The North Butler softball team rebounded from a 5-19 record in 2024 to a 16-13 finish this season. The Bearcats faced a challenging schedule between three competitive weekend tournaments and a Top of Iowa East Conference East slate featuring four ranked opponents.
The Bearcats went 6-0 in tournament action, earning tournament titles at Lake Mills and Belmond-Klemme and a pair of wins at Garner-Hayfield-Ventura. The Bearcats defense stood its ground allowing three runs or less to five of six opponents. The bats shined plated five or more runs per game during tournament play. Head Coach Austin Guerrero on the postseason tune-up tournament play provided.
“Our girls just had a lot of fun competing. When you get times to compete, it kind of gives you that level of intensity and feel for a postseason matchup. That’s needed come the end of the regular season. I thought that was exactly what these tournaments did for us,” says Guerrero. “It was a time to see the girls step up in different opportunities. When you have two or three games a day, you’re mix matching lineups. I thought every single girl on our roster stepped up big in these tournaments and helped us to go to that 6-0 record.”
The Bearcats were battled tested in conference play with two games apiece against state qualifier #5 (2A) West Fork, state qualifier #8 (1A) Newman Catholic, #4 (2A) Osage and #11 (2A) Central Springs. The Bearcats went 5-10 in the conference. Guerrero on the value of facing a highly talented conference.
“I think we don’t get to that level that we wanted to and make those jumps without playing that high quality competition. When we played every single team competitively, at least one of those matchups, if not both times with a lot of those teams. You learn to compete at a high level. You’re forced to be put in situations where you’re playing teams that have strong hitters or strong fielding and are strong in several areas. They make you think, make you adjust your lineup and make you adjust your approach. That always makes us stronger. I feel like that’s what helped propel us, when we didn’t see teams that we had already played.”
Four different Bearcats were Top of Iowa East all-conference honorees including Zoey Thompson, Kamri Groen, Mackenzie Schultz and Charlotte Shook.
The Bearcats season concluded in a regional semifinal, after falling to #10 (2A) Beckman Catholic.
