1986 SOFTBALL TEAM
NAIA National Champions
 
Honors
NAIA National Coach of the Year: Jim Zeleznak
NAIA All-Americans: Mary Kalinec, Leticia Morales
NAIA Tournament MVP: Leticia Morales
 
Records
Overall Record: 32-11
Team ERA: 0.55
Team Batting Average: .278
Team Fielding Percentage: .961
Triples: 21
Home Runs: 15
Pitcher Strikeouts: 277
 
The first team to be inducted into the St. Mary’s Athletics Hall of Fame, the 1986 Softball team was the first to bring home a national title, winning the NAIA National Tournament on its home field. An outstanding seven players off the roster have been individually inducted into the Hall after the team posted a record of 32-11 with an astonishingly low earned-run average of 0.55. That mark still stands as the lowest in school history 35 years later. After dashing to find cover during an intense rainstorm during the national championship game, the Rattlers refocused to defeat Oklahoma City 2-1 to claim the title.
 
“I really hold this one special, because we really consider each other family,” said Leticia Morales-Bissaro, one of the two captains of the 1986 team. “The team during that time was a close-knit team, from our parents having good relationships with each other to the teammates. We had each other’s back. Being inducted individually was nice, but being inducted as a group is very special.”
 
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach Jim Zeleznak
Assistant Coach Amos Miller
Assistant Coach Gerald Brown
Honorary Assistant Coach Solomon Karam
 
Team Roster:
Yvette Buentello-Giron
Missy Bumpus Kauffman
Barbara Cribbs
Sharon Dose
Donna Eckert Fields
Carol Havelka Sukup
Adrian Jonietz Caloss
Mary Kalinec
Milyse Lamkin
Leticia Morales-Bissaro
Billie Jo Prather
Jamie Rich
Stacey Roberts
Kelly (Smith) Hudson
Donna Smith Kowalik