Fresno State softball won its first NCAA championship title on May 25 at the 1998 NCAA Women's College World Series at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Fresno State clinched its second Western Conference title in three years against UNLV on April 25 at Bulldog Diamond
The Bulldogs compiled a 52-11 overall record and a 28-2 Western Athletic Conference mark
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 to conclude its championship season
Fresno State had four Bulldogs capture NCAA All-America honors in first team selections Laura Berg (outfield), Nina Lindenberg (second base), Amanda Scott (utility), and second team pick Becky Witt (outfield)
Fresno State won its 11th NCAA Regional, May 15-17, at Bulldog Diamond
After opening the 1998 season at 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)
Fresno State sandwiched in a doubleheader WAC win over San Diego State at home before dropping a pair of doubleheaders on the road to top-ranked Arizona and fifth-ranked Oklahoma
With a 29-8 record, the regular-season was coming down the home stretch and the Bulldogs responded by winning their next 15 straight and 16 of their last 18 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
In the postseason, Fresno State notched a 7-1 record: 3-0 in regional play at home and 4-1 in NCAA Women's College World Series action
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)
1998 Team Notables:
-- The No. 1 ranking gave the program its fourth top position in the program's history
-- Head coach Margie Wright captured her sixth West Region Coach of the Year accolades and is up for National Coach of the Year honors
-- In WAC games only, Fresno State established six regular-season conference records in wins (28), best win/loss record (28-2), runs (195), hits (292), total bases (395), and RBI (144)
-- Fresno State recorded a school-record 18 mercy run-rule games
-- Senior centerfielder 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 in addition to being a 1996 USA Olympic softball gold medalist
-- Celebrating its 20th year anniversary as a varsity sport, Fresno State softball boasts an overall record of 939-320-1 (.746)
