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

In 2021, Gunelson and his Cougars’ caught fire when it mattered most capping the season making a run to the Region VI Championship game. Concluding the season 4th in the KJCCC East at 12-15, Gunelson’s squad concluded the campaign at 21-24 overall.

A pair of Cougars secured All-KJCCC East honors with freshman Madison Faylor leading the charge with a first-team nod. Faylor a native of Elk City, Oklahoma was the offensive catalyst for the Cougars leading the squad in 8 of 13 offensive categories. First baseman Brooke McCollough wound up her Cougar career as a second team all-conference selection after appearing in all 48 games and ranking among the top-five in 10 of the 13 offensive categories for Barton.

Gunelson’s third season at Barton was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the 2020 season was halted, Gunelson helped lead the Lady Cougars to a 6-1 start before ending the campaign at 10-9. During the course of the season Gunelson notched his 60th career victory at Barton following a 14-6 triumph over Northwest Kansas Technical College on March 4, 2020.

Despite being resorted to their homes and finishing up the semester through online learning, the Cougars remained solid academically with twelve members earning NJCAA academic honors of achieving a 3.60 GPA overall, two maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA, as the team combined for 3.34 average.

With a full season at the helm and hitting the recruiting trail in 2018, Gunelson’s second season led to being named the Co-Coach of the Year in the KJCCC East Division I.  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 10^th 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 20 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.