East's Lowe makes NAIA WS with Southeastern; ND duo, 'Burg quartet compete in NCAA Regionals

The Scioto County landscape continues to be well-represented with six former high school athletes currently competing in postseason competition at the collegiate level as either players or assistant coaches.

Noted in previous editions of the Daily Times for his coaching prowess, East’s Drew Lowe, the pitching coach at NAIA powerhouse Southeastern (Fla.), has led the Fire to the 2026 NAIA World Series, while Notre Dame graduates Maddie Entler (Charleston) and Kyndall Ford (Northern Kentucky) along with Wheelersburg’s Emma Smith (Charleston), AndiJo Howard (Glenville State), Macee Eaton (Virginia) and Kaylynn Carter (Findlay) are all playing in NCAA Regional competition with Catie Boggs (North Carolina), who is missing the 2026 season due to injury, also are represented in regional play.

Lowe leads Southeastern (Fla.) to NAIA World Series as pitching coach

Lowe, who has helped coach Southeastern (Fla.) to a 42-16 overall record as the Fire’s pitching coach, helped guide the Fire out of the consolation bracket by avenging an 11-1 loss to British Columbia in eight innings with two wins on Wednesday and Thursday.

In those games, which were 12-3 and 7-2 triumphs for Southeastern, Fire starting pitchers Blake Albritton and Peyten Czekalewski didn’t allow an earned run in seven and four innings of work, respectively.

Lowe, who threw seven different pitchers at British Columbia in all on Wednesday and Thursday, oversaw a pitching rotation that only gave up two earned runs en route to battling back and winning its regional, which Southeastern hosted in Lakeland, Fla.

Lowe and the Fire will play in the 2026 NAIA World Series, which will be held at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho from May 22 to May 30.

The NAIA World Series appearance is the eighth consecutive for Southeastern, who has made each World Series played since 2018. The Fire won the NAIA Championship in baseball in both 2018 and 2022.

NCAA Division II — Kaylynn Carter, Findlay; Emma Smith and Maddie Entler, Charleston; AndiJo Howard, Glenville State

Playing their own crucial roles to winning programs, four Scioto Countians are enjoying significant roles with NCAA Division II powerhouses.

Position players Emma Smith and Maddie Entler have been key contributors throughout the 2026 season for Charleston. Smith, who has played in 55 games and started 54 contests, is third on the Golden Eagles’ squad in homers (four) and RBI (33) as a freshman, while Entler, who has played in 40 games with 29 starts, is batting .295 and has added in a homer with 17 RBI to boot.

Smith went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, five RBI and a run scored from her second base position in Charleston’s 9-6 win over Glenville State in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament, while Entler started in right field in the three-run triumph.

Glenville State, who won the 2026 Mountain East Conference Tournament Championship over Charleston, has received a large contribution from Howard, who is batting .288 as a designated player while also making 11 appearances as a pitcher in 2026.

Glenville State sits 45-15 while Charleston is 46-16. The two teams could meet again in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, which is double elimination. No. 5 Charleston played No. 1 Shippensburg (Pa.) Friday in the winner’s bracket, while No. 4 Glenville State faced No. 8 Claflin (S.C.) in the consolation bracket on Friday.

Carter, who helped lead Findlay to a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Championship, has enjoyed a strong freshman campaign, going 7-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 22 appearances and 12 starts for the Oilers. She helped lift Findlay to the 2026 GMAC Tournament Championship, and is showcasing impressive power as a designated player, hitting .333 with three home runs and 20 RBI in just 60 at-bats.

Findlay (39-13) is presently playing in the second NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament, and is in the consolation bracket as of Friday at press time. The Oilers played Rockhurst (Mo.) Friday.

NCAA Division I — Kyndall Ford, Northern Kentucky and Macee Eaton, Virginia

Completing an incredible comeback from a life-threatening setback that made Kyndall Ford’s softball career an afterthought at that juncture, Ford has battled back, and within two seasons, is a member of a NCAA Division I National Tournament team.

Ford, who has appeared in 18 games for NKU in 2026, has helped the Norse win 10 consecutive games as of Friday at press time. Northern Kentucky won three separate one-run ballgames in Horizon League Tournament play, defeating Detroit Mercy (3-2), Wisconsin-Green Bay (4-3 in eight innings) and Robert Morris (4-3) to claim the Horizon League Championship.

Northern Kentucky (26-23) played Tennessee Friday evening in the Knoxville Regional in Knoxville, Tenn.

Eaton, meanwhile, continues to knock the cover off the ball.

With the exception of home runs, runs scored and walks, Eaton leads Virginia in every major statistical category, including batting average (.443), games played and started (51 each), at-bats (158), hits (70), doubles (16), RBI (61), total bases (124), slugging percentage (.785), on-base percentage (.508) and on-base-plus-slugging (1.293).

In addition to leading Virginia in 11 different offensive categories, Eaton, an elite defensive infielder, has committed just one error in 325 fielding opportunities for a .997 fielding percentage. Eaton sits second on the UVA squad with 12 home runs and 41 runs scored, and her 23 walks to 10 strikeouts for the year also serves as the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio on the team.

Virginia (38-13) played Indiana on Friday evening to begin its own journey in the Knoxville Regional.