NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — The Cal State Northridge softball program and the USSSA Pride competed at Matador Diamond Tuesday afternoon to promote the game of softball to the surrounding communities. A large crowd of fans of all ages watched the two teams compete and were able to get autographs from both teams following the contest.

“Today was a great opportunity for our community to see some of the world’s best,” CSUN head coach Tairia Flowers said. “It was great to see such a big crowd out there and I think everyone had a lot of fun out there.”

Both the Matadors and Pride will be in Cathedral City this weekend to participate in the Cathedral City Classic at Big League Dreams Sports Park. At the event, Northridge will play Boise State, No. 8 Texas, Iowa, No. 1 California and San Diego State. The Pride will take on Cal State San Marcos, Concordia College and Victor Valley Community College.

For more information on the Cathedral City Classic and how to get tickets click here.

Pride Players for the week of 2/19-2/26
Natasha Watley
Jessica Mendoza
Cat Osterman
Caitlin Lowe
Danielle Lawrie
Andrea Duran
Lauren Lappin
Ashley Charters
Jenn Salling
Francesca Enea
Megan Willis
Jordan Taylor

Game Schedule

Tuesday February 21
1:00 PM USSSA Pride vs. Cal State Northridge
Thursday February 23
8:00 PM USSSA Pride vs. Cal State San Marcos
Saturday February 25
7:30 PM USSSA Pride vs. Concordia College
Sunday February 26
3:00 PM USSSA Pride vs. Victor Valley

USSSA Pride owner, Don DeDonatis, announced in early January the team’s participation in the prestigious college tournament, the Cathedral City Classic. The Pride started off the week facing Cal Lutheran University on Monday, then face off on Tuesday against Cal St. Northridge. The Pride on Wednesday will then travel south to Palm Springs in what is hoped to be a very successful showing of professional and college softball.

The annual event will take place at its traditional venue, Big League Dreams Sports Park.The showcase features 34 college softball teams, including 22 NCAA Tournament teams from last season, five 2011 WCWS teams and 19 All-American softball student-athletes.

“Bringing our girls to this tournament not only gives the NPF (National Pro-Fastpitch) great exposure but we want to show current college players that there will be a competitive and successful professional league  waiting for them once they graduate,” said DeDonatis.

The Pride will start the week off in Los Angeles, California playing an exhibition game against Cal State Northridge. Former Olympian and Matadors Head Coach Tairia Flowers said, “We’re excited to bring some of the best in our sport to our campus for what should be a great day. The Pride brings in a talented roster of former college standouts and our club is looking forward to the test.”

After facing the Matadors, the Pride will then travel to Palm Springs to face Cal State San Marcos (2/23), Concordia College (2/25), and Victor Valley (2/26).

For more information on the Cathedral City Classic and how to get tickets click here.

Pride Players for the week of 2/19-2/26

Natasha Watley

Jessica Mendoza

Cat Osterman

Caitlin Lowe

Danielle Lawrie

Andrea Duran

Lauren Lappin

Ashley Charters

Jenn Salling

Francesca Enea

Megan Willis

Jordan Taylor

Game Schedule

Tuesday February 21

1:00 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Cal State Northridge

Thursday February 23

8:00 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Cal State San Marcos

Saturday February 25

7:30 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Concordia College

Sunday February 26

3:00 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Victor Valley

Watch as USSSA Pride players, Francesca Enea and Megan Willis, go through a grueling work out at the University of Texas weight room. Both Megan and Francesca share how important off season training is and how you become the elite player by training hard.

Brett and Danielle Lawrie trained together as kids and competing passionately against each other is what made each sibling so good. Always needing to win every contest — whether it was baseball, basketball, running, pingpong, cornhole, anything — is the drive that helped Danielle become an Olympian, a two-time national college player of the year, a national champion and one of the world’s best softball players. It also is what made Brett, 22, an Olympian, a first-round draft pick and one of major league baseball’s top young players, now possibly on the verge of stardom with the Blue Jays.

Brett Lawrie had a .293 average with nine home runs, 26 runs scored and 25 RBIs in 161 at-bats with the Toronto Blue Jays last season.

“Some kids will try to do something, and if they can’t do it, they’ll just give up and move on to something else. But I wouldn’t,” Brett says. “At a young age, if I wanted to do something and wasn’t good at it, I still had to be better than anyone who was doing it — that’s just kind of the way I was. Doing sprints at the end of the game, I had to be first.”

She earned a scholarship to Washington, where she struck out 1,860 batters in 1,189 innings, threw eight no-hitters and pitched the Huskies to the 2009 national championship. After graduating, she signed with the Florida Pride of the USSSA and has pitched for them the past two years.

Click Here For the complete Article !

Game times for the Hurricane Alley Waterpark Coastal Classic are 7 p.m., 7 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively. Saturday’s action features a twi-night doubleheader.

“This is a truly unique opportunity for fans to see Olympic gold medalists and world champions play softball at the highest level,” Ryan-Sanders Entertainment executive vice president J.J. Gottsch said. “They are great role models on and off the field. Young girls in the Coastal Bend can see the best players in the world – in their own backyard.

“These games will raise the profile of softball to unprecedented levels in Corpus Christi.”

