Washington Huskies softball

Last updated
Washington Huskies softball
Softball current event.svg 2024 Washington Huskies softball team
Washington Huskies logo.svg
Founded1993 (30 years ago)
University University of Washington
Athletic director Patrick Chun
Head coach Heather Tarr (15th season)
Conference Pac-12
Location Seattle, Washington
Home stadium Husky Softball Stadium (Capacity: 1,500)
Nickname Huskies
ColorsPurple and gold [1]
   
NCAA Tournament champions
2009
NCAA WCWS runner-up
1996, 1999, 2018
NCAA WCWS appearances
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023
NCAA Super Regional appearances
2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
NCAA Tournament appearances
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Regular Season Conference championships
1996, 2000, 2010, 2019

The Washington Huskies softball team represents the University of Washington in NCAA Division I college softball competition. A member of the Pac-12 Conference, they play their home games on-campus at Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle, Washington. Through 2020, the Huskies have made 14 appearances at the Women's College World Series and won the national title in 2009.

Contents

History

Beginnings

The program's first season was in 1993, [2] [3] and head coach Teresa Wilson quickly built the team into a national powerhouse, qualifying for the NCAA tournament in their second season, [4] and guiding it to the Women's College World Series six times, including the title games in 1996 and 1999. The team finished no worse than fifth in the nation from 1996 to 2000 and Wilson compiled a record of 532–198–1 (.728). [5] However, Wilson's tenure was cut short in late 2003, when the coach was implicated in a scandal involving dispensing drugs among her players. [6] She became the second high-profile coach Washington fired that year following Huskies football coach Rick Neuheisel's dismissal in an NCAA wagering scandal. [5]

After Wilson's dismissal, Scott Centala and Steve Dailey split the head coaching role for one season in 2004.

The Heather Tarr Era begins

After the 2004 season ended, interim Athletic Director Dick Thompson named UW alum Heather Tarr as Washington's new head coach. [7] Tarr led the Huskies to back-to-back super regionals in her first two seasons, before making her first Women's College World Series as a coach in 2007, led by sophomore sensation Danielle Lawrie in the pitcher's circle.

The Huskies would get multiple doses of bad luck immediately after, though. Lawrie was named to Canadian National team for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, meaning she'd have to miss the 2008 season to prepare. Right before the season started, Ashley Charters and Lauren Greer, two of UW's seniors, suffered season-ending injuries. [8] Without three of their best players, the Huskies went 30-25-1 and made the NCAA Tournament, but failed to make it past their regional for the first time since 2002.

The 2009 Championship run

In 2009, though, Lawrie, Charters, and Greer were all back, and Washington opened the year 18–0. The Huskies end the regular season ranked No. 3 in the country, a finish that normally would guarantee them home field advantage through the WCWS. But since Husky Softball Stadium did not have permanent lights, it was ineligible to host NCAA postseason games, and the Huskies were sent to Amherst, Massachusetts for the regional.

The Huskies breezed through their first game and ground out a win in their first matchup against UMass, but a loss to the Minutewomen on Sunday set up a decisive final game. Lawrie faced off against UMass ace Brandice Balschmiter. The two dueled for 15 innings, before the Huskies finally broke through with five runs in the top of the 15th to win 6-1 and send them to the super regionals, where they'd face Georgia Tech in Atlanta. [8]

Washington made quick work of the Yellow Jackets, beating them 7–1 in the first game and 7–0 in the second to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City. [9]

At the WCWS, UW advanced to the semifinals through the winners bracket with wins over Georgia and Arizona State. After losing their first semifinal game to the Bulldogs, the Huskies won the decisive second game to move on to their first championship series since 1999.

Washington blew Florida out in Game 1 of the series, 8–0, before grinding out a 3–2 win the next night to give the Huskies their first National Title. [10] This marked the 22nd time in 28 seasons of World Series play in which the Pac-12 had won. [11]

Since the Championship

Led by Lawrie in her final season, UW spent the entirety of the 2010 season ranked No. 1, finishing the regular season with a record of 45–6, but lost its first two games to be the first team knocked out of the WCWS.

