ALL-AREA SOFTBALL 2026

The Independent announced its 2026 All-Area softball team on Wednesday, with Section 3A runner-up Yellow Medicine East earning three first-team selections, and Wabasso, Minneota/Canby and Russell-Tyler-Ruthton each earning another two.

The 2026 Softball Player of the Year and Coach of the Year will be announced in Thursday’s edition of the Independent.

The Sting were among the area’s top programs all season long, earning the top seed in the North bracket of the section tournament and battling past reigning section champion Wabasso to get to the final, where they fell to BOLD.

Alana Almich and Bayli Sneller gave the Sting a pair of familiar faces on the Independent’s All-Area squad. Each of the two Sting seniors were on the first team last year, and Sneller was a second-teamer in 2024 while Almich was an honorable mention.

As the team’s starting pitcher, Sneller led all area players with 220 strikeouts on just 36 walks. Among qualified pitchers, her 1.75 ERA and 1.01 WHIP were also both area-bests. Almich, meanwhile, was a dangerous bat at catcher as she finished the season with a .489 on-base percentage, 24 RBIs and eight doubles.

The two were joined by teammate Emma Keller, who earned her first All-Area nod after posting a team-leading 1.216 OPS with a pair of home runs. The Sting’s Kourtney Peterson and Brianna Nelson were also both honorable mentions.

RTR’s Laken Baartman returns to the Independent’s All-Area first team for the fourth consecutive season and as a two-time reigning Player of the Year. After transitioning from a catcher to a full-time shortstop this year to meet her team’s defensive needs, she kept her same poise and consistency at the plate with a 2.043 OPS.

Baartman’s 10 home runs were more than the rest of the first team combined, and her 35 RBIs and 29 walks were also area-highs. She struck out just three times in 83 plate appearances.

The Knights made strides this year behind some other key contributors. Sophomore Jaida Fricke earned first-team honors for the first time after being a second-team honoree last year, posting a 2.13 ERA over 128 innings and a 1.014 OPS as a batter this season.

Paisley Thooft, an honorable mention last year, moved up to second team this season after finishing the year with a homer and a 1.106 OPS as a middle infielder for the Knights. Freshman Grace DeVries also had a breakout season at catcher with a .977 OPS with eight doubles, a triple and a home run.

Aylah Jenniges returned to the first team for the second straight year to close out her career as a Wabasso Rabbit, joined by first-time honoree Delaina Eis. Jenniges was among the area’s top pitchers, logging a 2.48 ERA over 127 innings along with 18 RBIs and a home run as a batter. Eis was a prolific batter for the Rabbits, homering twice — including a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning of the section semifinal — with a 1.184 OPS. She also was effective in her limited pitching opportunities, posting a 1.53 ERA.

Third baseman Macy Rohlik also earned second-team honors for the Rabbits, marking her third straight season on the All-Area squad, finishing her senior season with a 1.192 OPS and 24 RBIs. Her 34 runs scored were second only to Baartman. Kayleigha Johnson was also an honorable mention.

Minneota/Canby was once again a juggernaut throughout the regular season, in no small part due to the pitching of senior Madison Hennen. Her 215 strikeouts as a pitcher and three home runs as a batter both ranked second among all area players. She logged a 2.11 ERA over 135 innings.

Hennen was joined on the first team by Emily Walker, who finished the season with a 1.286 OPS, while Jayla Jerzak, Courtney Antony and Izabelle Hulzebos each made the second team. The Vikings also had Joelle Otto and McKenzie Bednarek earn third-team honors.

Speed kills in any sport, and no team knew that more than Lakeview. The Lakers’ aggressive baserunning earned them a trio of All-Area honorees. Kiara Hinz finished the season as the area’s steals champion with 42 on the season, getting caught just twice. She earned second-team honors this year after being a third-team honoree last year.

Taylor Hinz, a catcher, was second in the area with 27 stolen bases to earn third-team honors in her junior season after her first-team selection last year. She was joined on the third team by Makenna Anderson, who stole 18 bases as a batter while also posting a 2.92 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings as a pitcher.

Kate Blankenship was an All-State shortstop for Murray County Central last year and returned to the All-Area team as a second-teamer this year. She had to switch positions to pitcher this year to fill a need for the Rebels after they graduated Thea Schneider last year, but that didn’t make her bat any less effective; she finished the season with 15 RBIs and a 1.024 OPS. Her catcher, Ava Deacon, was also a third-team honoree.

TMB’s Melaina Ankrum and Alli Dolan were named to the second team and Gretchen Lanoue made the third, and Marshall’s Kinsley Bitker and Sara Dallmann were each named to the third team.