Coach Scott Hall's pitching and catching staff for the 2018 spring season will feature a variety of playing styles. The pitching staff brings back four of their returners and one newcomer. For the catchers, the Bulldogs bring back juniors Cheyenne Thompson and Sammy Andersen along with redshirt freshman Elyse Babb.

#22 Cheyenne Thompson
Junior
Marshall, Ill.

Thompson is a returning catcher for the Bulldogs. Her sophomore season she saw a majority of her work at catcher after playing predominantly at shortstop as a freshman. Last season, she had five doubles, one homerun, and posted a slugging percentage of .349.

"Cheyenne can really control the run game for us behind the plate and has one of the best arms of our catchers," Hall said. "We look for her to be more of an offensive threat as well this year."

#11 Sammy Andersen
Junior
Minden, Iowa

Anderson is another returning catcher for the Bulldogs. Last season, she scored seven runs and had seven RBIs. Anderson also posted four doubles and one homerun during her sophomore campaign.

"Sammy had a great fall for us offensively," Hall said. "She has her own demeanor behind the plate and blocks the ball really well for us back there."

#17 Elyse Babb
Redshirt Freshman
Columbus, Ind.

Babb took a redshirt her freshman year due to injury. Prior to coming to Butler, Babb was a three-time MVP for Columbus East High School and led her team in hits and batting average her sophomore, junior, and senior season.

"Elyse is still trying to get her knee stronger after her injury," Hall said. "She brings power to the plate offensively. We will see how her playing time develops this spring."

"These three bring a solid receiving core behind the plate, they handle our pitchers well," Hall said. "We need them to really take over the defense and become vocal and establish a presence behind the plate."
 
#23 Mikeila Boroff
Senior
Auburn, Ind.

Boroff made 29 appearances for the Bulldogs last season posting a 3.99 ERA which was second on the team. She registered three saves that tied her for second in the BIG EAST.

"Mikeila is battling injury this year and we are waiting to see how her recovery goes. From there, we will see what role she plays for us," Hall said.

#00 Ambry Turpen
Senior
Fortville, Ind.

Turpen made six appearances in the circle last season for the Bulldogs and also served as a pinch-hitter with 11 at-bats. Her sophomore season, Turpen pitched 21.1 innings and started two games.

"Ambry had the best fall in her four years here, we are really pleased with how she played," Hall said. "She is one of our hardest throwers and she is consistent. Look for her to step up and throw more innings for us this spring."

#8 Kaitlin Doud
Junior
Portage, Ind.

Doud is a returning All-BIG EAST second-team selection for the Bulldogs as a utility player. As a sophomore, she was the team's most consistent pitcher appearing in 105.0 innings posting a team-low 3.73 ERA. At the plate, she had 31 hits which included 10 doubles, two triples, and five homeruns which tied for the team lead. She was second on the team with 26 RBIs. 

"Kaitlin is a pitch to contact pitcher and she moves the ball really well. Look for her to do more of the same this year," Hall said. "She's a definite threat at the plate and we look forward to her junior season."

#24 Gabbi Schnaiter
Sophomore
Fishers, Ind.

Schnaiter is a returning pitcher for the Bulldogs. As a freshman, she made 29 appearances and led the team in innings pitched with 111 which included eight complete games. She led the team in strikeouts with 61.

"Gabbi came in and really pitched well for us the start of her freshman year," Hall said. "She pitched in a lot of big games and we look for her to continue to get stronger and throw more innings for us this year."

#13 Alyssa Graves
Freshman
East Peoria, Ill.

Graves is in her first season as a Bulldog and will see time on the mound. Prior to coming to Butler, she was a first-team all-state selection at East Peoria Community High School where she holds the record for strikeouts in a season (325), wins in a season (29), and career strikeouts (735)

"Alyssa had an awesome fall for us. She has a great mound presence and spins the ball really well with a great off speed," Hall said. "She is in the mix to get a lot of pitching time this year."

"Our pitching staff is solid all the way through. We have a good mix of upperclassmen and different styles of pitching," Hall said. "We look to utilize that and keep teams off balance."