SPEARFISH, S.D.- Black Hills State University Softball coach Ashlyn Englehorn announced the signing of five new players to the 2026 on Monday afternoon. Marissa West (Gillette, Wyo.), Natalie Galindo (Greeley, Colo.), Makenzie Yoder (Eudora, Kan.), Molly Buckingham (Star, Idaho), and Jianna Cota (Tucson, Ariz.) will all be joining the team for the 2027 season. They will also be joining fellow 2026 classmates Sydnie Snook (Erie, Colo.), and Bryton Dawes (South Jordan, Utah) as newcomers this year.
 
Marissa West // Infielder // 5'1" // R/R // Gillette, Wyo. // Thunder Basin H.S. // Otero College
West will be joining the team as a redshirt sophomore after spending the past year and a half at Otero College in La Junta, Colorado. She was dominant as a freshman, with a .351 batting average in 111 at bats, which was third highest on the team. She had a .433 on-base percentage with 16 walks to only 10 strikeouts and had 39 hits, 19 RBIs, seven extra base hits with five doubles, a triple, and a home run. She also had 11 stolen bases. She earned the High Impact Freshman award for head coach Marc Benjamin's team. Prior to her time at Otero, West was a star on Doug Coxs' Thunder Basin H.S. softball team. She was a four-year starter at TBHS and was pretty dominant in all four years. In her senior season, she was named All-State and All-Conference after posting a .634 batting average and a .644 on-base percentage with 37 RBIs and a .983 fielding percentage. She helped lead her team to the state championship, where she would win her second state championship of her career. She posted a .464 batting average her sophomore season with a  .571 on-base percentage, and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. She was named All-Conference in her freshman season, when she hit .318 with a .416 OBP. She helped lead her team to the state championship that season as well. Outside of softball, she was on the National Honor Society all four years as well. West is the daughter of James and Kristen West and the sibling of Amanda EverSull, Alissa West, and Myranda Winkler. Her sister Alissa played softball at Dawson CC from 2021-2023.

Coach Englehorn's Thoughts "We are excited to welcome some local talent to the program, and Missy is a Yellow Jacket at heart. She brings a competitive edge, toughness and grit that will be valuable to our lineup and our team. Having spent two years competing at a strong junior college program, she has developed the experience and confidence that will translate well to the RMAC. Missy plays with a fire and determination that you can't teach, and we expect her to compete every day and represent this program and this community with everything she has."
 
Natalie Galindo // Utility // 5'5" // R/R // Greeley, Colo. // University H.S.
Galindo is the sole high school signee in this wave of players and is joining BHSU as a true freshman out of Chris Hutton's University High School softball team. Galindo, a four-year starter, is coming off a massive year, where she was named First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference for the 3A level. She helped lead the Bulldogs to become state champions last fall after finishing as runners-up in two of the three prior seasons. Galindo hit .406 in 69 at bats with 38 runs, 28 hits, 31 RBIs, eight doubles, one triple, and four home runs with an .887 fielding percentage. Before that she was named First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State in her junior year after hitting .479 in 73 at bats with 40 RBIs, 35 hits, 32 runs, 9 doubles, and seven home runs while leading her team to  a runner up finish in the state tournament. Her sophomore year, she hit .541 with 34 RBIs, 40 hits, and 36 runs scored in 74 at bats while having ten doubles, three triples, and four home runs. She earned First Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State that year as well. She finished Second Team All-Conference her freshman year after hitting .272 in 81 at bats with an .871 fielding percentage while helping her team to another runner up finish at state. She also was a top basketball player earning Honorable Mention All-State in her senior season as well while helping her team to a runner up finish at state in her junior year. She competed in the CCGS All-State softball and basketball games and the CHSCA All-State softball game. Galindo was in National Honor Society as well. She is the daughter of Tim and Lindsey Galindo and the sibling to Ella and Timothy.

Coach Englehorn's Thoughts: "Natalie comes to BHSU with winning experience in multiple sports and has competed against some of the top athletes in Colorado. From the first time we met her, she impressed us with who she is as a person and competitor, and we knew she would be a great fit in The Hills. Natalie has the ability to compete and make an impact at the RMAC level, and we believe she will do great things as we continue to elevate our program." 
 
