After a 14-win improvement last season, the Dodge City softball team is eager to get the 2026 season rolling and continue to improve and challenge in the Jayhawk conference and the NJCAA. 
 
Head Coach Mike Viramontez is set to guide the Conquistadors for the third season, coming off a 27-28 record and fifth-place finish in the KJCCC, going 18-14 in conference action. The 27 wins are a 14-win improvement from Viramontez's first season leading the Conqs, and the 18-14 KJCCC record is the first winning conference record for the Conqs since 2019. 
 
Conqs enter the 2026 season picked to finish fifth in the KJCCC in the preseason predicted order of finish. Butler was selected first, while Barton and Hutchinson tied for second, and Garden City came in fourth just ahead of the Conqs. Colby, Pratt, Seward County, and Fort Hays Tech Northwest finish out the poll in sixth through ninth. 
 
Nine sophomores return with experience for the Conqs, all having played in at least 20 each last season. Helping lead the charge for the Conqs will be the return of a pair of KJCCC All-Conference honorees in Karen Galaviz and Riley Moore, who both picked up honorable mention all-conference honors as freshmen. Galaviz led the team in hits last season with 69, hitting .383 playing in 55 games, and was a staple atop the batting order for the Conqs, along with in centerfield. She added 35 RBI, 14 walks, 13 doubles, three home runs, 47 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases to her freshman season. Moore returns after playing in 52 games, working at third base primarily, while offensively hitting .333 with 38 hits, 33 RBI, 17 walks, 10 doubles, six home runs, and 15 stolen bases. Moore led the Conqs in runs scored with 49. 
 
In the infield, both Campbell Anderson and Dezarae Schmidt both return for the Conqs. Anderson played primarily at first base as a freshman and saw action in 43 games with a .235 average, recording 20 hits, 24 RBI, 16 walks, eight home runs, and 16 runs scored. Schmidt played in 29 games, mostly in the middle infield, recording a .242 average with 15 hits and 13 runs scored. Out in the outfield, Kaylee Kinsinger, Kloe Nelson, and Paityn Tenbrink all return. Kinsinger saw her playing time increase as the season progressed and was a strong presence on the base pads with 13 stolen bases and 12 runs scored, along with hitting .386 with 22 hits, in 31 games. Nelson was a consistent contributor playing in 48 games recording a .321 average 34 hits, 21 RBI, 20 walks, 25 runs scored, and seven doubles. Tenbrink played in 20 games as she recorded five hits, five RBI, six walks, 11 runs scored, and five stolen bases.
 
In the circle, the Conqs have a pair of pitchers returning as Jordyn Boxberger and Shyann Clark are both back. Boxberger will be a two-way player for the Conqs, seeing action in the infield as she hit .397 last year with 25 hits, 18 RBI, 10 walks, and 19 runs scored, but will be a key piece in the circle regularly as a sophomore. Last season, Boxberger threw 82.1 innings with 25 appearances and 15 starts, recording five wins and 37 strikeouts. Clark will once again look to fill a strong role in the circle for the Conqs after 96 innings last season in 31 appearances, recording eight wins and 62 strikeouts. 
 
Nine freshmen will give the Conqs 18 overall on the roster, and a pair of freshmen in Karli George and Avery McCloskey will join Boxberger and Clark in the circle. Both George and McCloskey could factor into the equation in other ways, seeing action in the infield on top of pitching. 
 
Behind home plate, the Conqs will look to three newcomers to take on the role of catcher as Sophie Faidley, Danica Miller, and Cadie McCracken will factor into the mix of work behind the plate. Both Miller and McCracken could see action at other spots on the field, while Loren Sweat looks to work into the mix in the outfield, and Camren Moses, Cache Atwood, and Harley Shoaf all look to work in the infield for the Conqs.  
 
The Conqs' 2026 schedule is stacked with tough competition early to prepare for conference play. The season is slated to start on Saturday, January 31st, and Sunday, February 1st, with a trip to Tishomingo, Oklahoma, to take on NJCAA DII #1 Murray State and #15 Crowder for two games each. Conqs will have home games on February 5th and 6th against #13 McCook and Frank Phillips, respectively, before traveling to Denison, Texas, for the Winter Blast Tournament, where they will play four ranked teams: #3 Grayson, #7 Paris, #18 Seminole State, and #21 Rose State. KJCCC action will open for the Conqs on Saturday, March 7th, when they take on rival Garden City on the road, with the first home conference games scheduled for March 11th against Fort Hays Tech Northwest.