Photo by Vanessa Schultz: Front row, L-R: Sydney York, Bethenny Long, Ariel Oskerson, Hanna Bliesmer, Allie Slama, Wendy Mendina Ambrosio. Middle row, L-R: Nora Fitzgerald, Brooklyn Stone, Avery Kurt, Krystal Paz, Corinn Wells, Emma Schmidt. Back row, L-R: Makenna Fischer, Lexi Sundeen, Olivia Garbers, Gwyn Schultz, Bria Williamson, Makayla Lowry, Layla Weihe, Jadyn Musser, Reese Fenske, Maddy Campbell. Not pictured: Brylee Miller, Makenzie Lowry, Kandy Paz.

FAIRMONT – Fairmont softball’s roster turnover from the year prior became much more difficult with season-ending knee injuries suffered by Makayla and Makenzie Lowry this past basketball season.

The University of Minnesota-Morris commits were planned to help Cardinal head coach Cory Hainy with the loss of six seniors from last season. Instead, the team will rely on even more youth going forward.

Fairmont’s 2025 campaign was another solid outing for the program in many ways. On top of a 15-9 finish, the Cardinals won games over Tri-City United and St. James Area before losing to Le Sueur-Henderson in the Section 2AA Elimination Bracket semifinals, 4-2.

Contributions from a handful of graduates, including Abi Sundeen, Gabby Leiding, and Haleigh Grotzinger, will be missed going forward. But returning the established talent of Brylee Miller and a slew of underclassmen should make Fairmont competitive yet again.

“We are going to switch from being pretty veteran-led to quite a bit younger, looking at our lineup,” Hainy said. “I’d say 8 of our top 14 [players] are from that sophomore class this year.”

Miller’s presence on the field has been seen since the middle of her eighth-grade season. Last year’s contributions were no different than before, with her pitching capabilities driving the Cardinals for much of 2025.

The then-junior’s 104 innings in the circle yielded a 2.42 earned run average and 102 strikeouts. She constantly kept opposing hitters on their toes, holding teams to a .232 batting average. Hainy expects another strong campaign from the righty.

“In baseball, pitching is important, and it’s even more so in softball,” Hainy said. “So having Brylee back is really key. She threw a lot of our tough innings last year through most of our playoff games, and so having her back is big.”

Miller’s impact doesn’t stop on the mound.

Another aspect she brings to the batting order is seniority. Her team-leading .452 batting average and 31 RBIs will be essential to have back in the lineup. But Miller isn’t the only hitter coming back from an impactful year.

By the end of last season Hainy’s Cardinals had three freshmen getting consistent playing time in the starting lineup.

Gwyneth Schultz and Lexi Sundeen, Abi’s younger sister, each played on varsity all year. Bria Williamson joined the group by spring’s conclusion as another impactful piece. Schultz made the most contributions with her .420 batting average and 18 extra base hits fueling a selection to the 2025 All-Sentinel Softball roster. All three will be expected to take even bigger leaps this year.

Hainy hopes these players can continue to build off the success found in this past summer’s Minnesota American Legion Fastpitch Softball State Championship. The Cardinals won all three contests by a combined score of 32-7, including a six-run victory over Parkers Prairie Post 219 in the title game. Many individuals from this championship run will be apart of this season’s Fairmont roster.

“A lot of these girls played on that team, so I’m really hoping that experience and that success can give them the confidence to move forward and let that show out on the varsity field as well,” Hainy said.