Lady Bulldogs’ softball team makes push to move up in D-SC Conference
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THE BOYCEVILLE SOFTBALL TEAM will look to challenge for a Dunn-St. Croix championship this season. Front row (L to R): Ella Lain, Brooke Fenton, Brooklyn Talmage, Sydney Lunderville, Lilly Leach, Paige Fenton and Delaney Olson. Back row (L to R): Lilly Lain, Gretta Guy, Nautika Valdez, Sawyer Garbe, Zoey Hellendrung, Emma Harvey and Aubrey Malean. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
BOYCEVILLE — After ending last season with a 6-1 second-round loss in the WIAA Division 4 regional to eventual state champion Fall Creek, the Boyceville softball team hopes to build off their late season success as they head into the 2025 season. Boyceville finished 14-7 overall and 10-4 in Dunn-St. Croix Conference play, leaving them in a tie for second place.
Six seniors are gone from that team that will be hard to replace, according to head coach Jamie Olson who begins his 15th season at the helm with a 138-148 record. All-Conference players shortstop Hannah Dunn, third baseman Kaitlin Mittlestadt and right fielder Jadynn Traxler have departed through graduation along with starting left fielder Sarah Stoveren, starting first baseman Cora Leslie and Ali McRoberts, a key member of the pitching staff. These six girls were all solid players on both offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
Leading the team are first team All-Conference player senior Delaney Olson in center field and SO, honorable mention All-Conference Zoey Hellendrung at catcher along with pitcher Aubrey Malean and Paige Fenton at second base. Lilly Lain also brings back some experience in the outfield.
Newcomers pushing for varsity positions include freshmen Brooklyn Talmage at shortstop and pitcher, Emma Harvey at third base, Sydney Lunderville at catcher and Lilly Leach at first base. Five sophomores will vie for some varsity action including Ella Lain in left field, Gretta Guy as an infielder or outfielder, Brooke Fenton as catcher or infield, Sawyer Garbe in the outfield and Nautika Valdez at first base.
Coach Olson believes the Bulldogs pitching and catching should be solid this year. These are two critical areas that need to be clicking every night for his team to be successful. He feels Malean and Hellendrung can be as good as anyone in those two areas. Adding a solid freshman in Lunderville behind the plate to add some flexibility for Hellendrung to move around defensively really helps the team out.
Another strength will be the overall team speed and the ability to take extra bases and play some small ball at times.
A weakness will be experience as the Bulldogs could potentially start seven or eight freshmen and sophomores.
Olson believes Colfax, Elk Mound and Mondovi will be competitive again in conference play. They all have solid pitching, defense and hitting, along with being well coached.
“Our kids have set some high goals for the season,” Olson stated. “Our banners are pretty bare in the gym. We have to become a close knit, gritty, tough team that wants to compete at a high level each and every night and if we can do that, we will be okay. This group has put the time and effort in, so we are looking forward to getting started,” he concluded.
2025 Roster
Seniors: Delaney Olson and Paige Fenton
Junior: Zoey Hellendrung
Sophomores: Aubrey Malean, Ella Lain, Lilly Lain, Brooke Fenton, Nautika Valdez, Sawyer Garbe and Gretta Guy
Freshmen: Lilly Ann Leach, Emma Harvey, Sydney Lunderville and Brooklyn Talmage
Assistant coaches: Jon Talmage, Mark Roemhild and Kevin Bygd