LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three members of the Yellowjacket softball team were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Third Team for Region IX, the organization announced Friday.
 
The Superior trio of Lily Hanson (Cloquet, Minn./Esko), Ellie Macal (Winona, Minn./Cotter) and Peyton Bennett (Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg) each received their first all-region honor for their performances in the 2025 campaign.
 
Hanson was named to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference's (UMAC) first team after starting all 43 games as a senior. She finished third in both RBIs (37) and hits (54) on the team, while adding 11 doubles, four triples and three home runs. Defensively she played up the middle for the 'Jackets, fielding .921 on the year.
 
Macal received the league's player of the year honors along with a spot on the All-UMAC First Team and All-UMAC Defensive Team. She led the Yellowjackets with a .462 batting average which saw her rank within the top 50 in all of NCAA Division III. Macal capped 2025 with a career-best in runs, hits, doubles, and home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage.
 
Bennett ran away as the UMAC's Rookie of the Year award after hitting .421 with 14 doubles, six triples, four homers and 35 RBIs. Starting in all 43 games, she patrolled the Yellowjacket outfield and predominantly batted at the top of the lineup, earning her way to ranking 35 in the nation with 61 hits. On the basepaths she led Superior with a total of 28 swipes in her freshman campaign.
 
UW-Superior (31-12) won a share of the UMAC regular season championship for the second time in program history in 2025. In the postseason tournament, the two-seeded Yellowjackets fell to Bethany Lutheran and Northwestern.