2004 Softball team

The 2004 softball team produced the largest turnaround in program history, improving to 26-8 from a 15-21 record the previous year. The 26 wins were the most by a Bluffton softball team in a season up to that time—and remain tied for the second-most—and the .764 winning percentage is still the single-season best as of 2015.

Coached by Holly Spann, the team was ranked in the top 10 nationally in NCAA Division III for most of the year.

In addition to throwing three no-hitters, Bluffton’s 2004 pitchers set school records for lowest earned run average (0.98), most strikeouts (283), most shutouts (11) and lowest opponents’ batting average (.158).

Sarah Betts ’06 was the conference’s Most Valuable Player, and Allison (Lange ’05) Bentley and Mandy (Snider ’05) Cutnaw joined her on the All-HCAC first team. Betts and Bentley were also named first-team all-region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association/Louisville Slugger.

Bentley added second-team All-America honors, while Betts was a third-team All-America selection. She was a second-team Academic All-American as well, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America.