The first KSHSAA State Softball Tournament was conducted in May 1976.  During the 1975-1976 school year in Kansas there were 19 schools and 380 girls participating in Softball.  This year we have 250 schools and 4,757 girls participating. 

All states participate in fast pitch softball, there are 7 states that participate in both fast pitch and slow pitch softball.  Softball is the 5^th most popular girls program nationwide.
204 schools have made state appearances.
119 schools have made it to final four.
63 schools have been state champions.

Wichita -Bishop Carroll has won 15 times and Silver Lake has won 13 times for the most in state history.
 

Over the past 50 years, softball has experienced tremendous growth in Kansas high schools. The first Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) State Softball Tournament was held in May of 1976. During the 1975–1976 school year, the sport was relatively small, with only 19 schools participating and 380 girls involved statewide. Despite these modest beginnings, softball quickly developed into a major girls’ athletic program across Kansas.

Participation has expanded dramatically since those early years. Today, 250 Kansas schools sponsor softball programs, with 4,757 girls taking part in the sport. This steady increase reflects both the growing popularity of softball and the continued expansion of opportunities for female athletes in school athletics over the past five decades.

(The following is from and history document written in 1996)
KSHSAA records in girls softball begin with the 1976 season. Although played in Kansas schools prior to the 1976 season, there were no KSHSAA tournaments until the 1976 season.
From 1976 until 1991 all teams competed in one class. For the 1991 season, two classes were created (Class 6A and Class 5-4-3-2-lA). That classification system was in place for only two seasons. Competition in four classes was begun in 1993.

Those classes were Class 6A, Class SA, Class 4A and Class 3-2- 1A. At this point in time (1996), the same four classes are being contested.

Historically, when all the teams competed in one class, larger schools from Northeast Kansas tended to emerge as State Champions. The first State Champion team in 1976 was Shawnee Mission-Northwest. Lawrence and Shawnee Mission-North were the next two state champion teams. Wichita-Carroll was the first team to win two consecutive team titles (1979 and 1980) and the first Wichita area school to win a softball title.

For the next four years (1981-84) teams from Northeast Kansas again claimed titles with Shawnee Mission-North claiming two of those titles (1981 and 1983).

Shawnee-Aquinas and Olathe-North claimed titles in 1982 and 1984. From 1985 until the creation of a second class in 1991' great parity among teams was found. During that six-year period five different teams won titles with two Wichita schools and two Olathe schools winning five of those titles. A team from Newton claimed the 1985 title.

The 1991 and 1992 Class 6A titles were won by teams from Shawnee Mission-North. Wichita-Carroll claimed the 1991 Class 5-4-3-2-lA title and Silver Lake were the first team from a Class 3-2-lA school to win a title the following year. 1993 saw the first State Tournament series with classes in 6A, SA, 4A and 3-2-lA. Overland Park-Blue Valley North won the 6A title. Wichita-Carroll was the first team title winner in the separate class of SA with Rose Hill also winning its first title in the new class 4A. Silver Lake repeated as State Champion in the new class 3-2-lA.

Silver Lake won its third title in 1994 and was the only repeat winner. The team from Northwest high school in Shawnee Mission won the 6A title in 1994.

Stilwell-Blue Valley and Kansas City-Piper won titles in Class SA and Class 4A respectively in 1994.
 

1995 was a repeat of 1994 in one respect - Silver Lake was a repeat winner and three new champions were crowned in the other classes. Topeka-Washburn Rural won its title in Class 6A, Salina-South garnered the title in Class 5A and the team from Santa Fe Trail high school won the Class 4A title.

In the 1996 tournament, all four of the defending state champions from 1995 had berths in the state championship game. In two classes the defending state champions were able to hold onto their titles while in the other two new champions were crowned. Olathe-South won the 6A title, ending a two-year regular season and 1995 state tournament, undefeated string by Topeka-Washburn Rural. In class 5A Arkansas City won the title by defeating the 1995 defending state champions from Salina-South. Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail and Silver Lake were able to retain their championships won in 1995.
Over the two-decade history of the State Tournament series, 35 State Champions have been crowned. Leading the field in number of titles won are three schools - Shawnee Mission-North with five in 1978, 1981, 1983, 1991 and 1992 and Wichita-Carroll winning their five in 1979, 1980, 1987, 1991 and 1993 and Silver Lake has produced five state winners in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. Silver Lake has also won the most consecutive team titles and is still counting. Silver Lake, Wichita-Carroll and Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail are the only schools to have won back-to-back titles. One school has won three titles - Olathe-South in 1986, 1990 and 1996. Three schools have each claimed two titles. Shawnee Mission-Northwest won two titles in 1976 and 1994, Olathe-North high school in 1984 and 1989 and Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail in 1995 and 1996.

Eleven schools won single titles in the first twenty years of KSHSAA sponsored State Tournaments. In chronological sequence of year won are 1977 - Lawrence, 1982- Shawnee-Aquinas, 1985 - Newton, 1988 - Wichita Heights, 1993 – Overland Park-Blue Valley North and Rose Hill, 1994 - Stilwell-Blue Valley and Kansas City-Piper and 1995 - Topeka-Washburn Rural and Salina-South. Arkansas City won its title in 1996.

From 1976 to 1989 the State Tournaments alternated between a host site in Northeast Kansas and Wichita-North Central Kansas. Shawnee Mission was the site for State Tournaments in 1976, 78, 80 and 82. Overland Park hosted in 1984 and 1988 and Kansas City-Turner hosted in 1986. Wichita hosted in 1977, 1979, 19$3, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1990. Newton hosted the tournament in 1981. With the multiple classes beginning in 1991, Class 6A has continued to be located either in the Northeastern area or the Wichita-South Central area. Olathe hosted in 1991, 1993 and 1996 with Shawnee Mission hosting in 1992. Hutchinson served as the host site in 1994 and 1995. Wichita hosted a class in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Emporia hosted Class 4A in 1993 and Class 3-2-lA in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. Class 4A was in Manhattan in 1994, 1995 and 1996.