1998 Girls Softball

The 1998 DeWitt girls softball team is considered to be the most talented in Hall of Fame coach Larry Baird’s 29-year tenure. With several returners off a 31-6 team that brought home a Class B District Championship and a Greater Lansing Softball Classic title in 1997, expectations were sky high.  DeWitt's high-powered offense and suffocating defense rolled through the Ingham County League with a perfect 12-0 record, bringing home the conference championship.  The Panthers were perfect in tournament play during the regular season, collecting first place trophies in the DeWitt Invitational, Ithaca Invitational, and Athens Invitational. Most impressively, Baird’s squad successfully captured back-to-back titles in mid-Michigan’s highly competitive Softball Classic, a showcase that features the area’s top teams each spring.  Following Class B District and Regional championships, the Panthers knocked off Grand Rapids Northview 6-2 in the state quarterfinal to advance to a state semi-final match-up with powerhouse and defending state champion Stevensville-Lakeshore.  A heartbreaking loss to the Lancers brought DeWitt’s amazing run to an end as the girls finished the season 39-3.  The 39 consecutive wins still stand as a school record.