At Becker’s recent softball banquet, players throughout the program were recognized for their achievements on the field and in the classroom.  

Coach Peterson and Coach Giles were first to speak about the ninth grade season.  They talked about the great growth that the team made throughout the season and how the team really bonded and worked well together.  

Next up was the JV team and Coach O’Neill and Coach Kramer spoke about the great improvement they saw in each player on the team.  Much of the team was returning from the previous season and the coaching staff praised them for their improvements on the field and the way they supported one another.

Dozens of student-athletes received academic awards for the season.  A majority of the players on JV and Varsity received Spotlight on Scholarship Awards for having a high GPA.  Lily Warren, Ady Petty, Kenley Nicolas, and Lauren Peters were named to the Mississippi 8 Academic All-Conference Team.  Lily Warren was also named to the Academic All-State Team and was the Scholar Athlete in the softball program as she graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA over her high school career.

Lily Schmidt, Kenley Nicolas, Katie Wipper, Lauren Peters and Grace Baldry earned their first varsity letter.  Repeat varsity letter winners were Jaimee Cook, Lily Warren, Kalli Josewski, Allie Duncombe, Ady Petty, Lauren Ergen, Bella Hunter, and Maddie Gardner.  

Jaimee Cook, Ady Petty, and Kenley Nicolas were named to the Mississippi 8 All-Conference Team and Allie Duncombe and Lauren Ergen were named Honorable Mention All-Conference.  Cook, Petty, Ergen, and Kalli Josewski were named to the Section 5AAA All-Tournament Team.  The Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches Association named Jaimee Cook to the All-State 2nd Team. Coach Baune was named Section 5AAA Coach of the Year.

Team awards handed out include Cook being named Most Valuable Player, Petty being named Most Dedicated Player, and Nicolas being named Most Improved Player.  Allie Duncombe was named the Pyramid of Success Award winner for best modeling the qualities on John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success.

Last to speak was Coach Baune, who spoke about the varsity team as well as the program as a whole.  The varsity team finished the season with a 17-11 record and a sixth place finish at the state tournament, losing their quarterfinal game at state, 1-0 in 14 innings, to the eventual state champions from Rocori.  The varsity season was a huge success as the team worked hard to accept roles and after a somewhat up and down regular season, really came together at playoff time to upset top-ranked Delano and St. Francis to advance to the state tournament.

As a whole, the softball program had a very successful season.  Baune said he saw huge improvements individually while all teams made great strides from the 2024 season.  Coach Baune said he is looking forward to another step forward in 2026 and the team looks to build off the success of this past season.  He thanked the parents for all of their support and then took time to thank the coaching staff for all they do to make the program great.  

Coach Baune and Coach O’Neill just completed their 23rd season as varsity coaches and much of the staff have been in the program for between five and 15 years.  This year former Bulldog, Erika Kramer, was welcomed back to the program and she was a great addition as a JV coach.  

The program will really miss their seniors, Cook, Warren, Josewski, and Schmidt for their talents on the field, but also their leadership and hard work.  The program wishes them the best as they go off to do great things in college, the military and beyond.