ATLANTA – A Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-leading nine Spring Hill softball team members received 2026 SIAC Softball Preseason All-Conference honors, while the squad was picked to finish first in the SIAC West Division. 

McKenzie King (second base), Jesslyn Gordon (third base), Amanda Glowacki (outfield), Bethany Ahrens (designated player), and Natalee Curry (utility player) were named to the First Team alongside 2025 All-SIAC selections Emma Curry (starting pitcher) and Leighanna Turk (starting pitcher). Cat McCulley (catcher) and Abigail Christ (outfield) join Gordon, who was named to both teams, as Second Team selections.

Leighanna Turk received numerous awards in 2025, including College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, SIAC All-Conference Second Team, SIAC All-Tournament Team, and SIAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team. She started 22 games and pitched in 30 total, going 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA across 135.2 innings. The senior from Bay Minette, Alabama, struck out 82 batters, held hitters to a .267 average, and threw 10 complete games and three shutouts.

Emma Curry was a 2025 SIAC All-Conference First Team selection. She made 27 appearances with 19 starts in the circle, going 12-7 with a 2.88 ERA. Curry led the team in complete games (11), while striking out 60, holding opponents to a .269 average, and throwing four shutouts. The senior from Slidell, Louisiana, posted a 1.29 WHIP with just 29 walks.

McKenzie King played in all 54 games with 52 starts, hitting .223 with 33 hits, 19 runs, three doubles, and 19 RBIs. She posted a .518 OPS and a .261 OBP. The senior from Mobile, Alabama, was a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases, drew six walks, and struck out just seven times all season.

Jesslyn Gordon was named to the 2025 SIAC All-Tournament Team, SIAC All-Academic Team, and the SIAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team. The sophomore from Fairhope, Alabama, started 52 games, batting .290 with 49 hits, 18 runs, nine doubles, two triples, and one home run. She drove in 31 RBIs and recorded 65 total bases with a .709 OPS.

Amanda Glowacki earned SIAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team honors. The senior started 49 games, batting .276 with 32 hits, 29 runs, two doubles, and 15 RBIs. She maintained a .692 OPS with a .399 on-base percentage. The native of Barrington Hills, Illinois, drew 17 walks and was hit by a team-high eight pitches.

Bethany Ahrens received SIAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team honors. The junior played in 35 games with 21 starts, hitting .265 with 18 hits, five home runs, and 19 RBIs. She tallied 35 total bases with a .515 slugging percentage and .893 OPS. The native of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, also pitched in three games, logging 7.1 innings and striking out five, and held opponents to a .179 average.

Natalee Curry played her way to the SIAC All-Tournament Team. The senior appeared in 40 games with 28 starts, hitting .272 with 25 hits, 15 runs, and eight RBIs. She slugged four doubles, a triple, and a home run. The native of Joliet, Illinois, posted a .726 OPS and stole three bases. She fielded at a .987 (145-11-2) pace while turning two double plays.

Cat McCulley was named to the SIAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team. The junior appeared in 11 games with five starts, batting .316 with six hits, four RBIs, and a triple. The native of Woodstock, Georgia, posted an .830 OPS and .409 OBP.

Abigail Christ earned SIAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team honors. She appeared in 45 games with 36 starts, hitting .286 with 20 hits, 16 runs, two doubles, and one triple as a true freshman. The native of New Orleans, Louisiana, posted a .702 OPS and reached base at a .359 clip, and swiped 11 bases in 13 attempts. She fielded at a .981 (49-2-1) pace.

Picked to finish on top of the West Division, Spring Hill came ahead in the poll over Tuskegee, followed by Miles,  Kentucky State, Lane, and LeMoyne-Owen. Edward Waters was picked to finish first in the East Division with Albany State coming in second, and Fort Valley State, Savannah State, Clark Atlanta, Benedict, and Allen rounding out the poll.

The Badgers will start the 2026 campaign in the Gulf Shores (Ala.) Invitational Jan. 30-Feb. 1. There, they will face Valdosta State, Union, West Alabama, Delta State, Florida Tech, and Rogers State. 

SHC opens home competition against Delta State on Feb. 7, before heading across town to face the University of Mobile on Feb. 11

The squad hosts Henderson State for a three-game series Feb. 13-14 and follows with a trip to Montevallo to face the Falcons in a doubleheader on Feb. 24

SIAC play opens on Feb. 28-March 1 in Fairfield, Alabama, against Miles College, before heading to Montgomery for a doubleheader March 4 against Auburn-Montgomery. 

SHC will stay on the road March 10-12 to compete in the SIAC Softball Crossover Tournament in Alabaster, Alabama. There, the Badgers will face Savannah State, Albany State, Allen University, Benedict, Clark Atlanta, Edward Waters, and Fort Valley State.

The Badgers return to Murray Field on March 15 against the United States Sports University (USSU). The team then travels to Pensacola, Florida, for a midweek doubleheader against West Florida. 

Spring Hill will then host a 10-game homestand starting on March 21-22 against SIAC opponent Tuskegee, followed by a doubleheader against Mississippi College on March 24. Lane comes to Mobile for an SIAC series, March 28-29, before the stretch of games concludes with a doubleheader against West Florida. 

The team then spends the next five games on the road with an April 9 trip to Daphne, Alabama, to face USSU, and then on April 11-12, in an SIAC series against LeMoyne-Owen. 

SHC wraps the regular season with seven straight at Murray Field, starting on April 14 against Montevallo. Kentucky State travels to Mobile on April 18-19 for an SIAC matchup on senior weekend. The regular season concludes on April 21 with a doubleheader against Mobile. 

The 2026 SIAC Softball Championship is scheduled for Apr. 27-29 in a location to be announced.