Tyler Gunelson is in his third season leading the Barton Softball program.

With a full season at the helm and hitting the recruiting trail, Gunelson’s second season led to being named the Co-Coach of the Year in the KJCCC East Division I post-season awarding. Concluding the season in the Region VI Championship game at 33-17, the Cougars placed second in the East Division at 20-6 which included breaking up 10th ranked Butler’s 77 conference game winning streak.

Six Cougars were represented on the All-East Division squad with Tia Kohl earning Co-Most Valuable Player distinction with Betsy Parmley being named the Freshman of the Year, as well as, earning first team All-Region VI honors. Third baseman Alexis Sharples wound up her Cougar career as a first team conference selection with fellow sophomore second baseman Hailey Pop landing on the second team. Freshmen Jade Philips and Jaelyn Carter rounded out the selections in being named to the second team.

Gunelson was hired and inherited the squad in the early Fall of 2017 with just two returning sophomores, guiding the Cougars to a fourth place 14-14 conference mark and first round Region VI Tournament victory before winding up the season at 18-25 overall.

Two Cougars earned post-season KJCCC Division I awards as Kat Frakes, one of the two returning sophomores, was selected for the second team after the Topeka native led the Cougars with a program fifth best single season effort of a .439 average and team leading twenty doubles to also land on the program’s 5th best single season spot. Transfer and red-shirt freshman Morgan Michaelis earned Barton’s second award with an honorable mention selection as the Lyons native led the Cougars in six offensive categories while second to Frakes with a .419 batting average while also drawing a program second most 28 walks on the season.

A Salina Central High School and Salina, Kansas, native, Gunelson previously spent seven years of coaching from the high school, NJCAA, and NAIA levels, as well as, experience from summer programs. Having begun his post-secondary educational career at Brown Mackie College, Gunelson earned his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from Newman University before earning his Master’s degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Emporia State University.