1998 NCAA Division I softball season

{{Infobox College softball season

| title = 1998 NCAA Division I softball season

| duration =

| no_of_games =

| no_of_teams =

| preseason1 =

| DefendingChampions = Arizona

| attendance =

| average_attendance =

| TV =

| tournament_link = 1998 NCAA Division I softball tournament

| tournament = Tournament

| TourneyDuration =

| ConferenceBids =

| WCWSDuration =

| WCWS_link = 1998 Women's College World Series

| WCWS = Women's College World Series

| WCWSChamp = Fresno State

| WCWSTitleCount = 1st

| WCWSRunnerUp = Arizona

| WCWSCount = 11th

| WCWSCoach = Margie Wright

| WCWSCoachCount = 1st

| WCWSMOP = Amanda Scott

| MOPTeam = Fresno State

| prevseason_year = 1997

| nextseason_year = 1999

}}

The 1998 NCAA Division I softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 1998. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 1998 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 1998 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held in held in Oklahoma City at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, ended on May 25, 1998.

Conference standings

cellpadding="5"

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Big 12 Conference softball standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Big Ten Conference softball standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Pacific-10 Conference softball standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Southland Conference softball standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Western Athletic Conference softball standings}}

Women's College World Series

The 1998 NCAA Women's College World Series took place from May 21 to May 25, 1998 in Oklahoma City.{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/softball_wcws_stats/1998/confstat.htm |title=1998 Women's College World Series |location=Ncaa.org |date= |accessdate=2020-08-02}}

Season leaders

Batting

Batting average: .519 – Tanisha Kemp, Morgan State Bears
RBIs: 100 – Leah Braatz, Arizona Wildcats
Home runs: 25 – Kelly Kretschman, Alabama Crimson Tide & Leah Braatz, Arizona Wildcats

Pitching

Wins: 40-9 – Jenny Voss, Nebraska Cornhuskers
ERA: 0.42 (8 ER/132.0 IP) – Liza Brown, DePaul Blue Demons
Strikeouts: 430 – Danielle Henderson, UMass Minutewomen

Records

Freshman class runs:

94 – Kelly Kretschman, Alabama Crimson Tide{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/SB_Records/2020/D1.pdf |title=Division I Softball Records |website=Ncaa.org |date= |accessdate=2020-07-18}}

Senior class runs:

97 – Alison McCutcheon, Arizona Wildcats

Senior class hits:

117 – Alison McCutcheon, Arizona Wildcats

Team stolen bases:

368 – Alabama State Hornets

Awards

Honda Sports Award Softball:

Nancy Evans, Arizona Wildcats{{cite web |url=https://www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com/archives/softball |title=PAST HONDA SPORTS AWARD WINNERS FOR SOFTBALL |location=Collegiatewomensportsawards.com |date= |accessdate=2020-08-02}}{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1998_29_University%20of%20Arizona.pdf |title=Final 1998 Women's Softball Statistics Report |website=Ncaa.org |date= |accessdate=2020-08-02}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

YEAR

| W

| L

| GP

| GS

| CG

| SHO

| SV

| IP

| H

| R

| ER

| BB

| SO

| ERA

| WHIP

1998

| 36

| 2

| 42

| 37

| 36

| 20

| 3

| 241.2

| 160

| 40

| 34

| 39

| 255

| 0.98

| 0.82

class="wikitable"

align=center

| YEAR

| G

| AB

| R

| H

| BA

| RBI

| HR

| 3B

| 2B

| TB

| SLG

| BB

| SO

| SB

| SBA

align=center

| 1998

| 69

| 191

| 38

| 70

| .366

| 44

| 7

| 1

| 15

| 108

| .565%

| 30

| 8

| 1

All America Teams

The following players were members of the All-American Teams.{{cite web |url=https://nfca.org/awards/awards-history/1998-di-all-american-teams-4428 |title=1998 NSCA Division I All-America Teams |location=Nfca.org |date= |accessdate=2020-08-02}}