The Pride, flagship club of the four-team NPF League, is led by four-time University of Texas All-American Cat Osterman, who thrice earned national collegiate player-of-the-year honors. Osterman went 38-4 for the Lady Longhorns and pitched them to three College World Series. The left-hander has earned six gold medals in international competition.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi assistant coach Sarah Pauly, recently inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame, is another Pride pitcher. Pauly is one of five NCAA Division I hurlers to win 100 games, strike out 1,000 batters, maintain a sub-1.00 ERA and average double-digit strikeouts in a career (2002-05). Since 2006, she’s been one of the most accomplished pitchers in NPF.

Former Stanford outfielder Jessica Mendoza, a member of the U.S. national team since 2001, is a seasoned international competitor with seven golds. In 2004, she earned Olympic gold in Athens. Two years later, Mendoza was inducted into the International Latin Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, she captured another Olympic medal after helping the Americans garner silver in Beijing.

The Pride shortstop is former UCLA standout Natasha Watley, a four-time All-American, Olympic gold and silver medalist and College World Series champion.

Other notables on the roster include Megan Willis (catcher/Texas) and outfielder Francesca Enea (outfielder/Florida).

Additional sponsors for the Hurricane Alley Waterpark Coastal Classic are The Batter’s Box and Brewster Street Ice House. Media partners are the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, K-99 and NewsRadio 1360 KKTX.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 30 at whataburgerfield.com, the Whataburger Field box office and by calling 361-561-HOOK (4665). - read more about the Corpus Christi Hooks here!

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The NPF series is one of two main planks in Corpus Christi’s June softball project. The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) conducts the Texas State Tournament June 14-17 at various sites throughout the region. In all, the events are expected to attract over 18,000 players, coaches, family members and fans for an estimated economic impact of over $5 million.

The USSSA tournament’s goal is to bring 100 teams to the Coastal Bend. Players range from 7-18. These athletes compete during the day for the state championship and enjoy the city’s attractions and professional softball at Whataburger Field during the evenings.

The winners of each division advance to compete at the USSSA World Series at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports facilities in Orlando.

See additional details at cccoastalclassic.com

About USSSA

USSSA is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Kissimmee, Florida. USSSA governs 13 sports across the U.S., Puerto Rico, various U.S. Military bases and Canada and has a membership of over 3.7 million.

About National Pro Fastpitch

National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.

To learn more about National Pro Fastpitch, go to profastpitch.com

Find out about the Akron Racers at akronracers.org

About Hooks Baseball/Ryan-Sanders Entertainment
Whataburger Field is utilized by Hooks Baseball – a division of Ryan-Sanders Baseball – for Texas League action and college and high school games. Ryan-Sanders Entertainment has presented these events at the venue:
• Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Friends, John Mellencamp (8/2009)
• Top Rank Boxing seven-fight card with Jerry Belmontes and Brandon Rios (10/2009)
• Houston Dynamo vs. Laredo Heat exhibition soccer (6/2010)
• Los Lonely Boys postgame concert (7/2010)
• Lucha Libre Mexican wrestling (9/2010)
• Ziegfest 2010-2011 (10/2010; 10/2011)
• Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas exhibition soccer (2/2011)
• 2011 Hooks Summer Concert Series (Neal McCoy; Tonic; Asleep at the Wheel; Texas Tornados; Green River Ordinance)

Superstar Natasha Watley will appear March 7 at Autozone Park- home of the Memphis Redbirds- to speak about her personal mission to bring softball to inner-city girls, and improve the lives of disadvantaged young women across the U.S.

Natasha is an Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist and four time All-American short-stop who helped lead UCLA to the NCAA Division I Championship title in 2003. She currently plays for USSSA’s Florida Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch league. She won the MVP after powering the Pride to the Championships series Title in 2010. With Watley on the talented USSSA roster, the Pride also took the 2011 regular Season Title.

This event special event is FREE! It will be held on Wednesday March 7, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

For more information contact Christy Bingham or Roya St. Clair at (901)-531-7410, or email; coachbingham@yahoo.com ; rstclair@gamedaysoftball.com

USSSA Pride first baseman Samantha Findlay has announced her retirement from the NPF. Findlay retires a year after joining the USSSA Pride just before the 2011 NPF season.

“I have decided that it is in my best interest at this time to retire. I plan on focusing on my career and finishing up my graduate school at DePaul.”

In her first and only year with the Pride Findlay batted .148 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Findlay was a force to be reckoned with at the plate, bringing great power and a quick bat. A year removed from hitting 11 HR and 25 RBI in 2010 with the Bandits, the USSSA Pride were expecting nothing less than a great bounceback season for Findlay, but it seems she has other plans for her bright future.

Samantha had a few good words to say about her exit from the game of Fastpitch Softball:

“ I’d like to thank you the entire USSSA Pride family for the opportunity to play softball for your program as it is highly recognized as one of the BEST in the league. The game has given me so many incredible opportunities to do what I love to do. I am forever grateful at the endless opportunities that I have been given, more than I could have ever dreamed of. Thank you again for all that you do!”

Nashville, Tenn – National Pro Fastpitch announced final plans today for the 2012 NPF College Draft. The 2012 Draft which is presented by Miken will take place at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis Tennessee on March 7 at 5:00 CST. The Memphis Sports Council is hosting the event in conjunction with the Peabody Hotel.

All four affiliate teams of the NPF will take part in the Draft. The Draft consists of twenty overall athlete selections that are divided into five rounds consisting of four picks per round. The first overall pick in the 2012 NPF Draft belongs to the USSSA Florida Pride, a position that resulted from a mid-season trade in 2011 with the NPF Diamonds.

