After nearly a decade at the helm of the University of Kansas softball program, head coach Tracy Bunge is the winningest coach in KU softball history and will become the program's longest serving coach this season. Bunge has compiled a 351-295-2 record through 11 seasons with the Jayhawks and has guided the squad to two NCAA Tournament appearances in the last three seasons. Last year, with a 33-24-1 record, Bunge led Kansas to its seventh straight season with a winning record and fourth consecutive year with 30 or more wins.

Since her hire in June 1996, Bunge's Jayhawks have made four NCAA Tournament appearances -- in 1997, 1999, 2005 and 2006 -- and claimed their first-ever Big 12 Championship (2006). The Jayhawks have also been ranked as high as ninth in the country under her leadership and have compiled nine 30-win seasons in the last 11 years.

Off the field, 73 Kansas softball players have earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition during Bunge's tenure, including five from last year's team. The 2007 season also produced three Jayhawks who earned All-Big 12 honors. Overall, KU has seen 13 players earn All-Big 12 First Team honors in Bunge's 11 seasons with the team.

During the 2007 season, the pitching staff set a school record nine saves on the season passing 1994's record of seven. In non-conference games, the Jayhawks finished with an impressive 26-13 mark. KU also notched three victories over ranked opponents including a 2-0 upset over then-No. 3 Oklahoma.

In 2006, the Jayhawks experienced one of their most successful seasons in school history winning the Big 12 Conference Postseason Championship, receiving an NCAA Regional automatic bid and compiling a 36-26 record -- the most victories since the 1997 season.

In addition to all the team accolades in 2006, Bunge guided senior Serena Settlemier, who hit a school-record 22 home runs, including six grand slams, to become the first Jayhawk to be named Big 12 Softball Player of the Year. Settlemier also earned 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Second Team All-America honors and was named NFCA Midwest First Team All-Region. Kassie Humphreys, also an All-Big 12 First Team selection, was named NFCA Midwest Second-Team and finished the season with a 19-17 record and 1.19 ERA.

Kansas was ranked 24th in the May 16 ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll after receiving votes in four of the weekly polls and finished the 2006 season at No. 22 in the final season poll.

Bunge also reached two career milestones during the 2006 season, picking up her 400th career coaching victory on April 20 and 300th win since becoming Kansas' head coach on April 1.

Bunge lead the Jayhawks to a 31-24 overall mark and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005, which included a 9-8 record in the Big 12 Conference for a sixth-place finish. A total of five Jayhawks earned All-Big 12 accolades while three were named Academic All-Big 12.

The 2005 Jayhawks set two new KU school records. KU's defense, which ranked second in the Big 12 and 14th in the nation, recorded a program-best .973 fielding percentage. The 2005 Jayhawks hit 54 homers -- the most ever in KU history -- compared to their foes' 23.

Junior Destiny Frankenstein -- a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selection at shortstop in 2005 -- led the pack with 14 home runs on the season.

In 2004, KU went 33-28-1 overall including 26-17-1 in non-conference action. A total of six Jayhawks were named Academic All-Big 12 while senior pitcher Kara Pierce was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.

After losing eight seniors to graduation in 2002, Bunge's 2003 freshman class made an immediate impact in the Jayhawk's rebuilding year. The newcomers lead KU in nearly every offensive category, including home runs, in which the team broke the KU single-season record, blasting 37 total. Freshman Jessica Moppin posted 11 of her own, breaking the Jayhawk freshman home run record.

Bunge led the 2002 squad to a 33-25 record, the second-best under her tenure. Senior Christi Musser, now an assistant coach at KU, was named Third-Team All-America by the NFCA, becoming the first Jayhawk since 1994 and the first under Bunge's tenure to earn such an honor. In addition, KU landed eight players on the Academic All-Big 12 Team, the most of any conference school.

Picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 preseason poll, the Jayhawks far exceeded expectations and tied for third in the league in 2001, the second time in Bunge's stint at KU. In 1997, the Crimson and Blue won two games during NCAA Regional play. Two years later, the Jayhawks finished fifth in the conference and again won two 1999 NCAA tournament contests.

