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Butler Community College Athletics

Grizzlies to Kick Off NJCAA Division 1 World Series Monday

9-Seed Butler Softball Embarks on National Tournament Journey Monday

Grizzlies to Kick Off NJCAA Division 1 World Series Monday
May 18, 2025

What: NJCAA Softball Division 1 World Series

When: Monday, May 19th – Saturday, May 24th

Venue: Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex | Yuma, Arizona

Streaming: Games prior to the quarterfinals/second round of the elimination bracket will be streamed at njcaa.org/network. Starting in the quarterfinals and second round of the elimination bracket, the games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Live Stats: Linked on the softball schedule page of ButlerGrizzlies.com

Live Audio: BCTV's Matt Jacobs will have the audio only call for each game on the BCTV+ mobile app or at ButlerGrizzlies.com/WatchLive

Bracket: Click here to view the bracket.

Schedule/Scores: Click here to keep up with all games at the NJCAA D1 World Series.

The Butler Community College softball program will open its 14th trip to the NJCAA Division 1 World Series on Monday afternoon as they take on the Paris Junior College Dragons at 3:30 p.m. MST in Yuma, Arizona.

THE PATH

The nine-seed Grizzlies and eight-seed Dragons each had a first round bye and open play in the second round at 3:30 p.m. local time (Yuma, Ariz.) on Monday. The winner advances to play the winner of one-seed Florida SouthWestern and either McCook/Crowder on Wednesday at 1:30. The loser between Butler/Paris will play an elimination contest on Wednesday at 9 a.m. You can view the bracket here.

BUTLER'S TOURNAMENT HISTORY

  • The Grizzlies are making the program's 14th appearance in the NJCAA Division 1 World Series, all coming since 2007 as Butler has appeared in 14 of the last 18 (no postseason in 2020 due to covid-19).
  • Butler is 23-22 (.511) all-time in the NJCAA Division 1 World Series.
  • Butler has won two NJCAA Division 1 National Championships, with back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 (both in St. George, UT) under NJCAA Hall of Fame head coach Doug Chance. The Grizzlies were 5-0 in both tournaments.
  • Head coach Morgan Bohanan is leading the Grizzlies to their second appearance in the World Series in her three years at the helm of the program. She holds a 137-29 (.825) overall record as head coach.
  • Butler is 1-2 in the World Series under Bohanan as they won the opening game in 2023 over the College of Southern Idaho before dropping a game each to Odessa and Indian Hills.
  • The last time the World Series was held in Yuma was in 2022, Doug Chance's last as head coach. The Grizzlies held the No. 6 seed after finishing 48-2 following the Region 6 Tournament. They went 0-2 in the tournament with losses to the College of Central Florida and Wallace State.
  • Butler is 2-4 all-time in Yuma with this being their third trip all-time to The Grand Canyon State for the NJCAA D1 World Series.
  • Butler has the second most National Tournament Appearances (14) out of this year's field with Chattanooga State leading the pack with 22. Butler's 14 appearances ranks tied for fourth most in NJCAA D1 Softball history with St. Louis-Meramec. The other team in this year's field with 10 or more appearances is Wallace State (13).
  • Butler is one of seven programs in this year's field to have won a national championship and one of five to win multiple. Florida Southwestern (2021, 2022, 2023), Chipola (2015, 2019), Wallace State (2008, 2013), Chattanooga State (2012), Crowder (1986), Arizona Western (1983, 1987) all have titles.

LOOKING AT THE FIELD

  • The Grizzlies have played three total games vs. other World Series participants this season, going 2-1 with a win over Paris and a doubleheader split with 17th seed Crowder College on the road in Neosho, Mo., (March 17th).
  • Butler defeated its opening round matchup opponent, Paris, 14-12 on Feb. 12th this season in a non-conference tournament in Denison, Texas. The Grizzlies outhit Paris 17-14, using a five-run top of the seventh inning to secure the win. Kim Yepez drove in a game-high six runs finishing 4-5 with two home runs. Butler hit four home runs in the game. At the time Butler was ranked 14th and Paris 16th.
  • Butler is the lone representative from the state of Kansas in the tournament.
  • The state of Texas leads the way with five teams competing in Yuma (Navarro, Paris, Grayson, McLennan, and Odessa.) Florida is next highest with three (Florida SouthWestern, Chipola and Northwest Florida State.) The only other state with multiple selections is Alabama (Southern Union State, Wallace State). Other states represented are Nebraska (McCook), Missouri (Crowder), Idaho (Southern Idaho), Tennessee (Chattanooga State), Arizona (Arizona Western), Illinois (Lake Land), Oklahoma (Rose State) and North Carolina (Gaston).
  • Butler is 8-6 all-time vs. the 2025 NJCAA World Series field in the National Tournament.
  • The Grizzlies are 0-1 vs. Chattanooga State (L, 3-1 in 2008). 0-2 vs. Wallace State (L, 8-6 in 2013 and L, 8-1 in 2022). 3-1 vs. Chipola (W, 4-3 in 2013, W, 10-0 in 2016, W, 4-2 in 2016 and L, 5-4 in 2018). 2-1 vs. FSW (W, 5-4 in 2016, W, 4-2 in 2018 and L, 2-1 in 2021). 2-0 vs Southern Idaho (W, 7-6 in 2018 and W, 4-1 in 2023). 1-0 vs. Trinity Valley (W, 10-2 in 2021). 0-1 vs. Odessa (L, 5-1 in 2023).
  • Of this year's field, Butler has played Trinity Valley (W in 2021), Florida SouthWestern (L in 2021) and Wallace State (L in 2022) in Yuma previously.
  • The last five NJCAA Division 1 Softball Champions have come from the state of Florida with Indian River State winning in 2024, Florida SouthWestern going back-to-back-to back from 2021-23 and Chipola winning in 2019 (no tournament in 2020 due to covid-19.)

COMING IN HOT

  • Butler enters the World Series the winners of 30 of their last 32 games. The Grizzlies dropped back-to-back games just once this season.
  • The Grizzlies lost on day one of the Region 6/Plains District Tournament this year for the first time since 2015 as they fell to Garden City, snapping a 15-game winning streak. Butler rallied to win five consecutive games, clinching the automatic bid and earning their 14th Region 6 title in program history.
  • Claire Lopez, Kylie Forney, Kyler Demel and Addy Ewing were all named to the Region 6 All-Tournament team.
  • Forney paced the Grizzly offense going 11-21 (.524) with 11 RBI and five doubles in seven games.
  • Lopez wasn't far behind hitting .458 (11-24) with nine stolen bases, eight RBI and eight runs scored.
  • Demel brought the power, homering twice as she drove in 10 runs, scored six runs and drew five walks.
  • Ewing served as Butler's closer as she picked up two saves as well as two wins in the tournament, finishing with a 3.94 ERA.
  • Click here to view Butler's All-Conference honorees.

BUTLER TEAM STATS IN THE TOP-10 (NJCAA D1)

  • Scored the sixth most runs (532)
  • Stolen the seventh most bases (181)
  • Fifth best batting average (.395)
  • Walked the 10th most (214)
  • Have the fourth best OBP (.481)
  • Slugging the sixth best (.658)
  • Have hit the seventh most doubles (130)
  • Smashed the 10th most home runs (72)
  • Have the ninth most extra base hits (221)
  • Fielding at the fifth best clip (.963)
  • Turned the second most double plays (16)
  • Have the sixth most pitching saves (7)

BUTLER INDIVIDUAL STATS IN THE TOP-10 (NJCAA D1)

FOLLOW ALONG

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