DRAGONS PLACE RECORD 12 PLAYERS ON ALL-KJCCC SOFTBALL TEAM
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Jayhawk Conference champion Hutchinson Community College softball team had a program-record 12 players receive All-Jayhawk Conference recognition this season.
The 2025 All-KJCCC Division I softball team was released on Wednesday. The Blue Dragons placed two players on the first time – shortstop Bailey Backhaus and pitcher Morgan Tomlinson. Three others earned second-team honors – third baseman Haley Kruger, center fielder Kaibryn Kruger and pitcher Jessica Schmidt. First baseman Brooke Backhaus, outfielder Brie Brawner, second baseman Emily Dice, catcher Tailor Golly, utility player Addi Lutz, right-fielder Gabby Stauffer and pitcher Aubree Thomas were all named honorable mention.
Both Bailey Backhaus and Tomlinson are repeat first-team selections.
The 12 players selected this season surpass the old record of 11 players set by the 2023 Jayhawk Conference champion Blue Dragons.
The 2025 Blue Dragons posted a 37-11 overall record and tied Butler for the league title with a 27-5 mark. The Blue Dragons went 2-2 in the 2025 Region 6 Tournament.
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BAILEY BACKHAUS (So./SS) – 1st Team
Bailey Backhaus concluded an incredible two-year run with the Blue Dragons that included 202 career hits (most by a two-year player in Blue Dragon history) and a career batting average of .502, which established a Blue Dragon career record.
This season, the sophomore from Newkirk, Oklahoma, hit .530, the second-highest batting average in a single season in team history with 98 hits, second only to her record 104 hits from her freshman season in 2024. In 30 KJCCC games, Backhaus hit a torrid .608 (76 for 125) with 64 runs scored and 35 RBIs from the leadoff position.
Of her 98 hits, nine went for doubles and she hit a single-season record 10 triples to up her career record to 16 triples.
Backhaus broke the Blue Dragon single-season stolen base record with 57 steals in 58 attempts. Her 82 career steals tied Lexi Williams (2020-21) for first place in team history.
Backhaus also broke a Blue Dragon single-season record for runs scores with 78, again surpassing her own record of 77 set last season.
Backhaus had a season-long 16 game hitting streak this season and reached base in 33 consecutive games. Se had 31 multi-hit games this season, including three five-hit games against Fort Hays Tech Northwest on March 1, Colby on March 16 and Garden City on April 17. She tied single-game record for runs with five against Pratt on February 26 and Garden City on April 17.
MORGAN TOMLINSON (So./P) – 1st Team
Tomlinson became the first 20-game winner for the Blue Dragons since Holly Kelley in 2016, posting a record of 21-7 with a 3.18 earned run average. In KJCCC play – where she made 15 starts and eight relief appearances – Tomlinson was 16-3 with a 3.11 ERA.
The sophomore from Harveyville, Kansas, had 131 strikeouts in 147 1-3 innings pitched this season. She walked only 24 batters and allowed 149 hits with opposing batters hitting only .251 off of her.
Tomlinson pitched two combined no-hitters this season and had six complete games with two complete-game shutouts.
In three-straight starts this season, Tomlinson set new single-game career highs in strikeouts with eight against Colby on March 17, nine against Garden City on March 18 and 10 against Dodge City on March 20.
Tomlinson completed her career with a 37-10 record and a 3.14 earned-run average. She finished with 180 strikeouts in 236 innings. Her 37 wins rank fourth on the Blue Dragon career list and her 180 strikeouts are 10th.
HALEY KRUGER (So./3B) – 2nd Team
Kruger hit .313 this season (41 for 131) with 15 doubles, three home runs and 37 RBIs.
The sophomore from Oklahoma City, had 10 multi-hit games, including a career-high four hits against Pratt on March 29. She also drove in a career-best eight RBIs in that game. The eight RBIs are third most in Blue Dragon single-game history.
Kruger hit .341 in conference play this season with 29 hits, 13 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBIs.
