Waxahachie’s Michaela Landers delivered a historic season in Dallas-area high school softball, setting multiple records and earning top honors as the region’s standout player in 2026. The sophomore shortstop led Waxahachie to a 38-3 record and a berth in the Class 6A Division I Region II semifinals while rewriting the record books with her offensive performance.

Landers finished the season with a remarkable .639 batting average, 73 runs scored and 52 extra-base hits across 41 games. She broke the Dallas-area single-season home run record by hitting 25 homers, surpassing the previous mark of 24 set by Kennedy Bradley of Melissa in 2025. Her home run total ranks tied for eighth highest nationally in high school history, trailing the Texas state record of 30 homers set by Kasey Flores in 2018.

More impressively, Landers set a new Texas state record for RBIs with 105, eclipsing the prior mark of 92 established by Sydney Greeson in 2018. Her RBI tally is tied for the fourth-most in U.S. high school history and nearly doubles her 2025 total of 53 RBIs. Landers attributed much of her statistical success to team support and disciplined approach at the plate. “My teammates had to get on base for me to get all those [RBIs],” she said. “That was a big part of it. My teammates had a lot of production too.”

Landers’s outstanding achievements earned her The Dallas Morning News All-Area Softball Player of the Year award. Looking ahead, she will join the under-18 U.S. national team for summer training in preparation for the U-18 Women’s Pan American Championship next fall. Landers brings prior international experience, having helped the U15 U.S. national team win the Pan American Championship in Mexico last year while leading the team in runs scored with a .600 batting average.

Among other top regional performers, Finley Montgomery, a senior pitcher from Denton Guyer and Notre Dame signee, posted a 30-5 record with a 1.36 ERA and 340 strikeouts over 205 1/3 innings. Montgomery threw one perfect game and six no-hitters as Guyer advanced to the Class 6A Division II state semifinals. She also hit .376 with 45 RBIs and delivered key wins against several playoff teams.

Melissa’s junior pitcher Eloisa Maes, who has committed to Arizona, compiled a 30-3 mark with a 1.40 ERA and 195 strikeouts for the 5A Division I state semifinalist squad. Maes, a two-time state champion with Melissa, recorded wins over highly ranked opponents including Waco Midway and Denton Guyer.

Other notable pitchers included Meredith Hambric of Trophy Club Byron Nelson (23-5, 1.17 ERA), Kate Buesing of Hebron (22-8, 2.25 ERA), and freshman Isabelle Lewis of Prosper Richland, who combined hitting and pitching at a high level to help her team reach the 4A Division I state finals.

Offensively, several players joined Landers in standout performances. Melissa’s junior catcher Hutton “LuLu” Adrian hit .528 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs, while senior Kennedy Bradley, a Florida signee, finished with a .495 average and 21 home runs. Mansfield Legacy’s junior Hope “Lillie” Gaudio (.551 average, 18 home runs) and Flower Mound senior Adi Bicknell (.418 average, 41 stolen bases) also spearheaded their teams’ playoff runs.

Across the Dallas region, high school softball in 2026 showcased a combination of strong pitching, powerful hitting, and emerging talents preparing for collegiate and international opportunities, highlighted by Landers’s record-smashing season and the continued success of several other elite players.