MOREHEAD, Ky. -- If one takes a look at the records for Morehead State softball, they will say that the team began in 1989. And that is true to an extent as that was the Eagles' first full fast pitch season.

But taking a look further back today, we find that Morehead State has fielded a collegiate softball program for a lot longer than just those 31 years - Back to 1980 to be exact. And while the team played the slow pitch variety for a few seasons, the squad eventually moved into the fast pitch realm by 1982, playing a portion of their schedule slow pitch and a portion fast pitch.

In 1979-80, Loretta Marlow became the first head coach, also serving as an assistant women's basketball coach. Some of the standouts on that first team included Peg Hoffman, Jaime Hickel, Bridget Clay, Vicki Arlinghaus, Kathy Goins and Terry Cristo. The team fashioned a 14-9 record.

By the next year, softball had become a state powerhouse. The Eagles finished 22-12 and advanced to the AIAW (precursor to the NCAA for women) national championship.

In 1982, volleyball head coach Jim McClellan also assumed the coaching role for softball. Among his best players was a two-sport star in Teresa Ruby. A standout basketballer, Ruby once went 7-for-7 at the plate in a series with Eastern Kentucky. 

Fast forward to 1989 when David Brunk took the reins for the first full fast pitch season. The Eagles were 17-11 and even better the next year when Brunk led the team to a 31-9-3 record. Athletic Hall of Fame member Jim Wells' only season as head coach resulted in a then-school record 32 wins in 1991. Later on, Jeff Young, Jennifer VanSickle and Jill Karwoski assumed the head coaching role, followed by Holly Bruder, David Williams and currently Samantha Jones. Bruder started her career 12-0 in 2008 and went on to lead the Eagles to a school-record 35 wins in 2009.

Morehead State has had an OVC Pitcher of the Year in Alex Gjevre (2008) and an OVC Freshman of the Year in Morehead native Amber Riddle (2010).

But it took the trailblazers from the early 80s to lay a foundation of success for future generations of Eagles to represent on the softball team.