10/30/2020 Linda Garza - Head Coach - Staff Directory - Fresno State Athletics
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Fresno native Linda Garza completed her third season as head coach of the Fresno State softball program in
2019. Garza became the fourth head coach in Fresno State's storied history in July of 2016.
In 2019 Garza guided the Bulldogs to their most wins since the 2016 season and a postseason berth in the
National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC). With 37 wins the 'Dogs recorded their 38th consecutive 30-
win season while going 23-5 at home, the most home wins by a Fresno State team since the 2012 season.
Fresno State finished the year 37-20 overall and 14-10 in the MW after sweeping NCAA Tournament qualifier
Boise State in the last conference series of the season and winning five of their last six MW series.
The Bulldogs were a perfect 31-0 during the season when scoring first and won all but three games all season
in games in which they held a lead. Garza's team thrived in all aspects of the game, leading the Mountain West
in on-base percentage (.399) and stolen bases (56) offensively, leading in opposing batting average (.235) and
shutouts (13) in the circle, and ranking second in fielding percentage (.971). The 2019 Bulldogs broke single-season
program records for most saves (7) and fewest errors (43), one better than the previous low of 44 set in
2006.
Individually, McKenzie Wilson became the first Bulldog to be named MW Freshman of the Year and earned All-
MW First Team honors after breaking the MW single-season record with 39 steals while hitting .393. Wilson was
named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA Freshman of the Year Top-25 list while leading all NCAA Div. I freshmen and
ranking seventh overall in the nation in steals, leading the conference in both hits and steals and ranking
second with 48 runs scored. She ended the season on a 17-game hitting streak while reaching base in each of
the last 25 games of the year.
Joining Wilson on the All-MW teams were pitchers Hailey Dolcini and Danielle Lung, designated player
Hayleigh Galvan, and third baseman Schuylar Broussard, who all earned Second Team honors, while Galvan
and senior first baseman Rachel Minogue, who ranked as the toughest player to strike out in NCAA Div. I, were
both NFCA All-Region Second Team selections. Dolcini was named MW Pitcher of the Week five times, the
Garza, Linda
TITLE: Head Coach
EMAIL: Lindagarza@csufresno.edu
LINDA GARZA
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most by a MW pitcher since 2015, and Lung earned the honor twice as the duo combined to earn half of thetotal MW Pitcher of the Week honors all season. Galvan was also named MW Player of the Week twice andBroussard earned the honor once.
Garza's team once again led all 20 NCAA Div. I schools, including National Champion UCLA, in averageattendance with 1,069 fans per game over 28 home dates while no other MW team drew more than 484 fansper game. The team's total attendance ranked 12th in the nation as the 'Dogs averaged more than 1,000 fansper game for the 26th consecutive season.
In her second season leading the program, Garza guided the Bulldogs to their 37th consecutive 30-win seasonand a winning record for the 41st straight year since the program's inception. The team finished with a 31-23overall record and a 14-10 mark in the Mountain West despite losing four starting position players and thereigning MW Pitcher of the Year from the 2017 squad. The Bulldogs finished in third place in the MountainWest, extending the program's run of 26 consecutive top-three conference finishes.
In 2018 Garza led the 'Dogs to a 10-game winning streak, the longest since a program-record 23 straight winsin 2016, and had the team earn votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' Poll in three different weeks. Bulldoghitters shattered program and Mountain West records with 71 hit-by-pitches in 2018, the second highest total inNCAA Div. I, and drew a program-record 213 walks as the team ranked fifth in all of NCAA Div. I with a .410season on-base percentage.
The Bulldogs beat four Power-5 schools in 2018, earning a win over NCAA Tournament qualifier Notre Damewhile also beating Stanford twice and topping Purdue. Fresno State also had wins over NCAA Tournamentteams Boise State and Monmouth and won each of its first five MW series of the year with two series sweeps.
Garza guided true freshman Danielle East to a historic first year leading the Bulldog pitching staff as she led theMountain West with 97 strikeouts in league games while breaking the Mountain West record for strikeouts by afreshman in conference play. East threw a five-inning no-hitter at New Mexico in which all 15 outs werestrikeouts, tossing the 74
th
no-hitter in program history but the first in which every out was a strikeout. The 15consecutive strikeouts were also a single-game program record.
A total of five Bulldogs earned All-Mountain West honors in 2018 with four first team selections. The 'Dogs hadone All-MW First Team selection from each class, as senior Katie Castellon, junior Rachel Minogue, sophomoreHayleigh Galvan, and freshman Danielle East earned the honor. Sophomore pitcher Samantha Mejia received aSecond Team selection.
Galvan also earned NFCA All-Region honors as she was named to the Pacific region third team. The first-yearBulldog led the team in batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.657), and on-base percentage (.511) andwas tied for the team lead with 90 total bases. She ranked 22
nd
in NCAA Div. I in on-base percentage and hadan 18-game hitting streak, the fifth longest in program history.
