When things were looking kind of bleak for the Bingham Miners softball team early in the season, Gracelyn Lemke called a special team meeting. 

The Bingham senior told the girls that it was time they started playing for each other. Lemke said the Miners needed to start having fun playing the game they fell in love with as kids. 

Eventually, that about-face turned things around for the team, and the Miners never looked back until the 6A Championship Game, where they fell in an unfortunate Game 3 loss to rival Riverton in a narrow 10-7 decision. 

Key to that turnaround? 

The core of a group that captured a state title as sophomores and reached the state championship game two years in a row after that, ending their time at Bingham this past May as some of the program’s modern-day greats. 

Eight seniors. Six college commits in total. Of those playing their last softball for the Miners, three made All-State teams. 

Brooklynn Fogg was a terror on the base paths. Headed to SLCC, the senior speedster finished with a .955 fielding percentage this season, the best of her career. 

“Brooklynn wrapped up an incredible season, and we couldn’t be more proud of the player - and person - she’s become. Her senior year was more than just a final chapter; it was the result of years of dedication, growth, and perseverance through every high and low along the way,” her father, Bobby Fogg, said. “She gave it everything she had, and it showed. Of course, she didn’t get here alone. We’re deeply grateful for the coaches who believed in her and the teammates who pushed her to be her best. It’s been a journey, and we’re so thankful to everyone who’s been part of it.” 

Fogg hit .415, had four doubles and 11 RBI, and even hit her first home run as a senior. Fogg also stole nine bases and completed her career with 36 stolen bases, along with 83 hits and a three-year batting average of .329. That earned Fogg 6A Second Team All-State honors, the first time in her career she’s achieved such an honor—Fogg was named Honorable Mention last year. 

Brecka Larson firmly etched her name in the school’s record books by throwing 222 strikeouts this season. The SLCC-bound senior finished with a 37-19 record as a Bingham pitcher. Her 517 career strikeouts ranks first among Miners that played from 2011 to 2025. For her efforts on the circle, Larson was named 6A First Team All-State. She also hit 35 RBI this season, ninth best in modern-day school history and finished her time as a Bingham hitter with 11 home runs, 70 RBI and hit three triples and nine doubles. 

And then there was Shyann Banasky. Like Fogg, the senior never made an All-State Second Team—let alone a First Team. Her best season was last season, and that earned Banasky an Honorable Mention. This year, however, there was no turning back for the senior bound for the College of Southern Idaho, as she made the 6A All-State First Team. 

“I’m really excited she went out on a bang,” her mother, Shauntel Banasky, said. “She had her best season, she played phenomenally. Her bunt coverage from third base was unmatched. I’ve never seen anyone intentionally walked all four at bats at a game ever, that was a core memory for me.” 

Banasky made a lot of memories for this Miners team as a senior. She led Bingham in batting average, hitting .494. Banasky also topped the Miners in on-base percentage (.612), hits (44) and RBI (42). She was also the top Bingham hitter in slugging percentage (.910) by almost 300 points, and doubles (14) and triples, with four on the season. Above everything though, her mom was impressed by her hard work and determination to improve off the field. 

“She had a full mindset change and it was incredible to see the growth,” Shauntel Banasky said.

The Miners’ other five seniors included Gracelyn Lemke. The Bingham senior hit a team-high seven home runs and was second on the Miners in slugging percentage, at .630 for the season. A four-year starter, Lemke had a .367 batting average in almost 300 at-bats, hit 16 home runs, had 95 RBI and stole 17 bases over her career. 

Another senior who played a big role in the Miners success was Rian Howland. Bound for Snow College, she ranked first in fielding percentage (.976) on the Miners this season and ranked in the top three in five other categories (OBP, RBI, slugging percentage, doubles and triples). For her career, Howland hit .401 for the Miners—including .480 as a junior. She also had a .975 fielding percentage in four years at the school. 

The sixth senior bound for college is Zalia Carrillo. Headed for Dawson (Montana) College, this Miner hit .309 over four years, along with 32 RBI. Other seniors for the Miners were Kamrie Cowley, who hit .333 as a senior and Makalia Wooton, who smacked three RBI in four at bats this season.