Zach Bolinger

PREVIEW: Butler Hosts Providence for Final BIG EAST Series of Regular Season

4/30/2026 1:28:00 PM | By: Joey Gruner

DATE:                           Friday-Sunday, May 1-3
LOCATION:                    Indianapolis, Ind. / Butler Softball Field
LIVE STATS:                   butlersports.com/statbroadcast
LIVE VIDEO:                   HomeTeam Network

The Butler softball team hosts Providence in its final BIG EAST series of 2026 season. The Bulldogs (22-18, 13-8 BIG EAST), who were 2-1 at DePaul last weekend, have already clinched one of the four spots in the BIG EAST tournament which begins on Thursday, May 7. Joining Butler in the postseason are Providence, UConn, and Creighton. The Friars (28-16, 17-4 BIG EAST) currently sit atop the conference standings. They have won every BIG EAST series this season, including one with Georgetown this past Tuesday and Wednesday which had been postponed.

Butler will recognize seven seniors prior to game two on Saturday. Team members competing in their final season are Morgan Robertson, Emily Todor, Hailey Conger, Kieli Ryan, Rylyn Dyer, Cate Lehner, and Olivia Robards.

Bulldog Bits
(as of 4/26/26)

As a team, Butler leads the BIG EAST and (ranks nationally) with 22 double plays (34th). The Bulldogs are second with 5.88 RBI/game (47th) and 6.23 runs/game (64th), third with a .306 batting avg. (88th), and fourth with 1.38 stolen bases/game (69th).
Makena Alexander leads the BIG EAST and is (ranked nationally) with: 1.40 RBI/game (15th), .553 on base% (27th), .904 Slug% (28th), and .452 avg. (32nd). She is fourth in the conference with 13 home runs.
Hailey Conger ranks in the BIG EAST and is (ranked nationally) in these categories: 1st (19th) with 1.28 runs/game, and 5th (65th) with .519 on base%.
Cate Lehner ranks in the BIG EAST and is (ranked nationally) in these categories: 1st (26th) with 24 stolen bases, and 2nd (23rd) with 30.2 at bats per strikeout.

last week, vs. Dayton (W) and at DePaul (2-1)

BIG EAST career hits record: In game one at DePaul on April 24, Cate Lehner produced her 131st hit in BIG EAST competition, surpassing Lexi Hastings (UConn 2022-25) for a new BIG EAST all-time hits record.
Team single-season RBI record: In the DePaul series, the Bulldogs broke the Butler team record for single-season RBIs. The moment came in game one during the sixth inning when Hailey Conger drew a bases-loaded walk for the 223rd RBI of the season.
Alexander was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for her performances vs. Dayton and at DePaul. She batted .538 with seven hits, including a double and a home run, totaling six RBIs.
Maren Berger (1.26 ERA, 16.2 IP, 16H, 5R, 3ER, 5BB, 7K, .246 B/Avg.) was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after picking up three wins, one over Dayton and two at DePaul. She pitched two complete games in the wins over DePaul, one being a shutout.
Kendall Graves, in the 7-6 win over Dayton, drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, with two on and two outs, she hit a walk-off double for the victory. In game one at DePaul, Graves was 2-3 with a two-run home run in the first inning and two runs scored.

Series History

Butler leads, 18-15-1
Last season, Butler won the regular-season series, 2-1, but Providence won, 7-0, in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Butler won the 2024 series, 2-1, swept the 2023 series, and won the 2022 series, 2-1.
The last series win for Providence was a sweep in 2019. The teams tied, 1-1-1, in 2021.

Additional wins for Providence include Maryland, Dayton, Akron, Holy Cross, Brown, Bryant, Stonehill, and Fairfield.
Additional losses have come to #1 Texas Tech, #11 Texas A&M, Boston College, Syracuse, Illinois, N.C. State, and Utah State. The Friars split with Boston, and UMBC.

2026 PROVIDENCE stats compared to (Butler)
Avg. .297 (.305), Runs 268 (248), Hits 337 (334), RBI 251 (234), SB 27 (56), ERA 4.41 (5.18)

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