As the spring sports season begins to wind down, many teams are already beginning to prepare for their next season.

The football team had its annual blue and white scrimmage, the men’s soccer team had its spring exhibition matches, and five teams have announced additions to their rosters for next year.

Let’s take a look forward and see how some of Butler’s teams will be changing for the 2012-13 school year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The men’s basketball team finished the 2011-12 season with a 22-15 record, averaging 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were ranked eighth and 10th in the Horizon League in those categories, respectively.

The team has a chance to improve with the additions of senior guard and transfer Rotnei Clarke and incoming freshman guard Kellen Dunham.

In three seasons at Arkansas, Clarke averaged more than 15 points per game and shot nearly 44 percent from 3-point range.

Dunham averaged more than 29 points during his senior season at Pendleton Heights High School.

The Bulldogs will also be adding guard Devontae Morgan from Tampa, Fla., and guard Chris Harrison-Docks from Okemos, Mich.

Morgan led his high school team to a state championship last season, averaging more than 15 points and six rebounds per game.

Harrison-Docks averaged 21 points and five steals per game in his senior season.

The team will lose only two players—guard Ronald Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butler will have to make up for the loss of Nored’s defensive prowess, as well as the experience and leadership provided by the pair.

Clarke and seniors Emerson Kampen, Chase Stigall and Andrew Smith will likely be asked to step up and fill those roles.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team concluded its 2011-12 season with a 13-17 record and said goodbye to two senior guards—Devin Brierly and Kaley May.

Brierly was the only Bulldog to start in all 30 of the team’s games. She recorded more than 32 minutes of playing time per game, averaging 11 points per game.

Sophomore center Sarah Hamm is the only returning player to average more than 10 points per game last season.

Hamm will be joined by sophomore guard Jenna Cobb, freshman forward Hayley Howard and freshman guard Hannah Douglas, who all played key roles on the team last season.

Butler will also be adding four incoming freshman—forward Katie Brewer from Indianapolis, guard Blaire Langlois from Carmel, guard Lexus Murry from Indianapolis and forward-center Olivia Wrencher from West Chester, Ohio.

Brewer is a versatile player who has the ability to knock down three-pointers and battle down low.

Langlois has deep range on her jump shot but also has the ability to make plays with her passing.

Murry averaged more than 22 points per game during her senior season and can also be effective on the defensive end, where she averaged 3.5 steals per game.

Wrencher will bring size to the Bulldogs that will complement the play of Hamm and Howard under the basket.

SOFTBALL

The softball team will lose seven seniors at the conclusion of its current season, including four-year starting outfielder and third baseman Lauren McNulty, Butler’s home run record-holding first baseman Erin Falkenberry and catcher Mallory Winters.

Despite this, coach Scott Hall has five incoming players who could make an immediate impact on the program.

Alex Kotter, a shortstop from Vincennes Lincoln High School, had a .615 career batting average and was an Indiana first team All-State pick.

Chelsea Conover, an outfielder from Brownsburg, led her high school team in stolen bases, runs scored and on-base percentage for three years.

Audrey East is a utility player from New Palestine High School. East is one of the best power hitters in Indiana and boasted a .902 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 47 RBIs last season.

Taylor Lockwood, a pitcher from Southport High School, has good control and will be a solid addition to the pitching staff.

The same could be said for Kristin Gutierrez, a left-handed power pitcher from Highlands Ranch High School in Colorado.

Gutierrez, a 2011 Triple Crown All-American honoree, is a dual threat with her pitching and hitting. She led her conference with 127 strikeouts and recorded a .542 batting average.

The success of the pitching recruits could be key with the loss of senior pitcher Breanna Fisher and injuries to junior pitcher Jenny Esparza this season.

BASEBALL

The baseball team will add four players who could have an immediate impact next season.

Nick Bartolone is a left-handed outfielder from Harrison High School. Coach Steve Farley said he expects Bartolone to compete for position in the outfield next year.

Chris Marras, a catcher from Vernon Hills, Ill., will get the chance to work with two fifth-year senior catchers, Radley Haddad and Nick Hladek.

