College softball

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College softball
Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Softball - 51999676764.jpg
A NCAA Division III softball game in 2022
Governing body
List
First played1910;114 years ago (1910) [1] [2]
Club competitions

College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the Intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.

Contents

As with other intercollegiate sports, most college softball in the United States is played under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Over 600 NCAA member colleges are sponsors of women's softball programs. The women's softball championships are held in Division I, Division II, and Division III. The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending tournaments.

The final rounds of the NCAA tournaments are known as the Women's College World Series (WCWS); one is held on each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA. The Division I Women's College World Series is held annually in June at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City near the site of the National Softball Hall of Fame.

History

Franklin High School junior team of Seattle, in 1914 Franklin hs junior softball team 1914.jpg
Franklin High School junior team of Seattle, in 1914

Softball was sanctioned at collegiate level in 1910. [2] [1] The first first-ever WCWS was held in 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska, sponsored by the Amateur Softball Association and the Division of Girls' and Women's Sports. [3] [4] The first under NCAA auspices was held in 1982. [5] The tournament now starts with 64 teams from 16 different regions that compete in a double-elimination regional round. The sixteen winners then enter a 'super regional', usually held at the higher seed's home ground, for a best-of-three series. The eight winners then enter a modified double-elimination tournament to determine which team is the national champion. Instead of being a 'true' double-elimination tournament, the tournament is split up so there are two brackets, though the losers switch brackets. The winners of each of the brackets move onto a best-of-three championship. The tournament is largely dominated by Pac-12 Conference teams, who have combined to win 21 of the 27 NCAA Division I championships through 2008, including 10 wins from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and 8 from the University of Arizona. Lately the University of Oklahoma has dominated NCAA softball, winning 6 of the past 8 championships through 2024.

In 2004 the International Softball Federation (ISF) held the first World University Softball Championship just two months after the 2004 Olympic competition. [6] It was an eight country championship, with Team USA defeating Chinese Taipei for the gold medal. [7] In 2006 the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) held the second World University Softball Championship in Taiwan, [7] and in 2007 softball was added to the World University Games of FISU. [6] [8]

Junior College Softball

The National Junior College Athletic Association was founded on May 14, 1938, [9] and includes competition among junior college softball programs. Within the NJCAA there are Divisions I, II, and III, which are further divided into regions and conferences. At the Division I level, there are 19 regions; at the Division II level, 18 regions; and at the Division III level, 9 regions. Every year at the end of the regional championships, national tournaments are conducted. The Division I tournament is held in St. George, Utah; the Division II tournament, in Clinton, Mississippi; and the Division III tournament, in Rochester, Minnesota.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. The eight teams of the WCWS play a double-elimination tournament until just two teams remain. These two teams compete in a best-of-three series to determine the Division I WCWS National Champion. Previous WCWS losses do not factor into the best-of-three championship series, and the first team to win two of three games is declared the National Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women</span> US womens college sports association

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was a college athletics organization in the United States, founded in 1971 to govern women's college competitions in the country and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the "Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women" (CIAW), founded in 1967. The association was one of the biggest advancements for women's athletics on the collegiate level. Throughout the 1970s, the AIAW grew rapidly in membership and influence, in parallel with the national growth of women's sports following the enactment of Title IX.

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics and to administer national championships. During its existence, the AIAW and its predecessor, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS), recognized via these championships the teams and individuals who excelled at the highest level of women's collegiate competition.

The NCAA Division I softball tournament is held annually in May/June and features 64 college softball teams in the United States, culminating in the Women's College World Series (WCWS), which is played in Oklahoma City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Colorado Bears</span> Athletic teams representing University of Northern Colorado

The Northern Colorado Bears are the athletic teams representing the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors seventeen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field; women's-only soccer, softball, swimming and diving, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball, football, and wrestling. The Bears compete in NCAA Division I, with the football team competing at the FCS level, and most teams are members of the Big Sky Conference. Three Northern Colorado teams have separate affiliations in sports that the Big Sky does not sponsor. The baseball team competes in the Summit League, the women's swimming and diving team is an affiliate member of the Western Athletic Conference, and the wrestling team is a member of the Big 12 Conference.

The Arizona State Sun Devils softball team represents Arizona State University in NCAA Division I College softball. The team competes in the Pac-12 Conference, and plays its home games at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Clint Myers, former head coach of the Sun Devils, guided the team to the Women's College World Series in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Sun Devils team won the National Championship in 2008 & 2011.

The Missouri Tigers softball team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I college softball. The team is coached by head coach Larissa Anderson, who was hired on May 26, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division II softball tournament</span> Annual college softball tournament

The NCAA Division II Softball Championship is the annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of women's college softball among Division II members in the United States and Canada. The final rounds of the tournament are also referred to as the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series. The tournament has been held annually since 1982.

