Pay Attention to Belhaven Softball

With softball season just around the corner, Mississippi needs to be on high alert for Belhaven’s softball team. After a historic season in which the Belhaven Softball team finished as NCAA Division III Runners-Up and earned a top-five ranking in the NFCA Division III Preseason Poll, they were selected to finish first in the Collegiate Conference of the South Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2025 season.

The Blazers, coming off a 47-win campaign that included a 15-1 conference record and a share of the CCS regular season title, are setting their sights high again despite a revamped roster that will feature several new faces stepping into leadership roles established by the program’s past success.

Key returnees are expected to lead the offense once again, including catcher Anna Caime, who hit a dramatic walk-off home run against Berry in the NCAA Super Regionals last season. Caime, who finished 2024 with a .387 batting average, 11 doubles, and 36 RBI, will be behind the plate once more. Veteran hitters Madi Miller, who batted .308 last season, and Ellie Jones, a career .369 hitter, are also poised to be major contributors at the top of the lineup.

In the circle, sophomore Macy Funderburk will take on a larger role after a stellar freshman season in which she made 16 appearances, going 6-0 with a 0.99 ERA and 45 strikeouts. She will be joined by Belle West, a seasoned pitcher with big-game experience who helped Co-Lin Junior College win the 2023 JuCo National Championship before transferring to Belhaven. West finished last season with a 5-0 record, a 3.27 ERA, and 39 strikeouts.

In addition to the returning core, Belhaven is welcoming a talented group of newcomers, many of whom bring collegiate experience from the junior college level. For the first time in four years, the team will be without NFCA All-Americans Kennedy Carruth and Allie Gordon, creating opportunities for fresh faces to help maintain the program’s legacy of success.

Author administrator Corinne Ellington