By all measures, the 2025 season was a tremendous success for the Algona Bulldog softball program. It was a season that saw Algona move from 11 to 20 wins, raise their team from .236 in 2024 to .347 in 2025, and make a trip to the regional final, where Algona was one out away from advancing to state two separate times before losing to Estherville Lincoln Central in extra innings.
According to Head Coach Todd VanOtterloo, the regional final loss is a motivating factor that has the 2026 edition of the team coming into the season with unfinished business.
Part of Algona’s stunning turnaround in 2025 came from a lineup that provided threats from 1-9 in the order. Returning weapons include junior Reagan Haynes, who enters her fourth year as the starting catcher after hitting .427 with 7 homers and 35 runs batted in last year, junior Maya Lentz (.444, 1 home run, 23 RBI), senior Allison Trunkhill (.396, 3 home runs, 23 RBI), and junior Emma Spear (.345, 13 RBI). The batting averages for that quartet of Bulldogs marked an improvement of at least 146 points from their 2024 marks.
Joining Algona’s starting lineup is senior Jillian Burns, who is expected to be one of the Bulldogs playing a lot of innings at first base after the graduation of Kayla Buscher. Burns says the Algona hitters focus on taking an aggressive approach to the plate.
With four spots needing to be filled in the lineup from starters who graduated from last year’s team, VanOtterloo says some of the key position changes are taking place in the infield.
VanOtterloo has no doubt in the confidence of the players who will have to step up this season.
In the pitching circle, Allison Trunkhill comes off a season where she posted a 16-6 record with 135 strikeouts compared to 29 walks in 130 innings pitched, while compiling a 1.99 ERA. Trunkhill lead the North Central Conference in wins, strikeouts, and ERA in 2025.
VanOtterloo says Trunkhill has expanded her repertoire even further heading into the season.
According to Haynes, she and Trunkhill have been working together throughout the year and building chemistry.
Defensively, Haynes has largely been able to limit the opposing running game, with very few teams willing to attempt to steal against her. VanOtterloo says the coaches are now pushing Haynes to be more vocal on the field as well.
Getting to the top of a strong North Central Conference will be no easy task, with St. Edmond having won the last four conference titles, while Clear Lake finished tied for 2nd in the NCC last year with Algona, and graduated very few seniors from last year’s team. Additionally, Algona has their eyes set on their first state berth since 2020.
Burns says the Bulldogs are focused on coming back stronger than last season.
Algona enters the season ranked #10 in class 3A the first Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state softball poll. The Bulldogs will visit class 1A #2 ranked Newman Catholic on May 26th to open the season.
