Fresno State Athletics
Softball Did You Knows
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Bulldog Trivia: What did former Bulldogs Carie Dever, Kerri Donis, and Terry Carpenter have in common with Bob Hope, Jack Nicklaus, Wilma Rudolph, Prince Charles, Chris Evert, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Terry Bradshaw, Steve Cauthen, Nancy Lopez, Rafer Johnson, Jerry Lucas, Tracy Austin, Authur Ashe, Ben Crenshaw, and Bobby Fischer?
All of the above, and many more, have been presented with the prestigious silver bowl trophy by Sports Illustrated for appearing in "Faces in the Crowd" section. Carpenter, the most recent honoree, appeared in the July 24, 1989 issue of Sports Illustrated following her remarkable freshman campaign. The First Team All-American and Big West Pitcher of the Year tied the then school's season wins record with a 31-6 slate, including a school record 21 shutouts, two no-hitters, and a 0.53 ERA. Dever followed an outstanding high school career at Woodlake High with an appearance in SI's June 16, 1986 issue. She earned 11 varsity letters at Woodlake and posted a career softball record of 35-4 with a 0.31 ERA, 435 strikeouts, and 15 no-hitters. Donis was the first to receive the honor at the age of 12, the September 22, 1980 issue of SI, hitting a league-leading .696 with 37 RBI and five home runs to pace her all-male team to the Moline (Ill.) Little League title.
Did You Know: Head coach Margie Wright and her assistants Margaret Sutter and Mary Ivy garnered the 1998 Speedline/NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Wright becomes the third head coach at Fresno State to earn national coach of the year accolades.
Did You Know: Four Bulldogs were named to the 1998 NCAA All-College World Series team: Amanda Scott (MVP), Laura Berg, Nina Lindenberg and Angela Cervantez. It marked the third time in school history that four Bulldogs were selected (1989 & 1988).
Did You Know: Fresno State softball has been ranked every week in the national polls for 17 straight years since 1982. In that span, the Bulldogs have held the No. 1 spot four times, No. 2 slot 30 times, the No. 3 spot 26 times, and the No. 4 slot 19 times.
Did You Know: Fresno State has officially led the nation in total and average fan attendance in six of the last eight seasons since records have been kept by the NCAA. Unofficially, it is believed that the Bulldogs have led the country in both categories in 11 of the last 13 years.
Did You Know: Fresno State softball set the school record for most mercy-run rule games (18) in 1998.
Did You Know: Fresno State softball has attracted three of the five largest all-time Top Five crowds in NCAA history.
Did You Know: Head coach Margie Wright captured her 800th career win last season and became only the third head coach in NCAA Division 1 history to amass 800 or more career victories.
Did You Know: Since opening its new facility in 1996, Fresno State has averaged nearly 2,300 fans the last three seasons.
Did You Know: Fresno State has hosted 14 of the 17 NCAA Regional Championships and is the only school to have participated in every NCAA postseason tournament.
Did You Know: Fresno State has led the WAC in batting average the last four years - 1998 (.340), 1997 (.326), 1996 (.323) and 1995 (.317).
Did You Know: Fresno State had 8 former and/or current Bulldogs that have been named to the 60 elite softball pool in preparation for the 2000 Olympics: Laura Berg, Becky Witt, Amanda Scott, Nina Lindenberg, Kim Maher, Julie Smith, Shelly Stokes, and Randi Berg.
Did You Know: Fresno State had seven softball Olympians compete in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games -- six on the USA gold medal winning team, including head coach Margie Wright.
Did You Know: The Fresno State softball program has produced 39 NCAA All-Americans, nine GTE Academic All-Americans, 70 NCAA All-Regional picks and 101 all-conference selections.
Did You Know: Head coach Margie Wright and former Bulldog head coach Donna Pickel has combined for 12 conference coach of the year honors with Wright snagging six NCAA Region Coach of the Year accolades.
Did You Know: Fresno State softball has boasted the school's Female Athlete of the Year for the last eight straight years and 13 times overall.
Did You Know: Amanda Scott and Nina Lindenberg played on the USA Junior World National gold medal team and were coached by Margie Wright.
Did You Know: Fresno State has advanced to the NCAA Women's College World Series 11 times.
Did You Know: Nina Lindenberg was the first player to get a hit and score a run in the "New" Bulldog Diamond in 1996 when Fresno State opened its season against UCLA. She was also the first Bulldog to hit a home run out of the "New" Bulldog Diamond.
Did You Know: Fresno State picked up its first win at the "New" Bulldog Diamond against top-ranked UCLA in the 1996 season opener.
Did You Know: The Bulldogs' first night game at the "New" Bulldog Diamond was a 10-0 WAC win over Southern Utah on March 15, 1996.
Did You Know: Former Bulldogs Robyn Yorke and Laura Berg are the program's only four-time NCAA All-Americans. Yorke is the only 'Dog to be a three-time GTE Academic All-American while being the program's first NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award winner.