Garza's team drew 1,071 fans per game, leading all California schools and ranking 15th overall in NCAA Div. Iin home attendance as the program averaged over 1,000 fans per game for the 26th consecutive season. OnMarch 24 Fresno State welcomed back the 1998 National Championship team for a 20th anniversarycelebration with former coach Margie Wright and several members from the first national championship team inFresno State school history.
In her first season in 2017, Garza took over a team that had won back-to-back Mountain West Championships,but lost eight seniors to graduation, including the reigning MW Pitcher of the Year and MW Defensive Player ofthe Year.
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She wrapped up her first season at the helm of the program with a 35-23 record, continuing Fresno State'sstreak of 36 straight 30-win seasons, and the Bulldogs' 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance. Fresno State tiedfor third place in the MW with a 14-9 conference record and received an at-large bid into the NCAA TournamentSeattle Regional. In the regional, the 'Dogs fell to No. 20 Michigan 3-1, shut out Montana 7-0, then fell toMichigan again, 4-0.
The Bulldogs began the season ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' Poll and moved up to No. 21on Feb. 14.
Five players on the Bulldogs' 2017 squad were named NFCA All-Pacific Region, four were selected to All-MWteams (two first-team and two second-team) and sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung earned the honor of MWPitcher of the Year. Fresno State also had seven MW All-Academic selections.
In 2017, the Bulldogs broke the program's single-season record for grand slams (5) and the single-game recordfor RBIs (23), which they accomplished against Stanford on Feb. 12. Also in their game against Stanford, theytied the single-game program records for runs (24), home runs (6) and total bases (40).
As a team, the Bulldog pitching staff led the MW with a 2.95 ERA (88th in NCAA) and ranked fourth in scoring(5.16 runs/game), which ranked 46th in the NCAA. The 'Dogs also ranked fourth in the conference with a .435slugging percentage (59th in NCAA) and seventh in batting average (.282).
Throughout the season, the Bulldogs were 17-8 at home, 8-7 in away games and 10-8 on neutral fields. Scoringwas a priority for the 'Dogs as they went 24-2 when scoring five runs or more and 6-18 when scoring three orfewer. Fresno State was 17-2 when scoring in the first inning and was 22-6 when scoring first. The Bulldogsplayed in six extra-inning games, going 4-2 in them, and their best winning streak was six games, achieved inback-to-back series sweeps of UNLV and New Mexico.
Prior to coming to Fresno State, she spent four seasons at the helm of the UC Riverside program, in which theteam won 39 and 32 games in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Garza also led Wright State to a 31-win season,Horizon League title and an automatic NCAA tournament berth in 2010.
Prior to her time at UC Riverside, Garza was an associate head coach at Cal Poly (2010-12), head coach atWright State (2009-10), and an assistant coach at Purdue (2005-09), Tulsa (2004-05) and Arkansas (2002-04).
In the summer of 2012, Garza took over an 11-year-old UC Riverside program that had yet to have a winningseason and averaged only 17.4 wins per season over that span. The Highlanders went 13-33 in 2011 and by2015 she led them to a 39-17 record and the 14th-best ERA (2.13) in the nation. The team averaged 28.8 winsunder the leadership of Garza and she coached over 10 All-Big West student-athletes, three NFCA all-regionperformers, and back-to-back 20-game winning pitchers in 2015 and 2016.
During her time at UCR, nearly every major offensive, defensive and pitching records were set. Its back-to-back30-win seasons (2015-16) were a first for the program since joining the Big West in 2002 and its 2015 RPIranking (70) was its highest ever. Garza’s student-athletes also shined in the classroom - posting the program’shighest team grade point average (GPA) in program history in 2014 at 3.33.
Prior to UCR, Garza was the associate head coach/recruiting coordinator for Cal Poly (2010-12), whilecoaching the outfield and assisting with hitting and the infield. She also assisted with all day-to-day operationsof the program.
As the head coach at Wright State in 2010, the Raiders established single-season records for hits (538), walks(148) and stolen bases (150). This came after serving as an assistant at Purdue and aiding the Boilermakers to
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30-plus victories during each of her four seasons.
Garza received her start at UNLV as a student assistant following her playing career from 1998-2001, posting a.262 career batting average as a four-year starter and earning a spot on the All-Mountain West team. Shefinished her career with 155 straight starts and was among the program’s top 10 players for doubles, walks, hitsand sacrifices.
A four-time All-MW academic honoree, she received her bachelor’s degree in school health education with aminor in athletic coaching and physical education in 2002. Garza earned her master’s degree in kinesiology in2009 from Texas Woman’s University.
Garza’s ties to the San Joaquin Valley have remained strong over the years as she has ran many camps forclub teams such as the Fresno Force (her former team), Central California Krush and Central Cal Dirt Dogs.
She attended Hoover High School while growing up in Fresno.
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