Washington didn't return to OKC until 2013, when the Huskies made the semifinals.

UW missed the WCWS for three straight seasons for the first time in program history from 2014 to 2016, though the Huskies did make the Super Regionals twice in that span.

Led by sophomore ace Taran Alvelo, the Huskies began their rise back to the highest levels of national prominence in 2017. After beating both No. 2 Auburn and No. 1 Oklahoma in their opening weekend, the Huskies spent much of the season in the top-10, with hopes of securing a top-eight seed, which would guarantee them home-field advantage throughout the tournament, and went into its final regular season series against Utah squarely at No. 8. After taking the first two games of the series, Washington fell behind 12–1, but then scored four runs in the top of the fifth to avoid the mercy rule before tying the game at 12–12 in the top of seventh to force extra innings and completing the 12-run comeback with a run in the top of the eighth to win. [12] Washington earned the No. 7 seed in the tournament, breezed through its Regional, and won its Super Regional (a rematch against Utah) at home to punch its ticket to the WCWS. There, Alvelo led the way to low-scoring upsets of No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 UCLA, but a pair of losses to No. 1 Oklahoma ended the Huskies' season in the semifinals. [13]

In 2018, Washington opened up the season with a perfect 28-0 nonconference record, led by the pitching combination of Alvelo and freshman Gabbie Plain. The Huskies spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the country, but back-to-back series sweeps at the hands of No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 Oregon disrupted their momentum with one weekend left in the regular season. UW bounced back with a sweep of Oregon State and earned the No. 5 seed in the tournament, where it swept through its regular and super regional. Plain started the Huskies' first game in OKC, with Alvelo coming in for the save in a 2–0 win over No. 4 Oklahoma. [14] Tarr repeated the strategy in Washington's next game against Oregon, with Plain going the first six innings and Alvelo slamming the door in the seventh in a 6–2 win over No. 1 Oregon. [15] Come the semifinal, though, Tarr gave the ball to Alvelo to start, and the junior struck out six in a complete-game shutout to send UW to the championship series with a 3–0 win. [16] There, Washington was set up to face No. 6 Florida State. In Game 1 of the series, Plain and FSU's Meghan King traded shutout innings before the Seminoles finally got on the board with a solo home run in the sixth inning to win 1–0. [17] In Game 2, UW jumped out early 3–0, but Florida State came back with eight unanswered runs to win the game and clinch the championship. [18]

UW notched its third straight 50-win season in 2019, bouncing back from a sweep at the hands of No. 1 UCLA and National Player of the Year Rachel Garcia by winning 23 of its final 24 games to earn the No. 3 seed in the tournament, where it won five straight games to advance to the WCWS. The Huskies lost their opening matchup to Arizona in extra innings, before winning a pair of loser-out games against Minnesota and Oklahoma State to advance to the semifinals, where they would have to beat UCLA twice. Plain and Alvelo both dueled with Garcia for nine shutout innings, with Plain throwing six shutout innings before giving the ball to Alvelo for the next three. Plain reentered the game in the bottom of the 10th inning and allowed a walk-off, three-run home run to Garcia to end the Huskies' season with a 3–0 loss. [19]

Washington opened up the 2020 season with a 23-2 nonconference record, but the remainder of its season was canceled the week that Pac-12 play was supposed to begin due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year-by-year results

