Trinity’s Softball Team: Faith on the Field
Pitch, pray and play…these are three things that make Trinity’s softball team a little more unique than others. Team Coach Stephanee Johnson said, “I like having a pastor on the team because as the Home Team, he prays for the game ahead of us.” She continued, “We’re here to play softball but there’s a bigger reason, too.”
Pastor Daniel Hanson, the pastor on the team, agreed, “What unites us is our faith!” An avid Cardinals fan, Hanson played baseball in his younger years and helped bring the Luther Seminary Heretics back. He also has played on different church teams throughout the years. Why participate in Trinity’s softball team? “It’s good to be with people in different ways–kind of ‘outside the box,’” he said. “What’s interesting to see is that the team is about 50/50…half have played on the softball team before and half are brand new.”
Besides the varied experience levels, there is a great mix of young and old. Hanson said, “Team members are in different seasons of life! It’s fun to see dads and kids play together on the team.” Johnson mentioned that she likes to see so many of Trinity’s youth involved in the softball team. “There’s lots of good fellowship, and it gets them to know other people in the church,” she said.
The “very generational team” includes at least 6 Trinity youth members (in the 14-18 age group) and a couple college-aged members as well. Johnson said she loves seeing the change in people over the summer. For example, some start out pretty shy and end up being very talkative. She also enjoys seeing people cheer for each other.
Trinity has some fans in the stands who help cheer the team along as well. Parents and other family members constitute the majority of the fans…and then there’s Dani Vogel, Youth Director at Trinity. She usually has snacks for the crowd, and it seems she is quite partial to cheese. Sometimes she has brought a jar of pickles. Most of all, she provides support for the team and the other fans.
For a team that (mostly) plays for fun, Trinity Softball has an underlying competitive vein. Johnson said, “You wouldn’t think church softball would be competitive, but it can get heated!” Both Johnson and Hanson mentioned St. James Lutheran as great competition. “We’ve only beat them once,” Johnson said. Hanson nodded his head in agreement, “They’re really good!”
In the past years, the church leagues were separated into Alpha and Omega with Alpha being a competitive league and Omega being a “play for fun” league. Now the leagues are blended together, so fun and competition are both the names of the game.
Trinity’s team is one of ten from around Mason City and North Iowa. Johnson said, “A lot of team members come back year after year.” She has enjoyed being involved over the years, and is proud of designing the team’s jerseys. “I like to hang out in the dugout and build relationships, getting to know people outside of church,” she said. Regarding Johnson as coach, Hanson added, “She’s a positive role model and an encourager for young and old!”
If Trinity members are looking for a fun way to get to know others outside of church, contact Pastor Daniel Hanson or Stephanee Johnson. They stressed, “Whatever your skill set is, we want more players!” And if you aren’t interested in playing softball, your presence is requested in the cheering section. “We’re always looking for more!” Johnson said.†
Why are you playing on Trinity’s Softball team?
“I like being with my friends!” –Kelsey Morud
“I just want to have fun with the community…and stay active! (I’m pretty old…!)” Jamie Fuller
“It’s a good time having fellowship with people. It doesn’t matter who wins! It’s fun getting to watch people improve.” –Brian Koob
“I like to have fun and this is a fun competitive kind of thing. It’s also a family thing–I get to play on the team with my niece, Grace Berding. Getting outside and enjoying the weather is good, too!” –Daniel Dodge
“I played softball growing up and missed it. I thought it would be fun to meet people from the church! My mom, sister and grandma come to watch…it’s a big deal!” –Grace Berding
“Baseball & softball were a big part of my life growing up and later I enjoyed coaching my daughters Kendra and Ashton’s teams from Park and Rec to a travel team with Manly Heat. Trinity softball gives me a chance to continue playing and the bonus of playing alongside my daughters. It is pretty special.” -Scott Camper
Trinity’s 2025 Roster
Penny Bennett
Grace Berding
Ashton Camper
Kendra Camper
Scott Camper
Kameron Casey
Daniel Dodge
Jamie Fuller
Henry Hansen
Daniel Hanson
Alyse Hesley
Colton Hesley
Travis Hesley
Brooklyn Holley
Nolan Hurd
Stephanee Johnson (Coach)
Brian Koob
Audrey Lingbeek
Rustin Lingbeek
Kelsey Morud
Bennett Suntken
Chris Suntken
Jace Suntken
Blake True
Eric True
To view our game schedule, please visit trinity-mc.org/softball or trinity-mc.org/calendar!
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