The Bulldogs open their 2018 campaign on Friday, traveling to Orlando, Fla. Head coach Scott Hall's team will play five games in three days, taking on Louisville on Friday at 12 p.m. and Central Florida at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will face North Carolina at 11 a.m. and North Florida at 1:30 p.m. The Bulldogs will wrap up their time in Florida with South Alabama Sunday morning.

Butler, joined by new assistant coach Kayla Fortner, returns 14 letterwinners from its 2017 squad that advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament with an 11-9 league mark. Those 14 returners join a talented freshman class that will see significant time in the spring.

Alyssa Lach will lead the infield for the Bulldogs. The senior third basemen started in 51 games last season for Butler. She had 32 hits which included seven doubles, one triple, and one homerun with a slugging percentage of .333. Defensively, Lach has a consistent presence at third base, only committing six errors last season. 

The Bulldogs also return their first basemen Madi Christiansen. Christiansen started 48 games as a freshman and hit .308 with 36 hits. She finished third on the team with 25 RBIs and led the team in walks with 25 which contributed to a .433 on-base percentage.

Freshmen Maddie Moore and Claire Gilliland, along with sophomore Christina Candotti, will see extended time in the infield.

Senior Sarah Dixon and junior Jenna Foreman will anchor the outfield for the Bulldogs. Dixon started all 52 games for Butler her sophomore and junior seasons. Her junior year, she led the team with 27 RBIs, tied for the team lead with five home runs, and her 34 runs and 10 doubles were also tied for the team lead. Dixon was named MVP of the BIG EAST Tournament in 2016.
 
Foreman is a returning All-BIG EAST second-team selection for the Bulldogs. She led the team with a .371 batting average which was fifth in the conference. Foreman set a new Butler single-season record with 30 stolen bases which was second in the BIG EAST. Her 57 hits on the season were fourth in the BIG EAST.

Sophomores Alyssa Garcia and Peyton Longest saw action in 49 and 36 games, respectively, a season ago. 

Cheyenne Thompson and Sammy Andersen return for the Bulldogs behind the plate. During Thompson's 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.

Andersen scored seven runs and had seven RBIs last season. She also posted four doubles and one homerun during her sophomore campaign.

On the mound, Kaitlin 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. 

Freshman Alyssa Graves will be called upon in the circle after a strong fall campaign. Sophomore Gabbi Schnaiter and senior Ambry Turpen will also play a significant role in the Bulldogs' rotation. 

Butler was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll. BIG EAST play begins March 24 when Butler travels to Villanova. The BIG EAST Tournament is slated for May 11-12 in Rosemont, Ill.