Italics denotes conference championship

Bold denotes national championship

List of UW Softball Seasons [20]
YearHead CoachRecordFinish
1993Teresa Wilson31–27 (7–18 Pac-10)
1994Teresa Wilson44–21 (14–10 Pac-10)Regionals
1995Teresa Wilson50–23 (17–11 Pac-10)Regional Finals
1996Teresa Wilson59–9 (23–4 Pac-10)WCWS Runner-up
1997Teresa Wilson50–19 (16–11 Pac-10)WCWS Semifinals
1998Teresa Wilson52–15 (19–9 Pac-10)WCWS Semifinals
1999Teresa Wilson51–18 (15–12 Pac-10)WCWS Runner-up
2000Teresa Wilson62–9 (17–4 Pac-10)WCWS
2001Teresa Wilson40–23 (11–10 Pac-10)Regional Finals
2002Teresa Wilson46–18 (13–8 Pac-10)Regionals
2003Teresa Wilson47–16-1 (9–12 Pac-10)WCWS
2004Scott Centala/Steve Dailey40–19 (10–10 Pac-10)WCWS
2005Heather Tarr35–22 (10–11 Pac-10)Super Regionals
2006Heather Tarr35–25 (6–15 Pac-10)Super Regionals
2007Heather Tarr42–19 (12–9 Pac-10)WCWS Semifinals
2008Heather Tarr30–25–1 (7–14 Pac-10)Regionals
2009Heather Tarr51–12 (14–7 Pac-10)National Champions
2010Heather Tarr50–9 (17–4 Pac-10)WCWS
2011Heather Tarr37–16 (9–12 Pac-10)Super Regionals
2012Heather Tarr39–19 (7–16 Pac-12)Super Regionals
2013Heather Tarr45–17 (12–5 Pac-12)WCWS Semifinals
2014Heather Tarr37–15 (13–9 Pac-12)Super Regionals
2015Heather Tarr42–17 (12–5 Pac-12)Regionals
2016Heather Tarr39–15 (16–8 Pac-12)Super Regionals
2017Heather Tarr50–14 (16–8 Pac-12)WCWS Semifinals
2018Heather Tarr52–10 (15–8 Pac-12)WCWS Runner-up
2019Heather Tarr52–9 (20–4 Pac-12)WCWS Semifinals
2020*Heather Tarr23–2
2021Heather Tarr45–14 (18–5 Pac-12)Super Regionals
2022Heather Tarr38–17 (14–10 Pac-12)Regionals
2023Heather Tarr44–15 (16–8 Pac-12)WCWS
2024Heather Tarr32–15 (13–10 Pac-12)Regionals

*The 2020 season was canceled after 25 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notable players

National awards

USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
NFCA Catcher of the Year
Softball America Defensive Player of the Year

Conference awards

Pac-12 Player of the Year
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
Pac-12 Coach of the Year

Retired numbers

The program has retired one jersey number. [21]

NumberPlayer
15 Danielle Lawrie

Program records

Source [22]

Career records

Player#
Batting AverageAngie Marzetta.429
RunsAli Aguilar239
HitsSis Bates320
Home RunsKristen Rivera79
RBIsJaime Clark243
Stolen BasesAshley Charters133
ERAJennifer Spediacci1.10
WinsDanielle Lawrie136
StrikeoutsDanielle Lawrie1,860

Field

During their inaugural season of 1993, the Huskies' home field was across Lake Washington in Bellevue, at Hidden Valley Park ( 47°37′37″N122°11′31″W / 47.627°N 122.192°W / 47.627; -122.192 ). [2] [3]

The Huskies opened the $2.2 million Husky Softball Stadium 30 years ago in 1994, [23] adjacent to Husky Stadium. East of the football stadium's north grandstand, it shares the view of Mount Rainier to the southeast. The seating capacity is 1,000 in the main grandstand, with up to an additional 500 in bleacher seating. During the 2010 season, standing-room only tickets were sold before games, behind the main sections and along the walkways to the outfield general admission seating. [24] The venue added lights in 2010 to be eligible to host NCAA tournament games (regionals and super regionals). Beginning in 2017, UW began allowing fans onto the bleachers behind the end zone at Husky Stadium, overlooking the right-field line for postseason games.

On March 14, 2019, UW Athletics announced plans to build a "Softball Performance Facility" near Husky Softball Stadium which will contain batting cages and other training facilities. [25] The original plan was to build it into the side of Husky Stadium, but since has been revised to have the facility be next to Nordstrom Tennis Center. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Huskies</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Washington

The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don James (American football)</span> American football player and coach (1932–2013)

Donald Earl James was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 to 1992, compiling a career college football record of 178–76–3 (.698).

