The Black Hills State University women’s softball team made history during their 2025 campaign, becoming the first squad in the history of the program to clinch a postseason berth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
Since 2012, when BHSU transitioned from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II (NCAA DII), the Yellow Jacket softball team struggled to fill the win column.
Their best season to date was under Ashlyn Englehorn, a first-year head coach at BHSU, in 2024 when the team finished with an overall record of 15-32 and a 9th place ranking in the RMAC.
Although they improved upon the 2023 campaign, the Jackets struggled on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the team posted an overall batting average of .284 in 1,198 at-bats and scored 190 runs compared to their opponents’ average of .372 in 1,340 at-bats, scoring 330 runs.
In the circle, the BHSU pitching staff struggled to close out innings, allowing an overall ERA (earned runs allowed) of 6.68 compared to their opponents’ 3.36. And the defense was unable to provide much support.
The highlight of the Jackets’ defense lay within their fielding lineup, which completed an overall fielding percentage of .949, just three percent lower than their opponents’ average.
However, the 2025 season saw a positive turnaround for the Yellow Jackets on the scorecards.
“I’m really proud of the team and all the hard work that they’ve put in,” Englehorn said. “The returners have stepped up into a new philosophy, with me just being in my second year, and really buying into it. And bringing in a really solid freshman class has really pushed us to raise our expectations and play softball at a high level.”
This season, the Jackets rediscovered themselves at the plate, ramping up their overall batting average to .321 out of 1,437 at-bats, scoring 461 runs.
“Our offense has also done a really good job of producing numbers and breaking records,” Englehorn said. “Ashlynn Pauwels is leading us offensively. She’s got some pretty incredible power numbers. Tyler Whitlock is right up there too, putting up some extra-base hits.”
Pauwels, a senior first baseman, is currently ranked as the 4th best hitter in the RMAC with a .420 batting average, 74 hits and 14 home runs. Not far behind is Whitlock, a senior centerfielder, ranked 17th in the RMAC with a .369 average at the plate, 66 hits and a conference-leading 19 doubles.
“Something that separates [Whitlock] is that she can cause some chaos on the bases,” Englehorn said. “When we can put pressure on other defenses, I think we have more opportunities to win.”
As a runner, Whitlock has been nearly unstoppable, leading the Jackets around the bases with a total of 52 runs scored and 23 stolen bases out of 24 attempts.
“I wasn’t pleased with how my season went last year, so I really wanted to lock in and become a consistent hitter for my team,” Whitlock said. “I wanted to be someone who my teammates could count on at the plate to get on base because I can use my speed to apply pressure to the defense.”
In the circle, the BHSU pitching staff has proven itself to be just as formidable as the offense.
“Having those big offensive numbers is great, but I think defense, at the end of the day, is going to win championships,” Englehorn said. “I think having a staff in the circle that we trust is going to give us more opportunities to win softball games.”
The Yellow Jacket pitching staff is led by Laci Peski, a sophomore pitcher, who, in her second season as a starting pitcher for BHSU, has earned five RMAC Pitcher of the Week Honors and finished the regular season with a 23-6 W/L (Win-loss ratio), 2.07 ERA, 236 strikeouts and a 4th overall ranking among RMAC pitchers.
“I think the biggest contributor for us is having some pitchers in the circle that we’re able to play some defense behind,” Englehorn said. “We have one of the best pitchers in the conference, and one of the best pitchers in the country on our side.”
Throughout the season, the Yellow Jacket softball team put up relatively impressive numbers nearly every week. However, one series in particular stood out to the team and coaching staff alike.
“I think the CCU series was awesome,” Whitlock said. “Game four, especially, we won in extra innings, and I think that really proved to all us girls that we can compete with these top teams in the RMAC.”
Heading into their first postseason appearance as a part of the RMAC, the Yellow Jackets hold program record-breaking 27-25 overall and 25-19 conference records, earning themselves a 6th overall conference ranking.
“I think [this season] has been awesome,” Whitlock said. “I don’t think there’s a better way to go out. When I came [to BHSU], the team didn’t have many wins and we had never made the postseason, so to complete that run in my senior year is just a dream come true.”
However, the Jackets’ first test in postseason play could prove to be difficult as they take the field in Lakewood, Colorado, against the 39-13 Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) team.
“I’m excited to see how we compete this week, and it’s always exciting to be the first to do something,” Englehorn said. “I think we’re playing with a little bit more adrenaline than some of these teams because it’s our first time, and the other teams have all have some experience in the postseason. Hopefully, that adrenaline works to our advantage.”
Despite the impending showdown with the 3rd-ranked MSU Denver squad, Englehorn and her roster remain confident in their abilities and their game plan.
“[Our strategy] hasn’t necessarily changed,” Englehorn said. “I think we’ve adapted to having more power in our lineup offensively, so you’ll see fewer stolen bases. But the biggest thing we focus on right now is, ‘Yes, we’re going to be scrappy, but we can’t be scrappy and not play clean.’ We have to play very fundamentally sound softball to be able to compete at a high level.”
Despite the results of the postseason, the BHSU Yellow Jacket softball program is confident its newfound success will continue to build upon itself in the future.
“I feel confident about [the underclassmen],” Whitlock said. “This year was the start of something great for all of us, and I think they’re going to continue to build [BHSU] into a softball powerhouse. I think we have so much talent on our team, and even the girls coming in next year are going to continue to represent [BHSU] and prove that we can compete in the RMAC.”