Sam Houston State Bearkats
2023 Sam Houston Bearkats softball team
UniversitySam Houston State University
Head coachGarrett Valis
ConferenceC-USA
LocationHuntsville, TX
Home stadiumBearkat Softball Complex (Capacity: 400)
NicknameBearkats
ColorsOrange and white[1]
   
NCAA Tournament champions
NAIA: 1981
NCAA DII: 1982
DI NIT: 1993
NCAA WCWS appearances
NAIA: 1981
NCAA DII: 1982 • 1983 • 1984
NCAA Tournament appearances
NCAA DII: 1982 • 1983 • 1984
NCAA DI: 2007, 2019
Conference Tournament championships
1988 • 2007
Regular Season Conference championships
1988 • 1990 • 1993

The Sam Houston Bearkats softball team represents Sam Houston State University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in Conference USA. The Bearkats are currently led by head coach Garrett Valis. The team plays its home games at the Bearkat Softball Complex located on the university's campus.[2]

History

Early history (1980–1990)

Sam Houston softball first began in 1980. The team was immediately successful as it saw a 19-5 record in its very first season. In only its second season, the team captured its first of three national titles in the 1981 NAIA national softball championship with a 1-0 victory over the Emporia State Lady Hornets.[3] Beginning with the 1982 season, the Bearkats moved up to NCAA Division II but saw no signs of slowing down as they earned three straight DII College World Series berths, with another national title in 1982.[4][5] Following their third consecutive WCWS season in 1983, SHSU softball continued to win, and reached DII regionals the next two years.[4] In 1987, the team failed to make a regional appearance despite a successful 34-26 campaign. This was the first season the softball team did not reach the playoffs since the team's first year. In the 1988 season, the Bearkats were invited to play in the Southland Conference, where the softball team reached the conference tournament in the next three years, including two conference championship seasons.

Rebuilding (1991–2001)

Throughout the early part of the '90s the softball team continued to be a force, earning at least a top 2 conference finish through the 1993 season. In 1993, Sam Houston would win the last of its three claimed national titles, winning the Women's NIT softball tournament.[3] After this successful season, however, the program would begin its run of mediocrity and never saw a top 4 conference finish again until current head coach Bob Brock took over in 2002.

The Bob Brock era (2002–present)

Bearkat Softball had never seen as much stability in the head coach position as it has since 2002, as Bob Brock is still the most tenured coach in Sam Houston's history. In Bob Brock's 14 seasons, he coached the softball team to 9 Southland Tournament berths. The 2012 season was his most successful as the Bearkats lost a thriller to Northwestern State in the conference title game.[6]

