Submitted photo. (Left to right) Wabasso assistant coaches Andrea Ellanson, Erin Rohlik, Kimberly Frank and head coach Tiffany Eichten take a photo together after winning the Section 3A Tournament on May 29 at the Marshall Softball Complex.

WABASSO — Breaking past sections and into the Class A State Tournament for the first time in 15 years while finishing with a 19-8 overall record, Wabasso’s Tiffany Eichten has been named the Independent’s 2025 Softball Coach of the Year.

“[Competing at state] was really fun. I asked most of the girls, and a lot of them hadn’t been to the state tournament even to watch,” Eichten said. “That was a great experience for them to get there.”

Wabasso fell just short of making it to state the previous two seasons with losses in the Section 3A championship. Yet, returning to the section title game for the third consecutive year in 2025, the Rabbits finally came out on top with a 5-1 win over Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian.

Eichten is coming off her 10th season coaching the program, and this was Wabasso’s first state appearance since 2010.

“Coming into the season, we just told the girls… We’ve been to the big games and fell short, and trying to make sure they remembered how that felt. We set our goals a little higher, so we could get past that hump this year,” Eichten said. “I was just really proud of everyone and how they fit the roles this season.”

No. 5 Wabasso dropped to the consolation bracket with a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to No. 4 Braham at state, and ended its season after falling to eighth-seeded Blackduck 7-4.

“We fell short in that first game, but it was close the entire time. I hope that gave them some good taste going into next season,” Eichten said. “We’re right there with all of these teams, even at the state tournament.”

The Rabbits were a dominant force in their section, as projected. Although they dropped the season opener 6-4 to Sleepy Eye, they followed up with a seven-game win streak and never dropped more than two in a row the entire season.

Wasso also recorded seven victories by 10 or more runs, including four shutouts.

“So the first game … Us coaches were like, ‘We are right there.’ The first game of the season, it was a great game,” Eichten said. “There were hiccups in the road where it’s like, ‘OK girls, we can play better than this.’ I think sometimes those losses are what prepares you.”

“The girls were as good as the energy they brought,” Eichten added about how the team found success. “I think we realized that when we bring the energy, we play well.”

Collectively, Wabasso played with a well-balanced, talented squad. It finished the season with a .708 team OPS while recording 196 hits, 143 RBIs and 198 runs.

“The bench was just as important all season as the starters. They brought energy all season long, and it was really fun to see how their role definitely helped us get to the state tournament,” Eichten said regarding the team’s balanced talent. “Knowing that everyone, no matter what your role is on a team, is important, that’s what’s going to get you to that next level.”

Wabasso will be returning nearly its entire roster next season with the hopes of making consecutive deep postseason runs, with the exception of graduating its lone senior in Alivia Olson.

Olson had 20 hits on the season and 13 RBIs, while accounting for 16 runs.

“Liv is a quiet leader except for in the section tournament. I felt a lot of energy coming out of her, and I thought that was huge,” Eichten said. “We also had a manager who was a senior this year who brought us a lot of energy … Anastasia Smith, she was huge for us … Those are two roles we are going to have to look at filling.”

Eichten said a majority of the team is involved in offseason softball, and continuing to work on the “little things” that could help Wabasso even more come next year.

“We told the girls, ‘Now that you guys have been there, you got to know that teams are going to want to beat you, because you guys are the team that went to state,'” Eichten said about setting up next season’s expectations. “Just knowing that they aren’t taking things lightly, you’re putting them in the offseason in the weight room, and even being involved in other sports.”

Among the returning roster will also be Jenniges, who again plans to represent Wabasso in the circle in her senior season. She finished this year with 168 innings pitched with an 18-8 record. She tossed 125 strikeouts while allowing 39 walks for a 2.449 ERA. Eichten also credited her as a pivotal part of the team’s success in her ability to fill the shoes of Avery Carlson, who went on to pitch for Bethany Lutheran College this spring.

“For not pitching that many innings the year before, [Jenniges] really took on her role and she did so well,” Eichten said, who also noted she could see Jenniges’ confidence growing throughout the season. “She became a huge leader for us. Even in those situations that sometimes are hard as a pitcher, she [can] still turn around and can basically control the game.”

As Wabasso continued to stack up wins in April and May, pressure began to grow for the Rabbits as the postseason neared. But, Eichten said she made it a point to manage the team mentally, to stay grounded.

“Yes, pressured situations are going to happen. But, we talk a lot about our mindset and preparing our minds. When they were confident … More things went well,” Eichten said. “It’s just one of those things that positivity feeds off of each other. So, [we] really try to stay positive even in those hard times, to prevail through that.”

Particularly, Eichten pointed out Wabasso’s 8-2 win over E/SWC on the road on April 15 in 10 innings as to when she felt a shift in her team.

“We looked like a solid team all the way around, and held our own even when under pressure. It was fun to finally get over that hump, as we were neck-and-neck with them year after year, and we finally were able to pull through,” Eichten said. “It was a great game and set the tone, and some high expectations for the season.”

Those high expectations from that game carried Wabasso into yet another win against E/SWC just over a month later for the section title and a bid into the state tournament.

Through the achievements and memories of the season, Eichten credited her family and fellow coaches for help with what Wabasso was able to accomplish.

“I have three assistants who are absolutely amazing [Andrea Ellanson, Kimberly Frank and Erin Rohlik]. I just love being around them all season as well… It might be 11 at night, and we’re sending a text of what we can do differently at practice, different things we can add, any way we can make the team better,” Eichten said. “That family away from family is really fun.”

“The other thing I really enjoyed is, I have young daughters coming up here, and my oldest daughter [Elloray], she’s going to be 10, and she experienced this whole thing with us. She was right there,” Eichten added about what made this season special on a personal note. “Just seeing her excited about this and being around it is super fun … I wouldn’t be able to coach without the support of my family, especially my husband, and our village to help with our crew all season.”