Since Sam Houston State defeated Cal State Northridge in 1982 for the first DII softball championship, 39 other national champions have been crowned. Rogers State was No. 39, winning the 2022 national championship in dominant fashion and claiming the program’s first national title. Surprisingly, the exclusive club of multiple winners is very small, but welcomed its newest member on June 1, 2021.
2022 RECAP: Rogers State takes it all to claim first DII softball title
West Texas A&M beat Biola in the 2021 DII Softball National Championship Series, winning their second title after winning their first in 2014. Augustana (SD), was the winner in 2019 and that victory also entered the Vikings into this club exclusive. The last school to win their second championship before the Vikings was Lock Haven in the 2009 season.
Let’s take a look at the programs with the most DII softball championships.
4—CSUN (1983-85, 1987)
Head coach Gary Torgeson’s Matadors owned the CCAA and pretty much DII softball for most of the 1980s. They won the CCAA in each of their nine seasons as a member and have won four DII titles along the way. CSUN appeared in the first six DII Softball Championship Series, winning three straight after losing the inaugural title game to Sam Houston State.
3 – Bakersfield California State (1988-90)
California certainly had a monopoly on DII softball in the early years of its history. After CSUN’s history at the top ended, the Roadrunners took over. CSU Bakersfield has won three titles, all in a row under head coach Kathy Welter. It beat CSUN 6-2 in 1990 for its last DII title in a showdown of softball superpowers.
2 — Five tied
West Texas A&M is the newest member as the Lady Buffs have now won two titles in the past seven seasons. augustan won his second title in 2019, waiting 28 years to do so, the longest span of any DII softball multiple-time winner. After the Roadrunners race ended, we saw four new winners in a row. Then a pair of consecutive champions changed the landscape of DII softball. Kennesaw State won in 1995 and 1996 followed by California (Pennsylvania) in 1997 and 1998. Humboldt State followed the Vulcans in 1999 and would win their second title in 2008, the longest streak between DII softball championships before the 2019 Vikings. If anyone can call themselves the DII softball power of the 2000s, it’s lockdown haven. The Bald Eagles were the first team to win multiple championships this century and nearly won a third, losing by one to SIU Edwardsville in the 2007 championship.
Here is a complete list of all DII Softball National Champions:
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | FINALIST | TO PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Rogers State (58-10) | Andrea Vaughn | 6-1 | Cal State Dom. Hills | Denver, Colorado. |
| 2021 | West Texas A&M (43-12) | Michael Mook | 4-1 | Biola | Denver, Colorado. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | N / A | N / A | N / A | N / A |
| 2019 | *Augustana (SD) (61-11) | Gretta Melsted | 6-4 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | Denver, Colorado. |
| 2018 | *Southern Indiana (40-23) | Sue Kunkle | 8-3 | Saint Anselm | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2017 | *Minnesota State (64-7) | Lori Meyer | 5-1 | Angelo State | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2016 | North Alabama (60-7) | Ashley Cozart | 4-1 | Humboldt State | denver |
| 2015 | North Georgia (54-8) | Mike Davenport | 5-0 | Dixie State | Oklahoma City |
| 2014 | *West Texas A&M (60-7) | Kevin Blaskowski | 3-2 | State of Valdosta | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2013 | *Central Oklahoma (51-11) | Genny Stidham | 5-2 | Kutztown | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2012 | Valdosta State (58-5) | Thomas Macera | 4-1 | University of San Diego | Louisville, Ky. |
| 2011 | University of San Diego | Patti Gerckens | 10-3 | Alabama-Huntsville | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2010 | *Hawaii Pacific (50-8) | Bryan Nakason | 4-3 | State of Valdosta | Saint Joseph, Mo. |
| 2009 | Lock Haven (51-6) | Kelly Green | 8-0 | Alabama-Huntsville | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2008 | *Humboldt State (57-18) | Frank Cheek | 1-0 | Emporia State | Houston |
| 2007 | *SEU Edwardsville (49-8) | Sandy Montgomery | 3-2 | lockdown haven | Akron, Ohio |
| 2006 | *Refuge de l’écluse (56-4) | Kelly Green | 3-0 | Emporia State | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2005 | * *Lynn (54-7) | Thomas Macera | 5-3 | Kennesaw State | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2004 | Angelo State (47-11 | Travis Scott | 7-3 | South Florida | Altamonte Springs, Florida. |
| 2003 | *UC Davis (53-15) | Kathy DeYoung | 7-0 | College of Georgia | Salem, Oregon. |
| 2002 | St. Mary (Texas) (58-11) | Donna Fields | 4-0 | great valley state | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2001 | Nebraska-Omaha (54-6) | Jeanne Totensson | 4-0 | lewis | Salem, Virginia. |
| 2000 | North Dakota State (68-10) | Mitch Hanson | 3-1 | Kennesaw State | Columbus, Ga. |
| 1999 | Humboldt State (55-7-1) | Frank Cheek | 7-2 | Nebraska-Kearney | Salem, Virginia. |
| 1998 | California (Pennsylvania) (49-7) | Rick Bertagnoli | 2-1 | barry | Pensacola, Florida. |
| 1997 | *California (Pennsylvania) (53-5) | Rick Bertagnoli | 2-1 | Wisconsin–Parkside | Salem, Virginia. |
| 1996 | Kennesaw State (49-8) | Scott Whitlock | 6-4 | Nebraska-Omaha | Emporia, Kan. |
| 1995 | Kennesaw State (53-5) | Scott Whitlock | 3-2 | Bloomsburg | Salem, Virginia. |
| 1994 | Merrimac (45-4) | Michele Myslinski | 6-2 | Humboldt State | Shawnee, Kan. |
| 1993 | South Florida (45-11) | Chris Bellotto | 11-5 | Augustane (SD) | Shawnee, Kan. |
| 1992 | Southern Missouri State (50-7) | Pat Lipira | 1-0 | Cal State East Bay | Shawnee, Kan. |
| 1991 | *Augustana (SD) (61-4-1) | Sandy Jerstad | 3-2 | Bloomsburg | Midland, Mich. |
| 1990 | California State Bakersfield (44-11) | Kathy Welter | 6-2 | State of California Northridge | Midland, Mich. |
| 1989 | California State Bakersfield (38-23) | Kathy Welter | 8-5 | Sacramento State | Sacramento, California. |
| 1988 | State of California Bakersfield (54-9-1) | Kathy Welter | 4-3 | lockdown haven | Sacramento, California. |
| 1987 | California State Northridge (58-7) | Gary Torgeson | 4-0 | South Florida | Quincy, Ill. |
| 1986 | *Stephen F. Austin (38-15-1) | Diane Baker | 1-0 | State of California Northridge | Akron, Ohio |
| 1985 | *California Northridge State (62-19) | Gary Torgeson | 2-1 | Akron | Northridge, California. |
| 1984 | *State of California Northridge (51-12-2) | Gary Torgeson | 1-0 | Akron | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 1983 | *State of California Northridge (35-20-2) | Gary Torgeson | 1-0 | Sam Houston State | Orange, California. |
| 1982 | Sam Houston State (40-6) | Wayne Daigle | 3-2 | State of California Northridge | Stratford, Conn. |
*Indicates undefeated teams in the final series
**Lynn’s participation in the 2005 tournament canceled by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
** Lynn’s participation in the 2005 tournament canceled by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