First Team

class="wikitable" ! Position !! Player !! Class !! School
align=center \|rowspan=3\| P	Jenny Voss	SO.	Nebraska Cornhuskers
align=center \| Nancy Evans	SR.	Arizona Wildcats
align=center \| Christa Williams	SO.	Texas Longhorns
align=center \| rowspan=1\| C	Leah Braatz	SR.	Arizona Wildcats
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 1B	Traci Conrad	JR.	Michigan Wolverines
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 2B	Nina Lindenberg	SR.	Fresno State Bulldogs
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 3B	Toni Mascarenas	FR.	Arizona Wildcats
align=center \|rowspan=1\| SS	Ali Viola	SR.	Nebraska Cornhuskers
align=center \|rowspan=3\| OF	Alison McCutcheon	SR.	Arizona Wildcats
align=center \| Laura Berg	SR.	Fresno State Bulldogs
align=center \| Lauren Bauer	FR.	Arizona Wildcats
align=center \|rowspan=1\| DP	Brandy Arthur	SR.	North Carolina Tar Heels
align=center \|rowspan=1\| UT	Sara Griffin	SR.	Michigan Wolverines
align=center \|rowspan=5\|AT-L	Shannon Beeler	JR.	Minnesota Golden Gophers
align=center \| Nikki Cockrell	JR.	Texas Longhorns
align=center \| Jamie Foutch	JR.	Oklahoma State Cowgirls
align=center \| Amanda Scott	SO.	Fresno State Bulldogs
align=center \| Leticia Pineda	SR.	Arizona Wildcats

Second Team

class="wikitable" ! Position !! Player !! Class !! School
align=center \| rowspan=3\| P	Jennifer Spediacci	SO.	Washington Huskies
align=center \| Danielle Henderson	JR.	UMass Minutewomen
align=center \| Jamie Graves	SO.	Washington Huskies
align=center \| rowspan=1\| C	Melissa Gentile	SR.	Michigan Wolverines
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 1B	Kim Gutridge	SR.	UMass Minutewomen
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 2B	Yvette Healy	JR.	DePaul Blue Demons
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 3B	Isonette Polonius	JR.	East Carolina Pirates
align=center \|rowspan=1\| SS	Kelly Kretschman	FR.	Alabama Crimson Tide
align=center \|rowspan=3\| OF	Sandy Butler	FR.	Texas Tech Red Raiders
align=center \| Tia Morenz	SR.	Hawaii Rainbow Wahine
align=center \| Kellyn Tate	SR.	Michigan Wolverines
align=center \|rowspan=1\| DP	Christie McCoy	SR.	Nebraska Cornhuskers
align=center \|rowspan=1\| UT	Tarrah Beyster	SO.	Oregon State Beavers
align=center \|rowspan=5\|AT-L	Debbie Bilbao	SR.	Iowa Hawkeyes
align=center \| Sandy Rhea	SR.	Utah Utes
align=center \| Becky Witt	FR.	Fresno State Bulldogs
align=center \| Jodi Reeves	SO.	Texas Longhorns
align=center \| Monica Triner	JR.	USF Bulls

Third Team

class="wikitable" ! Position !! Player !! Class !! School
align=center \| rowspan=3\| P	Becky Blevins	JR.	Stanford Cardinal
align=center \| Lana Moran	SO.	Oklahoma Sooners
align=center \| Chelsey Sakizzie	SR.	Florida Gators
align=center \| rowspan=1\| C	Julie Crandall	SR.	UNLV Rebels
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 1B	Chelo Lopez	SR.	CSUN Matadors
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 2B	Jodi Otten	SR.	LSU Tigers
align=center \| rowspan=1\| 3B	Heather Stella	JR.	Illinois State Redbirds
align=center \|rowspan=1\| SS	Rosie Leutzinger	SO.	Washington Huskies
align=center \|rowspan=3\| OF	Michele Acosta	JR.	Stanford Cardinal
align=center \| Wendy Harrison	SO.	Missouri Tigers
align=center \| Jody Dean	JR.	UNI Panthers
align=center \|rowspan=1\| DP	Marcy Crouch	JR.	Stanford Cardinal
align=center \|rowspan=1\| UT	Samantha Iuli	SO.	UIC Flames
align=center \|rowspan=6\|AT-L	Monica Armendarez	SR.	Indiana Hoosiers
align=center \| Liza Brown	JR.	DePaul Blue Demons
align=center \| Eve Gaw	SR.	Washington Huskies
align=center \| Desarie Knipfer	SR.	Cal Poly Mustangs
align=center \| Steph Midthun	JR.	Minnesota Golden Gophers