Butler Bulldogs softball
2023 Butler Bulldog softball team
UniversityButler University
Athletic directorBarry Collier
Head coachScott Hall (13th season)
ConferenceBig East
LocationIndianapolis, IN
Home stadiumButler Softball Field (Capacity: 500)
NicknameBulldogs
ColorsBlue and white[1]
   
NCAA Tournament appearances
2016
Conference Tournament championships
Big East: 2016

The Butler Bulldogs softball team represents Butler University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team was founded during the 1980–1981 academic school year, and is a member of the Big East Conference (Big East). The Bulldogs play their home games at the Butler Softball Field on campus in Indianapolis, IN.

During their tenure in the Big East Conference, the Bulldogs have claimed 1 Big East Conference softball tournament title.

History

The Bulldogs first fielded a varsity softball team in 1981 and have been a member of five (5) athletic conferences during their existence which includes the North Star Conference, Midwestern Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCC), Horizon League, Atlantic 10 and, as of 2014, the Big East Conference.

The Butler softball team has been led by Scott Hall for the last 12 seasons and is the 8th head coach in program history. Hall led the Bulldogs to a team record 4 tournament game wins in 2011 as well as a team record 16 conference wins in a single season in 2022. Hall also guided the Bulldogs to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016 after capturing the programs first conference tournament championship.

Butler Softball Field

The Butler softball team calls the Butler Softball Field home, located adjacent to the Holcomb Gardens across the Inland Waterway Canal. The field is a part of a larger athletic field complex that features Varsity Field (the alternate field for both the men's and women's soccer teams), the outdoor tennis courts and intramural softball and soccer fields.

The facility underwent major renovations during the summer and fall of 2010. A new press box was built along with new bleachers and walkways. Also, the actual playing field was replaced and is now one of the best surfaces in the region. In 2010, the facility received a new infield surface with a natural sand and clay mix.

The field features brick dugouts for both the home and visiting benches, a bullpen area and batting cages located down the first base line out of play and spectator seating for up to 500 people. The field's outfield dimensions extend to 200 feet from foul pole to foul pole.[2]

Head coaching history

Coach Years Record Win Pct.
Barb Greenburg 1981 - 1994 263-226-4 .533
Jeryl Neff 1995 - 1997 48-88-1 .350
Tiffany Strnad 1998 - 1999 37-68-1 .349
Dirk Welch 2000 - 2002 49-84 .368
Tom Spencer 2003 - 2005 55-103-1 .346
Angie Nicholson 2006 17-30-1 .354
Jeanne Rayman 2007 - 2010 105-100 .512
Scott Hall 2011 – Present 295-329-1 .472
All-Time (41 years) 1981 – Present 869-1,028-8 .456

Conference affiliation

On March 20, 2013, the Butler administration announced that the school would join the reconfigured Big East, and moved to the new conference on July 1, 2013.

Years Conference
1981 - 1986 North Star Conference
1987 - 2001 Midwestern Collegiate Athletic Conference
2002 - 2012 Horizon League
2013 Atlantic 10 Conference
2014 – Present Big East Conference


NCAA tournament results[edit]

Season Overall Record Conference Record NCAA Regional Location NCAA Tournament Results NCAA Tournament Bid Final RPI Ranking
2016 28-24 9-7 Lexington Regional L, 1-6 vs. No 9 Kentucky
L, 1–2 vs. Illinois		 Automatic 131st[3]


