Sewardsaints.com
The Seward County Community College softball team was picked to finish eighth in the 2026 Jayhawk Conference Division I Preseason Coaches' Poll, released on Monday.
Seward was picked to finish eighth out of nine Division 1 teams, receiving 21 points. Butler was picked to win the league. Click here to read the full release from the conference.
2026 KJCCC D1 SOFTBALL PRESEASON ORDER OF FINISH
1. Butler (7)
T2. Hutchinson (1)
T2. Barton (1)
4. Garden City
5. Dodge City
6. Colby
7. Pratt
8. Seward County
9. Fort Hays Tech Northwest
The Saints enter year one under newly hired head coach Kimber Cortemelia. Seward was 18-32, 10-22 in league play last season, good for a seventh-place finish under former head coach Kristen Silva who departed at the end of the season.
Seward's roster is comprised of four returning sophomores, one transfer sophomore and 12 freshmen.
Sophomore utility player Jahlisa Klear returns for Seward after wrapping up her freshman campaign with an honorable mention All-KJCCC nod. She had 41 hits (third highest on team) to go with a .369 average and .397 on-base percentage in 41 games played. She is joined by sophomore outfielder Taryn Golden (23 hits, .284 average) and sophomore infielder Emily Lane (19 hits, .235 average) as returning position players.
Sophomore Grace Horne is the lone returning arm for the Lady Saints. She appeared in 21 games during the 2025 season and held a 6.21 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched.
Seward's season opens on Saturday, Jan. 31st in Lamar, Colo., as they travel to take on the Lamar Runnin' Lopes for a doubleheader at 1/3 p.m. CST. Lamar will make the trip to Liberal the following day on Sunday, Feb. 1st, as Seward hosts Lamar for a 1/3 p.m. doubleheader in its home opener.
The top eight teams in the final regular season conference standings will earn a spot in the 2026 NJCAA Division 1 Plains District Softball Tournament which is scheduled to take place May 8-11 at Legends Park in Dodge City, Kansas. The double-elimination tournament will see the tournament winner earn a bid into the 2026 NJCAA Division 1 Softball World Series which will take place May 25-31 in Oxford, AL at Choccolocco Park.
