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Colby Community College Athletics

Softball Faces Major Road Test with Matchups Against Hutchinson and Butler

The Colby softball squad enters a challenging stretch of conference play this week, traveling to face conference-leading Hutchinson Thursday before heading to El Dorado to take on Butler Saturday. The Trojans come in with a 24–17 (15–4 KJCCC), riding momentum after a split with nationally ranked McCook.

Softball Faces Major Road Test with Matchups Against Hutchinson and Butler
April 16, 2026
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The Colby softball squad enters a challenging stretch of conference play this week, traveling to face conference-leading Hutchinson Thursday (April 16) before heading to El Dorado to take on Butler Saturday (April 18). The Trojans come in with a 24–17 (15–4 KJCCC), riding momentum after a split with nationally ranked McCook.

Colby has established itself as one of the most explosive offensive teams in the KJCCC this season, hitting .356 as a team with a powerful .603 slugging percentage. The Trojans' lineup is built around impact bats at the top, led by Briley Christensen, who continues to put together one of the most dominant seasons in the conference. The National Player of the Week earlier this year is hitting .483 (fourth in the KJCCC) with a .932 slugging percentage, 23 extra-base hits, 15 home runs (second in the conference), 31 walks, and 55 RBIs—third-most in the league.

Alongside her, Brooke Zinken has been equally dangerous. Zinken is batting .457 with 13 home runs (fifth in the conference) and provides elite speed with 27 stolen bases. Her combination of power and athleticism, along with strong defensive play in the outfield, gives Colby one of the most dynamic one-two offensive punches in the conference.

In the circle, Colby has leaned on a balanced pitching staff. Cheyenne Cramer has been the workhorse, posting an 11–5 record with a 4.01 ERA across 97.2 innings. Katelyn Zukewich has also been a major contributor, striking out 89 batters while averaging 8.51 strikeouts per seven innings. She recently delivered a complete-game win over nationally ranked McCook earlier this week.

The Trojans first challenge comes against Hutchinson, the current conference leader at 29–11 (18–4 KJCCC). The Blue Dragons have been dominant at home with a 17–1 record and enter the series on a four-game winning streak.

Offensively, Hutchinson is hitting .350 as a team with a .521 slugging percentage and 24 home runs. They are led by freshman infielder Riley Dreher, who is having one of the best seasons in the conference, hitting .521 with a .821 slugging percentage and 53 RBIs, fourth-most in the KJCCC. Hutchinson features 10 regular hitters batting over .300 and eight players with 20+ RBIs, making them one of the deepest lineups in the league.

On the pitching side, the Blue Dragons rely on a strong staff with four pitchers holding ERAs under 3.50. Aubree Thomas leads the way with an 11–1 record and eight complete games, anchoring a rotation that has been consistently effective throughout the season.

After the Hutchinson matchup, Colby will travel to El Dorado to face Butler, another strong conference opponent. Butler enters at 20–14 (14–6 KJCCC), riding a two-game winning streak. The Trojans previously swept Butler at home.

Butler is hitting .324 as a team with 36 home runs and a balanced offensive attack. Addison Chapman leads the lineup with a .383 batting average and four home runs, while Haely Hagemann leads the team with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. The Grizzlies feature five players with 20 or more RBIs, while Lizzy Lasley has added 13 doubles as a key run producer.

In the circle, Butler is anchored by Anistyn Marcotte, who leads the staff with a 4.22 ERA over 21 appearances.

With three of the top teams in the conference on the schedule, Colby will be tested on both sides of the ball.