By: KSU Sports Information
KENNESAW, Ga. – Winning a national championship is no small feat, especially when it is a program’s first year of competition at a particular level. Now imagine not only accomplishing that, but repeating the feat the following year, when you have already established yourself nationally as the team to beat. Well, the Kennesaw State Owls softball team did just that, capturing the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1995 and 1996, their first two years of full-fledged NCAA Division II competition.
Perpetual success was nothing new to the Black and Gold under head coach Scott Whitlock. Since transitioning to fast-pitch softball beginning with the 1991 season, the Owls had made the NAIA National Championship tournament four years in a row, and showed they were built to compete at the next level immediately when they won the 1995 NCAA Division II championship in stunning fashion,
winning five consecutive games after losing their opener in the Women’s College World Series.
Following their 53-5 campaign in 1995, it was easy to guess that 1996 would be more of a challenge, since everyone around the country knew what kind of a power was brewing down in Kennesaw, Ga. What made the Owls more scary was that they were returning the 1995 NCAA Division II National Player of the Year in senior pitcher Kelly Rafter, as well as junior Cara Dornstauder, a First Team All-American during their first championship year.
As was the case during their inaugural year in Division II ball, Whitlock’s squad cruised through the regular season, posting another perfect record in Peach Belt Conference play, winning all 14 of their conference contests. The unblemished mark against league opponents stretched their streak to 30 consecutive games without a loss in the PBC, coming off of a 16-0 1995 campaign.
As was expected, Rafter was dominant on the mound once again, compiling a 25-3 record in the regular season with a 0.70 earned run average. She was complemented in the circle by sophomore Brenda Farrell, who went from getting limited time during her freshman year to posting a 17-4 record heading into the NCAA Tournament, early signs of excellence from the future ace of the Owls staff. While Dornstauder was the leading offensive player on the team with a stellar .407 batting average, the Black and Gold were also buoyed by sophomore Kathy Morgan, who batted .393, second highest on the team. Speedster freshman Kathy Le, who led the team with 11 triples, was also a huge factor for the Owls, as was fellow newcomer Julie Eggert, who tied Dornstauder for the team lead with 38 RBI.
With a 37-6 mark heading into the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, the Black and Gold faced their first signs of adversity in the PBC Tournament, when they lost their first-ever game to a conference foe when they dropped a 2-0 contest to host and arch-rival Columbus State. They would rebound, winning the next three games to earn their second straight conference tournament crown. An appearance in the NCAA South Atlantic Regional would produce a three-game sweep against the likes of Carson-Newman and Columbus State, taking to the Women’s College World Series once again.
The Black and Gold would ride the arm of the senior Rafter once they arrived in Emporia, Kansas, as the righty would go the distance in all four games she started, posting a 4-0 record with a 1.21 ERA. Morgan and Le would rake in the World Series, going 7-for-16 and 7-for-19, respectively.
After winning their first three games by a combined margin of 12-2, they would fall to California-Davis, 5-1. That didn’t deter the Owls, as they would come back to defeat Nebraska-Omaha 6-4 to take their second straight national crown.
In winning their second straight national title, the Owls joined Cal State Northridge and Cal State Bakersfield as just the third program to win back-to-back Division II softball titles. Perhaps not surprisingly, all three programs now compete at the Division I level.
Kelly Rafter Reflects on the 1996 Championship
What was it like to go through an entire season and try to repeat what you all had just accomplished? How about dealing with the expectations of being the returning national player of the year from 1995?
"I have to tell you honestly, it never really occurred to me that I had anything to prove. I didn't look at the big picture. I literally just prepared for the next game ahead of me. Visualizing pitching to the upcoming team, coming up with a game plan, making sure I gave us the best possible chance to win that particular game. The biggest concern for 'the overall pic' was the fact that we had soooo many freshman, but more importantly for me, Colleen went and graduated on me. She and I had such a rhythm and understanding of each other. I trusted her completely back there. I knew with her gone that I'd have to step up a lot more and really think about what I needed to throw and be ready to take a more active role in calling my own game."
What particular memories do you have from that season?
"I had a lucky pair of socks. These were the only socks I wore all season, sooo, by the end of the year - the national tournament - they were barely recognizable. Holes everywhere. BUT, they were the only socks I was going to wear. At the big tourney, we had a guy (David) take our uniforms to the laundry mat and when he brought them back, THE socks were missing. It was right before the championship game so you can imagine I was a smidge upset. So he had to go back to the laundry mat and try to find these magical socks. He found them - in the trash!!!! My dad to this day thinks David is the one who put them there. Just because of a few holes...."
"Shelley Webb was in charge of my jacket while I was in the field. A very important task. She was the only one allowed to touch it. During the championship game coach got mad about something and he picked up MY jacket and threw it down. Shelley told him he HAD to put it back immediately and he refused. He was mumbling something about it doesn't matter where the stupid jacket is.... So, two hitters later, I walked in a run. I looked at him, he looked at me. He picked up the jacket and put it back where he found it. We got the next batter out and proceeded to win the game. How do I know all this went on? I always knew where my jacket was."
From The Vault
May 21, 1996: Lady Owls Do It Again (Courtesy: Marietta Daily Journal)
