University of Nevada Las Vegas

Coached by 2017 Hall of Famer Shan McDonald, these Rebels tied for the most wins in program history and earned a second-consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series. Playing in its old, humble home in the middle of campus, the confident squad was led by a pair of All-Americans. Fellow 2024 HOF inductee Christine Parris was a second team choice in the infield after being named Big West Field Player of the Year while second baseman Tricia Reimche was All-West Region. On the mound, 2002 UNLV Hall of Fame inductee and First Team All-American Lori Harrigan was a dominant lefty from Anaheim who rewrote the program’s pitching record book. Her 24-11 mark included a miniscule 0.58 earned run average, two no-hitters and 223 overall strikeouts. This team, however, boasted two 20-game winners as Kim Smith complimented Harrigan as a right-handed finesse pitcher who tied the school record for victories in a season with a 25-6 record with a 0.68 ERA. Then known as the Lady Rebels, the team won 14 games vs. ranked opponents during the regular season and eventually finished second in the powerful Big West Conference with a record of 25-8-1. That effort earned them a top seed at the NCAA Northeast Regional and despite being shipped across the country to Massachusetts, UNLV breezed its way through the double-elimination event. UNLV shut out UCONN, 3-0, then host UMass, 4-0, and then blanked the 20th-ranked Minutewomen one more time, 5-0, to advance to the Shangri-La of softball – the Women’s College World Series held each May in Oklahoma City. The opener vs. regional rival Arizona, which split an earlier pair of meetings, was a gut churner as the teams remained scoreless all the to the 13th inning when the seventh-ranked Wildcats escaped with a 1-0 final en route to winning the program’s first national title. McDonald’s crew was eliminated the next day when No. 12 Florida State emerged, 3-1. The final numbers were startling: overall record of 49-17-1; win percentage of .738; final national ranking of fifth after reaching as high as No. 4 in the land; 67 school records set or tied; 28 shutouts and a team ERA of 0.62; four All-West Region honorees and the conference and region Coach of the Year. It all adds up to the 1991 Rebels becoming just the second softball team inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame.

1991 UNLV SOFTBAL ROSTER
NO     PLAYER               YEAR-EX     POS
21     Dena Baker            SR-3L           INF
11     Felicia Benjamins   JR-2L           INF
20     Hollie Chadwick      FR-HS         OF
13     Sheree Corniel        SR-3L          C
3       Zenja Dunn             FR-HS         INF
22     Lori Harrigan           JR-2L            P
10     Kim Harris               JR-2L          OF
7       Kelly Kamp             SR-3L           INF
30     Kenda Leffler          JR-TR          OF
2       Michele Moreno      JR-2L           OF
23     Christine Parris       SR-1L          INF
9       Tricia Reimche        SO-1L          INF
8       Kim Smith                SO-1L          P
1       Trish Spencer          JR-2L          OF
26     Erika Swanson        JR-2L          INF

HEAD COACH: Shan McDonald (5th Season)
ASSISTANT COACHES: Lea Ann Jarvis (2nd Season) & Brian Kolze (3rd Season)
EQUIPMENT: Larry Chin
SPORTS INFORMATION: Chris Johnson