Season-by-season results[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Butler Bulldogs (North Star Conference) (1981–1986)
1981
Barb Greenburg
25-6
1982
Barb Greenburg
26-9
1983
Barb Greenburg
18-7
1984
Barb Greenburg
6-13
1985
Barb Greenburg
16-14
1986
Barb Greenburg
14-22
Butler Bulldogs (Midwestern Collegiate Conference) (1987–2001)
1987
Barb Greenburg
23-20
N/A
N/A
1988
Barb Greenburg
20-16-1
N/A
N/A
1989
Barb Greenburg
16-21
N/A
N/A
1990
Barb Greenburg
21-23
4-6
6th
1991
Barb Greenburg
25-21
6-4
3rd
1992
Barb Greenburg
12-24
5-5
5th
1993
Barb Greenburg
19-23
6-6
5th
1994
Barb Greenburg
22-28-3
4-6
4th
1995
Jeryl Neff
17-31
3-15
10th
1996
Jeryl Neff
13-29
5-9
6th
1997
Jeryl Neff
18-28-1
6-8
4th
1998
Tiffany Strnad
24-25-1
10-2
2nd
1999
Tiffany Strnad / Jamie Turner
32–24
13–7
4th
2000
Dirk Welch
13-36
3-9
6th
2001
Dirk Welch
21-25
3-9
T-6th
Butler Bulldogs (Horizon League) (2002–2012)
2002
Dirk Welch
15-23
5-9
6th
2003
Tom Spencer
18-31
8-13
5th
2004
Tom Spencer
18-39-1
10-10
5th
2005
Tom Spencer
19-33
7-12
6th
2006
Angie Nicholson
17-30-1
4-16
8th
2007
Jeanne Rayman
26-24
7-8
6th
2008
Jeanne Rayman
17-29
5-12
7th
2009
Jeanne Rayman
26-28
12-11
5th
2010
Jeanne Rayman
36-19
11-11
T-5th
2011
Scott Hall
32-24
14-8
3rd
2012
Scott Hall
25-32
13-11
5th
Butler Bulldogs (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2013–2013)
2013
Scott Hall
22-24
11-9
7th
Butler Bulldogs (Big East Conference) (2014–Present)
2014
Scott Hall
24-28
10-10
T-4th
2015
Scott Hall
24-27
9-12
4th
2016
Scott Hall
28-24
9-7
4th
NCAA Regional
2017
Scott Hall
23-29
11-9
4th
2018
Scott Hall
20-28
7-11
5th
2019
Scott Hall
16-32
4-12
8th
2020
Scott Hall
15-8
N/A
N/A
Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021
Scott Hall
17-21-1
6-11-1
5th
2022
Scott Hall
31-17
16-6
2nd
2023
Scott Hall
18-35
12-9
4th
Total:
869–1,028–8 (.458)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Conference tournament results[edit]

Source:[4]

Midwestern Collegiate Athletic Conference[edit]

Season Conference Overall Record Conference Record Conference Regular Season Finish Conference Tournament Results Conference Tournament Finish
1987 MCC 23-20 N/A 3rd W, 4-2 vs. Loyola
W, 5-3 vs. Detroit
L, 1-2 vs. Evansville
L, 1-3 vs. Detroit 		3rd
1988 MCC 20-16-1 N/A 2nd W, 2-1 vs. Loyola
L, 2-3 vs. Detroit
L, 1-2 vs. Evansville 		3rd
1989 MCC 16-21 N/A 4th L, 6-7 vs. Notre Dame
L, 6-7 vs. Evansville 		6th
1990 MCC 21-23 4-6 6th L, 1-6 vs. Dayton
L, 3-2 vs. Evansville 		6th
1991 MCC 25-21 6-4 3rd L, 3-7 vs. Loyola
W, 3-2 vs. Dayton
W, 1-0 vs. St. Louis
W, 3-0 vs. Loyola
L, 4-5 vs. Notre Dame 		3rd
1992 MCC 12-24 5-5 5th L, 0-5 vs. Evansville
L, 0-4 vs. Loyola 		5th
1993 MCC 19-23 6-6 5th W, 6-1 vs. La Salle
L, 0-1 vs. Notre Dame
L, 1-11 vs. Evansville 		6th
1994 MCC 22-28-3 4-6 4th W, 2-0 vs. Detroit
L, 5-7 vs. Notre Dame
W, 8-6 vs. La Salle
W, 9-8 vs. Detroit
L, 0-5 vs. Loyola 		3rd
1996 MCC 13-29 5-9 6th L, 0-6 vs. Cleveland State
L, 0-8 (6 in) vs. Green Bay 		8th
1997 MCC 18-28-1 6-8 4th L, 1-4 vs. Loyola
L, 0-1 vs. Detroit 		7th
1998 MCC 24-25-1 10-2 2nd W, 3-2 vs. Green Bay
W, 5-4 vs. Cleveland State
L, 0-2 vs. UIC
L, 0-6 vs. Detroit 		3rd
1999 MCC 13-43 6-6 5th L, 1-5 vs. Wright State
L, 0-4 vs. Green Bay 		6th
2000 MCC 13-36 3-9 6th L, 0-3 vs. Loyola
L, 0-2 vs. Detroit 		7th
2001 MCC 21-25 3-9 6th W, 7-3 vs. Wright State
L, 0-8 vs. UIC
L, 1-3 vs. Green Bay 		4th