Since her return to KU, Bunge has coached a total of 13 first-team all-conference honorees, including Amy Hulse (2002), Leah Tabb (2001-02), Megan Urquhart (2001), Shelly Musser (1999), Sarah Clopton (1997, 1999), Sara Holland (1997-98) and the 2000 Big 12 Freshman of the Year Kara Pierce. Kansas has also had eight all-region selections during her tenure in Lawrence.

Prior to her return to KU as the Jayhawks' eighth softball coach, Bunge compiled a 92-67 mark in three years as head coach at Ohio University from 1994-1996. In 1995, Ohio won the Mid- American Conference title, earned an NCAA Tournament berth and set a school record with 39 wins as Bunge garnered Mid-American Conference and LCI Coach of the Year honors. Her .578 winning percentage was the highest among coaches who have coached at least 100 games at Ohio.

Before taking the reins at Ohio, Bunge spent two years as an assistant coach at Yale, where she served as recruiting coordinator. After a 12-26 record in 1992, Bunge's first class of recruits at Yale led the Bulldogs to a 31-12 record (19-win improvement) and Ivy League title in 1993.

Bunge's coaching career began at Iowa State as an assistant coach, where she helped the Cyclones to a 133-116-1 record from 1987-1991 and their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1988.

A 1986 All-American, KU's first NCAA All-American for softball, and a 1987 inductee to the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame, Bunge dominated both on the mound and at the plate in her four seasons at KU. A Jayhawk from 1983-1986, Bunge completed her softball collegiate playing career as one of the most decorated athletes ever to wear the Crimson and Blue.

During her four-year tenure as a Jayhawk athlete, Bunge led KU to three 30-win seasons and three Top 10 national rankings. She ended her career by leading KU to a 39-8 record and a No. 5 final national ranking in 1986.

As a freshman in 1983, Bunge compiled a 23-8 record with an amazing 0.63 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 234 innings pitched. She also finished second on the team with a .258 batting average and led the 33-9 Jayhawks with 15 RBI.

A year later, Bunge hit .341 with 10 RBI and finished with a 0.73 ERA in 21 appearances as a pitcher. Bunge continued to impress as a junior when she went 24-11 on the mound with a 0.82 ERA and hit .358 with 24 RBI.

In 1985, Bunge was chosen to be a member of the Athletes in Action European Tour team and hurled 11 victories, including three no-hitters and a perfect game.

As a senior, Bunge rounded out her Kansas playing career by setting the KU single-season mark with a 0.55 ERA while hurling 15 shutouts, good for fifth all-time. Bunge also hit nine home runs that season and went on to break the KU single-season and career home run records - now held by 2006 senior Serena Settlemier. Bunge also holds the career record for lowest ERA (0.68).

Bunge earned her bachelor's degree from Kansas in 1986 in Business Administration.

As a player, Bunge continued on with such women's teams as the St. Louis Classics and the traditional ASA powerhouse - the Raybestos Brakettes. There she played for the future two-time Olympic gold medal coach, Ralph Raymond, and was a member of the 1992 National Championship team.

As impressive as Bunge's coaching and playing resumes may be, her success on the diamond does not match her passion for the University or the impact she has on the lives of current and former players.

Named Academic All-Big Eight herself in 1985 and 1986, Bunge is constantly emphasizing equal hard work in the classroom and on the playing field. She has coached a total of 46 Academic All-Big 12 First Team performers during her 11 years at the helm of the KU program.

In addition, the Jayhawk softball team finished with a cumulative grade point average that was the highest among all Kansas varsity teams during the Spring 1997, Fall 1999 and Spring 2000 semesters. During those terms, Bunge's teams earned grade point averages of 3.30, 3.32 and 3.33, respectively.

Service to the sport of softball off the field is just as important to Bunge as competition and success on the diamond. Bunge served four years as a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Committee and two years as chairman. She acted as the NFCA Midwest Region representative for three years and will serve as a voting member of the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Poll in 2007. Bunge also represents the Big 12 on the NFCA's Head Coaches Committee (HCC), a newly formed legislative group.

Bunge continually surrounds herself with dedicated people with the same desire to succeed -- as evidenced by assistant coaches Jennifer Sewell and Christi Musser --- and works tirelessly to ensure success.

Whether past or present, on the field or off, Bunge is Kansas softball to her players and all that have been associated with her program.

A native of Bartlesville, Okla., Bunge resides in Lawrence.