The Draft can be seen live through the internet broadcast hosted on the League’s website atwww.profastpitch.com. The internet broadcast will go on air at 4:45 CST with a preview and introductions and the Draft itself will begin at approximately 5:00 pm CST.

GameDay Sports of Memphis is sponsoring several special events for young girls in conjunction with the 2012 NPF Draft. All events will feature NPF players. Leading the way will be an appearance and motivational speech by former Olympic gold and silver medalist and current USSSA Florida Pride player, Natasha Watley. Watley will be featured in an inner city youth event that will be hosted at the Memphis Red Birds stadium and supported by the Memphis RBI program.

For the past two years, the University of Alabama has garnered the first round draft choice. In 2010 the USSSA Florida Pride chose first baseman Charlotte Morgan of the Crimson Tide and in 2011, the NPF Diamonds made pitcher Kelsi Dunne the number one selection. National Pro Fastpitch has held a Draft every year since its inception in 2004.

HISTORY OF NPF COLLEGE DRAFT NUMBER ONE SELECTIONS

2004 Iyhia McMichael – Mississippi State University
2005 Amy Harre – University of Southern Illinois-Carbondale
2006 Cat Osterman – University of Texas
2007 Lindsay Schutzler – University of Tennessee
2008 Katie Burkhart – Arizona State University
2009 Katie Cochran – Arizona State University
2010 Charlotte Morgan – University of Alabama
2011 Kelsi Dunne – University of Alabama

About National Pro Fastpitch:
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.

USSSA Pride’s very own Sarah Pauly was inducted into her Alma Mater, Texas A&M Corpus Christi Hall of Fame. In her career in the NPF she has an ERA of 2.19 with 631 strikeouts.

She is one of five NCAA Division I pitchers to win 100 games, strikeout 1,000 batters, maintain a sub-1.00 ERA and average double-digit strikeouts for a career. From 2002-05, Pauly’s record reads 112-46, 1,636 strikeouts, 57 shutouts and a 0.88 ERA in 1049.2 innings pitched.

As a freshman at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Pauly started to consider Texas A&M – Corpus Christi with a little help from the Islanders coaching staff.
“I was really interested in playing here because the coaches had been trying to recruit me since I was 16,” Pauly said. “At the time I was interested in the Biology program and when I went to visit the campus my teammates really said they enjoyed it here.

“Playing at A&M – Corpus Christi, I was able to have a home away from home along with a family that I would be with on and off the field for four years and people who I looked up to and who looked up to me,” Pauly added. “Playing here meant I was representing not only the state of Texas, but our university and city and that was a good feeling, because I knew that every one of my teammates and I wanted to be there and with a purpose.”

Among the multitude of games she played in as an Islander, Pauly noted that winning the Big South Conference title three years in a row should be her greatest moment. However, the real pinnacle was in 2004, playing against Louisiana-Lafayette, who was ranked third in the nation at the time.

“We were facing them in a doubleheader and I threw the first game and we won 1-0,” she said. “The second game my coach asked if I could throw again and of course I said, ‘Yes. Give me the ball.’ We beat them again 1-0 on their turf. I just remember that day and still to this day I remember thinking, ‘We beat the No. 3 team in the nation, not once but twice.’ It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”

Following her senior year the record-breaking college star was drafted 16th to the Connecticut Brakettes in the NPF Draft on June 1, 2006. There she was named Pitcher of the Year and went on to the Cowles Cup Championships. Pauly has played for several NPF teams – the Brakettes, Washington Glory and USSSA Pride. In 2007 Pauly was invited to train with Team USA for six months, a year cycle in softball.

“It was very rewarding, just to be asked and invited to try out was such a privilege,” Pauly noted. “After you train for a year you go train for the Olympics, that’s where I stopped, but being a part of that was a great accomplishment and growing experience.”

After arriving back in Corpus in December from playing in Japan with the professional fastpitch Honda team for the 2011 season, Pauly saw the game of softball in a whole different light.

“The differences between playing professionally in the U.S. and Japan were huge,” Pauly said. “The practices would be six to nine hours long. A lot of my teammates would work for Honda and then come straight to practice after. Then once we thought the practice was over, we would lift weights for another hour.”
But the work wasn’t limited to just improving as a player on the field.

“Before every practice we would have to clean the balls and keep track of them and if we lost any, we would be on ball hunts and sometimes have to run,” she said. “Of course the fields are a lot different, it was completely dirt and we would rake our own field.

“There was a lot of determination and compassion and the pace was a lot faster,” Pauly added. “Compared to teams in the United States, where there are only four teams, there are 12 teams in Japan, so there’s more competition. Some of my teammates would train as early as before elementary school. There was a huge language barrier, but there was an interpreter and we would also take some classes to understand the basics.”

Pauly has amassed a list of accomplishments and it’s not about to stop now. For the 2011-12 softball season, she has returned to her alma mater to be the pitching coach.

“Coming back to coach is something I eventually wanted to do,” Pauly said. “I was just waiting for the right timing in my life. I am at a place where I feel comfortable and know that growth is in the future and I am anxious to be a part of that.”

From being a student-athlete to a professional athlete; from playing overseas to being at home in the U.S.; from being a youngster playing the game to coaching at her alma mater, there is one theme that resounds for Pauly – an unconditional love for the game.

“The reward that this game has is what makes me love it,” she said. “The whole outlook of this sport makes more sense now that I am out of college and an accomplished pitcher, but a long time ago there was a little girl who fell in love with the sport and never looked back.

