Lincoln softball will be under new leadership to begin the 2026 season, as head coach Greg Harmon and his team will look to begin a new chapter in the fall.

Harmon, who is also the head baseball coach at LCS, takes over for Lacy Ragland, and hopes to take the program to new heights in his debut season.

"I love this team and am fortunate to be taking over this team from Coach Ragland, who's done such a tremendous job with teaching these girls how to be good humans and how to work hard and be good softball players," said Harmon.

"It's really a blessing to take over a program for a coach that loved her kids like she did and worked as hard as she did. And you can really see it in the attitude and the effort and the heart behind all the girls that I'm coaching this year. They have been super positive and very, very embracing of me."

Lincoln was 15-15 last season, with the Bulldogs run ending in the regional tournament.

Harmon is hopeful this year's team can continue to push forward and achieve new accomplishments never before seen in by the program.

"As we move into this fall season, we are really looking to build off of what we did last year with the goal being to get to a super regional," said Harmon. "We haven't won a regional since the format changed to regional, then super regional, then state. So anything is possible."

Harmon is no stranger to his inaugural roster as head softball coach, as he was an assistant for Ragland last year and has coached the junior high in recent years.

The new head man hopes that familiarity will help the transition and allow his group to feel comfortable right out of the gate.

"I have had most of in class or in softball," he said. "So it's really been an easy transition thanks to the hard work that Coach Ragland has put in. I give a lot of credit to Coach Ragland and the girls."

"They've just done such a good job of controlling what they can control and helping do things that they know need to be done. And they've really done a good job of setting an example and helping me get my feet wet."

Lincoln will lean on senior pitcher Haylee Delozier, who is back after being the No. 2 starter last fall behind District Picher of the Year Maddie Stewart.

"She's going to have to fill a big void in the circle that Maddie filled last year," said Harmon. "But Haylee has been working hard. She is going to have to be a workhorse for us in the circle. And her attitude's been great about it. She's swinging the bat really well, also. We're really looking forward to what she's going to be able to do for us this fall."

Delozier made eight starts and 15 appearances in the circle for Lincoln last fall.

She had a 5.21 ERA but struck out 40 hitters in 44.1 innings. 

At the plate, Delozier hit .260 with a team-high eight doubles. She also had a homer and 13 RBIs.

Another returning starter is senior Elizabeth Eddings, who will play first base and outfield for Lincoln.

"She's gonna play first base and hit towards the top middle of the order," said Harmon. "She's got a good swing, plays really nice. We can put her anywhere. She can cover a lot of ground in the outfield, but most likely she's going to be playing some first base for us this year and hitting in the middle of the order. She has a super great attitude, as well."

Eddings hit .291 with three doubles. She had 11 RBIs, scored 20 runs and 10 stolen bases.

The final returning senior is Ivy Wheeler, who will play shortstop for Harmon and Lincoln this year.

"Ivy is going to be our shortstop this year, and she's probably going to do a little bit of hitting from the right side and slapping from the left side," said Harmon. "She's really worked on her slapping from last year, and we really look to utilize her speed and aggressiveness towards the middle bottom of the order."

Wheeler had 14 steals and eight hits in limited action last year. She also had five RBIs, scored nine runs and walked 11 times in 61 at bats.

Harmon's junior class will be led by returning starter and catcher Sophie Ellis, who will play a key role for the Bulldogs this fall.

"She's going to be our everyday catcher" said Harmon. "She's just been working incredibly hard on her skills behind the plate. She's able to get quick, quick transfers and throw from her knees, and she's doing things now that she wasn't able to do, especially as a freshman. But even last year as a sophomore, she's really coming along after this first week of practice."

Ellis hit .227 a year ago but had seven doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs, while catching 68% of the innings for Lincoln.

The sophomore class will be led by Braxli Brown, who has a chance for a big season as a hitter.

"She is a really strong power hitter," said Harmon. "She might get a little time in the outfield, maybe a little DP flex, but she is definitely going to hit. She's got a lot of pop in her bat when she makes contact, so that's that's a good thing."

Eleanor Monroe is another sophomore that has a lot of potential for Harmon after coming back out to the sport following a several year break.

"She's new to softball and hasn't played in a few years, but she's been missing it and really excited to get back out there and start testing her skills out," said Harmon.

A deep freshman class will also help Harmon in his first season at the helm, as the head coach developed this group in junior high and sees some potential contributions right away.

"We have a good freshman class. I've had this group of freshmen since they've been in the sixth grade. And I'm really excited to be able to take over this position with these girls," he said.

Aspen Beers will play multiple positions for Lincoln, along with Arrington Cohen, Samantha Lofstrom and Layne Lavelle.

"Aspen is a utility player. She can play infield and outfield. She does everything from the left side. She's soft, slap hard, slap box hits. She's very versatile and has very good speed," said Harmon. "Arrington is somebody that can catch and play third base and outfield. She is another versatile player as a freshman. I'm really looking to see how her offense progresses this fall, but also over her high school career."

"Samantha is a very strong infielder. She can play second, third, short, and wherever we need her to play. She swings a pretty good bat for a young player. Layne pitches, plays first base and can play some outfield, which will be big for us because we need the pitching, and she's been working really hard at that."

Several others from the freshman class will contribute, as well, including Sally Pritchard and Braylon Wichman.

"Sally is going to be roaming around in the outfield. And this girl can cover gap-to-gap. She's been really working on her offensive game. She's gotten stronger over the summer. Bryalon can catch, play some third and she can play some outfield also. She has a really strong bat, as well, which will help us as we move through the fall."

With a ton of newcomers and even returning players stepping into new roles, Harmon hopes to progress through out the year and improve on and off the field, giving the Bulldogs their best chance when the calendar hits late September and early October.

"We really have to focus on the health of our arms and our legs," he said. "We're going to get after it on the field, but also in the weight room in doing things that we can do to help our bodies stay healthy."

"Obviously, we don't have a ton of depth, but with the girls that we have, I think we'll be very competitive and have a great shot to help Lincoln softball move forward this year."

The Bulldogs host Dewey on Aug. 10 to open the season, followed by another home game on Aug. 11 vs. Adair. The Bulldogs will host Kellyville two days later on Aug. 13 before going to the Haskell Festival on Aug. 14-15.