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Barton softball enters rankings; sweep Garden City
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McKenna Mauler attempts to convert a 6-4-3 double play Wednesday afternoon in Barton sweep of Garden City. The Cougars are now 36-2 on the season and entered the NJCAA rankings at No. 7. Barton is at home again Friday against Pratt.
MIKE Marzolf
Updated: Mar 25, 2016, 5:00 AM
Published: Mar 24, 2016, 6:04 PM

It was a pretty good day around the Barton softball offices Wednesday. Both the offices on campus and the ‘other office’ – the field.
It was a day the Cougars found out they had entered the NJCAA national rankings. Barton then promptly went on the field and took care of business by winning a pair of games they were supposed to win.
Barton cruised by Garden City at Cougars Fields, 11-0 and 12-2 in run-ruled five inning games. The sweep of the Jayhawk West games moved the Cougars to an eye-popping 36-2 on the season. Barton is 7-1 in the West. Garden City is 0-10 and 7-21.
The Cougars have now won 17 straight games for the second time this season.
That outing came on the heels of entering the NJCAA rankings at No. 7. The Cougars went from not receiving votes to ranked No. 7 in the nation. The highest in school history. Pretty good day, huh.
“Being ranked seventh is awesome for the players,” Coach Marc Benjamin said. “The team has worked hard both on and off the field and this is a good reward for all their hard work.”
On the field it didn’t take Barton long to take command of both games.
The Cougars jumped to an 8-0 lead in the second inning of the opener and led 6-0 after the first inning of the nightcap.
“We played pretty good,” Coach Benjamin said. “We were just too much offensively for their pitching.”
In the opener, Holly Posegate starting the scoring with a single to center, scoring Jenny Hosey. That opened the floodgate. Hosey would cap the inning with a 3-run homer.
Brittany Wood slammed her second double of the day the following inning with the bases loaded to drive in three more and make it 11-0.
Wood finished the game with those two doubles and five RBI. Hosey had two hits and the three RBI on the home run. The Cougars pounded out 11 hits in four innings.
Madison Didion did her work pitching as usual. The freshman allowed just two hits and struck out five in the complete game to improve to 19-1.
In the nightcap, Barton jumped to a 6-0 lead after the first and extended it to 9-1 after two.
Barton hit three home runs in the win. Jayden Gonzales, Posegate and McKenna Mauler all went deep. It was the eighth of the season for Gonzales and the seventh for both Posegate and Mauler.
Barton again pounded out 11 hits in four innings. Cadie O’Donnell, Gonzales and Posegate each had two. Mauler drove in three and Posegate scored three times.
Barton will host Pratt Friday for a pair as the Cougars look to keep pace at the top of the West. Both Barton and No. 8 Butler are 7-1. The two split a twinbill at Barton. Butler will host Dodge City Monday before the two teams collide for a second time this year. Barton will travel to Butler Wednesday.
“Hopefully we can keep playing well and finding ways to win,” Coach Benjamin said. “We have Pratt on Friday and if we take care of business it should make for an interesting series with eighth ranked Butler next Wednesday.”
Cougar baseball shocks No. 3 Cowley Tigers
Barton baseball
Published: Apr 2, 2025, 9:54 PM
ARKANSAS CITY -- The Barton Cougar baseball team scored early and often plating 11 of its runs over the first four innings to upset No. 3 Cowley College 12-8 on Tuesday. The Cougars (21-8) have won four in a row over the Tigers (23-7). Barton plays Jayhawk West leader Colby at 1 p.m. Thursday at Lawson-Biggs Field. The Cougars travel to Colby Sunday. Tyler Janssen led the Cougars balanced offensive attack providing three of the Cougars six extra base hits on the afternoon, finishing 3-for-5 and single shy of the cycle. The freshman drove in four runs highlighted behind his fourth-inning three-run round tripper for his fourth of the year. Eight of Barton's nine in the lineup furnished a hit with Janssen being joined by Kyle Graves 3-for-6 day at the plate and RBI, as the duo combined for six of the Cougars 14 hits on the afternoon. Kyle Walker was second in runs produced, driving in two of his three runs during Barton's four run top of the second frame, finishing 2-for-5 at the dish with a walk. Rounding out the Cougars' multi-RBI performances was Ayden Hadley and Wyatt Yetter, each driving in two runs apiece. Hadley distributed his pair with a first inning double while Yetter added the final run of a three-run first on a groundout followed by a leadoff fourth inning blast for his first big fly of the season. Despite finishing 0-for-1 at the plate, Barrett Donaldson generated three of Barton's nine walks created with a run scored. Braden Hauschel earned a no-decision in his one-inning of work allowing three runs on two hits with a walk and strikeout. Eli Lang (1-0) notched his first collegiate victory tossing 4.1-innings in relief scattering seven hits and three runs with Landon Haines getting the final two outs of the sixth allowing one hit with a stirkeout. Andrew McCarthy tossed a scoreless seventh with a strikeout while operating around a pair of walks. Cade Kunz handled the eighth yielding two runs on a hit and collected a strikeout before handing off to Preston Golden for the ninth, as the sophomore locked it down
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