Notes from ’98: Reliving a Championship Season

Making their 17th straight NCAA Regional appearance and 21st postseason showing overall, the 1998 Fresno State Bulldogs appeared in their 11th NCAA Women's College World Series out of 17 postseason championships. As the No. 7 seed, the Bulldogs captured their first softball national title in their fifth appearance in the NCAA championship game after posting a 1-0 shutout win over #1 seed and top-ranked Arizona. As the first batter leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, senior second baseman Nina Lindenberg hit senior RHP Nancy Evan's first pitch over the bleachers in left field for a solo home run -- her 13th on the year. Sophomore RHP Amanda Scott shut down the Wildcats on three hits and struck out six for her 14th shutout and 25th win.

1998 Team Notables

Fresno State softball won its first NCAA championship title on May 25, 1998 at the NCAA Women's College World Series at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Bulldogs broke Arizona's 29-game win streak with a 1-0 win in the title game, earning the first championship in Fresno State history as the No. 7 seed.
The 1998 Bulldogs compiled a 52-11 overall record and a 28-2 Western Athletic Conference mark. The 'Dogs won their 11th NCAA Regional, May 15-17, at Bulldog Diamond to advance to the WCWS.
In the postseason Fresno State notched a 7-1 record. The Bulldogs were 3-0 in regional play at home and 4-1 at the Women's College World Series.
Fresno State swept through NCAA Regional action at Bulldog Diamond with wins over No. 22 Minnesota (2-1, 6-0) and No. 24 California (6-3)
The 'Dogs capped their season off with a No. 1 national ranking in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 poll. The Bulldogs received 22 of 25 first place votes for a total of 621 points. The No. 1 ranking gave Fresno State its fourth top position in the program's history.
After opening the 1998 season 2-2, Fresno State went on to win 25 of its next 29 games. In that stretch, the Bulldogs strung together 11 and 12-game win streaks (Feb. 13-April 5)
With a 29-8 record late in the regular season the Bulldogs won their next 15 straight and 16 of their last 18 games before entering NCAA Regional play at home.
In that streak, head coach Margie Wright collected her 800th career win at Tulsa on April 17 and became only the third head coach in NCAA Division 1 history to amass 800 or more career wins. Wright captured her sixth West Region Coach of the Year accolade as well as national Coach of the Year honors.
The 1998 Bulldogs are the last non-Power 5 school to win the Women's College World Series and are one of just two non-Power 5 schools to ever win the WCWS since its inception in 1982 (Cal State Fullerton, 1986).
Fresno State recorded a school-record 18 mercy run-rule wins during the 1998 season.
The 1998 team set all-time program records for batting average (.340), runs (374), and fewest errors (58).
The 1998 season marked the 20-year anniversary of the Bulldog softball program becoming a varsity sport.

1998 Player Notables

Fresno State had four players capture Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors in first team selections Laura Berg (outfield), Nina Lindenberg (second base), and Amanda Scott (utility) and second team pick Becky Witt (outfield).
Amanda Scott was named the MVP of the 1998 WCWS while Laura Berg, Angela Cervantez, and Nina Lindeberg also made the All-WCWS team. Scott was also the MVP of the Regional while Berg, Cervantez, Lindenberg, and Jaime Maxey made the All-Regional team.
The Bulldogs had six players named All-West Region and six All-WAC selections including Player of the Year Nina Lindenberg, Pitcher of the Year Amanda Scott, and Freshman of the Year Becky Witt.
Laura Berg concluded her career as the NCAA's No. 2 all-time career hit leader (396) while becoming the program's second four-time All-American. She went on to be a 1996 USA Olympic softball gold medalist
Nina Lindenberg's sixth inning home run in the championship game snapped a string of 52-consecutive scoreless innings thrown by Arizona pitchers. Arizona's pitcher, Nancy Evans, had thrown 38.0 straight scoreless innings and was on a 17-game winning streak.
Scott, who allowed just three hits in a complete-game shutout in the championship game, ended the season with a streak of 33.1 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run over her last 6 appearances. She went 5-1 in postseason play and notched a 0.17 ERA over 40.1 IP, including a no-hitter against No. 3 Michigan in the WCWS.
Nina Lindeberg set the program single-season record with 77 RBIs and Laura Berg broke the program record with 72 runs scored.
In Fresno State's all-time career records, Lindenberg has the highest batting average (.440) and slugging percentage (.768), Berg is the all-time leader in hits (396), runs (245), triples (25), and hit-by-pitch (43), and Scott leads in RBI (212) and consecutive wins (19).

1998 NCAA Women's College World Series           
Don E. Porter Stadium Hall of Fame Stadium -- Oklahoma City

Thur., May 21   G 1:  #1 seed Arizona def. #8 seed Oklahoma State          1-0 
Thur., May 21   G 2:  #4 seed Washington def. #5 seed UMass                1-0
Thur., May 21   G 3:  #3 seed Michigan def. #6 seed Texas                  7-2
Thur., May 21   G 4:  #7 seed Fresno State def. #2 seed Nebraska           6-1
Fri., May 22    G 5:  #1 seed Arizona def. #4 seed Washington              8-0 (5)
Fri., May 22    G 6:  #7 seed Fresno State def. #3 seed Michigan           8-0 (5)
Sat., May 23    G 7:  #8 seed Oklahoma State def. #5 seed UMass (45-14)    6-0
Sat., May 23    G 8:  #2 seed Nebraska def. #6 seed Texas (49-16)          2-1
Sat., May 23    G 9:  #8 seed Oklahoma State def. #3 seed Michigan (56-7)  3-1
Sat., May 23    G10:  #4 seed Washington def. #2 seed Nebraska (48-12)     3-1
Sun., May 24    G11:  #1 seed Arizona def. #8 seed Oklahoma State (42-19)  5-0
Sun., May 24    G12:  #4 seed Washington def. #7 seed Fresno State         3-1
Sun., May 24    G13:  #7 seed Fresno State def. #4 seed Washington (52-15) 6-1
Mon., May 25    Championship:  Fresno State (52-11) def. Arizona (67-4)    1-0

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Notes from ’98: Reliving a Championship Season

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