In her 18 seasons at the helm of the Long Beach State softball program, five-time Big West Coach of the Year Kim Sowder has continued a Beach tradition of winning and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The 1998 inductee into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame has been selected as the Big West Coach of the Year five times, winning over 60 percent of her games at the Beach while leading LBSU to nine NCAA Regional appearances.

2023 was a banner year for Sowder, as the active wins leader of the Big West Conference recorded her 500th career win, becoming just the fourth Big West coach ever to reach that milestone. In her time at the Beach, she has compiled a 552-380-1 (.593) record, including a 262-116 (.693) record in Big West Conference games.

In addition to nine trips to the NCAA Tournament, she has led the Beach to five Big West Conference championships in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2023. Long Beach State has had 100 players receive all-conference honors over the last 15 years under Sowder.

After posting a 29-22 record in 2022 after the first full season following the pandemic, Sowder led Long Beach State back to the top of the Big West and the postseason in 2023. Needing to win all three games to close the year against Cal State Fullerton, the Beach did just that, sweeping their rivals to win the Big West title with a 21-6 conference record. Makayla Medellin was named the Big West Freshman Player of the Year, and was one of eight players named All-Big West including Jacquelyn Bickar, Shannon Haddad and Sara Olson on the first team.

Returning from the COVID-19 shutdown in 2021, Long Beach State was one of the last schools in the nation to restart, but Sowder rallied from a slow start, at one point winning 11 straight games as part of a 20-2 stretch. Coming into a season-deciding series with Cal State Fullerton, the Beach swept the Titans to finish the year 22-2 in the Big West, winning an eighth Big West Championship and advancing to the NCAA postseason for the 25th time in program history. Sowder was also named the Big West Coach of the Year for the fourth time, and the program swept the top pitching honors as Kellie White was named Pitcher of the Year while Shannon Haddad was named the Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

Under Sowder, offensive team records have become the norm. In 2021, the Beach hit .320 as a team, shattering the previous program best as two players hit over .400 and six regulars hit over .300. The 2018 team set new records in total hits (486), and doubles (91), while matching the 2014 team as two of the only three squads to hit over .300, finishing at .306 on the season. The 2014 squad set the program’s records for runs scored (318) and RBI (289), while the 2013 team holds the school’s home run mark of 53, all under Sowder’s watch.

In 2018, Long Beach State had one of the best seasons in school history, going 43-14 overall, winning 40 games for the ninth time in school history. The Beach advanced to the NCAA postseason for the 24th time, finishing the season ranked No. 20 in the final polls.

Sowder led the program to its 23rd NCAA Regional appearance in 2016, earning an at-large bid with an overall record of 33-22. First-team All-Big West selections Darian Tautalafua and Christina Clermont led the team on the year, as Tautalafua finished her career with school records in home runs, RBI, runs scored and walks while putting together a tremendous season.

Sowder earned Big West Coach of the Year honors in 2014 as Long Beach State outlasted UC Santa Barbara in a thrilling extra-inning victory to clinch a third Big West championship with Sowder at the helm.

Behind Sowder’s leadership in 2012, the Beach rallied from a slow start to win the Big West Conference title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. LBSU won 20 of its final 26 regular-season games, including a 16-5 Big West Conference record, to clinch the program's 21st NCAA Tournament berth.

In 2011, Sowder blended a core group of returning players with a talented group of freshmen into a Big West Conference title contender. Long Beach State finished the season with a 38-18 record, including a 15-6 conference mark that allowed the Beach to finish in second place, one game behind conference champion Pacific. The season, which included wins over four nationally-ranked teams, (No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 21 Baylor, No. 23 Fresno State, and No. 23 Houston) ended with the school's 20th trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Beach opened the tournament with a win over San Diego State in the first round before dropping a pair of games, one to eventual national-champion Arizona State.

Sowder saw her squad make its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2009. Long Beach State finished the season with a 35-21 record, marking its eighth consecutive winning season. Eight players were named to the all-conference team, while Jennifer Griffin was tabbed the Big West Field Player of the Year and Taylor Petty earned co-Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors.

In 2008, Sowder led LBSU to its sixth Big West Conference title and a NCAA Regional appearance. Long Beach State reached the 40-win mark for just the eighth time in school history, finishing with a 40-17 record. LBSU was ranked 22nd and 23rd in the final USA Softball and NFCA polls, respectively. Sowder, who was tabbed the co-Big West Coach of the Year, also saw eight of her players earn all-conference recognition. In addition, freshman Brooke Turner, picked up All-America and All-West Region honors after being named the BWC Pitcher of the Year.

Along with on-field accomplishments, LBSU players have also earned a number of accolades off the field, and are regularly honored with Academic All-Conference achievements.

As the former Kim Kostyk, Sowder was a speedy, slick-fielding shortstop in her four years (1989-92) at LBSU. A 1991 third-team All-American, she helped the Long Beach State to three (1990-92) of their five trips to the NCAA Women's College World Series. She also earned second-team All-Big West honors as a junior in 1991 and was a Big West honorable-mention pick in 1992.

The school's all-time stolen base leader (50), Sowder's 19 thefts in 1991 still ranks as Long Beach State’s single-season high. She also ranks in the top 10 in career at-bats (860), runs (96), hits (204) and sacrifices (52). Defensively, she holds three of the top four single-season assist marks with 243 in 1992, 233 in 1990, and 214 in 1991.

Sowder earned her undergraduate degree in marketing in 1993. She then went into the coaching ranks, serving two years as an assistant coach at Pacific.

A product of Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, she resides with her husband, Shawn, and their two children, Zachary and Jacob, in Yorba Linda.

Name	Title	Phone	Email Address
Kim Sowder	Softball Head Coach	985-1506	kim.sowder@csulb.edu
Panita Thanatharn	Associate Head Coach	985-2100	panita.thanatharn@csulb.edu
Danielle Spaulding	Assistant Coach	985-8565	Danielle.Spaulding@csulb.edu
Sarah Carrasco	Assistant To The Athletics Director	985-7976	sarah.carrasco@csulb.edu

Long Beach State University Athletics

2016 Softball Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff