HONEYBEES BRING BACK THREE FOR 2026
The 2025 season of Minot Honeybees softball saw major improvements. Not only did the Bees dramatically increase their win total, they also qualified for the first ever Northwoods League Softball Championship Series. Now heading into 2026 with new head coach Kendall Winn, the Honeybees trust three Acme and Kubota Tools on the Field of last season’s team to lead the charge back to the title game.
Taylor Chillingworth, Infielder, San Jose State University
Coming off of a strong debut season in Minot, a Home Run Challenge appearance and numerous postseason award nominations, Taylor Chillingworth is running it back with the Bees in 2026. The San Jose State junior was an integral part of the Honeybees run to the Championship Series. Chillingworth hit .280 over 40 Northwoods League games while also hitting eight home runs and driving in 25 runs.
Come postseason, Chillingworth was at her best. In the two-game series against Madison, Taylor would go 3-for-6 with a go-ahead home run in game two. Following the season’s conclusion, she would be named a Northwoods League All-Star and member of the Rawlings Finest in the Field.
Her spectacular summer led into a spot on the Aussie Spirit softball team which took on Team USA in January. Following that performance, Chillingworth has made the cut for Australia’s national team for the World Cup Qualifiers in June with hopes of Olympic qualification as well.
Originally from Adelaide, South Australia, Chillingworth found a new home in Minot over the summer. Now she’ll return to her summer stomping grounds for another season of Northwoods League Softball.
Olivia Hernandez, Catcher, Purdue University Northwest
Returning for a second season as part of the catching rotation is Purdue Northwest senior Olivia Hernandez. A reliable backstop for the Bees also brings in big play potential with the bat.
Hernandez split time at catcher during the 2025 season, appearing in 22 games. In that span, she would hit close to .300 and carry a .791 OPS. She also recorded six hits and five RBI in her final six games of the summer.
Coach Winn has brought Hernandez back to the team not only for her skill but for her veteran presence in the dugout. Now wrapping up her fourth season of Division II softball, all at PNW, Hernandez has just about seen it all when it comes to college softball.
The second-team All-GLIAC pick a year ago begins the roster build at catcher, an important position in a heavy base-stealing league like the NWL.
Ashleigh Heiderscheit, Pitcher, West Liberty University
Ashleigh Heiderscheit’s favorite color scheme might be black and yellow, but we’re just guessing. A member of the 2025 Honeybees, Heiderscheit moved on to play her first season in black and gold for Division II West Liberty this spring.
The junior from Georgetown, Texas pitched in 10 games for West Liberty in her first season of NCAA softball. She maintained a 5.32 ERA across 23.2 innings for the Hilltoppers.
Not only did she pitch, she added a hitting focus as well. While only stepping up to bat 15 times for the Honeybees last summer, Heiderscheit would get 25 at-bats for West Liberty. Adding on to her pitching arsenal with increased confidence at the plate will be a valuable part of Heiderscheit’s Honeybee contributions in 2026.