“I had my ups and downs, but there are so many little girls out there just like me who are dying to be the next Jennie Finch. Being able to give back to them is what makes me continue to love the game.”

USSSA Pride Owner Don DeDonatis, and the NPF, unveiled the 2012 softball schedule. The Pride will be on the road for the majority of games but will be playing three home series in Orlando; two at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports and one at the Astros Spring training facility, which is also home to USSSA National Head Quarters.

Four Teams will compete in the 2012 Season; Akron Racers, Carolina Diamonds, Chicago Bandits, and USSSA Florida Pride. Each team in the league will play a 44-game regular season schedule, with all teams playing 6 home and 6 away series’.

The Pride will open up with a tough opponent on the road, facing the defending National Champions, the Chicago Bandits, Thursday June 7-10. The Pride will then be back on the road (6/14-16) playing the Akron Racers in Corpus Christi, TX at the Minor League facility, the Hooks.

The Pride will then travel back to Florida to the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach to play a double header against the Carolina Diamonds (6/21). The following weekend the Pride will again play the Diamonds in a four game series  at a location to be determined.

The Pride will then open up with a double header (7/14-16) against the Chicago Bandits in Kissimmee, FL home of the Astros spring training baseball team.

After those grueling away games, Pride will make their way back to Orlando for two weekends of home games. They will begin play with a four game series against the Bandits at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports (7/26-29). Followed by another series against the Akron Racers (8/2-5).

The Pride will then make their first franchise trip to North Carolina to play a series with the Carolina Diamonds (8/9-12).

Rounding out season play, championship series will take place at the home field of the Chicago Bandits, Rosemont Stadium.

“The release of the NPF regular season schedule is much anticipated and always met with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm by NPF fans,” stated NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “The 2012 schedule is well balanced and will provide the home markets of each of our four teams with plenty of action during the course of the season. We are especially looking forward to welcoming a whole new NPF fan base in the Carolinas with the start of the Carolina Diamonds franchise.”

Stay Tuned Pride Fans for more information on ticket sales which will be released soon.

USSSA Pride players Cat Osterman and Megan Willis recently put on a “Pitchers/Catchers” clinic in Kansas City, Missouri. Local media went out to cover this event.

Cat Osterman was the Pride’s ace in the 2011 season recording 6 shut outs, 14-2 Record, 97 innings pitches, 156 strike outs with an opponent’s batting average of .135.

Megan Willis battled through an injury in the middle of the 2011 season.  She put up .286 batting average with 2 homeruns and 9 RBI’s.

Below is the link to view the video.

http://www.kcmetrosports.com/Video-MS.aspx?FileName=OlatheSoftballSegment.flv

USSSA Pride outfielder and Olympian Jessica Mendoza Sits Down With ESPN’s Michelle Beadle to discuss the NPF, USSSA Pride, and life among other things.

Click the link below to listen to the podcast provided by ESPN.

http://t.co/oBelzKkL

Outfielder Kelsey Bruder, for the USSSA Pride, was announced to be the recipient of the Ben Hill Griffin award, presented by her alma mater, the University of Florida.

Established by the Gator Boosters, Inc., and the University of Florida Athletic Association, the award honors the top male and female student-athletes at the University of Florida and is named after Ben Hill Griffin and his family, who have been long time avid supporters and fans of Gator athletics. The Ben Hill Griffin award is based primarily on the athletic achievement; academic achievement and extra-curricular involvement is also considered.

Bruder led the Gators to the 2011 NCAA Women’s College World Series, where the team played for a national championship last season. Bruder was also named the SEC Player of the Year. She becomes the second softball player to earn the Ben Hill Griffin Award after Stacey Nelson in 2009.

Bruder, now the assistant softball coach at Murray State University, was most recently honored Jan. 13 as a 2012 NCAA Top VII Award recipient. Given annually to just eight NCAA student-athletes. She additionally picked up the 2011 Honda Sports Award, designating her as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete in the sport.

A December 2011 UF graduate with a GPA of 3.7and a bachelor’s degree in Health Education and Behavior. Named to the 2011 WCWS All-Tournament, Bruder is a two-time All-American and Academic All-American.

A two-time 2011 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week, Bruder was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft by the USSSA Florida Pride and has continued her career professionally.

CHARLOTTE, NC – January 24, 2012 – The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League announced today that a new professional women’s fastpitch team, the Carolina Diamonds, has been franchised and will begin play in 2012. The team is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

“The League is certainly happy to be making this announcement,” said Cheri Kempf, Commissioner of the National Pro Fastpitch League. “We believe the Carolinas region is a very good area for expansion in the women’s professional fastpitch market for a number of reasons. Primarily, there is an audience there that understands and appreciates the game and has shown their support in the past. We are looking forward to returning the top level of competition the sport has to offer to current and future fastpitch fans in the Carolinas area.”

The Carolina Diamonds will be a woman owned and operated company. Owner, Amelia Nemeth and husband Alan Demaske will be involved with the day to day operations of the new Carolina NPF franchise.
“I am thrilled to be bringing professional softball to the Carolinas,” Nemeth said. “The excitement we hope to generate in the Carolinas is something both avid fans and the casual softball or baseball fans have been looking for. These ladies are fabulous athletes playing at the pinnacle of the game. It’s an honor to associate with the NPF, and have the opportunity to support women’s athletics.”

