Photo courtesy of Brian Jeremiason: The 2026 Minneota/Canby softball team consists of Allison VanWatermeulen, Brynn Kern, Courtney Antony, Danni Kockelman, Gretta Buysse, Izabelle Hulzebos, Jayla Jerzak, Joelle Otto, Keatyn Bouwman, Madison Hennen, McKenzie Bednarek, Emily Walker, Sydney Hennen, Taryn Myrvik and Winifred Swedzinski. The team is coached by Heidi Louwagie and Patty Myrvik.

MINNEOTA — The Minneota/Canby softball team was one of the most dominant softball teams across the area last season, and is hungry for more success and a deeper playoff run this time around as it begins the 2026 season.

The Vikings have their eyes set on again competing at a high level to be prepared come playoffs to avenge an early exit last season. Minneota/Canby was eliminated in the first round of the Section 3AA tournament, falling 6-1 to Windom, and wrapped up its season 17-4 overall.

“[We want to] get back to being Camden Conference champions, and we want to make it to Super Saturday in the [section] tournament,” head coach Heidi Louwagie said. “We’re in Double-A, and it’s tough … I know we have the abilities to get over that hump. We got to believe, and the girls got to believe.”

Pitching is one of the Vikings’ most prominent strengths, housing one of the area’s best pitchers in senior Madison Hennen. Last season, she threw 213 strikeouts on a 2.112 ERA in 116 innings spent in the circle.

Hennen is well on the same pace again this season, with 76 strikeouts on a 2.240 ERA through 50 innings so far in Minneota/Canby’s first nine games of the year.

“She and Emily [Walker, Hennen’s catcher] call their own game. They read their batters, and I have 100% confidence in what they’re going to call. She’s just a strong, strong pitcher,” Louwagie said. “She’s a strong hitter, I just need her to relax. She’s just in her head, and it’s going to come, I know it is. I keep believing in her, I just need her to believe in herself.”

Joelle Otto is also back this season for the Vikings, who served as the backup pitcher when needed last year.

Along with its strong defense behind the pitcher, Minneota/Canby also has depth and a plethora of talent on the offensive end as well. Otto, Courtney Antony, Danni Kockelman and Emily Walker are all key returning hitters. The Vikings also saw significant production last season at the plate from Gretta Buysse, Izabelle Hulzebos and Jayla Jerzak, another three returners.

Hennen, Hulzebos, Otto and Antony are the Vikings’ group of seniors this season.

Minneota/Canby averaged a .349 batting average as a team last season, and had 103 stolen bases.

Kiersyn Hulzebos played a big role on the team last season, serving as the main catcher but also was one of the Vikings’ top batters with 30 hits, and 12 RBIs with a team-high 24 runs and 17 stolen bases.

But, there is still a lot of returning talent to help fill the gap.

Walker now catches for Hennen, while Mckenzie Bednarek pairs with Otto. Louwagie said she’s liked what she’s seen from both Walker and Bednarek this season behind the plate, complimenting their toughness and communication with the pitcher.

Otto was the Vikings’ leading hitter last year with a team-best .443 batting average, 31 hits and 24 RBIs, along with 21 runs. Antony followed with 26 hits on a .406 average, 12 RBIs and 21 runs as well.

Kockelman and Walker were another two reliable components at the plate last season, tallying 20 and 17 hits, respectively. Walker also had 19 RBIs and 20 runs.

The Vikings are off to a strong start this season, picking right up from their successes last year, with a 8-3 start including five shutouts. Both Jerzak and Otto each have a homerun as well.

Through the first 11 games, Minneota/Canby is seeing a strong all-around team effort on both offense and defense, in addition to Hennen’s pitching.

“Strengths [are] obviously, our pitching, I think. Our defense normally is really strong,” Louwagie said. “Our batting is inconsistent, we’ve got to clean that up a little bit, and I think we can, because they are all capable.”

The Vikings will look to continue growing in the right direction as the regular season is packed over the next few weeks, before looking to make deeper strides in this year’s postseason.