Horizon League[edit]

Source:[5]

Season Conference Overall Record Conference Record Conference Regular Season Finish Conference Tournament Results Conference Tournament Finish
2002 Horizon League 15-23 5-9 6th W, 8-2 vs. Detroit
W, 4-1 vs. Green Bay
L, 0-12 vs. UIC
W, 3-1 vs. Loyola
L, 1-8 vs. UIC 		2nd
2003 Horizon League 18-31 8-13 5th L, 4-7 vs. Green Bay
L, 6-11 vs. Loyola 		7th
2004 Horizon League 18-39-1 10-10 5th W, 3-0 vs. Detroit
W, 1-0 vs. Youngstown State
L, 1-10 vs. UIC
L, 0-1 vs. Wright State 		4th
2005 Horizon League 19-33 7-12 6th L, 1-2 vs. Cleveland State
L, 5-7 vs. Wright State 		7th
2006 Horizon League 17-30-1 4-16 8th L, 0-7 vs. UIC
L, 0-11 vs. Loyola 		8th
2007 Horizon League 26-24 7-8 6th W, 2-1 (12 in) vs. Green Bay
L, 2-7 vs. Wright State
W, 7-1 vs. Detroit
L, 1-2 (9 in) vs. Cleveland State 		4th
2008 Horizon League 17-29 5-12 7th L, 0-6 vs. Green Bay
W, 3-1 vs. Youngstown State
L, 1-2 vs. Loyola 		7th
2009 Horizon League 26-28 12-11 5th W, 8-1 vs. Youngstown State
L, 0-7 vs. Cleveland State
W, 2-0 vs. Green Bay
W, 12-4 vs. Loyola
L, 2-5 vs. Wright State 		4th
2010 Horizon League 36-19 11-11 6th W, 4-1 vs. UIC
L, 9-11 vs. Wright State
L, 2-3 vs. Green Bay 		5th
2011 Horizon League 32-24 14-8 3rd W, 4-0 vs. Wright State
W, 3-1 vs. Valparaiso
L, 1-2 vs. UIC
W, 5-4 vs. Valparaiso
W, 1-0 vs. UIC
L, 3-5 vs. UIC 		2nd
2012 Horizon League 25-32 13-11 5th W, 3-0 vs. Youngstown State
W, 6-1 vs. Valparaiso
L, 1-9 (6 in) vs. Loyola
L, 2-3 (8 in) vs. Valparaiso 		3rd

Big East Conference[edit]

Season Conference Overall Record Conference Record Conference Regular Season Finish Conference Tournament Results Conference Tournament Finish
2016 Big East 28-24 9-7 4th W, 10-6 vs. DePaul
W, 10-8 (8 in) vs. St. John's 		1st
2017 Big East 23-29 11-9 4th L, 3-9 vs. St John's 4th
2021 Big East 17-21-1 6-11-1 4th W, 8-1 vs. DePaul
L, 1-4 vs. UConn
L, 5-14 vs. Villanova 		3rd
2022 Big East 31-17 16-6 2nd L, 0-2 vs. Villanova
L, 1-4 vs. UConn 		4th
2023 Big East 18-35 12-9 4th L, 6-9 vs. St John's
L, 2-4 vs. DePaul 		6th


See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Butler Athletics Visual Identity Guide (PDF). November 29, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  2. ^ "Facilities". Butler University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  3. ^ "2016 NCAA Women's Softball RPI". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  4. ^ "Butler SB Record Book Updated Feb 7 2022 (PDF)" (PDF). Butler University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  5. ^ "Softball Record Book (PDF) - Horizon League" (PDF). horizonleague.org. Retrieved 2022-05-04.


Category