The 1982 AIAW Women's College World Series was held from May 20 through May 25 in Norman, Oklahoma. The final two games were postponed by rain for two days. Twelve Division I college softball teams met in what was to become the last AIAW softball tournament of that organization's history. After playing their way through the regular season and regional tournaments, the 12 advancing teams met for the AIAW Division I college softball championship. Days later, Oklahoma State went on to participate also in the NCAA WCWS tournament in Omaha. In 1982, the Division I softball tournaments of both the AIAW and the NCAA were called "Women's College World Series." That moniker has been used for the annual topmost-level collegiate women's softball tournaments since the first one in 1969. Historian Bill Plummer III wrote, "With their 77-8 season record, Texas A&M could have been a contender in Omaha − maybe even the top seed − against perennial softball powers like UCLA and Fresno State. The Aggies had been invited to the NCAA's first national tournament, but chose not to go. A&M coach Bob Brock had high respect for the eleven-year-old AIAW, even as the NCAA began to overshadow it. Out of a sense of loyalty to the AIAW, Brock said, his school chose the 1982 Norman championship over the NCAA's first in Omaha."

The 1983 NCAA Division I softball tournament were held in May at the end of the 1983 NCAA Division I softball season. Sixteen Division I college softball teams competed in the NCAA tournament's first round, which consisted of eight regionals with two teams each. The winner of each region, a total of eight teams, advanced to the 1983 Women's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1983 Women's College World Series was the second NCAA-sponsored championship in the sport of college softball at the Division I level. The event was held in Omaha, Nebraska from May 25 through May 29 and marked the conclusion of the 1983 NCAA Division I softball season. Texas A&M, following up its 1982 AIAW WCWS title, won the championship by defeating Cal State Fullerton 2–1 in the final game.

The 1990 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the ninth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1990, twenty Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of either two or three teams, each in a double elimination format. The 1990 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 23 through May 28 and marked the conclusion of the 1990 NCAA Division I softball season. For the third consecutive year, UCLA won the championship by defeating Fresno State 2–0 in the final game.

The 1993 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the twelfth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1993, twenty Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of either two or three teams, each in a double elimination format. The 1993 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 27 through May 31 and marked the conclusion of the 1993 NCAA Division I softball season. Arizona won their second championship by defeating defending champions UCLA 1–0 in the final game.

The 1979 AIAW Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 24–27. Sixteen fastpitch softball teams emerged from regional tournaments to meet in the national collegiate softball championship.

The 1980 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Norman, Oklahoma on May 22–25, the first time it was played at a location other than Omaha, Nebraska, where it had been held for its first 11 years. Sixteen fastpitch softball teams emerged from regional tournaments to meet in the AIAW national collegiate softball championship.

The 1976 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 13–16, with nineteen college softball teams meeting in the 1976 ASA/AIAW fastpitch softball tournament. Most of the teams had won state championships. This was the last WCWS before the adoption of regional qualifying tournaments. Because college softball had not yet been separated into competitive divisions, large and small colleges competed together in one overall national championship.

The 1994 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the thirteenth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1994, thirty-two Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of four teams, each in a double elimination format. The 1994 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 26 through May 30 and marked the conclusion of the 1994 NCAA Division I softball season. Arizona won their third championship, and second consecutive, by defeating Cal State Northridge 4–0 in the final game. It was the first final game since 1986 to not feature UCLA.

The 1997 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the sixteenth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 1997, thirty-two Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of four teams, each in a double elimination format. The 1997 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 22 through May 26 and marked the conclusion of the 1997 NCAA Division I softball season. The event returned to Oklahoma City after a one-year hiatus, and it has remained there ever since. Arizona won their fifth NCAA championship by defeating UCLA 10–2 in the final game. Arizona pitcher Nancy Evans was named Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player.

The 2004 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the twenty-third annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May 2004, sixty-four Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of eight teams, each in a double elimination format. The 2004 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from May 27 through May 31 and marked the conclusion of the 2004 NCAA Division I softball season. UCLA won their eleventh NCAA championship and twelfth overall by defeating California 3–1 in the final game. LSU pitcher Kristin Schmidt was named Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player.

The 2021 NCAA Division I softball tournament was held from May 21 through June 10, 2021 as the final part of the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. 31 teams were awarded automatic bids as champions of their conferences after the Ivy League opted out of the 2021 softball season. The remaining 33 were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I softball selection committee on May 16, 2021. The tournament culminated with eight teams playing in the 2021 Women's College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

References

  1. 1 2 The History of Softball on St. Bonaventure University Archives
  2. 1 2 College Softball: A Brief History one of the NCAA's Female-Only Sports by Alexis Peltzer on GMTM.com]
  3. ↑ Mary L. Littlewood (1998). Women's Fastpitch Softball - The Path to the Gold, An Historical Look at Women's Fastpitch in the United States (first ed.). National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Columbia, Missouri. pp. 145, 208. ISBN   0-9664310-0-6.
  4. ↑ Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN   978-0-9893007-0-4.
  5. ↑ Softball - DI Championship History on NCAA.com
  6. 1 2 "International Softball Federation - ISF Timeline". Archived from the original on 2010-01-10. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  7. 1 2 "Softball 2006". Archived from the original on 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  8. ↑ "MA News: The Chinese Taipei Softball Team Sets Its Sight on the 2007 Bangkok Universiade". June 1, 2007. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  9. ↑ "History of the NJCAA". NJCAA. Retrieved 2018-05-06.

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