The Northwest Herald softball preview will appear in print next week with top players to watch and info on every local team. Until then, here are five storylines to watch in McHenry County for the 2026 season.

Can Prairie Ridge top last season?

Prairie Ridge won the Fox Valley Conference and earned its first state appearance a year ago, placing third in the Class 3A state tournament to bring home its first state trophy.

The Wolves suffered their first shutout in the state semifinals, but bounced back with a 12-0, five-inning win against St. Laurence to end the season with a 29-2-1 record, setting the program record for wins in a season.

Reese Mosolino, the 2025 Northwest Herald Softball Player of the Year, returns for her senior year after going 19-1 with a 0.84 ERA and 190 strikeouts in 150⅔ innings. The Indiana signee will be joined by returning All-FVC members in senior Parker Frey and juniors Kylie Carroll and Bella Moore.

The Wolves graduated a pair of standouts in shortstop Ady Kiddy, now at Illinois, and catcher Kendra Carroll, but remain among the best teams in the conference. Prairie Ridge is ranked No. 3 in the ICA Class 3A preseason poll.

Who is the team to beat in the FVC?

While Prairie Ridge, which before last season last won a conference title in 2016 as part of the FVC Fox Division, should be considered a top contender to win the 10-team conference again, it’s not going to be easy.

Crystal Lake Central, No. 6 in the ICA Class 3A preseason poll, returns a loaded roster, led by Illinois commit Oli Victorine, who went 11-4 last year with 1.06 ERA and 183 strikeouts. Victorine, a junior, and Prairie Ridge’s Reese Mosolino both earned Class 3A All-State first-team honors. The Tigers also welcome back junior outfielder Ella Arana, an All-Area first-team pick and UIC commit, and All-FVC members in junior second baseman Adi Waliullah and sophomore first baseman-pitcher Lily Perocho.

Huntley, which had won the previous four FVC titles before last year, will look to return to the top in 2026. Last year’s Red Raiders went 14-4 and tied Crystal Lake Central for second place in the FVC, trailing only champ Prairie Ridge (17-1). Huntley is ranked No. 19 in the ICA Class 4A preseason poll.

The Raiders will look to senior leadership from SS Aubrina Adamik (Akron commit) and 1B-3B Lyla Ginczycki. Huntley, however, will have to replace its ace, Gretchen Huber, who won 18 games with a 2.00 ERA.

Who is the KRC favorite?

Marengo, ranked No. 12 in the ICA Class 2A preseason poll, graduated six from last year’s Kishwaukee River Conference champion, with its biggest loss behind the plate. Catcher Kylee Jensen, now at Northwestern, was named KRC Player of the Year after leading the Indians to their third straight conference championship, batting .492 with 15 home runs and earning All-State Class 2A first-team honors.

The Indians also graduated their top pitcher, but bring back a huge power bat in senior shortstop Gabby Christopher, who two years ago set the program’s single-season home run record with 20 homers, also a McHenry County high.

Richmond-Burton will be without ace Hailey Holtz for the first time in four years. The Rockets standout finished as the program’s all-time leader in strikeouts, and now calls Iowa State home. She joined Jensen as All-State first-teamers in Class 2A. Senior catcher Rebecca Lanz (St. Norbert commit), who earned All-State second-team honors, is R-B’s top returner.

Woodstock North tied for third in the KRC and returns All-KRC members in seniors Aly Jordan and Allyson Schaid. Harvard also took third and has one of the area’s top pitchers in sophomore Leona Eichholz. Johnsburg, which took fourth, brings back senior catcher and All-KRC member Kayla Riener.

Postseason success

Prairie Ridge’s first trip to state stood above the rest, but many area teams found success in the postseason. Those teams and more will look to make noise in the playoffs in 2026.

Crystal Lake Central won its first regional title in nine years, walking off Kaneland 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning after the Knights scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. The Tigers went on to reach the sectional finals and led 2-0 against Prairie Ridge before an overturned interference call led to an eventual 5-2 loss.

Huntley defeated Grant 4-2 to capture the Class 4A McHenry Regional final for its 10th regional title in a row. Huntley made it to the sectional finals but was shut out 2-0 against Barrington. It was the ninth year in a row the teams met in the playoffs.

Hampshire knocked off Harlem 10-2 in the Class 4A Hampshire Regional final for its second regional championship in three seasons, before falling to Barrington 5-0 in the sectional semifinals.

Marengo beat Aurora Central Catholic 6-3 to take the Class 2A Marengo Regional title. It was the Indians’ 16th regional championship in 18 years and 25th overall.

Who will win Player of the Year?

McHenry County is once again loaded with a plethora of talented softball players, and the race for Northwest Herald Softball Player of the Year will be intriguing to watch throughout the season.

Prairie Ridge’s Reese Mosolino will try and become the first player to win back-to-back Player of the Year honors since Huntley pitcher Briana Bower in 2019 and 2021 (there was no 2020 season because of the pandemic) and third in a row from the Wolves after Ady Kiddy won in 2024.

Crystal Lake Central pitcher Oli Victorine, already impressive in her first two years of high school, will look to dominate as a junior and get the Tigers in position for a long postseason run, while Prairie Ridge’s Kylie Carroll will take over as the team’s top bat.

Huntley’s Aubrina Adamik, the 2025 Northwest Herald Girls Flag Football Player of the Year and a standout in girls basketball, will finish off her high school career on the diamond before heading to Akron next year for softball. Hampshire’s Mia Robinson (Macalester College), meanwhile, was among the area’s top RBI leaders with 51.

Marengo’s Gabby Christopher, R-B’s Rebecca Lanz and Marian Central pitcher Christine Chmiel (Dayton) are among the top players to watch in Class 2A, and Harvard’s Leona Eichholz likely will take on a bigger role in the circle after her older sister Tallulah graduated (now at Belmont).