Former Wichita-area stars help Butler softball clinch NJCAA World Series berth
For the 14th time in program history, the Butler Community College softball team will play in the NJCAA World Series.
After a loss on the first day of the double-elimination tournament, the Grizzlies won five straight games, culminating in a 6-5 victory over Barton, to claim another Region VI championship last Monday. All 14 of Butler’s trips to the national tournament have come since 2007.
Butler (44-7) received the No. 9 seed in the national tournament and will play No. 8 seed Paris Junior College (50-9) at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 19 in the NJCAA World Series on Tuesday. The double-elimination tournament is played in Yuma, Ari. at the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex from May 19-24.
The Grizzlies, coached by Goddard native and former star player Morgan Bohanan, won their 19th Jayhawk Conference championship this season.
Kansans are featured prominently on the team’s roster, including a handful of former star high school players who are local in Circle’s Ellie Randall (16-2, 2.57 ERA), Andover’s Kylie Forney (.400 average, 14 home runs, 52 RBIs, 58 runs), Bishop Carroll’s Kory Schoenfeld (.434, 26 RBIs, 53 runs) and Derby’s Kyler Demel (.375, 48 RBIs, 35 runs). Other in-state stars include Olathe Northwest’s Claire Lopez (.500, 38 RBIs, 61 runs, 56 stolen bases) and Beloit’s Chloe Odle (12-3, 3.44 ERA).
Other standout players on Butler include Kim Yepez (.318, 17 home runs, 68 RBIs, 46 runs), Chloe Cardona (.319, 35 RBIs, 47 runs), Jenna Jobe (.418, 49 RBIs, 44 runs), Kyrsten Moran (.392, 35 RBIs, 61 runs, 51 stolen bases) and Addy Ewing (7-1, 3.11 ERA).
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 6:02 AM.
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