“As we were researching the possibility of ownership, we experienced the excitement of an NPF game last season. The athletes are superb on the field and inspiring to young girls both on and off the field. Our family is eager to share our NPF experience with families in the Carolinas.” stated Demaske. “There is a very large following in this area and we certainly hope to bring a winning program to the fans.”

The Carolina Diamonds will kick off their franchise as the NPF season opens in June of 2012. The team is slated to play its Home schedule at various venues throughout the Carolinas during its inaugural year of competition. With the franchise agreement, the Carolina Diamonds also obtain rights to the NPF Diamonds player roster. The NPF Diamonds and the Tennessee Diamonds were a league operated team in 2010 and 2011. That inherited Diamonds roster includes former UNC All American and ACC Player and Pitcher of the Year, Danielle Spaulding, and former UNC catcher with ACC honors, and North Carolina native, Brittany McKinney. The new team is currently working on contract renewals with NPF Diamonds players and should release player information soon.

North Carolina has played host to professional fastpitch before with the former Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) League and the Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL) locating teams in both Durham (Durham Dragons) and Gastonia, North Carolina through the seasons of 1997, 1998, and 1999.

“It is really exciting to have an NPF team back in the state of North Carolina! As a coach and a fan of fastpitch softball, I have watched many games when it was the WPF/WPSL and there was a team in Durham and Gastonia. The sport of fastpitch softball has grown in the state of North Carolina and I know there will be a great fan base. What a great opportunity for young developing players and families to come out and enjoy one of the best games there is,” commented Donna Papa, head coach of the UNC Tarheels softball team. “As a bonus, fans will be able to come out and see two players with North Carolina roots competing for the Diamonds, in pitcher Dani Spaulding and catcher Brittany McKinney. Both competed here at UNC and distinguished themselves within the conference and nationally.”

The Carolina Diamonds will replace the NPF Diamonds as the fourth member of National Pro Fastpitch. The League will not operate a team in 2012. “Although the total number of teams will not increase, the strength of the League will grow with four solid franchises in place, commented Kempf. “We are definitely moving in a positive direction.”

National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. More information about the athletes who will play for the Carolina Diamonds and the team’s 2012 schedule will be announced in the coming days. For more information, visit the team’s Facebook fan page at Carolina Diamonds (professional women’s sports team) or follow them on Twitter at “npfcarolinas”.

Natasha Watley won a gold Medal at the 2004 Summer Olympiocs in Athens and a silver medal at the Bejing Olympics in 2008. Watley, whos mother is Bohemian made a direct call to the minister of tourism and aviation. Watley explained the NPF and what it represents, how it works, and the details of each team. It was explained to Watley that the Bahamas was interested and was placing a renewed emphasis on sports tourism and that they would welcome an international softball tournament. College teams as well as pro teams would be welcomed when the Bahamas knew that they could use the business. Wallace also informed Natasha Watley of his countries own excellence in the Olympic games and how important it was to them to continue having success in the sports area and market. Watley also expressed her interest in bringing the NPF to the Bahamas and how much it would mean to her as well as the NPF as a whole.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Final 2011 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.

USSSA Pride owner, Don DeDonatis, announced today the team’s participation in the prestigious college tournament, the Cathedral City Classic.

The annual event will take place at its traditional venue, Big League Dreams Sports Park. The showcase features 34 college softball teams, including 22 NCAA Tournament teams from last season, five 2011 WCWS teams and 19 All-American softball student-athletes.

“Bringing our girls to this tournament not only gives the NPF (National Pro-Fastpitch) great exposure but we want to show current college players that there will be a competitive and successful professional league  waiting for them once they graduate,” said DeDonatis.

The Pride will start the week off in Los Angeles, California playing an exhibition game against Cal State Northridge. Former Olympian and Matadors Head Coach Tairia Flowers said, “We’re excited to bring some of the best in our sport to our campus for what should be a great day. The Pride brings in a talented roster of former college standouts and our club is looking forward to the test.”

After facing the Matadors, the Pride will then travel to Palm Springs to face Cal State San Marcos (2/23), Concordia College (2/25), and Victor Valley (2/26).

For more information on the Cathedral City Classic and how to get tickets click here.

Pride Players for the week of 2/19-2/26

Natasha Watley

Jessica Mendoza

Cat Osterman

Caitlin Lowe

Danielle Lawrie

Andrea Duran

Lauren Lappin

Ashley Charters

Jenn Salling

Francesca Enea

Megan Willis

Jordan Taylor

Game Schedule

Tuesday February 21

1:00 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Cal State Northridge

Thursday February 23

8:00 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Cal State San Marcos

Saturday February 25

7:30 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Concordia College

Sunday February 26

3:00 PM           USSSA Pride vs. Victor Valley

CATHERINE THRELKELD / The Daily Reveille

Torina takes over motivated team

LSU sophomore outfielder Alex Boulet and fellow teammates warmup Jan. 18 at practice in Tiger Park.Click here to purchase Reveille photos.

After 11 years under the tenure of Hall of Fame softball coach Yvette Girouard, the Lady Tigers enter spring under the tutelage of first-year head coach Beth Torina.

Torina, twice named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year in her four years at the helm of Florida International in Miami, said she inherited a team with lofty goals for itself.

“We have 22 girls that will tell you they want to be in the College World Series, and they’re working every single day to be there,” Torina said. “People that haven’t necessarily made the name that they wanted to make for themselves, and they’re on a mission to get that done this year.”

The Lady Tigers fell short of their goal last season, falling in the NCAA Regional in College Station, Texas.

