Barton Softball tabbed third in KJCCC Division I coaches poll, begin 2025 season January 31 #GoBarton

The Barton Community College softball team has been picked third according to league member coaches for the upcoming 2025 KJCCC Conference Division I season.
Fourth in the past two pre-season predictions, the Cougars move up in Head Coach Carson DuBose's third season following a third place finish 21-11 last season in both the regular season and subsequent Region 6 Tournament, concluding the year at 29-20 overall.

Defending KJCCC Champion Butler Community College came out on top of the voting receiving four first place votes towards their 76 total points as defending Region 6 Champion Hutchinson Community College accumulated 71 points including four first place nods as well.

The Cougars received 62 total points in being tabbed to finish no lower than fourth place, well ahead of the point standings from Colby Community College's 45 points

Complete 2025 KJCCC Predicted Order of Finish

Last season ten members of the squad earned All-Conference/Region VI honors, five of those returning for their sophomore season. The selections, along with the rest of the squad, set nine program records with three additional top ten impacts while placing among the nation's top ten 2023-24 season achievements including a 2nd best Fewest Strikeouts per At-Bat (2.37), a 3rd most Doubles (141), a 6th best Batting Average (.405), and an 8th best Highest On-Base Percentage (.477).

Two returners landed on the first team headlined by the league's reigning Most Valuable Player in outfielder Allyson McDougal. Native of Moore, Oklahoma, McDougal concluded her freshman campaign on a nine-game hit streak, set the program record batting .488 on the season on a third all-time best 83 hits in her 49 games played including 27 multi-hit performances. In addition to the nine game hit streak, McDougal also strung streaks of 12 and 14 games, the latter drawing the Week Six KJCCC and NJCAA Player of the Week award.

Elina Bartlett helped the Cougars in multiple facets whether in the lineup for her bat or in the center circle to earn 1st team Designated Player honors. The Cheney, Kansas, native began her career with a 3-for-4 performance, carrying on through the season to bat a team third best .431 to land just outside the program's top ten best single season average. From the circle Bartlett appeared in 28 games going 9-3 and recording a save.

The remaining three returners earning 2nd team distinction last season are infielders Aly Lawrence and Chloe Enslinger, along with pitcher Brooklynn Angielski.

Lawrence manned second base for much of the year, while spending some time in the center circle. Batting .429, the Wichita, Kansas, native strung together a 17-game hit streak during the season with 21 multi-hit performances in connecting on 21 doubles for second most on the team.

Enslinger manned the hot corner for much of the season with occasional time spent behind the dish relieving honorable mention selection Leslie Ramos who is continuing her career at Emporia State University.

Batting .425 in the middle of the lineup, Enslinger led the team with a .799 slugging percentage and 11 home runs to drive in the program's 5th most 60 runs in a single season. Earning the KJCCC's Week 12 Player of the Week honor, the freshman from Derby, Kansas, led the league with 9 home runs against conference opponents and drove in a second most 43 runs.

Despite being hampered by injury mid-way through the season, Angielski made an impression with league coaches in her initial collegiate season. The freshman from Sperry, Oklahoma, was the game one starter when available, finishing the season 9-9 overall pitching 98.0 innings and striking out 73 batters. In league play Angielski was 6-3 in the circle in ranking 6th overall with a 5.89 strikeout per seven innings average.

In addition to the post-season selections, two others return in pitcher Alicia Goseland and first baseman Mia Mascarenas, along with eleven freshman and welcoming in first year Assistant Coach Kelcie Kippes, a former standout pitcher at conference foe Butler.

Barton opens the season Friday, January 31, in Neosho, Missouri, in two days of contests against host Crowder College and Northeastern Junior College.

Next up will be the Cougars' home opener on Wednesday, February 5, against Neosho County Community College before embarking south for a four-game weekend in Dennison, Texas.

Two more tune-up dates are scheduled, February 19 hosting Fort Scott Community College and a February 22 trip to Rose State College.

The Cougars will open the 16-date, 32-game conference slate at home February 26 hosting Seward County Community College.

Regular season concludes coinciding with the Cougars' last home game on April 26 against Hutchinson.

Post-season begins May 2 with the four-day Region 6/Plains District Championship with the victor earning a trip to Yuma, Arizona, for the NJCAA Division I Softball World series held May 19-24.