The Butler softball team will defend its 2011 Jayhawk Conference and Region VI championships against what is yet again another rugged schedule.

The Grizzlies, in addition to 16 Jayhawk West Conference games, will also play regular season doubleheaders against powers such as Kirkwood (Iowa), which was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in NJCAA Division II last year, and at Labette, the defending Jayhawk East and Region VI Division II champion.

Butler will also play in several rigorous weekend tournaments, including two in Texas - the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth to begin the season and the Temple Tournament two weeks later - one in Missouri and another in Colby.

The highlight of non-conference action will be the third annual BUCO Bash, in which some of the top teams in the surrounding states will spend three days in El Dorado for highly-competitive tournament action.

"We always want a competitive schedule because we want to test ourselves long before we get to the postseason," said head coach Doug Chance. "WE recruit the best players to Butler and we want to face the best competition we can."