Softball Heads to Birmingham for Samford Tournament

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University Softball team enters its second week of the 2026 season at the Samford Tournament, hosted by Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. The Bruins follow a standout opening weekend at the Red and Black Showcase, highlighted by a historic victory over No. 15 Georgia for the program's first-ever ranked SEC win. 

Belmont is scheduled to open the weekend Friday, Feb. 13, with a matchup against North Alabama at 3 p.m. CT, followed by a contest against host Samford at 5:30 p.m. CT. 

Live stats will be available on belmontbruins.com. 

What's Bruin 

• The Bruins are coming off a 3–2 opening weekend at the Red and Black Showcase, highlighted by a Top-25 victory over No. 15 Georgia. 
• Belmont is led by redshirt senior pitcher Maya Johnson, who delivered a dominant opening weekend in the circle. Johnson tossed a perfect game against Missouri State, going 7.0 innings with 15 strikeouts. She followed with another complete-game performance against No. 15 Georgia, striking out 12 over 7.0 innings to secure Belmont's first-ever ranked SEC victory. 
• Johnson earned six weekly honors following the weekend, including: 
  • Mid-Major Pitcher of the Week (D1 Softball) 
  • Star Pitcher of the Week (Softball America) 
  • Pitcher of the Week (Softball on SI) 
  • Pitcher of the Week (Wilson/NFCA) 
  • Pitcher of the Week (Missouri Valley Conference) 
  • Pitcher of the Week (TSWA)
• Johnson was also named a preseason second-team All-American by D1 Softball and Softball America and the preseason No. 1 Mid-Major Player by D1 Softball. 
• The veteran finished the 2025 season with a 24–6 record, 366 strikeouts, and a 1.52 ERA, recording double-digit strikeouts in 24 appearances. 
• Belmont returns five All-MVC honorees from last season, including Maya Johnson (First Team, Pitcher of the Year), Rylee Spindler (First Team, Freshman of the Year), Nicole Hughes and Maddy Balsiger (Second Team), and Brenna Blume (All-Defensive Team). 
• Sophomore Rylee Spindler made an immediate impact in the opening weekend, starting all five games and batting .533 with eight hits, three runs scored, four RBI, one triple, one home run, and one walk. 
• Spindler launched a first-inning, two-run home run that accounted for the only hit of the game and provided the decisive runs in Belmont's win over No. 15 Georgia.
• Belmont was picked first in the 2026 MVC Preseason Poll, with Johnson and Hughes named preseason first-team selections and Spindler, Balsiger, and Blume earning honorable mention recognition. 
• The Bruins finished the 2025 season with a 41–16 overall record and a 20–7 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play, earning MVC Tournament Championship honors for the first time in program history. 
• Belmont is led by head coach Laura Matthews, now in her sixth season at the helm. 

Against the Field 

• Belmont is 7–3 all-time against Samford, winning the last six games, most recently the 3–1 victory on Feb. 21, 2025, in Birmingham. 
• The Bruins are 2–0 against Lindenwood, most recently earning a 4–0 win on Feb. 18, 2023. 
• Belmont is 1–0 all-time against North Alabama, securing a 5–0 home win on March 11, 2022. 

Follow Belmont Softball on social media — @BelmontSoftball on Twitter, @belmontsoftball on Instagram, and Belmont Bruins Softball on Facebook — for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official Belmont Bruins app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.