Nick Saldutti is a power-hitting first baseman from Westfield High School. He hit .477 with a .571 on-base percentage in his junior season.

Drew Small is a utility player from Zionsville. He was an All-State honorable mention.

His versatility and speed will help him compete for a spot in the outfield, especially with the loss of senior outfielder Mike Hoscheit.

The Bulldogs will also lose pitchers Dom Silvestri, Mike Hernandez, Brad Schnitzer, Brian Padove and Ryan Salvino, as well as senior infielder Griffin Richeson.

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team is returning eight players who played in at least 50 sets last year and lost only one senior in Maureen Bamiro.

Bamiro, a former middle blocker, finished with the second-best attack percentage in Butler history and sixth all-time in kills and kills per set.

Last season, she was voted All-Horizon League.

The Bulldogs will return sophomore middle blocker Maggie Harbison, who will likely be a key contributor after being voted All-Horizon League last season.

Butler will also add two transfer students.

Freshman Erica Stahl, a transfer from Cincinnati, will be an addition to the middle blocker position.

Stahl only has four sets of collegiate experience under her belt but was named among the top high school volleyball players by the Under Armour Watch list in 2010.

Sophomore Morgan Peterson, a setter from Middle Tennessee State, will have two years of eligibility with the Bulldogs.

She averaged 8.58 assists and 1.41 digs per set last season.

The Butler softball team split the first two games of its three-game series against Horizon League rival Wright State yesterday.

Photo by Josh Morris

In the first game of the series, the Bulldogs (17-26, 7-7) grabbed a 5-1 victory.

Butler got on the board early with a two-out RBI double from senior catcher Mallory Winters.

Then, with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning, senior Alyssa Coleman recorded a pinch hit, three-run double to pad Butler’s lead.

The Bulldogs added one more run in the sixth inning.

In the second game, Butler started out strong again.

Freshman third baseman Callie Dennison scored on a single by junior Meaghan Sullivan in the bottom of the first inning.

The Raiders (18-24, 6-8) tied it up in the second inning before the Bulldogs added an unearned run in the third inning.

Errors would plague Butler the rest of game.

The Raiders added two runs in fifth—both unearned—as a result of Butler fielding errors.

The Bulldogs tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, but mistakes on the base paths prevented them from scoring.

“It came down to four errors and some critical base-running mistakes,” coach Scott Hall said. “We have to be able to execute.”

The bright spot for Butler were  solid pitching performances from sophomore Leah Bry in both games.

“Leah was awesome today,” Hall said. “We just have to do a better job of playing defense and backing her up.”

Last weekend, the Bulldogs won one game in a three-game series against conference opponent Green Bay.

Butler lost the first game 4-1, not getting a hit until the seventh inning.

Bry took the loss for the Bulldogs.

The second game was a different story, with the Bulldogs recording a season-high 17 hits and winning by a 9-8 margin.

Butler got out of the gate quickly, scoring four runs in the first inning.

Three of the runs came from a swing of the bat, as senior outfielder Lauren McNulty cracked a three-run home run.

The Phoenix (15-17, 4-5) answered back and took a 7-4 lead into the sixth inning.

In the top of that inning, freshman infielder Kristen Boros hit a solo home run to cut the lead to two.

Butler then tied the game with two runs in the seventh inning.

McNulty broke the 7-7 deadlock in the 10th inning with a solo shot to center field.

It was her sixth long ball of the season.

The Bulldogs added an insurance run with a double from freshman Maria Leichty and an RBI single from Winters, giving the Bulldogs the 9-8 win.

Senior pitcher Breanna Fisher picked up her fourth win of the season.

In the final game of the series, the Phoenix recorded 13 hits and scored 11 runs in just four innings.

Photo by Josh Morris

Butler had only four hits and three runs in the 11-3 loss.

The Bulldogs did pick up a non-conference win last Thursday against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Butler had five hits and a shut-out performance from Bry on the way to 4-0 victory.

The Bulldogs will finish the three-game series against Wright State today.

Butler will then close out its six-game homestand with a three-game series against Detroit this weekend.

