COURTESY OF HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION (6/3/2025)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Hutchinson Community College sophomore shortstop Bailey Backhaus was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Golden Shoe winner for 2025 NJCAA Division I Softball on Tuesday.

The Golden Shoe Award is presented by New Balance. The award is given to one of the top base stealers in the nation.

Backhaus set a new Blue Dragon Softball single season record for steals, swiping 57 of 58 bags this season. The old record of Lexi Williams' 53 stolen bases in 2021. Leading the Jayhawk Conference and ranking fifth in NJCAA Division I this past season. The sophomore from Newkirk, Oklahoma recorded multiple steals 17 times, including a season-best and team single-game-record-tying three Fort Hays Tech Northwest twice, Seward County and Colby.

For her Blue Dragon career, Backhaus tied for the career stolen base record with Williams with 82 steals. Backhaus was 82 of 87 in her two-year Blue Dragon career.

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.

She 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 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. She 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.