ALMOND – When the Almond-Bancroft girls softball team entered their first practice of the 2026 season, they were met with two placards on the wall. One that said “conference championship,” another that said “2025 Division 5 state runner-up.”
Long-tenured softball coach Randy Yonke instructed the ladies to look at them and envision how they wanted their next few months to go.
“You know, goal one is conference (championship), and so far we’re on the track of accomplishing that for the first time in a few years,” Yonke said ”And then the ladies, they’re very goal-oriented, their goal was to get back down to Madison.”
In 2025, Yonke led Almond-Bancroft to their first-ever state appearance, where the Eagles fell just short of gold, losing 8-3 to Belmont in the Division 5 state championship game. It was a transitional period for the program, but one that Yonke and his staff foresaw.
“Well, to be honest with you, I expected that run last year. You know?” Yonke said. “I knew when Pacelli got bumped up to division four that it was our turn. We had been there for the previous four years, knocking on the door, and they’re the ones that almost knocked us out. So last year, I think was expected, but now I told the girls this year, ‘Now, instead of being the hunters, we’re the hunted. Now everyone’s gunning for you, so you have to be relaxed and play extra sharp.”’
Approaching the halfway mark of the season, Almond-Bancroft is in first place in the Central Wisconsin- South league, unbeaten in the conference, already holding a 7-2 win over Pacelli on April 13.
The two conference contenders will meet again on May 11 with key conference implications hanging in the balance. Thus far, the Eagles’ only shortcoming came in a lopsided loss to Marathon. Outside of that blemish, Yonke and his staff are thrilled with how their group is playing, with defense being the driving force of success.
“I think nine games into play, we only had three errors in those nine games total,” Yonke said. “So defensively we’re playing solid ball, and our pitching has been solid outside of the marathon game. You know, they struggled with the Marathon game. But other than that, our pitching and defense have been there.
Offensively, we haven’t hit our stride yet, but a lot of that’s got to do with the weather conditions. Pitching and defense, I think, is always ahead of offense with inclement weather. So defense and pitching has been a main priority.”
“They know what they want,” Yonke said. “They don’t talk about it, which is good, but they know what they want and what is expected, and you know, I don’t have to say it. They know what their ultimate goal is to get on that run and shoot for making it down to Madison again and hopefully getting one step farther.”
From the coaching staff’s perspective, that gives them a comfortable level of confidence in the group as they trek toward the 2026 postseason. Yonke and his staff know all too well that once postseason play begins, there is only so much the coaching staff can do from there.
“The kids are writing the book, and we’re getting to the final chapter,” Yonke said. “I tell them you can write the book and have it finished the way you want it. As coaching staff, all we can do is put you out there in the positions, in the lineup, but you have to perform. It’s your job to finish the book the way you want it.
“If you want to finish it on a positive note, down in Madison. You know that’s up to you. So, they’re basically going to finish the chapter and the book themselves. But I know for a fact that they want to end a season in Madison (again).
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@Gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: From hunter to hunted, Almond-Bancroft softball hungry for more
Reporting by Alfred Smith III, Stevens Point Journal / Wausau Daily Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