Makenzie Yoder // Outfielder // 5'10" // R/R // Eudora, Kan. // Eudora H.S. // Johnson County CC
Yoder, a Junior college transfer, from Johnson County CC will be entering her junior year and is coming off a fantastic sophomore season for the Cavaliers and Aubree Brattin-Volkens team. She hit .382 with a .500 slugging percentage and a .450 on-base percentage. In 135 at bats, she had 52 hits, 41 runs, 37 RBIs, 23 walks, 19 stolen bases, seven doubles, four triples, and four home runs. Overall, in two years, she had a .342 batting average and 46 RBIs with 30 walks and 26 stolen bases in 184 at bats. She went 3-for-3 with three runs scored in a game versus Cloud County CC.  She then went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and two runs scored in a game versus Cowley County CC, and she had her first four-hit game of her career versus Allen County CC with two runs scored. She had a great high school campaign for Bill Finucane's squad at Eudora High School. She hit over .330 in each of her four years and in her senior year, she hit .445 with 33 hits, 19 RBIs, 24 runs scored, and 10 doubles. In her junior year, she hit .480 with 40 hits, 27 runs scored, 23 RBIs, 10 doubles, three triples, and three home runs. She was a four-time All-Frontier League performer and earned honorable mention in her freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons. She earned second team in her junior year. She was also named Lawrence Journal-World All-Area Honorable Mention her senior year. Outside of softball, she was on the National Honor Society as well. Yoder is the daughter of Kendra and Andy Yoder and is the sibling to Maddie Yoder.

Coach Englehorn' s Thoughts: "Makenzie knows how to win, and she impressed us with her quiet confidence from the beginning. Coming from the KJCCC, one of the premier junior college conferences in the country, she is battle-tested and ready to compete at a high level from day one in the RMAC. Makenzie is a naturally gifted athlete who will add depth and athleticism to our outfield. She also has the ability to be a triple threat offensively, which will give us another dynamic option in our lineup." 
 
Molly Buckingham // Infielder // 5'8" // R/R // Star, Idaho // Owyhee H.S. // Northwest Nazarene
Buckingham joins BHSU as a D2 transfer after spending her first two years at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho. She appeared in 48 games for the Nighthawks. She was primarily used as a pinch hitter in her sophomore season making 17 at bats with three hits, a double, and six runs scored with three walks. Her freshman year, she went 2-for-3 in her at bats with nine runs scored while being used frequently as a pinch runner. She had six stolen bases in her career and hit .300 in her 20 total at bats with 15 runs scored. Prior to attending NNU, Buckingham was on Tess Martin's squad at Owyhee H.S. and was a four-year starter. She hit over .400 hit in each of her final two season including .455 with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in her junior season. She helped lead her team to two state runners up finishes and a state championship in her junior season. She was named Honorable Mention All-Conference in her junior season and Second Team All-Conference as a senior. Off the field, she was in the National Honor Society, and was a member of the HOSA for Future Healthcare Professionals. She is the daughter of Tami and Jeff Buckingham and has two siblings, Finley and Trig.
Coach Englehorn's Thoughts: "When Molly came to campus this summer, we immediately felt that she would fit naturally within the culture of our team. She brings a solid glove, athleticism and speed that will add depth to our defense and allow her to compete against RMAC opponents. From the moment she stepped on campus, Molly's competitiveness and grit stood out. We believe those qualities will make her a great addition to our team dynamic and our continued pursuit of excellence." 
 
Jianna Cota // Catcher/Utility // 5'3" // R/R // Tucson, Ariz. // University H.S. // UMary
Cota will be entering BHSU as a sophomore after spending her freshman season in Bismarck at UMary. During her one year there, Cota was the top hitter for UMary, she led the team with a .328 batting average and on-base percentage with a .414 mark. She also had a .412 slugging percentage and had 39 hits, 25 RBIs, 21 runs scored, seven doubles and a home run with 19 walks in 119 at bats. She caught nine runners stealing behind the plate and had a .988 fielding percentage. Prior to beginning college, Cota was a four-year starter at University High School in Tuscon, Arizona and was captain of the squad the final two years. She was named All-Region First Team in 2023 and 2025 as catcher. She was also named All-Region Honorable Mention in 2022. Her senior year she hit .481 with 25 hits, 13 RBIs, and 10 doubles. Off the diamond, she was recognized in the National Hispanic Recognition Program, the National First-Generation Recognition Program, and the Mexican American Student Services Certificate for Athletic Achievement. She is the daughter of Jennifer and Jose Cota and has two siblings, Jaelyn and Joel. Her mom played softball at Pima Community College and is in the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.

Coach Englehorn's Thoughts: "Jianna is going to be a great fit for our program. She comes from a strong club organization and showed that her skills could translate immediately at the collegiate level during her freshman season in the Northern Sun. She will bring a consistent, disciplined approach at the plate while adding versatility defensively. We expect Jianna to compete for opportunities behind the plate while also providing valuable depth in the outfield."