The Butler softball team was one inning away from sweeping its three-game homestand against Loyola of Chicago last weekend.

Photo by Rachel Anderson

The Bulldogs (9-21, 3-3) were unable to accomplish the feat, though, and finished the weekend with two victories.

In the first game against the Ramblers (10-14, 3-3), junior pitcher Jenny Esparza made her first start at home and led Butler to a 2-0 win.

Esparza, who was later named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week, fired a three-hit shutout, finishing with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Butler recorded only four hits in the contest, but they proved to be enough. Junior first baseman Meaghan Sullivan had two hits, and RBI were recorded by senior centerfielder Lauren McNulty and shortstop Kayla Gray.

In the second game of the series, Loyola staged a fifth-inning comeback to defeat Butler 5-4.

McNulty hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage.

Butler increased its lead in the bottom of the third inning with a run-scoring double by Sullivan, who later scored on a sacrifice bunt by McNulty.

Errors cost the Bulldogs though.

Two defensive miscues in the top of the fifth inning led to a two-out grand slam by Loyola sophomore first baseman Lauren Zaworski.

Butler sophomore pitcher Leah Bry took the loss for the Bulldogs despite not allowing an earned run in five innings of work.

In the rubber game of the series, Butler defeated Loyola 4-0.

The Bulldogs took advantage of a fielding error and two walks to get on the board in the bottom of the first inning.

They extended their lead with an RBI double by Gray in the bottom of the fourth inning and a two-run double by senior right fielder Jessica Huey in the fifth inning.

Esparza started the game for Butler and recorded another victory. She finished with five strikeouts and allowed two hits in four innings of work.

Senior pitcher Breanna Fisher came on in relief of Esparza and scored a save.

The conference games against Loyola followed an 8-1 victory over Michigan State last Thursday.

Esparza pitched four innings and earned what would be the first of three consecutive victories.

Butler is taking on Indiana State in a doubleheader today and will host Illinois-Chicago for three games this weekend.

Butler athletic team members with spring seasons are familiar with hitting the road for long trips to warmer locales.

The number of miles racked up by some squads may be surprising though.

Graph by Rachel Anderson

Seven of Butler’s athletic teams have made or will make at least two trips more than 600 miles from Butler during the 2011-12 school year.

Men’s and women’s golf coach Bill Mattingly said the Midwestern climate of Indianapolis makes scheduling far-off events necessary.

“In the spring, we go down south, and we try to do more [long trips] because of the better weather,” Mattingly said.

Both golf teams will head to Jacksonville, Fla., over spring break, where the Bulldogs will face non-conference opponents.

Mattingly said this helps the teams prepare for Horizon League play.

“We like to play against different teams in other conferences to help us get ready for our conference,” Mattingly said. “Playing better teams on tougher courses can get us ready for that.”

The Butler softball team is also accustomed to starting off the first month of the season in the South or on the West Coast.

The team is making a trip to Fresno, Calif., for this weekend’s 2012 Bayer CropScience Classic.

The Bulldogs will then travel from Fresno State to Pacific University in Oregon for two contests on March 14.

Senior outfielder Lauren McNulty said that while the trips may sometimes involve driving long distances, it is worth it to be able to leave the cold weather behind.

“I think I speak for all of my teammates when I say that we would take a 10-hour bus ride every weekend to play in nice weather,” McNulty said.

While the Butler football team plays its games in the fall, it is a member of the far-reaching Pioneer Football League.

While the longest trip made from Butler to another Horizon League member’s location is 349 miles for Youngstown State, annual cross-country flights are required in the PFL.

Teams from North Carolina, California, Florida and New York are currently part of the league.

Senior quarterback Andrew Huck said that while the trips offer some players a chance to see a new part of the country, they have to focus on the competition ahead.

“We had a lot of players who hadn’t been to California or on a plane before,” Huck said. “We have to keep in mind that we’re going on a business trip rather than a spring break vacation.”

Huck said the time change between Indiana and California can be difficult to cope with.

“We’ve had games start at 7 or 8 [p.m.] their time, which is 11 here, and we only have one day to overcome jet lag,” Huck said.

