Butler retains No. 1 ranking for third consecutive week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Butler softball team is ranked first in the NJCAA Division I Women's Softball poll for the third consecutive week.

The Grizzlies (41-2 overall, 12-0 conference) received all four first-place votes in the poll. Butler added two wins to the win column Satruday against Garden City and are currently on its longest winning streak of the season at 18 games. The Grizzlies started the season with 15 straight wins before dropping their first game of the season, then won eight in a row until losing to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on March 16.

The Butler offense continues to be one of the top teams in the nation statistically, ranking first in batting average (.403). The Grizzlies are also ranked in the top 10 in runs scored (372, 9th), runs batted in (354, T-9th) slugging percentage (.669, 2nd), home runs (71, 4th), on-base percentage (.464, T-2nd) and doubles (96, T-10th). The Grizzlies have won 22 games by run-rule this season, including 14 of their last 17 contests. 

The Butler pitching staff boasts one of the top staffs in the nation as well, ranking eighth overall with a 1.68 earned-run average. Butler has limited opponents to a .180 batting average, which ranks first in the nation.

Butler is scheduled to host Barton for a pair of conference games Thursday at 3 p.m., then finish out the conference schedule Friday at home against Seward County at 2 p.m.