2026 Softball Preview: Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs

LYNCHBURG-CLAY LADY MUSTANGS
Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC)
Head Coach: Brad Griffith (4th season)
2025 Overall Record: 15-8 overall (10-3 SHAC, Div. I)
Last Conference Championship: 2025 (SHAC Div. I)

The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs are back to defend their Division I Southern Hills Athletic Conference championship, and they have a roster that is able to do so entering the 2026 season. 

In fact, LCHS has won at least a share of the SHAC Division I championship for three consecutive seasons, as they were in a three-way tie for the title in ’23 with Eastern and Fairfield at 9-4, and in ’24 LCHS won the conference with a SHAC record of 8-5. 

Last season, the Lady Mustangs went 10-3 in the SHAC Division I standings, clinching the outright championship after being eliminated from the postseason with a 7-0 win over Eastern on May 22 at LCHS.  

The Lady Mustangs have a roster that includes seniors Reese Ruble (OF), Sophia Michael (INF), Noel Barnhill (P), Audrey Barry (INF) and Kami Collins (OF). 

Barnhill — a Div. VI All-Ohio second team selection  — was a standout in the circle for LCHS as a junior, pitching 111.1 innings in 19 games. In those games, Barnhill made 16 starts, faced 431 batters and threw 1,559 pitches. She finished the ’25 season 10-6 overall with 177 strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA with a .781 WHIP as she kept 57 runners stranded on the bases. 

At the plate, Barnhill ended the ’25 season with 71 at-bats (79 plate appearances), where she had a .423 batting average with a .481 on-base percentage, a 1.340 OPS and a .859 slugging percentage. Barnhill totaled 30 hits, with 16 singles, five doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 27 RBI, 12 runs, five walks, three hits by pitch and three steals. 

Michael last season had 73 plate appearances (63 at-bats) and led LCHS with a .429 BA with a .507 OBP, a 1.015 OPS, and a .508 SLG. Michael collected 27 hits (22 singles, five doubles), eight RBI, 17 runs, 10 walks and two steals.

Ruble in 22 games finished the ’25 season with 64 at-bats (74 plate appearances), with a .359 BA, a .446 OBP, a .930 OPS and a .484 SLG. Ruble totaled 23 hits (15 singles, eight doubles), 10 RBI, 12 runs, six walks, four HBP and six steals. 

Collins played in 23 games last season as she totaled 74 at-bats with 79 plate appearances. Collins ended the year with a .311 BA, a .354 OBP,  a .760 OPS and a .405 SLG. She also finished with 23 hits (17 singles, five doubles, one triple), six RBI, 11 runs, five walks and five steals. 

Barry returns from a season where she also played in 23 games with 65 at-bats (81 plate appearances), collecting a .308 BA, a .432 OBP, a .894 OPS and a .462 SLG, with 20 hits (12 singles, seven doubles, one home run), nine RBI, 17 runs, 15 walks, one sacrifice fly and three steals. 

Juniors for Lynchburg-Clay are Caraline West (OF), Baylee McClain (INF), Jasmine Brown (C) and Sadie Kuipers.

McClain in ’25 played in 17 games for LCHS, as she had 13 at-bats where she batted .308 with a .357 OBP, a .819 OPS and a .462 SLG. She also had four hits (two singles, two doubles) with two RBI, 14 runs, one walk and three steals. 

Brown in 22 games totaled 52 at-bats (64 plate appearances) where she totaled eight hits (five singles, three doubles) seven RBI, 11 runs, four walks, seven HBP, one SAC and nine steals. 

The sophomore class consists of Aubrey Roberts (INF/P), while the freshmen are Everleigh Barry (INF), Kendra Doss (OF/P) and Kylee Tong (P).

Roberts during her freshman season in ’25 played in 23 games and she had 66 at-bats (80 plate appearances) where she batted .379 with a .474 OBP, a .959 OPS and a .484 SLG, with 25 hits (19 singles, five doubles, one triple), 10 RBI, 15 runs, 12 walks, two SAC and six steals. 

The Lady Mustangs’ non-conference opponents in ’26 are at Hillsboro, at  Adena (at HHS), vs. Adena, vs. Piketon, at South Webster, at Johnstown, at Danville (DH), at Miami Trace, at Georgetown, vs. Unioto and vs. Zane Trace. 

Playing in Division I of the SHAC, LCHS will face Eastern, North Adams, Ripley and West Union twice, plus they will face the SHAC Div. II opponents of Fairfield, Fayetteville, Manchester, Peebles and Whiteoak.

The Lady Mustangs start their 2026 season on Saturday, March 21 on the road against the Hillsboro Lady Indians at 11 a.m. at HHS.