Lakers Compete in Great Lakes District B Tournament

Findlay, OH - The 2026 season came to an end for the Mid Michigan College softball team over the weekend, but not before the Lakers secured their fourth consecutive postseason appearance and continued to establish themselves as one of the MCCAA Northern Conference's consistent contenders.

Mid Michigan finished the year with a 21-24 overall record and posted a 13-12 mark in conference play, good for third place in the MCCAA North standings. Their finish earned the Lakers the No. 6 seed in the Great Lakes District B Tournament.

The postseason opened against third-seeded Edison State, but a disastrous first inning proved too much to overcome. Edison plated 12 runs before the Lakers could stop the damage and eventually went on to claim a 14-6 victory in five innings via the mercy rule.

Despite the early deficit, Mid Michigan battled throughout the remainder of the contest, outscoring Edison State 6-2 the rest of the way. Emmah Hanson and Kylie Pifer each collected two hits in the loss, while Hanson drove in three runs.

The defeat dropped the Lakers into the loser's bracket where they squared off against No. 4 seed Oakland Community College in an elimination game.

Mid wasted little time grabbing momentum as Alissa Brandon singled and later scored to give the Lakers an early 1-0 advantage. Oakland answered with an unearned run in the second inning before Mid Michigan reclaimed the lead in the third when Hanson launched a two-run homerun to put the Lakers ahead 3-1.

However, defensive miscues once again proved costly. Oakland capitalized on three unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning to move in front 4-3 and never looked back. The Raiders added two more runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth to secure a 9-3 victory and eliminate the Lakers from postseason play. Of Oakland's nine runs, only two were earned.

Faith Fisher turned in one of the bright spots offensively for Mid Michigan, recording the team's lone multi-hit performance while also stealing three bases.

While the season ended sooner than the Lakers had hoped, the program once again demonstrated its ability to remain competitive in a challenging conference and qualify for postseason play.

Mid Michigan now faces the challenge of replacing a large graduating class heading into 2027. The Lakers will lose key pitchers Brianne Halfmann and Tessa Cameron along with standout defensive shortstop Sage Gauthier. Also graduating are starting outfielders Faith Fisher and Emmah Hanson, first baseman Kylie Pifer, third baseman/catcher Maddie Bekkering and starting catcher Gabi Johnston.

Although the roster turnover will be significant, the foundation of postseason consistency remains in place as the Lakers look to regroup and build toward next season.