Softball OAC Tournament Preview

May 4, 2026

The Muskingum softball team is set to compete in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament after putting together an impressive regular season, earning the No. 2 seed in this year's field.

The Muskies enter postseason play with a 29-9 overall record and a 12-4 conference mark, positioning themselves as one of the top contenders for the OAC title. As the No. 2 seed, Muskingum receives a first-round bye and will open tournament play Friday at 2:30 p.m. against the second-lowest remaining seed.

Muskingum has been one of the most productive offensive teams in the conference, hitting an impressive .340 as a team while scoring 259 runs and totaling 371 hits on the season.

Senior standout Cara Taylor has been the centerpiece of the lineup, putting together a dominant season with a .538 batting average, 70 hits, and 53 runs scored. She has also added 24 doubles and five triples, consistently setting the tone at the top of the order.

Junior Bethany Rodman has provided both power and consistency, hitting .425 with five home runs and 29 RBIs, while sophomore Kasey Timko has contributed a .364 average and a team-high 36 RBIs.

Additional depth comes from freshman Payton Hochradel (.352), junior Natalie Smith (.327), and sophomore Emily Travis (.314), giving the Muskies a lineup capable of producing from top to bottom.

In the circle, Muskingum has a pitching staff that has posted a 3.24 team ERA on the season.

Rodman has been a key force, leading the staff with a 12-3 record and a 2.93 ERA across 107.2 innings pitched. Junior Tareyn Born has added depth with an 8-5 record and a 3.45 ERA, while freshman Dani Wright has been effective, going 7-1 with a 3.24 ERA. Freshman Lillian Fillippinie (2.84 ERA) has also contributed valuable innings out of the bullpen.

This year's OAC Tournament features six teams competing in the single-elimination format for the conference title:

#1 Mount Union: 29-5 (15-1 OAC), .353 AVG, 1.96 ERA
#2 Muskingum: 29-9 (12-4 OAC), .340 AVG, 3.24 ERA
#3 Baldwin Wallace: 20-12 (10-6 OAC), .312 AVG, 4.51 ERA
#4 Heidelberg: 26-14 (9-7 OAC), .343 AVG, 4.34 ERA
#5 Wilmington: 19-20 (8-8 OAC), .300 AVG, 4.95 ERA
#6 Capital: 18-17 (7-9 OAC), .290 AVG, 4.28 ERA

The tournament begins Thursday with opening round matchups:

Game 1: #6 Capital vs. #3 Baldwin Wallace (1:30 p.m.)
Game 2: #5 Wilmington vs. #4 Heidelberg (4:00 p.m.)

Muskingum will then take the field Friday:

Game 3: #1 Mount Union vs. lowest remaining seed (11:00 a.m.)
Game 4: #2 Muskingum vs. second-lowest remaining seed (2:30 p.m.)

With a win, the Muskies advance to the OAC Championship on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. against the winner of Mount Union's semifinal game.