About the Program

The Bowdoin College softball team was instituted in 1982, and has proven to be one of the top squads in New England in the past two decades. From 1999-2002, the team posted at least 19 wins each season (including a record 25 in 2002) and reached the NESCAC Tournament Championship Game in 2001. In 2004, the Polar Bears won 22 games and took the East Division crown. They qualified for the NESCAC Tournament for the fourth time in five years and had another strong campaign in 2005, going 19-10 overall.

But the Polar Bears officially announced their arrival on the national stage in 2010, as the squad reached the NESCAC title game, earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance (and win) and claimed a school-record 34 victories. Since taking the helm in 2004, head coach Ryan Sullivan has won 186 games and twice has broken the school record for wins in a season.

The team won the NESCAC Championship in 1992, and has also seen numerous individual accolades. Kristie Miller was named All-NESCAC every year from 1999-2002, and the team has boasted three NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors overall. The Polar Bears play in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation in the NESCAC, and also play a challenging non-conference schedule against teams from all over the region. The team also makes an annual southern spring break trip.