2026 Softball Preview: Hillsboro Lady Indians

HILLSBORO LADY INDIANS
Frontier Athletic Conference (FAC)
Head Coach: Gary Breeden (5th season)
2025 Overall Record: 23-4 (10-0 FAC), D4 State Runners-Up
Last Conference Championship: 2025 (FAC)

The Hillsboro Lady Indians softball team had their greatest season in program history last season in 2025 when they finished as Division IV State Runners-Up, including an overall record of 23-4 and a Frontier Athletic Conference record of 10-0, extending their conference winning streak to 50 consecutive games. 

Those memories, accolades and accomplishments will forever be remembered, but starting fresh for the ’26 season, the Lady Indians are back with a new roster and new goals as they set to begin the season. 

This spring, Hillsboro will have nine players who were on the varsity roster from last season, with two of those players being returning starters in Chloe Roberts and Addley Miller. 

The roster of the Lady Indians also includes senior Chloe Roberts (SS) and juniors Paisley Zink (3B), Peyton Hipsher (LF), Madison Karnes (LF) and Rilynn Swisshelm (1B).

Last season in 27 games, Roberts led the Lady Indians with a .473 batting average in 74 at-bats (100 plate appearances), with a .590 on-base percentage and 1.455 OPS. Roberts also collected an .865 slugging percentage, with 35 hits (21 singles, five doubles, three triples, six home runs), 33 RBI, 29 runs, 20 walks and four hits-by-pitch.

Swisshelm played in 18 games during the ’25 season, where mostly as a courtesy runner scored 11 runs with two steals (100-percent on steal attempts), but at the plate she drew three walks and had a hit. 

Sophomores are: Harper Conrad (2B), Camden Stroud (2B), Emory Zornes (CF), Addley Miller (C) and Leah Vance (RF). 

Miller last season also played in all 27 games, where she batted .305 with 82 at-bats (97 plate appearances), with a .402 OBP, .756 OPS and .354 SLG, including 25 hits (22 singles, two doubles, one triple), 24 RBI, 16 runs, 12 walks and two HBP. 

Freshmen this season for HHS are Peyton Spurlock (P), Madison Burwinkel, Kinley Carey, Blair Gard (3B), Molly Vance (RF), Raeden Workman (CF), Emma Wright (1B) and Chloe Pierson (2B). 

Hillsboro had eight seniors graduate from last season’s team, including Div. IV first-team All-Ohio selection Camryn Spruell, who is now a member of the Division I Ball State University softball team.

Eight of their top 10 batting average leaders (at least 16 games played) from a season ago are no longer on the roster, which amounts to losing 181 hits, 14 home runs, 121 RBI and 162 runs from last season’s history-making roster. 

As great as the ’25 season was, it is time for a new chapter in Hillsboro softball with a lot still on the line for the current roster, including adding to their record-setting 50 consecutive wins in the FAC, as they have also won the conference championship for five consecutive seasons, outscoring their FAC conference opponents, 134-21 in those 50 conference games. 

Hillsboro will play two games each against Chillicothe, Jackson, McClain, Miami Trace and Washington. 

This season the Lady Indians’ non-conference schedule consists of the following games: vs. Lynchburg-Clay, vs. Adena, at Waverly, at Westfall, vs. Peebles, vs. Ironton, at Goshen, vs. Fairfield, at Batavia, vs. Wilmington, vs. Clinton-Massie, vs. Unioto, at Waynesville and vs. Madison-Plains. 

The Lady Indians are scheduled to open the ’26 season Saturday, March 21 at home in a tri-doubleheader with a game against the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs at 11 a.m., followed by a game versus the Adena Lady Warriors at 2 p.m.