Year-by-year results

Year Head coach Collegiate
Record		 Conference
Record		 Notes
Independent (Lone Star Conference in Other Sports)
1980 Wayne Daigle 19–5 –
1981 Wayne Daigle 32–11 – NAIA Women's College World Series Champions
1982 Wayne Daigle 40–6 – Women's DII College World Series Champions
1983 Wayne Daigle 43–17 – NCAA Division II Women's College World Series (2nd Place)
Gulf Star Conference - NCAA Division II
1984 Brenda Marshall 32–22 0–0
1985 Brenda Marshall 37–11 10–4 NCAA Division II Regionals
1986 Brenda Marshall 39–16 14–6 NCAA Division II Regionals
Gulf Star Conference - Begin NCAA DI Play
1987 Kalum Haack 34–26 13–7
Southland Conference
1988 Annie Westfall 49-17 13–1 Conference Regular Season Champions
SLC Tournament Champion
1989 Annie Westfall 37–20 9–3 2nd, Conference Regular Season, SLC Tournament, 3rd Place
National NIT (8th place)
1990 Annie Westfall 25–34 9–3 Conference Regular Season Champions
SLC Tournament, 3rd Place
1991 Marty Blowers 37–23 18–6 2nd, Conference Regular Season
1992 Marty Blowers 41–21 18–10 2nd Conference Regular Season (T)
1993 Marty Blowers 39–15 24–4 Conference Regular Season Champions
National NIT Champions
1994 Marty Blowers 18–35–1 13–18–1 6th Regular Season
1995 Marty Blowers 19–33 15–17 5th Regular Season
1996 Marty Blowers 23–25 12–12 5th Regular Season
1997 Laniegh Clark 14–32 9–15 7th Regular Season
1998 Laniegh Clark 14–35 4–22 10th Regular Season
1999 John Garris 18–38 6–21 10th Regular Season
2000 John Garris 18–38 4–22 9th Regular Season
2001 John Garris 20–34 2–25 10th Regular Season
2002 Bob Brock 11–31 9–18 8th Regular Season
2003 Bob Brock 23–33 12–15 6th Regular Season, SLC Tournament, 3rd Place
2004 Bob Brock 29–23 17–9 3rd Regular Season, SLC Tournament, 3rd Place
2005 Bob Brock 29–25 19–7 2nd Regular Season, SLC Tournament Finalist
2006 Bob Brock 18–30 11–16 7th Regular Season
2007 Bob Brock 38–26 20–10 2nd Regular Season, SLC Tournament Champion
NCAA Division I Regional (1 win–2 losses)
2008 Bob Brock 30–31 15–15 7th Regular Season, SLC Tournament, 1st Round
2009 Bob Brock 28–26 15–14 6th Regular Season, SLC Tournament, 3rd Place
2010 Bob Brock 21–28 13–16 9th Regular Season
2011 Bob Brock 22–32 14–15 7th Regular Season
2012 Bob Brock 29–21 14–6 2nd Regular Season, SLC Tournament Finalist
2013 Bob Brock 37–34 17–10 3rd Regular Season, SLC Tournament Finalist
2014 Bob Brock 27–27 15–11 3rd Regular Season, SLC Tournament, 3rd Round
2015 Bob Brock 19–28 10–15 3rd (West)
2016 Bob Brock 21–31 13–14 3rd (West), SLC Tournament, Second Round
2017 Bob Brock 24–27 14–13 2nd (West), SLC Tournament, Second Round
2018 Bob Brock 24–33 13–14 2nd (West), SLC Tournament, Second Round
2019 Garrett Valis 35–23 22–5 SLC Regular Season Champions, SLC Tournament Champions, NCAA Regionals
2020 Garrett Valis 11–17 2–3 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Garrett Valis 19–30 14–13 6th Regular Season, SLC Tournament, Second Round

Postseason appearances

Conference tournaments

Sources:[7]

YearHead CoachRecord %Notes
Southland Conference Tournament Results
1988 Annie Westfall 4–0 1.000 Tournament Champion
1989 Annie Westfall 2–2 .500 Semi-Finalist
1990 Annie Westfall 2–2 .500 Semi-finalist
1991-95 No Conference Tournament
2003 Bob Brock 2–2 .500 3rd Round
2004 Bob Brock 2–2 .500 3rd Round
2005 Bob Brock 3–2 .600 Finalist
2007 Bob Brock 4–1 .800 Tournament Champion
2008 Bob Brock 0–1 .000 1st Round
2009 Bob Brock 2–2 .500 2nd Round
2012 Bob Brock 3–2 .600 Finalist
2013 Bob Brock 5–2 .714 Finalist
2014 Bob Brock 1–2 .333 2nd Round
Total 31–20 .608 12 Appearances

NCAA Division I Tournament results

The Bearkats have appeared in one NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–2.

YearRoundOpponentResult/Score
NCAA Division I Tournament Results
2007First Game
Second Game
Third Game		Texas A&M
Louisiana–Lafayette
Texas A&M		L 5–9
W 2–1 (8)
L 0–11

Source:[7]

NIT Division I Tournament results

In 1993, the Bearkats appeared in the Division I NIT softball tournament. They won the tournament championship with a record of 3–0.

YearRoundOpponentResult/Score
NCAA Division I Tournament Results
1993First Game
Second Game
Third Game		DePaul
Princeton
Chicago–Illinois		W 7–2
W 3–0
W 3–2

Source:[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Athletic Branding". Sam Houston State University Department of Marketing and Communications. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Sam Houston State Softball Stadium". GoBearkats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  3. 1 2 "Important Dates in SHSU history". GoBearkats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  4. 1 2 "Sam Houston State Softball Record Book: Year-by-Year" (PDF). Sam Houston State Athletics. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  5. ↑ "Sam Houston State Bearkats National Titles". GoBearkats.com. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  6. ↑ Jimmy Watson (2013-05-11). "NSU claims SLC softball tournament crown". Shreveport Times. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  7. 1 2 3 "Southland Conference 2015 Softball" (PDF). Southland Conference. pp. 28–38. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
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