Washington Huskies softball
Encyclopedia
The Washington
Huskies
softball
team is a NCAA Division I college softball
team and part of the Pac-10 Conference. They play their home games at Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle, Washington
. They won the national championship
in 2009.
six times, including the title games in 1996 and 1999. The team finished no worse than fifth in the nation from 1996 to 2000. Wilson compiled a record of 532-198-1 (.728 winning percentage).
However, Wilson's tenure was cut short in 2004, when the coach was implicated in a scandal involving dispensing drugs among her players. Wilson became the second high-profile coach Washington fired that year following Huskies football
coach Rick Neuheisel
's dismissal in an NCAA wagering scandal.
One of Wilson's former players, University of the Pacific assistant coach Heather Tarr, took over the team shortly thereafter. In Tarr's fifth year, Washington entered the 2009 Women's College World Series
as the No. 3 seed. Despite having no home games due to Husky Softball Stadium's lack of lights, the Huskies cruised to the national title game in 2009, sweeping the University of Florida Gators
in two games. Canada women's national softball team
member and 2009 U.S. college player of the year Danielle Lawrie
pitched both games, winning 8–0 and 3–2. This marked the 22nd time in 28 seasons of World Series play in which the Pac-10 had won.
, the Huskies opened Husky Softball Stadium in 1994. It is just east of Husky Stadium
, sharing the football stadium's view of Mount Rainier
. The stadium holds 1,000 fans in the main stands, with up to an additional 500 by adding bleachers. For many games during the 2010 season, the university has sold standing room only tickets before games. Room for standers is located behind the main sections, and along the walkways to the outfield General Admission. In 2010, the venue added lights, as to enable the school to host NCAA tournament regionals and super regionals.
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
Huskies
Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The school is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The athletic program is made up of 9 men's sports and 10 women's sports Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The...
softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
team is a NCAA Division I college softball
College softball
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.As with other intercollegiate...
team and part of the Pac-10 Conference. They play their home games at Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. They won the national championship
2009 Women's College World Series
The 2009 Women's College World Series was held May 28 through June 3, 2009 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Eight NCAA Division I college softball teams met after having advanced through a 64-team bracket to play in the World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The official host for the event is the...
in 2009.
History
The program was founded in 1993. Head coach Teresa Wilson quickly built the team into a national powerhouse, guiding it to the Women's College World SeriesWomen's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game 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. Wilson compiled a record of 532-198-1 (.728 winning percentage).
However, Wilson's tenure was cut short in 2004, when the coach was implicated in a scandal involving dispensing drugs among her players. Wilson became the second high-profile coach Washington fired that year following Huskies football
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
coach Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
's dismissal in an NCAA wagering scandal.
One of Wilson's former players, University of the Pacific assistant coach Heather Tarr, took over the team shortly thereafter. In Tarr's fifth year, Washington entered the 2009 Women's College World Series
2009 Women's College World Series
The 2009 Women's College World Series was held May 28 through June 3, 2009 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Eight NCAA Division I college softball teams met after having advanced through a 64-team bracket to play in the World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The official host for the event is the...
as the No. 3 seed. Despite having no home games due to Husky Softball Stadium's lack of lights, the Huskies cruised to the national title game in 2009, sweeping the University of Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
in two games. Canada women's national softball team
Canada women's national softball team
|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white| 5th || 1996 Atlanta|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white| 8th || 2000 Sydney|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white| 5th || 2004 Athens...
member and 2009 U.S. college player of the year Danielle Lawrie
Danielle Lawrie
Danielle Elaine Lawrie is a Canadian 5'7" former right-handed pitcher and right-batting cleanup hitter for the University of Washington softball team. She was also a member of the Canada women's national softball team during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She was named the 2009 U.S.A...
pitched both games, winning 8–0 and 3–2. This marked the 22nd time in 28 seasons of World Series play in which the Pac-10 had won.
Field
After playing their first year in nearby BellevueBellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, the Huskies opened Husky Softball Stadium in 1994. It is just east of Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
, sharing the football stadium's view of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. The stadium holds 1,000 fans in the main stands, with up to an additional 500 by adding bleachers. For many games during the 2010 season, the university has sold standing room only tickets before games. Room for standers is located behind the main sections, and along the walkways to the outfield General Admission. In 2010, the venue added lights, as to enable the school to host NCAA tournament regionals and super regionals.