A youth movement is underway for the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bear softball team entering 2026, as the Golden Bears enter the season with a roster full of underclassmen.
Outside of senior Alyssa Haugland and junior Shiloh Trainer, Bishop Garrigan has a roster entirely of sophomores, freshmen, and eighth graders. Head Coach Payge Purdy says Trainer and Haugland have led the way for the team over the offseason.
Haugland was 2nd on the team with a .436 average last season, while finishing a perfect 17/17 in stolen bases. The Bishop Garrigan senior says she is following in the footsteps of previous leaders of the team.
With Haugland setting the table at the top of the order, it’ll be on players like Lilly Erpelding-Wickman, Kiah Villarreal, and Avery Culbertson to be productive in the middle of the order. Erpelding-Wickman finished 2025 with a .319 average and 3 home runs, while Culbertson and Villarreal will be new additions to the varsity batting order.
Erpelding-Wickman talked about having a contact-first approach at the plate.
Trainer was Bishop Garrigan’s primary catcher last season and hit .284, as Purdy says her mindset has been huge for helping the young pitchers.
Trainer says continuing to improve defensively has been a focus over the offseason.
Purdy mentioned that Trainer will also see time at second base this season, with Culbertson and Erpelding-Wickman both potentially seeing time at catcher. Purdy feels the depth at that position will allow the Golden Bears to change who is behind the plate based on the starting pitcher, as well as keep everyone fresh throughout the season.
In terms of pitching, Bishop Garrigan returns three arms who all saw varsity innings as eighth graders last season, with Addie Bartolo, Rikiya Nielson, and Riley Doerning looking to take a step forward in their freshman campaigns. Purdy says the pitchers have been working on expanding their offerings over the offseason.
A key for the Golden Bears staff will be cutting down on walks, as Bishop Garrigan pitchers walked 137 batters in 123.1 innings pitched last season, leading to a 9.59 team ERA.
Bishop Garrigan opens the season by paying a visit to Belmond-Klemme on May 26th.
