OMAHA, Neb. (Feb. 9, 2026) - Omaha Softball, behind a 4-0 start to the 2026 campaign, has been tabbed third in the week one D1 Softball Mid-Major Rankings, it was revealed Monday. This is the program's highest Division I era ranking.

The Mavericks took a pair of games from Iowa State, picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, and a game each from Butler and Northern Iowa.

The three-time defending Summit League tournament champions and 2025 Summit League regular-season champion were selected fifth in this year's D1 Softball preseason poll and finished the 2025 season ranked 10th after capturing at least one victory in its third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.

Omaha was perfect defensively over opening weekend, one of just 12 Division I teams with a perfect fielding percentage through the first stanza of the season. The Mavericks' eight home runs over four games were the most in the Summit and good for seventh in the country.

Junior outfielder Sammy Schmidt (Hastings, Neb.) recorded an extra-base hit in three of her four starts in the UNI-Dome, leading Omaha with eight RBI. Newcomer shortstop Taylor Sedlacek (Bennington, Neb.) posted a batting average of .583 (7-for-12) in her first weekend as a Mav. Sedlacek was one of six Mavs to homer.

Omaha got 8.1 innings of work out of senior Alexis Wiggins (Adams, Neb.). Wiggins earned the victory against Butler and then pitched a pair of relief outings, earning a save and a win to close out the weekend. Wiggins holds an ERA of 2.52, holding opponents to a .258 average at the plate with three strikeouts.

Head coach Mike Heard crossed the 150-win plateau over the weekend and now holds a record of 152-59 (.720) at Omaha as he began his fifth season at the helm of the Mavericks.

Junior southpaw pitcher Maddia Groff crossed the 300 career strikeout mark in the season opener against Iowa State.

Omaha heads to San Diego for week two of the 2026 season, facing Utah State, Southern Utah, FDU and Boise State beginning Friday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. CT.

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