Alicia Kay Hollowell-Dunn is an American, former collegiate four-time All-American, retired professional softball pitcher and assistant coach. She played college softball at Arizona Wildcats softball from 2003 to 2006, collecting 144 career wins and 1,768 strikeouts, both top-10 NCAA career records. She currently holds the Arizona Wildcats records for career strikeouts, shutouts and innings pitched, in addition to the Pac-12 Conference wins and strikeout ratio records. Hollowell won the 2006 Women's College World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Huskies football</span> Football team of the University of Washington

The Washington Huskies football team represents the University of Washington in college football. Washington competed in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a charter member of the Pac-12 Conference, but will be joining the Big Ten Conference by the 2024 season. Husky Stadium, located on campus, has been the Huskies' home field since 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taryne Mowatt</span> American softball player

Taryne Lee Mowatt is an American, former collegiate All-American, right-handed hitting, retired pro softball pitcher. Mowatt is the current pitching coach for Mississippi State. She played college softball at Arizona and helped them win the 2006 and 2007 Women's College World Series. From 2008 to 2013, Mowatt played professionally in National Pro Fastpitch, selected in the 2008 NPF draft by the Washington Glory. She ranks in several pitching categories for the Wildcats and holds the Women's College World Series records for strikeouts and wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Gators softball</span> Team representing the University of Florida in softball

The Florida Gators softball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of softball. Florida competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Gators play their home games at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Tim Walton. In the twenty-six year history of the Florida Softball program, the team has won two Women's College World Series (WCWS) national championships, nine SEC regular season championships, five SEC tournament championships, and have made eleven WCWS appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Huskies baseball</span> American intercollegiate baseball team

The Washington Huskies baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of the University of Washington, located in Seattle, Washington, United States. The program has been a member of the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference since the start of the 1960 season, preceded by the Pacific Coast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon–Washington football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Oregon–Washington football rivalry, also known by fans as the Border War or the Cascade Clash, is an American college football rivalry between the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies of the Pac-12 Conference. The respective campuses in Eugene and Seattle are 285 miles (460 km) apart, via Interstate 5. It is often regarded by fans as the fiercest and most competitive rivalry for both sides.

The 2009 NCAA Division I softball tournament was held from May 15 through June 3, 2009 as part of the 2009 NCAA Division I softball season. The 64 NCAA Division I college softball teams were selected out of an eligible 284 teams on May 10, 2009. 30 teams were awarded an automatic bid as champions of their conference, and 34 teams were selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Committee. The tournament culminated with eight teams playing in the 2009 Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Danielle Elaine Lawrie is a Canadian, former collegiate All-American, medal-winning Olympian, professional All-Star softball pitcher and current sports commentator. Lawrie played college softball at Washington, in which she was part of the 2009 Women's College World Series championship team and was named Most Outstanding Player. Lawrie currently plays for the Canada women's national softball team, including during the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she won a bronze medal.

Katherine Burkhart is an American, former collegiate All-American, retired professional All-Star softball pitcher and softball coach. She played college softball at Arizona State, and won a national championship with the team in 2008 and was named Most Outstanding Player. Burkhart holds the career records in wins, strikeouts, perfect games, WHIP, innings pitched and strikeout ratio for the school. She also ranks in several career pitching categories and the top-10 for strikeouts and perfect games for both the Pac-12 Conference and the NCAA Division I. She has also pitched for the USA Softball team. She also helped remove snakes from a plane that was bound from Hawaii to Phoenix in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Seminoles softball</span> American college softball team

The Florida State Seminoles women's softball team represents Florida State University in the sport of softball. Florida State competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Huskies women's volleyball</span> American college volleyball team

The Washington Huskies volleyball team is the intercollegiate women's volleyball team of the University of Washington in Seattle. They compete in the Pac-12 Conference and play their home games at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, which was built in 1927 and renovated in 2000. Prior to 1988, the Washington volleyball program had seen Huskies' victories, but it has now emerged as a perennial power. The Huskies have reached the NCAA Final Four on five occasions with one national title (2005), and won multiple Pac-10/12 championships.