“It always leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you don’t go as far as you wish you would have,” said senior outfielder Ashley Applegate. “It just gives us more motivation to work even harder than we did the year before.”

In addition to her head-coaching duties, Torina is also the Lady Tigers’ pitching coach, giving her a hands-on approach.

“She’s taught us a lot of new things, and we’re looking forward to putting it into game action,” said junior pitcher Rachele Fico.

Torina said the Lady Tigers feature a pitching staff that “has got to be one of the best staffs in the conference, if not the nation.”

Sophomore infielder Tammy Wray said with Torina’s coaching, this season’s team is fully capable of earning a trip to Oklahoma City, Okla., to play in the Women’s College World Series.

“[Torina] is very uplifting and that’s a great characteristic to have as a coach,” Wray said. “Coach Torina is very involved in practices. She’s right there with us guiding us every step of the way.”

Fico said Torina is tough and expects a lot from her team, but she is also lively at practice.

“We have a lot of fun with her,” Fico said. “She really knows when to lighten the mood and when to get serious, and that really helps our team a lot.”

Torina said she tries to keep practices upbeat and remind her players why they’re there.
“Softball is a game,” Torina said. “More than anything, I want them to enjoy every day that they’re out here.”

WIXOM, Mich. – It’s not every day one of the best of the best in sports shares their secrets to success. But for two-time Olympic medalist Jessica Mendoza, teaching girls how to swing, catch and run the bases is her passion.

Monday, the softball star brought her passion here to metro Detroit at Total Sports in Wixom.
“The J Mendoza experience is something that has been a dream of mine something that I truly believe, young girls need female role models,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza takes her clinic across the county where she teaches girls the basics to advance fundamentals in hitting, bunting, base running, outfield and infield, strength and agility training and nutrition. Mendoza, former president of the Women’s Sport Foundation, has established a career that can be revered by many athletes.

A 2004 Olympic Gold medalist and Silver medalist in 2008, Mendoza has transitioned from on the field to off. She was the ESPN Commentator for the Women’s College World Series and is a current member of the USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch League.

“I want to teach this girls how to be better softball players hands down, but at the end of the day I really want them to take the skills and the confidence and the security you get being a female athlete into life,” Mendoza said.

When it comes to playing ball, Mendoza invited some of the best from right here in Michigan to help coach at the clinic.

• Bonnie Tholl, University of Michigan associate head coach
• Jennifer Brundage, University of Michigan associate coach
• Chealsea Spencer, Michigan State University assistant coach
• Jessica Bograkos, Michigan State University assistant coach
• Marissa Young, Eastern Michigan University assistant coach
• Nikki Nemitz, University of Michigan volunteer coach

“We are creating the future… these girls are going to make a difference in whatever role, path or career they choose.” says Mendoza. “The clinic will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for players to engage with a softball trailblazer.”

Mendoza has taken her clinic to every state in the USA.

And if your daughter missed it this year, Mendoza says she’ll back in 2013.

Story Courtesy of Click on Detroit

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – To say Kelsey Bruder is a go-getter is sort of like saying Tim Tebow is popular in Denver.

Let’s take her schedule the past few months. Bruder capped her senior season by helping the Gators advance to the Women’s College World Series. A few days later she was making her professional softball debut.

Once the summer was over, Bruder began working a 40-hour-a-week internship to complete her Health, Education and Behavior degree. She graduated in December, spent a couple of weeks at home in California with her family, and flew to Indianapolis on Thursday.

She is at the NCAA Convention to receive the most prestigious award any UF student-athlete has won since Tebow two years ago: an NCAA Top VIII Award, which recognizes eight student-athletes from around the country for their success on the fields, in the classroom and in the community.

In other words, Bruder is the cream of the crop.

“When you draw closure to a story, sometimes the stories are a little bit far-fetched,’’ said Gators softball coach Tim Walton, who is in Indianapolis to attend Friday night’s ceremony. “This kid has probably come as far as a person as any kid I have ever coached. She is very competitive, which allows her to be in position to get this kind of award because she doesn’t let her grades or anything in the classroom suffer.

“This is a big deal. I’m really blessed to be a part of this ceremony and fortunate that I got a chance to coach someone like this. She is a one of a kind.”

The 2011 SEC Player of the Year, Bruder was a two-time All-American and Academic All-American for the Gators and played a integral role in four consecutive trips to the CWS for UF.

But this award is more than Bruder being a good player in the heart of the Gators’ lineup. Bruder carried a 3.70 GPA in her major and was heavily involved in the Gainesville community after transferring to UF in the Spring 2008 semester following one semester at UC-Santa Barbara.

Walton knew of the Bruder name – her father and grandmother are prominent softball coaches in her native California – but he didn’t know Bruder’s enterprising nature until receiving an unsolicited email from her more than four years ago.

“She sent me a long email that she really had the desire to come to the University of Florida and take her softball career to another level,’’ Walton said. “It was really tough for her because you were coming into a team loaded with great talent and she comes in without really an identity or a role and kind of struggled her freshman year.”

Bruder kept leaping whatever hurdles were in her way to develop into one of the most decorated players in the program’s history.

“I did feel a little comfort in knowing that half the team was also from California,’’ Bruder said of her arrival at UF. “They loved it and I heard great things. Coach fired me up about the sport and made me want to get better from the first time I talked to him. The atmosphere and the support you get from the community, there is really nothing like being a Gator.”

