Things weren’t looking great for the 2003 Wright State softball team heading into the Horizon League tournament. They were 11-35 and sitting last in the conference. But the Raiders caught fire, making a forgettable season unforgettable.
Before the tournament, the Raiders were shut out in 16 games and faced another losing season. But the 2003 team proved it’s not about how many games you win, it’s when you win them.
Raiders first played top-seeded Loyola-Chicago, who beat WSU twice during the regular season and had won five of their last six meetings. But the Raiders upset the Ramblers 6-2, setting off a chain reaction of wins that led WSU all the way to a tournament championship and an NCAA tournament berth.
“The big thing was that we had a really rough season,” centerfielder Amy Price said. “But going into the conference tournament we thought we needed to play more relaxed and just have fun.”
Following the upset of Loyola, WSU rattled off wins over Green Bay, Youngstown State and Cleveland State in the championship game, winning the title after a walk-off home run by first baseman Stephanie Salas.
“Because it had been such a rough season, it was such a huge celebration,” Price said. “It was such a high moment. I remember thinking ‘Wow, that’s a big deal.’ On one hand, we won the conference tournament, and on the other now we’re headed to Michigan for the NCAA’s.”
The Raiders had a rude welcome in the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance, losing 8-0 to fourth-seeded DePaul.
“They had a girl that was huge,” Price said. “She hit a home run over the fence, the tree and the outfield fence for Michigan’s neighboring baseball field."
In a double-elimination bracket, the Raiders knew the next game against Missouri was win or go home.
The game was low scoring and neither team registered a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning. Missouri took a 1-0 lead that inning, but the Raiders fought back and tied the game the next half inning and added two more in the sixth en route to a 3-1 win.
“For me it was a combination of relief, awe, and excitement,” Price said. “I remember jumping together as a team after the win.”
The 2003 softball team was the first in Raider history to make the NCAA tournament, but it wouldn’t be the last, as WSU made tournament appearances again in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
“I’ve spoken to a few players from those teams and they told me it was huge you guys were able to lay that foundation to show that it is possible,” Price said.
