The Norwalk softball team just closed the books on a third consecutive 30-win season, each one ending at the state tournament in Fort Dodge. And despite the graduation loss of six senior starters from this year’s squad, Warrior head coach Beau Livingston is quick to point out that expectations are not going to change in 2025.

Livingston tells KNIA Sports that the program is loaded with quality players. Some of them have already been major contributors to the success and growing tradition of Norwalk softball. Others are hungry to make their mark in the future. Livingston adds that it was disappointing to fall short of this year’s state championship game, but he is very proud of all the girls on the roster.

“We’re not afraid to put our goals out there for people to know, and our goal was to be state champions,” he said. “We fell a little short of that, which is OK. You want to set goals that are hard to reach, and we’ll keep working. We’ll enjoy this, we’ll take some time off, but the goals won’t change a year from now.”

Livingston expects to coach another fun, exciting group next season. He adds that sharpening some things up defensively will be a point of emphasis. The Warriors will be led by a core group of four seniors in three-year starters Nyah Hulbert, Maddie Gullion and Bailey Birmingham, as well as Carly Brewer, who took over the No. 1 pitching duties in her first year with the program. Paced by Hulbert’s .500 batting average, those four players combined to total 165 hits, 18 home runs, 34 doubles, 109 runs scored and 96 RBI this past season.

Addi Fisher, Ava Garvey, Kalli Henke and Halie Karnatz will also be seniors next year and looking for expanded roles on the varsity team. Livingston says that the Warriors have some talented sophomores and freshmen that will also factor into the mix next season.