEN HITTER: Heather Arnett, Pittsburg State
WEEK SEVEN PITCHER: Emily Davis, Missouri Southern
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WEEK EIGHT HITTER: Alexis Brown, Northwest Missouri
WEEK EIGHT PITCHER: Kinsley Hill, Rogers State