Title IX: Shauna Bowman Was Softball’s First All-American

More than 30 years after her time in the scarlet and gray came to an end, Shauna Bowman's name is still prominent throughout the softball record books. And it's fitting for a player who in many ways was a trailblazer for those who came after her.

Bowman, who played at Ohio State from 1988-91 and was a native of Hamilton, Ohio, was the Buckeyes' first-ever All-American, earning third-team honors as a senior in 1991. That season, she hit .331 with 56 hits and 18 doubles. The season prior, in 1990, he play helped the Buckeyes win their first-ever Big Ten regular season title.

By the time she graduated, Bowman held school records for home runs (four), RBI (77), hits (194) and doubles (36). Thirty two years later, her name is still prominent throughout the record books. And in addition to being the first All-American in program history, in 1999 she also became the first to be inducted in the Varsity O Hall of Fame.

"Players like Shauna don't come along every day," Gail Davenport, Ohio State head coach at the time, told the Lantern in 1991. "She really had a fantastic career here."

Following her playing days, Bowman remained in the Columbus area and remained connected to softball. In 1999, she was an assistant coach at Ohio State and her daughter, Kaitlyn Miller, was a four-year starter at Kent State where she played in 154 career games from 2018-21. Like her mom, Kaitlyn could hit: she had a .318 career batting average and never batted lower than .280 in any one season.