KAIBRYN KRUGER (Fr./CF) – 2nd Team
The freshman from Silver Lake was second on the team in batting this season with a .456 average. Kruger was 73 for 160 with 13 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. She drove in 51 runs and scored 76, which is third-most in Blue Dragon single-season history.
Kruger was 40 of 42 in stolen-base attempts this season, which is No. 3 on the Blue Dragon single-season list.
Kruger matched Bailey Backhaus for the longest hitting streak this season at 16 and she will carry a 43-game streak of reach base into next season.
Kruger had 24 multi-hit games, including a season-high four hits against Seward County on March 12.
Kruger had two games with four steals – Fort Hays Tech Northwest on March on and Labette on March 9 – to establish a new Blue Dragon single-game record for steals.
JESSICA SCHMIDT (Fr./P) – 2nd Team
A freshman left-handed pitcher from Norfolk, Nebraska, pitched exclusively out of the bullpen this season. Schmidt had a 2-1 record with a team-high three saves and a 2.96 ERA.
Over 52 innings in 27 appearances, Schmidt had 38 strikeouts and allowed opponents only a .238 batting average.
In 18 conference appearances, Schmidt was 1-0 with three saves and a 2.73 ERA.
Schmidt had a single-game high four strikeouts three different times. She had saves against Pratt on February 26, Butler on April 7 and Seward County on April 13.
BROOKE BACKHAUS (So./1B) – Honorable Mention
The only Blue Dragon to appear in all 48 games this season, Brooke Backhaus hit .321 (53 for 165) with 13 doubles, two home runs and 40 RBIs.
A sophomore from Newkirk, Oklahoma, Backhaus' .987 career fielding percentage ties for seventh in Blue Dragon history.
BRIE BRAWNER (So./LF) – Honorable Mention
The sophomore left-fielder from Haven wound up hitting .312 (43 for 138) with four extra-base hits, including a home run at Colby. Brawner scored 37 runs and was 11 of 11 in stolen bases.
EMILY DICE (So./2B) – Honorable Mention
Stepping into the full-time starting role at second base this season, the sophomore from Wichita, served as another leadoff hitter from the No. 9 spot in the order. Dice hit .377 this season (57 for 151) with seven doubles, an inside-the-park home run and a out-of-the-park homer. She drove in 32 RBIs this season. Dice was 16 of 18 on steals this season.
TAIBOR GOLLY (Fr./C) – Honorable Mention
The freshman catcher from Grimes, Iowa, led the Blue Dragons with 11 home runs and 71 RBIs this season. She was second on the team with 20 doubles. Golly hit .444 for the season (71 for 160) with a slugging percentage of .788. Golly had three two-home run games this season against Colby twice on March 16 and Fort Hays Tech Northwest on April 2. Golly was also named to the All-Region 6 Tournament team.
ADDI LUTZ (Fr./Utl.) – Honorable Mention
The freshman from Olathe had some clutch hits this season, including both the game-tying and walk-off hits in Hutchinson's come-from-behind 7-6 win over Butler on nine innings on March 6 at Fun Valley. Lutz hit .331 in her freshman season as a catcher and designated player. She went 44 for 133 this season with three doubles, two home runs, 23 RBIs and 24 runs scored.
GABBY STAUFFER (Fr./RF) – Honorable Mention
The Blue Dragons' freshman right-fielder from Wichita was the fourth player this season to post a batting average of .400 or higher, hitting .406 (69 for 170). Stauffer had a team-high 21 doubles, five home runs and was second on the team with 64 RBIs. Against Colby on April 16, Stauffer became this sixth Blue Dragon player with three home runs in a game after going 3 for 8 with eight RBIs against the Trojans.
AUBREE THOMAS (Fr./P) – Honorable Mention
The freshman starting pitcher from Hays posted a 13-3 record with a 4.18 ERA in 24 starts this season. Thomas struck out 72 in 90 1-3 innings pitched this season and opponents hit .292 against her. Thomas' top performance this season came in the postseason, a complete-game two-hit shutout of Seward County in a 1-0 win over the Saints in the opening round of the Region 6 Tournament on Friday in Dodge City.