The softball team finished 26-22 last season. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics.
LYLA KOOPMANN | STAFF REPORTER | lkoopmann@butler.edu
The softball team began its season on a rough note in the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Feb 6. The team went 1-4 at the tournament, with its win coming against the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
The Bulldogs are going to use results from their first games as fuel and motivation rather than frustration. With lofty goals such as winning the Big East, senior outfielder Emily Todor explained how the team will continue their season with a positive outlook.
“We are having the mindset that we are capable of winning every game,” Todor said. “We can go out there and win anything with [fielding, pitchers and hitting] if we all just work together.”
Entering his 15th season coaching the Bulldogs, head coach Scott Hall believes this season’s team is well-rounded, holding many strengths.
“There’s the ability in the circle that our pitchers can carry us in a weekend,” Hall said. “Our bats can carry us in… We’re kind of even on all fronts right now.”
This balance could be one of Butler’s greatest strengths. Unlike the other teams, which may rely heavily on their offense or defense to carry them, the Bulldogs have the ability to be more dangerous during conference play due to their balance.
Senior outfielder Cate Lehner is at the top of the lineup and expected to make a big impact this season. Lehner recently broke the career hit record for Butler with 202 hits. Lehner also has 82 career steals which is second-most in program history.
On the mound, junior pitcher Katie Petran provides stability and leadership with her 22 wins over the past two seasons. She is supported by a group of transfers, redshirt sophomore pitcher Maren Berger from Utah State and senior pitcher Rylyn Dyer from Georgetown. With a strong defensive unit with speed, power, experience and a veteran core, the Dawgs are expected to compete at a high level throughout conference play.
With a senior-dominated lineup and experienced pitchers, the Bulldogs are entering 2026 with a mature mindset that separates them from other teams.
“Our seniors have done a great job so far stepping into leadership as far as just showing work ethic and how we go about our business,” Hall said. “The true leadership will show up when things get tough.”
Hall also has faith that the incoming class is going to surprise people this season.
“Both freshman pitchers have looked well,” Hall said. “[First-year infielder] Kayla Priess had a great opening weekend. [First-year infielders] Kendall Graves and Rachel Hunt had big at-bats for us, driving in runs.”
The Bulldogs will seek to sharpen their team in nonconference games before opening Big East competition later this season. Games against conference teams such as DePaul and UConn are highly anticipated by the team.
“I’m looking forward to playing UConn this year because they’re a pretty new team,” Todor said. “I feel like it’s a good, competitive game every year.”
