OKLAHOMA CITY – Coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history, the MACU Softball team will be looking to build upon its sensational season as the Evangels were picked to finish third in the Sooner Athletic Conference Preseason Poll announced on Thursday.
During the 2024 campaign in the first year of head coach Jim Gasso at the helm, the Evangels amassed a 37-17 overall record and posted their most ever wins in SAC play, going 27-9 against league competition.
As a result, MACU earned its first ever selection to the NAIA Tournament and even made some noise when senior pitcher Rachel Eggleston tossed a complete game shutout in a 4-0 victory over No. 15 College of Idaho for the program's first ever win in the tourney on May 14 in Fayette, Missouri.
While the Evangels lost two of their top three pitchers to graduation, MACU brings back a large bulk of its offensive lineup, headlined by All-SAC First Team honoree senior infielder Kisbel Vizcaya and three All-SAC Second Team recipients in senior utility Emylee Campbell, senior outfielder Brooklyn Wilson and junior pitcher Chana Wolfe.
On-top of those returners, MACU does also bring back some other strong experienced pieces in senior outfielder Hallie Wilson, senior infielder Makenzie Thurman and junior shortstop Stormy Haynes.
With MACU losing two of its best arms in program history in Eggleston and Avery Schneringer, Coach Gasso is expecting some of its incoming arms to make a big impact.
Junior righty Brooke Wyatt comes to the Evangels after a two-year career at Connors State, where she helped lead the Cowgirls to the NJCCAA National Tournament with a 39-14 record after completing the year with a 22-7 record in the circle, posting a 2.81 ERA with 88 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP over 176.2 innings of work.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Nyssa Dunn will also be looking to make some noise in the circle for MACU as the freshman comes to MACU from Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. In her tenure at Permian High, she was a two-time All-District honoree and a two-time All-State Honorable Mention while helping guide the Panthers to a Co-District and Bi-District Championship in 2023.
In the field, Gasso believes freshman utility Madisson Chavez will be aiming to make an impact in the MACU lineup during the 2025 campaign. A graduate of Legacy High School in Midland, Texas, Chavez earned two All-District honors and was a 2024 Gold Glove recipient after playing in the catching, first base and left field positions.
For the second-straight year, Mid-America Christian is set to open its 2025 campaign at the Southern Collegiate Sports NAIA Invitational in Mesquite, Texas from Feb. 6-8. The season-opening classic will be played at the Mesquite Girls Softball Complex as MACU opens the tourney at noon on Thursday against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