She is humbled to become only the sixth UF student-athlete to ever win a Top VIII honor from the NCAA, joining Tebow (2009), tennis player Stephanie Nickitas (1999), Danny Wuerffel (1996), diver Megan Neyer (1986) and swimmer Tracy Caulkins (1985).

“At first I thought it was some kind of mistake to be in the likes of people like Tracy and Tim,’’ Bruder said. “Those are incredible athletes. Again, it’s not just something I achieved personally. I’m surrounded by the best teammates and the best coaching staff. It’s an absolute tremendous honor, not just for me, but for the University that I come from.
“I think it just adds to the reputation of our program and we hope to build on that for years to come.”

To be eligible for a 2011 Top VIII Award, nominees had to be a varsity letter-winner, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and complete their playing eligibility during the 2010-11 academic year.

Bruder will be joined by Texas football player Sam Acho, New Haven track-and-field athlete Shannon Gagne, Alabama gymnast Kayla Hoffman, Oklahoma basketball player Danielle Robinson, Amherst College swimmer Kendra Stern, Miami swimmer Brittany Viola and Ole Miss track-and-field athlete Lee Ellis Moore as honorees Friday.

Let’s get back to Bruder’s recent schedule. While completing her internship last fall, the Corona, Calif., native made a trip to Kentucky to participate in a softball clinic at Murray State University. She also interviewed for a job as an assistant coach.

Bruder landed the position and after Friday’s ceremony in Indianapolis, the 22-year-old will head to Murray State to start work as one of the youngest assistant college softball coaches in the country.

“We are really fortunate to have Kelsey joining our program,” Murray State coach Jay Pyron said. “She brings a lot to the table. She first of all is incredibly knowledgeable about the game and is a good teacher of skills. She is an incredible competitor as well who will bring valuable experience to our players about what it takes to be the best and how to win.”

Walton made sure Pyron knew what kind of assistant he was getting when they talked during the interview process.

“She is as organized and detailed as any young person I have met,’’ Walton said. “She is so game savvy. She would talk to me about the game and scouting reports and what she noticed on pitchers and their tendencies. She could really do anything she wants to when she puts her mind to it.”

Once her season with the USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch ended last summer, Bruder began to miss softball. That is when she realized she was not ready to break away from the game. When the Murray State opportunity came along, Bruder jumped at it.
What else did you expect?

“I’m not wasting any time,’’ she said. “I am so excited. I am very eager to start my coaching career this early.”

Article courtesy of Gatorzone

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Wounded Warriors Amputee softball teams have announced for exhibition games and special events featuring Olympians Jennie Finch, Dot Richardson, Leah O’Brian- Amico, and USSSA Pride’s Francesca Enea in Plant City January 13-14.

Former Olympian Jennie Finch states, “I’m so humbly honored to be able to not only meet but play against true heroes, the Wounded Warriors Softball Team! I personally can not wait to meet them and thank them for their incredible sacrifice and service. I am excited to see them play and most importantly share our hearts for Jesus through the game and events.”

The FCA roster featuring former Olympians, professional, and college stand outs will face the Wounded Warriors Amputee softball team at 6:30pm Friday at Plant City Stadium and a double header Saturday at 1:00 pm.

The FCA Florida Softball is a sport Ministry wanting to see the softball world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of athletes and coaches.

The Wounded Warriors Project is designed to help injured service members aid and assist each other, also to raise awareness and enlist the public aid for the needs of injured soldier members.

Tickets for Friday’s game are $5. Tickets for both Saturday games are $10.

FCA Roster

Dot Richardson

Jennie Finch

Leah O’Brien-Amico

Francesca Enea

Kristina Hilberth

Kristen Butler

Stephanie Brombacher

Charity Butler

Corrie Brooks

Brooke Le Sage

Kaci Clark

Meagan Denny

Mary Helen Tyler

Johnny McCraw

Sonya Montoya (left) seeing that the USSSA Pride players are hydrated.

Every athlete attempts to prepare themselves for competition but they are not truly tested until they must play extra innings or go into overtime. The importance of hydration can play a huge part in an athletes ability to be ready for the unexpected, for example the temperatures of a mid day game or a back to back basketball tournament where athletes will play at least three to four games in one weekend.  No athlete is safe from dehydration whether they compete indoors or out as long as the athlete’s body sweats then they are at risk for losing valuable electrolytes.  Since my primary responsibility occurs during the summer with the USSSA Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch my knowledge of how to keep athletes hydrated in such extreme temperatures have become well practiced.  Keeping younger athletes hydrated properly can be more difficult since their thermoregulatory systems are not fully developed. In addition, younger athletes often do not communicate as well in terms of how their bodies feel with warmer temperatures and how it affects their ability to perform.

Past studies have found that if an athlete is dehydrated as little as 1-2% loss in their body weight it may result in negative effect on their performance. Therefore as coaches and parents it is important to plan ahead for your younger athletes in terms of what they will need prior to games to properly hydrate.

Proper hydration and nutrition days before a game plays a vital role in replenishing your athlete’s glycogen stores and essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, potassium, sodium, calcium and other vital electrolytes.  A good way to keep younger athletes hydrated is to provide them with a water bottle they can refill throughout the day.  Most water bottles are around 6 to 8oz, which will be sufficient for athletes to maintain regular fluid intake throughout their normal daily activities. Unfortunately, water alone will not fully replenish what the average athlete looses in a practice or game.  I always urge parents and coaches to make sure the athlete has some sort of sports drink option with a proper balance of electrolytes and carbohydrates generally containing <7%  to rotate in with their normal water intake.  There are some myths that if your child is not thirsty during activity or if they are drinking solely water then they are clear of any hydration issues. Oppositely, water alone will shut off the athlete’s drive to drink additional fluids due to the increase in their blood plasma levels.  This will result in the remaining sodium and other vital electrolytes being lost through urine and not replaced in a timely manner.  During particularly hot and humid environments where heat illness is of great concern it is vital to monitor your athletes more closely in terms of what they are drinking and how frequently.  I always encourage athletes to become familiar with his or her body by seeing what works for them during practices and scrimmages.  This will allow them to find a proper hydration balance without feeling bogged down.

