The Westside Invite kicks off today at the Westside Softball Field at 78th and Western. It’s a strong field of teams, starting with the host, Westside. The Warriors are ranked No. 6 in this week’s Power Rankings. No. 2 ranked Lincoln East is also in the field along with Bellevue East, Bellevue West, Elkhorn South, Grand Island, and Omaha Marian.
Games start at noon today with Lincoln East vs. Grand Island and Elkhorn South vs. Bellevue East. The full schedule is:
Friday (9/15) Games:
Noon
Lincoln East vs. Grand Island
Elkhorn South vs. Bellevue East
1:45 P.M.
Grand Island vs. Marian
Westside vs. Bellevue West
3:30 P.M.
Lincoln East vs. Marian
Bellevue East vs. TBD
5:15 P.M.
Westside vs. TBD
On Saturday, bracket play starts with the championship scheduled for 1 P.M.
Players to Watch
Kooper Barnes (2024 – South Alabama commit) Lincoln East
Barnes is leading the Spartans in hitting and on-base percentage with a .579 batting average and a .680 on-base percentage. She also has a 1.54 ERA in the circle.
Baylee Heffernan (2026) Westside
Heffernan has been one of the Warriors hottest hitters of late. The sophomore was 2-for-3 on Tuesday night against Omaha South. Last week, against Millard West, she went 2-for-3 with 5 RBI, including a grand slam.
Charity Curtis (2024) Marian
Curtis came up big in Marian’s win against Skutt on Wednesday night. The senior was 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI.
Brooklyn Phephles (2027) Bellevue West
Phephles leads the Thunderbirds in almost every offensive category, including batting average, runs, hits, and stolen bases. Last week at the Metro Conference tournament she drove in seven runs with a 3-run double and an inside-the-park grand slam.
Alisha McMurtry (2026) Bellevue East
McMurtry is one of the Chieftains top offensive players as well as one of their best pitchers. The sophomore is hitting .425 with 4 home runs this year while also pitching 55 innings.
