By Alex Franco

Sports Editor

CSUSM head softball coach Dave Williams solidified his legacy in school history when he notched his 700th win as head coach for the school’s program. Williams reached the plateau when his third-ranked softball team thrashed Hope International 15-0 on April 13 in the second game of a doubleheader after losing the first game.

With an overall record of 706-210, Williams is  the fourth active head coach in the nation with at least 700 wins, and the second-best win percentage amongst active coaches at .770. Now in his 16th year as a head coach, Williams  is the quickest coach to reach 700 wins and the youngest active coach to accomplish the feat.

The excitement didn’t stop there. The lady cougars senior day took place April 16 where they honored the squad’s lone senior and star, pitcher Cortney Allen, who shut down the visiting Vanguard. Allen pitched phenomenally in her final home appearance as a cougar and left no doubt in anyone’s mind that she will go down as one of the all-time greats in school history.

Allen pitched back to back complete games against Vanguard, only allowing one run in the afternoon’s two games. The All-American pitcher, threw a complete game in the first half of the doubleheader, surrender no runs on only three hits, and striking out two Vanguardians. The second game was more of what we have come to expect from Cortney throughout her career here at CSUSM as she pitched another complete game and surrender one run on five hits and one strikeout.

Allen also reached the 30 win mark on the season with a win over Simpson University last Sunday afternoon.

The Cougars have closed the regular season at 40-8 and are poised to make another run at a NAIA National Title and a third straight NAIA Final Four appearance and sixth in the last eight years. The playoff run begins May 1 with the AII Conference Tournament in Texas.

By The Numbers:

706: Number of career victories in Coach Williams 16 years.

180:  Number of victories in his 4 years at CSUSM

3:  How many times Williams has been named A.I.I coach of the year in a row

2:  Number of A.I.I. conference titles and Final Four appearances for Williams

54:  number of career victories for Cortney Allen at CSUSM