CURRAN, DANNENFELZER SIGN WITH MINOT HONEYBEES FOR 2024
Santa Clara University Middle Infielder and North Dakota State College of Science Catcher/2B to Play in Team’s Debut Season
MINOT, ND – Freshman middle infielder Cairah Curran and freshman catcher/second baseman Caitlyn Dannenfelzer have committed to play with the Minot Honeybees softball team in the Honeybees’ inaugural season.
Curran, who hails from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, boasts an impressive resume from her short time with the Santa Clara University Broncos, including earning West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, WCC All-Conference second team honors, tying for the conference lead in swipes at 11, and stealing the second most bases in the conference at 31. During the 2023-2024 season at Santa Clara, Curran has posted a fielding percentage of .961 with 133 putouts and a batting average of .302.
As a senior at James Campbell High School, Curran maintained an impressive .521 batting average with 22 runs off of 25 total hits and 8 runs batted in. She earned first team All-State honors and was selected for first-team Oahu Interscholastic Association West. While playing club softball, she played for the 2022 16U tier 2 Elite 8 finishing OC Batbusters club team in the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series and was named second team all-tournament U16 at the Triple Crown Nationals.
Curran comes from a family of softball players, with her mother playing at Hawaii Pacific University from 1994-1997, her sister Cydney playing at CSU Bakersfield from 2017-2022, and her sister Cieana playing for CSU Bakersfield in 2022.
Dannenfelzer, a native of Mandan, North Dakota, comes to the Honeybees following a standout season with the North Dakota State College of Science Wildcats, where she was named NJCAA DIII Player of the Week following a standout .600 batting average, 4 doubles, and 4 RBI in the Wildcats’ series against Kansas Wesleyan. She was also named to the 2024 Mon-dak All-Conference team. In the 2023-24 season, Dannenfelzer has appeared in 56 total games, and she currently ranks second in her conference in hits, runs, and doubles and ranks third in total stolen bases.
While in high school at Shiloh Christian School, Dannenfelzer played on the varsity team for 3 years, being a starter for 2 of those years. In her senior year, she maintained a .413 batting average with 25 runs from 31 hits and 27 RBI. She held a .983 fielding percentage and 116 putouts. As a junior, she was named Athlete of the Week, and as a senior, she earned first team All-State honors.
Dannenfelzer was a starter for her school’s JV softball team from 2018-2020, where they won 3 regional championships and 3 conference championships. She also played 4 years of club softball in North Dakota. In addition to softball, she also played high school varsity volleyball.
As a member of the Northwoods League, the Honeybees are looking forward to bringing for-profit summer collegiate league softball to the Upper Midwest for the first time. The league will bring together players from across schools, divisions, and conferences.
Fans eager to see Curran, Dannenfelzer, and the Honeybees play in their debut season can visit honeybeessoftball.com for tickets, game schedules, and group opportunities. For real-time updates on all roster announcements and team news, follow the Honeybees on social media or sign up for their e-newsletter.
