Getting to Bulldog Diamond
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Bulldog Diamond
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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, 29 consecutive NCAA regional appearances, and 21 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 15-year old facility boasts a seating capacity of 3,288 and a home field record of 389-79 (.831) 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 telephone lines as well as a scoreboard. Completely fenced in, Bulldog Diamond is 205 feet down the lines and 220 feet to center field.
Bulldog Softball, home to the country's overall largest fan following since 1987, has amassed an outstanding winning percentage of .738 (1,491-528-1) in its 33-year history while hosting 21 of the 29 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 13 of the last 20 seasons (unofficially in 18 of last 25) while being tops in the nation in total attendance in 10 of the last 20 seasons (unofficially in 15 of last 25). The reward has been an astonishing 760-172-1 (.815) overall home field record in 33 years.
Setting Top 25 single-date records at the "new" Bulldog Diamond in 11 of the last 15 years, Fresno State has drawn more than 500,000 (521,633) while averaging more than 1,800 (1,870) per home date (279).
Three times in the last 15 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 regular-season 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 21 of the last 22 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 1,300 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 13 USA Softball Olympians, one Puerto Rico Softball Olympian, one Greece Softball Olympian, one Canada Olympian, 55 All-Americans, 18 Academic All-Americans, 108 all-region and 162 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
2010 Pacific/Sac. St. W/W 1-0, 6-0 2,526
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
2010 21,405 16 2,526 1,338
2009 21,821 17 2,341 1,284
2008 29,917 20 2,275 1,496
2007 29,668 20 2,223 1,483
2006 22,302 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 3,038 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 51,133 20 5,167 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 13,962 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 11 947 533
1985 6,277 21 637 299
1984 3,472 15 754 226
1983 4,532 12 878 378
1982 3,464 14 724 247
681,953 496 5,724 1,375
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
