Laura Berg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Laura Berg

Berg snags a fly ball during batting practice in 2008
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Oregon State
Conference	Pac-12
Record	166–156–1 (.515)
Biographical details
Born	(1975-01-06) January 6, 1975 (age 50) Whittier, California, U.S.
Playing career
1994–1995	Fresno State
1997–1998	Fresno State
2001	WPSL Gold
Position(s)	Outfielder
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
College Softball
2000–2003	Fresno State (asst.)
2006	Fresno State (asst.)
2012	Oregon State (asst.)
2013–present	Oregon State
National Softball
2019	USA Women's Softball (asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall	166–156–1 (.515)
Tournaments	NCAA: 3–8 (.273)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As player: Women's College World Series (1998)
Awards
As player: 3× first-team All-American (1995, 1997, 1998) Third-team All-American (1994)
Medal record Women's softball Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition Gold 2000 Sydney Team competition Gold 2004 Athens Team competition Silver 2008 Beijing Team competition ISF Women's World Championship Gold 1994 St. John's Team competition Gold 1998 Fujinomiya Team competition Gold 2002 Saskatoon Team competition Gold 2006 Beijing Team competition Pan-American Games Gold 1999 Winnipeg Team competition Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Team competition Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team competition

Laura Kay Berg (born January 6, 1975) is a famous American softball player and coach. She is currently the head coach for the Oregon State team. Laura was an amazing college player, earning All-American honors four times. She also competed in the Olympics.

Laura played college softball for the Fresno State Bulldogs from 1994 to 1998. During her time there, she helped her team win the 1998 Women's College World Series. She holds several records in the Western Athletic Conference for hits, runs, and triples. Laura is one of only four women to win four Olympic medals in softball. She won a medal at every Olympics where softball was played. She is also recognized in the USA Softball Hall of Fame.

Laura's College Softball Career

Laura Berg was born in Whittier, California and grew up in Santa Fe Springs. She went to Santa Fe High School. In 1993, she and her twin sister started playing for the Fresno State softball team.

Early Success at Fresno State

In her first year, Laura was named a Third Team All-American. Her team made it to the Women's College World Series (WCWS). They won their first game but then lost two games.

As a sophomore, Laura became a First Team All-American. She hit over .400, which means she got a hit more than 40% of the time she batted. She also set a new school record for triples, which are hits where a player reaches third base.

Returning to Play and More Records

Laura took a year off from college softball in 1996 to play in the Atlanta Olympics. When she returned, she again earned First Team All-American honors. She had one of the best seasons ever for Fresno State. She was among the top players in batting average, hits, doubles, and triples.

In 1997, Laura and the Bulldogs made it to the WCWS again. They lost their first game but then won three in a row. They even beat the Arizona Wildcats in the semifinals. Laura helped her team by getting hits and scoring runs.

Winning the College World Series

In her final year, 1998, Laura was named First Team All-American one last time. She had her best batting average and set a school record for runs scored. She also had an amazing 29-game hitting streak! This was one of the longest hitting streaks in NCAA Division I history.

The team returned to the WCWS and played very well. They defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Michigan Wolverines. After losing to the Washington Huskies, they beat them in a rematch to reach the finals.

In the championship game, Laura got a hit. Her teammate, Nina Lindenberg, hit a home run that won the title for Fresno State. They defeated the Arizona Wildcats, who had won the championship two times in a row. Laura played great in the tournament, hitting .470, and was named to the All-Tournament team.

Laura finished her college career as Fresno State's all-time leader in hits, triples, runs, and stolen bases. She is also second all-time in NCAA Division I history for career hits and at-bats.

Laura's National Team Career

Laura Berg also played for the U.S. national team starting in 1994.

Olympic Gold Medals

• In 1994, her team won the gold medal at the 1994 ISF Women's World Championship.
• She won her first Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
• In 1998, she won her second gold medal at the World Championships.
• At the 1999 Pan American Games, Laura played very well, hitting .375.
• At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Laura hit the winning run in the gold medal game.
• She won more gold medals at the 2002 World Championships and the 2003 Pan American Games.
• At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she played in eight of nine games and had a perfect fielding average. She got a hit in the gold medal game, which the U.S. team won against Australia.
• In 2006, Laura won her fourth World Championship in a row. This is a record for the event.

Later Olympic Games

In 2007, Laura played in her third Pan American Games and won another gold medal. She was chosen to carry the U.S. flag at the closing ceremonies.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Laura won a silver medal with Team USA. This was the only time the U.S. team did not win the gold medal in Olympic softball. Laura hit .500 in the tournament. She made an amazing diving catch that helped save a perfect game for her teammate, Monica Abbott. After these Olympics, Laura and her teammates retired from playing internationally.

Laura's Coaching Career

After her amazing playing career, Laura Berg became a coach.

Coaching at Oregon State

In 2011, Laura joined the coaching staff at the Oregon State Beavers softball program. She helped them reach a regional tournament in 2012. On August 27, 2012, she was named the head coach for Oregon State.

Other Coaching Roles

Laura was also an assistant coach at Fresno State from 2000 to 2003, while she was still playing for Team USA. She returned to Fresno State as a coach in 2005 and 2006. In 2012, she was invited to be an assistant coach for Team USA, helping them win a World Cup.

Awards and Honors

Laura Berg has received many awards and honors for her incredible softball career:

• She was named to the 25th Anniversary WCWS Team in 2006.
• In 2012, she and her 2004 Team USA teammates were inducted into the Olympics Hall of Fame.
• She was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
• She played for the WPSL Gold Professional Team in 2001, which was made up of 2000 Olympians.
• She was part of the WAC Champions team at Fresno State.
• She was the second player from Fresno State to get 100 or more hits in a single season.
• She was a 4-time NFCA All-American (3 times First-Team, 1 time Third-Team).
• She was named to the NCAA All-Regional Team 4 times.

Images for kids

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  Center fielder Laura Berg snags a fly ball during batting practice.