McNulty said that flying to games does not affect her play.

“I’ve never experienced jet lag or exhaustion after flying to a tournament,” McNulty said. “The most tiring trip is usually the trip home because we are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted after a weekend of games.”

According to Huck, the long road trips that teams embark on are useful for improving the chemistry and camaraderie of a team’s members.

“I would say it brings you closer,” Huck said. “You’re removed from campus, and you’re really bonding with each other.”

The Butler softball team grabbed two wins in a four-game series against three teams in Evansville last weekend.

The Bulldogs (2-4) took control early in their final game of the weekend, defeating host Evansville 3-2.

Butler tallied two runs in the first inning and added another in the third inning to capture the victory.

Junior pitcher Jenny Esparza recorded 12 strikeouts and senior third baseman Lauren McNulty and senior catcher Mallory Winters each had two hits in the game.

On Sunday Butler played its second game against Missouri-Kansas City but lost 1-0 in eight innings.

Senior pitchers Leah Bry and Breanna Fisher combined to hold the Kangaroos (6-4) to four hits on the day, but UMKC scored the only run of the game after a throwing error by the Bulldogs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

In the first game between the teams, two Kangaroo pitchers combined to hold the Bulldogs scoreless on five hits in a 2-0 win for UMKC.

Esparza took the tough-luck loss for Butler, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out nine.

The Bulldogs started the weekend strong with a decisive 8-0 win over Detroit.

Bry recorded a one-hit shutout and was supported by 10 hits.

The Bulldogs will travel to Arkansas to play in the Woo Pig Classic this weekend.

After coming close to making history last season, the Butler softball team is looking to bounce back and make its first appearance in the NCAA tournament this season.

The team lost only three players to graduation last season and returns an impressive lineup that includes junior Jenny Esparza, the defending Horizon League Pitcher of the Year.

The Bulldogs will also have 2011 All-Horizon League First Team first baseman Erin Falkenberry and outfielder Lauren McNulty back for their senior seasons.

Butler was ranked second behind favorite Illinois-Chicago in the pre-season Horizon League poll.

Falkenberry set the Butler single-season home run record last year with 13 while leading the team with 43 runs batted in. She said the Flames are worthy of being pre-season favorites.

“They won conference last year, and they didn’t lose that many players,” Falkenberry said. “We’re trying to redeem ourselves from last year.”

Photo by Rachel Anderson

Esparza said Horizon League opposition will be difficult this year after Butler finished as runner-up to the Flames in last season’s Horizon League tournament.

“I think it’ll be tough,” Esparza said. “There are a lot of returning players from the previous year.

“It’s always hard competition, especially since we did well last year, so we’ve got a big target on our backs.”

The Bulldogs begin the season by playing four games over two days at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 18 and 19.

In those contests, they will face the host Bison and the Samford Bulldogs in two games apiece.

Butler will face its toughest non-conference challenge when it heads to California on March 9 to participate in the 2012 Bayer CropScience Classic at Fresno State.

Among the nationally-ranked teams Butler will face are California currently No. 3 in the ESPN.com USA Softball poll and No. 11 Oregon.

McNulty, who batted .286 and was second on the team with 29 runs batted in last season, said that the two Pac-12 schools will be the Bulldogs’ toughest competition this season.

“Both teams have just had great softball programs in the past, and I know they made it to the regionals last year, so they’re very good softball schools and well respected in the softball culture,” McNulty said. “I think they’ll be our toughest opponents when we’re on the road.”

Coach Scott Hall said the high-caliber competition will give Butler the opportunity to get ready for the Horizon League portion of its schedule later in the season.

“[The non-conference schedule] prepares us and keeps us consistently finding out what we need to improve on,” Hall said. “It gives us an idea of where we’re at right now and what we need to work on.”

The team’s first home game is during a March 19 doubleheader against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne.

Hall said he hopes the team’s offseason workouts can help the Bulldogs stay focused and keep them from injuries over the course of the season.

“We’ve been doing a lot of conditioning and weight training,” Hall said. “[We are] trying to get our bodies and minds right for the long grind of the season.”