Preview: Softball Set For Region Tournament

Who: Butler Softball (44-8, 30-2 KJCCC)

What: 2024 Region VI Softball Tournament

Where: Dodge City, Kan.

Venue: Legends Park

Day and Time: Friday-Monday, Butler's first game is noon CT on Friday and second game is 4 p.m. CT Friday.

Bracket: Click here for full bracket

Streaming Platform: BCTV+ will produce all streams on KJCCCSPORTS.net

Butler softball is embarking on the 2024 Region VI Softball tournament this weekend as they kick things off on Friday vs. the Pratt Beavers. An important note for this year's tournament is that the winner gets a bid to the NJCAA Division 1 World Series, unlike past seasons where the winner advanced to a district series they had to win to advance to the World Series.

Notes

• The Grizzlies hold the one seed in the tournament as they won the 2024 KJCCC title outright. The conference title is second year head coach Morgan Bohanan's first at the helm of the Grizzlies. A season ago Butler finished second but ultimately won the region and district championships to advance to their eighth consecutive NJCAA Division I National Tournament.

• Butler opens the tournament at noon on Friday taking on eight-seed Pratt (11-41, 7-25 KJCCC). The Grizzlies are 4-0 vs. the Beavers this season and most recently swept them at East Park on April 10th, winning 8-0 and 10-2, both run-rule wins.
• With a win, Butler would advance to play the winner of the Colby and Seward game at 4 p.m. With a loss the Grizzlies would play the loser of Colby and Seward at 4 p.m. in an elimination game.
• Last year Butler went a perfect 4-0 in the region tournament, defeating one seed Hutchinson twice on their way to an eighth consecutive region championship.

From head coach Morgan Bohanan

• "We're taking it game by game, not trying to look too far ahead and focus on each game one at a time."

• "I think we will adjust fine to the tournament format. We can plan accordingly when it comes to pitching and make sure we keep everyone fresh. I think they will be hungry to go out and play and ride the momentum we have right now."

• "The team that has the deepest pitching staff is set up for success and I am confident in our staff. All of our pitchers are ready to go."

• "We don't even think about the world series. We have to take it game-by-game. Winning will take care of everything."

Looking at the Grizzlies
 
• The Grizzlies enter the region tournament with a 30-2 conference record. Their lone losses came to Barton (2/29) and Hutchinson (3/18).

• Butler enters the tournament the winners of five straight games. They swept a doubleheader over the Seward Saints on Monday to clinch the KJCCC title and one-seed.

• The Grizzlies honored eight sophomores on Monday in a sophomore day ceremony, (Aly Hageman, Cheyenne Handsaker, Cady Dickey, JaKeyla McDaniel, Alyssa Mude, Kaylah Newman, Lena Walter and Mallory Young are the eight sophomores for Butler.

• As a team the Grizzlies hold the third best batting average in the KJCCC (.384) behind only Barton (.407) and Hutchinson (.419). The Grizzlies have hit the most home runs (55), walked the most (227), and stolen the most bases (181) among the conference teams.

• Individually, Claire Lopez holds the second-best batting average in the league (.508). Lopez leads the Grizzlies with 61 hits this season to go with a .589 on-base percentage and 53 runs scored.

• The Grizzlies display their team speed often and it shows in the leaderboards as four Grizzlies occupy the top five stolen base spots in the league. Kyrsten Moran leads the way with 44 on the season. Lopez is third with 30, Kory Schoenfeld has 28 and Aly Hageman rounds out the top five with 22 swiped bags.

• Sophomore shortstop Aly Hageman has played in 51 of Butler's 52 games this season, the most on the team. She has registered a big year at the plate hitting .414 with 60 hits, 50 runs scored, 41 RBIs, 29 walks, 12 doubles, 10 home runs and a team-high six triples.

• Sophomore catcher Cady Dickey remains the Grizzlies most fearsome power hitter as she has 10 home runs in 36 games, missing a portion of the season due to injury. Dickey is hitting .472 with 58 hits on the year. She leads the team with 52 runs batted in.

• Sophomore pitcher Cheyenne Handsaker has been Butler's ace in the circle this season. Her 2.04 ERA and 141 strikeouts rank second best in the KJCCC and her 18 wins are at the top. Handsaker is 18-4 and has struck out 141 to just 38 walks. She has tossed 11 complete games and recently fired a career-high 14 strikeouts in a 2-0 win over Colby on April 24th.

• The Grizzly pitching staff holds a 2.83 ERA, second best in the conference. They are led by Handsaker as well as a pair of freshmen in Chloe Odle and Addy Ewing. Odle holds a 14-4 record to pair with a 3.11 ERA. Ewing is a perfect 10-0 on the year with a 2.87 ERA.