The 1983 Beaver Softball Team became one of the most successful teams for BVU during its historic season. Its national runner-up finish was at the time BVU’s highest-ever national team finish and helped pave the way for the school’s only national team title a year later.
The program began the year with four straight games against DI opponents (Ohio St., L 7-1, U of Iowa, L 8-3, U of Iowa, W 5-0, Univ. of Oklahoma, L 10-0). From there, it won 10 of its next 11 games overall. Following a tough 3-0 loss to Central College early in conference play, the Beavers rolled off seven straight wins, including five by shutout to help spring its way to a conference championship.
The team began its regional tournament play with a 15-inning marathon against Sonoma State where it prevailed 4-1 and later won its final two games over Augsburg to advance into the national tournament.
During the national tournament, the Beavers dropped their opening game of the double-elimination format, 2-0, against Trenton State before bouncing back to win three straight games, including a 4-2 victory over No. 1 ranked Eastern Connecticut State, to eliminate them and set up a rematch with Trenton State for a chance at the championship. BVU needed to win twice and came out and won a thrilling 1-0 game in eight innings to remain alive thanks to a run-scoring double in the eighth inning from Susan Mingus, but Trenton State would go on to bounce back and take the title game later that day, 6-0.
The Beavers finished their historic campaign with an overall record of 30-9, while picking up an Iowa Conference title with an 11-1 mark and the Io-Kota Conference title at 8-2. It landed eight all-conference selections, including Lori Stirn ’83, who was named the IIAC Most Valuable Player and a Second Team All-American. Joining Stirn on the All-Conference First team were Chanel Finzen ‘84, Jackie Jerkovich ’84, Judy Sheirbon ‘83, and Jill Walquist ’83. Members of the Second Team included: Joy Johnson ‘86, Kestel ’85, and Susan Mingus '85.
Finzen helped lead the pitching staff with a 16-3 overall record and 1.21 ERA and eight shutouts. She finished the year with 133 innings pitched and 70 strikeouts. After going 11-2 during the regular season, Finzen was a dynamic 5-1 during the postseason run. Freshman hurler Pam Nelson posted a stellar 0.57 ERA of 36.2 innings of work. That ERA is sits fourth all-time for a single-season with a minimum of 15 innings pitched. She finished the year with an impressive 5-1 mark and only six total runs allowed (three earned).
Stirn, meanwhile, helped lead the charge offensively, as she hit .330 for the year with 13 doubles, 41 RBI and 25 runs scored. Her doubles total still ranks fourth on the program's single-season list while the 41 RBI are third.
As a team, BVU hit .283 for the season with 62 doubles, 13 triples and 203 runs scored. It also went a perfect 68-for-68 in stolen base attempts. That total remained a single-season school record until the 2021 squad surpassed it with 95 stolen bases.
Head Coach Marge Willadsen was named the Conference Coach of the Year.
