HutchCC's Kruger Named NFCA Second-Team All-American
June 2, 2025
Hutchinson Community College freshman softball center fielder Kaibryn Kruger was a second-team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Monday.
The freshman from Silver Lake was one of the leaders of the 2025 Blue Dragon Softball team that went 37-11 this past season and won its second Jayhawk Conference championship in the past three seasons.
Last week, Kruger was named to the NFCA All-West Region team. She was also named to the second team of the 2025 All-Jayhawk Conference teams earlier this season.
Kruger becomes the fifth Blue Dragon to earn NFCA All-America honors. Joining Jaeleigh Darnell (Outfield) and Dakota Lake (Pitcher) from last season, this is the first time in program history that Blue Dragon Softball has had NFCA All-Americans in consecutive seasons.
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's .456 batting average was eighth-best in Blue Dragon single-season history. Her 73 hits were ninth most on the Blue Dragon single-season hits list.
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.
BLUE DRAGON/NFCA ALL-AMERICANS
2025 – Kaibryn Kruger, outfielder: 2nd Team
2024 – Jaeleigh Darnell, outfield: 1st Team
2024 – Dakota Lake, pitcher: 2nd Team
2016 – Holly Kelley, pitcher: 2nd Team
2014 – Sarah Rothe, catcher: 1st Team
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