National champion Butler leads All-Sunflower Slate softball team

The All-Sunflower Slate softball team is comprised of players from Kansas small colleges — Newman, four schools from the MIAA, 10 schools from the KCAC and the Jayhawk Conference:

Coach of the Year: Doug Chance, Butler (Led Butler to its first softball national title, seven national tournament appearances in 12 seasons)

Player of the Year: Morgan Bohanan, Butler

Pitcher of the Year: Emmie Robertson, Pittsburg State

Catcher: Nicole Nease, jr., Pittsburg State (Second team All-MIAA pick led league with 17 home runs)

First base: Morgan Bohanan, fr., Butler (Led Butler with a .490 batting average; went 8-for-19 batting with four doubles and one home run at the NJCAA Tournament)

Second base: Morgan Balderas, so., Highland (Did a little bit of everything for Scotties with .421 batting average, 69 hits, 70 runs, 62 RBIs and 17 doubles)

Third base: Samantha Villegas, sr., Saint Mary (Led Spires with .347 batting average, 18 doubles and 11 home runs)

Shortstop: Christina Downs, sr., Friends (Augusta product named KCAC Player of the Year)

Outfield: Megan Wurts, so., Butler (NJCAA All-American led Butler with 77 runs, 38 stolen bases; game-winning hit in national championship game)

Outfield: Taylor Mannis, so., Newman (Maize South product led Jets with .353 batting average, 30 runs, 60 hits and 20 stolen bases on way to All-Heartland Conference honors)

Outfield: Isabella Gonzalez, fr., Friends (KCAC Freshman of the Year started every game in center field and committed just one error)

Pitcher: Alex Brake, so., Labette (Two-time NJCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year led Jayhawk with 278 strikeouts)

Pitcher: Emmie Robertson, so., Pittsburg State (MIAA Pitcher of the Year broke own single-season record with 301 strikeouts)

Pitcher: Regan Mergerle, fr., Butler (Went 24-3 with 1.51 ERA and team-high nine complete games)

Relief pitcher: Brynn Minor, fr., Butler (Second in nation with 1.00 ERA to go with 72 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings)

Utility/DH: Dominique Salgado, so., Sterling (Unanimous All-KCAC pick led league with .500 batting average and 74 hits)

This story was originally published June 12, 2016 at 8:00 PM with the headline "National champion Butler leads All-Sunflower Slate softball team."