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With well over a decade of national excellence that includes a NCAA Softball Championship title, 12 trips to the NCAA Women's College World Series, 25 consecutive NCAA regional appearances, and 20 conference championship titles, Fresno State softball has set a precedent on the collegiate ranks.
Fresno State, which also has been a four-time NCAA national runner-up and is the only school to have appeared in every NCAA tournament, showcased a new home for its softball program in 1996.
Regarded as one of the finest in the country, the Bulldogs play in a stadium like no other on the collegiate ranks as the facility boasts a seating capacity of 3,288 and a home field record of 262-59(.816) since 1996. The stadium was singled out in the summer of 2000 by the American Institute of Architect San Joaquin for its "excellence in design and execution."
The $3.2 million softball stadium features 1,688 permanent seat-back chairs that include 388 box seats, sunken dugouts, lights, concessions stands, restrooms, practice areas, enclosed batting cages, press box with 24 telephone lines as well as a contemporary scoreboard and message center. Completely fenced in, Bulldog Diamond is 205 feet down the lines and 220 feet to center field.
Bulldog Softball, home to the country's largest fan following since 1987 which has amassed an outstanding winning percentage of .742 (1,311-456-1), has hosted 20 of the 25 NCAA regional championships since 1982.
With the NCAA officially keeping total and average attendance marks since 1991, Fresno State has led the country in average attendance in 14 of the last 16 seasons (unofficially in 19 of last 21) while being tops in the nation in total attendance in 11 of the last 16 seasons (unofficially in 16 of last 21). The reward has been an astonishing 669-152-1 (.815) overall home field record.
After setting Top 25 single-date records at Bulldog Diamond for 10 of the last 11 years, Fresno State has drawn more than 400,000 (418,822) while averaging just over 2,000 (2,033) per home date (206).
Three times in the last 11 years the Bulldogs have broken their own NCAA record in total attendance for a regular-season. In 1999, Fresno State drew its largest single-season attendance with 55,746 fans in 26 dates for an average of 2,144. The 1997 Bulldogs broke their own NCAA records in total and average attendance that they set the previous year as Fresno State drew 51,133 fans for an average of 2,557 (20 dates). In 1996, the `Dogs totaled 34,224 fans for an average of 2,139 (16 dates).
Fresno State owns three of the top 10 NCAA all-time largest softball crowds, including most in a single-date with 5,724 versus Arizona (March 14, 2000) and 5,427 versus UCLA (February 24, 1996). The Bulldogs have set the NCAA single-date regular season record five times (1993, 3,517; 1989, 3,357; 1988, 2,583; 1996, 5,427; 2000, 5,724) while averaging at least 1,000 fans per single-date in a single-season 16 of the last 17 years.
"We have built something that is a testament to our commitment toward women and girls in the sport," said head coach Margie Wright, who is the NCAA's all-time winningest softball coach and the first NCAA Division I softball coach to ever post 1,000 and 1,200 Division I wins. "The university has honored its former players while welcoming generations to come with this premier softball stadium."
With a history of demanding nothing short of excellence, Fresno State has rewarded its loyal fans with 11 USA Softball Olympians, one Puerto Rico Softball Olympian, one Greece Softball Olympian, 53 All-Americans, 17 Academic All-Americans, 92 all-region and 145 all-conference picks.
Top 25 Bulldog Diamond Crowds
Year Opponent Results Score Attendance 2000 Arizona L/L 0-2, 1-3 *5,724 1996 UCLA L/W 1-4, 5-4 *5,427 1997 UCLA W/W 4-2, 4-3 5,167 1997 Arizona W/W 5-2, 6-5 4,707 1999 San Jose State W/W 4-1, 4-1 4,316 2000 Portland State W/W 1-0, 10-2 3,981 1997 San Jose State W/W 10-5, 2-0 3,886 1999 UCLA L 1-2 3,646 2001 Loyola Marymount W/W 6-3, 2-0 3,623 2000 UCLA W 1-0 3,592 1997 San Diego State W/L 3-0, 1-2 3,530 1993 UCLA L/L 0-1, 1-2 3,517 1989 UCLA W 2-0 3,357 1998 San Diego State W/W 3-0, 2-1 3,179 2002 San Jose State W/W 1-0, 1-0 3,039 2004 UCLA L 1-2 3,024 1998 UNLV W/W 9-1, 10-2 3,023 1996 San Diego State W/W 2-0, 4-0 2,826 2005 UCLA L 7-0 2,825 2001 UCLA L 8-2 2,825 1997 Long Beach State W/L 8-0, 0-3 2,769 1988 UCLA L/L 1-5, 3-5 2,583 2003 UCLA L 0-5 2,561 2003 San Jose State W/W 5-0, 5-2 2,486 1998 UCLA W 3-2 2,438 1997 UNLV W/L 6-1, 2-5 2,438* NCAA single-date regular-season attendance mark
Bulldog Diamond Attendance
Year Attendance Dates High Single Date Average 2006 22,303 18 1,747 1,239 2005 37,581 21 2,825 1,789 2004 29,450 16 3,024 1,840 2003 37,604 20 2,561 1,880 2002 31,842 16 3,039 1,990 2001 34,151 16 3,623 2,134 2000 49,568 21 5,724 2,360 1999 55,746 26 4,316 2,144 1998 35,220 16 3,179 2,201 1997 51,113 20 5,179 2,557 1996 34,224 16 5,427 2,139 1995 14,027 14 1,652 1,002 1994 16,008 16 1,958 1,001 1993 14,812 11 3,517 1,347 1992 16,799 16 1,305 873 1991 16,799 16 1,475 1,050 1990 19,946 19 1,428 1,050 1989 18,751 18 3,357 1,042 1988 14,937 19 2,583 786 1987 7,474 15 1,214 498 1986 5,860 11 974 533 1985 6,277 21 637 299 1984 3,472 15 754 226 1983 4,532 12 878 378 1982 3,464 14 724 247
NCAA All-Time Largest Softball Crowds
Single Date, Regular Season
5,724
Fresno State vs. Arizona
Bulldog Diamond - Fresno, Calif.
March 14, 2000
All-Time Regular Season Attendance Record
55,746
Fresno State (1999)
Fresno State's 5,000+ Attendance Games
5,724
Fresno State vs. Arizona
Bulldog Diamond - Fresno, Calif.
March 14, 2000
5,427
Fresno State 5, UCLA 4
Bulldog Diamond - Fresno, Calif.
Feb. 24, 1996
5,167
Fresno State 4, UCLA 2
Bulldog Diamond - Fresno, Calif.
Feb. 8, 1997