1972 Softball Team

The 1972 Wayne State softball team had an unbeaten regular season, captured the Nebraska State Women's Championship, and ended their season playing in the Women's College Softball World Series in Omaha against numerous Division I teams. They finished seventh out of 16 teams. The team won the Nebraska College Women's Tournament in Wayne beating Chadron State 7-1, Kearney State 4-2 in the semifinals, and Nebraska-Omaha 5-4 in the finals to finish the regular season with a 9-0 record. Pitcher Mary Gerken, shortstop Jan Nyquist, third baseman Sherri Harpoole, and centerfielder Ann Fulkerson were named to the All-Tournament Team. At the Women's College World Series in Omaha, Wayne State posted a 2-2 record in the 16-team field to place seventh overall. The Cats lost to Western Illinois in the opener 12-4 but bounced back with wins over Minot State 10-6 and Keene (New Hampshire) 15-0 before being eliminated by Central Illinois (Illinois State) by a score of 10-0. The 16-team field included national champion Arizona State, runner-up Tokyo, Japan, third place Western Illinois, and fourth place Illinois State. Wayne State finished the season with an 11-2 record under head coach G.I. Willoughby. The team was inducted into the WSC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.