Heather Robyn Tarr is an American, former collegiate softball third baseman, and is the current head coach at Washington. Tarr become one of five coaches/athletes to have played and coached in the Women's College World Series, playing in the 1996 Women's College World Series as well the 1997 Women's College World Series, and coaching the Huskies at the 2009 Women's College World Series. She was the first coach to win a title with her alma mater when the Huskies won the national championship in 2009. Tarr has also assisted Team USA and helped coach the team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Kimberly Cheyne Pohlman is an American former softball outfielder. She played college softball at Washington and professionally for one season with the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch in 2013.

Taran Mackenzie Alvelo is an American professional softball player for the USSSA Pride of the Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF). She played college softball at Washington, where she led the Huskies to three consecutive Women's College World Series appearances from 2017 to 2019. She represented Puerto Rico at the World Cup of Softball, and won a gold medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. Alvelo stands at 5’10 and weighs 350 pounds.

Gabrielle "Gabbie" Plain is an Australian, former All-American college softball pitcher for Washington. In her freshman year, Plain led the Huskies to a runner-up appearance in the 2018 Women's College World Series, where they lost to Florida State, 2–0 in the finals. Plain represented Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Rachel Lauren Garcia is an American former softball pitcher. She most recently served as the pitching coach for UC San Diego. She played college softball for the UCLA Bruins and led the Bruins to the 2019 Women's College World Series championship, where she was named the Most Outstanding Player.

Nicole "Sis" Bates is a former American college softball player for the Washington Huskies and a member of the United States women's national softball team. She currently is a member of Athletes Unlimited Professional Softball, as well as an ambassador and mentor within the sport of softball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Washington Huskies softball team</span> American college softball season

The 2009 Washington Huskies softball team represented the University of Washington in the 2009 NCAA Division I softball season. The Huskies were coached by Heather Tarr, who led her fifth season. The Huskies finished with a record of 51–12. They played their home games at Husky Softball Stadium and competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished second with a 14–7 record.

References

  1. ↑ "Color Palette". University of Washington Athletics Brand Identity Guidelines (PDF). April 6, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Craig (January 19, 1993). "Making a pitch: UW softball starting slow, but stay tuned". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Wittenmyer, Gordon (April 15, 1993). "Nothing trivial in this pursuit -- Huskies' newest team, softball, makes immediate impact on field". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  4. ↑ Rockne, Dick (May 16, 1994). "UW takes fast track in softball -- NCAA bid is Huskies' reward for making all the right moves". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Carter, Mike; Miletich, Steve (December 21, 2003). "UW ousts softball coach over scandal". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  6. ↑ Miletch, Steve (April 28, 2004). "Players tell of being 'high' and 'loopy' during games". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2004.
  7. ↑ "Tarr to coach UW softball team". HeraldNet.com. 2004-07-06. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  8. 1 2 "The 2009 national champions: an oral history (Part I)". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  9. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  10. ↑ Hays, Graham (June 3, 2009). "Tarr brings Washington full circle". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  11. ↑ "Washington sweeps Florida for softball title". Star-Telegram.com. Jun 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-13.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "UW overcomes 11-run deficit, sweeps Utah". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  13. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  14. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  15. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  16. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  17. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  18. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  19. ↑ "UW's season ends in 10-inning thriller in OKC". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  20. ↑ "Washington Huskies" (PDF). Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  21. ↑ "Danielle Lawrie, now focused on being a mom, has her UW jersey retired". 3 May 2014.
  22. ↑ "Washington Huskies" (PDF). Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  23. ↑ "Doubleheader will christen UW softball field Sunday - Northwest Colleges". Seattle Times. April 8, 1994. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Husky Softball Stadium". gohuskies.com. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  25. ↑ "Tarr extended, softball facility announced". The Daily of the University of Washington. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  26. ↑ French, S. W.; Palmer, D. S.; Narod, M. E. (February 1976). "Noradrenergic subsensitivity of rat liver homogenates during chronic ethanol ingestion". Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology. 13 (2): 283–295. ISSN   0034-5164. PMID   3831.

47°39′03″N122°18′00″W / 47.6507°N 122.3000°W / 47.6507; -122.3000

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.