One of the more problematic situations that many athletes often encounter is how to prepare themselves for multiple competitions in a one or two day period.  Here are a few tips to guide you to help your athlete compete at their best and help prevent heat illnesses.

• Check the weather prior to the weekend to get an idea of the conditions your athlete will be competing in. The warmer and more humid the more conscientious athletes will need to be taking in proper fluids
• Providing athletes a combination of with water and sports drinks to rotate is key (intake should be encouraged prior, during, and after especially in preparation of a sequential game)
• In between innings or during time outs remind the athletes that just came off the field to take a drink of fluid especially ones that sweat more profusely than others. Sometimes during games an athlete’s focus to hydrate isn’t always a priority but a quick reminder can keep them on track
• Often a good rule of how much to drink throughout a competition is around a cup to half a cup every 15-20 minutes. Although if an athlete wants more then keep the fluids coming. The more often athletes are able to take a drink the less chance is they will chug fluids at once, generally an alternation of water to some sports drink is helpful
• Remind the athlete to check the color of their urine as odd as it sounds it’s a good indication of where their fluid intake is at prior and post competition. I always go with the following guideline: the closer the urine color is to apple juice the more in danger the athlete is to being dehydrated compared to a clearer lemonade color of urine.
• Remember thirst alone may not be the best method of determining if an athlete has suffered extreme fluid loss.  A more objective reliable way to gauge fluid loss is to weigh the athletes prior to competition or know their average weight out of competition.  The athlete’s weight post activity will allow you to determine if they have lost significant amounts of fluid during activity. A small 2 lb difference in weight means the athlete will need to ingest 32oz of fluid prior to the next practice or game.
• Communication is key remember to talk with your athletes, I spend a good portion of time talking to each of my athletes and learning how they each respond differently to competition and practices in terms of hydration.

Follow Sonya on Twitter: @SonyaMontoya2

Being a student-athlete comes with an abundance of perks: exercise, competitiveness, keeping you out of trouble, and friendship. The list goes on and on, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Responsibility that most teenagers tend to put aside and only confront when necessary. These days, academics is taking a back seat to athletics, which teenagers rationalize as they have to be working the hardest at their sport to be the best.

I know those days when you believe you had the worst practice or the worst game and the only thing that will counteract your performance is none other than more practice! I’d think, “Who cares if I have a midterm tomorrow morning, I have a swing to perfect!” In real life though, my perfect swing won’t mean much if I don’t make the grades to be eligible to play. It’s a double-edge sword. Below I listed some great tips on how to maintain excellence on and off the field.

1)      Don’t postpone homework!

Many athletes put their homework off till the last minute. They have class all day then use the entire afternoon to practice. Instead of using all this time for your sport, finish your homework first and make sure you have all your classes covered. Instead of making a list of excuses (I’m tired, I’m hungry, I deserve a break, I’ll get to it later) use that energy to get your homework done! Postponing your homework is the foundation of falling behind. You will feel a lot better about being finished with your home work at 5 p.m. as opposed to 11 p.m.! You wouldn’t fall behind in your sport so don’t do it in the classroom.

2)      Always pay attention in class.

This rule is to all my student-athletes that think class time means catching up on your sleep! Paying attention in class means less work for you later. If you understand the material you can get your work done in class or it will make your homework time go by quicker. You will play better knowing that your grades are taken care of. It’s one less thing to stress about.

3)      Manage your social schedule.

I know you can’t help that everyone loves you and wants to hang out with you on the weekend. This might seem difficult at first, but if you truly want to be a serious athlete cutting down on your social activities is necessary. Try to surround yourself with friends that have the same goals as you. When you do this, you won’t find yourself out late on a Friday night when you have to be up early the next morning for a game. Instead, invite a teammate over to relax and watch a movie. That way you’re relaxing your body and mind before the game.

The best part about being a student-athlete is enjoying your success both in the classroom and on the field. Don’t be intimidated by the tiresome schedule, instead see it as a challenge that you WILL be the best in your sport and in school. Personally, all of the sacrifices I made early on in my career have completely paid off. I used to miss all the Friday nights at the movies, but now I get to travel around the world playing the sport I love with my close friends as my teammates. Lastly, colleges love recruiting athletes with great time management skills!

Tweet with Francesca Enea: @frangator10

NASHVILLE –National Pro Fastpitch has announced a new partnership with Shoulder Shield, LLC. Shoulder Shield, based in Sherman, MS, is an innovative designed product that promotes health in the user’s shoulder and elbow joints.

“It’s always exciting to launch a new partnership, but particularly special to launch with a company that will help improve the health and wellness of our athletes,” stated Commissioner Kempf.

NPF and Shoulder Shield will be hosting a Series on NPF’s “Throwin’ Down with the NPF”, set to launch in 2012. “Throwin’ Down with the NPF” is a weekly broadcast hosted on NPF’s website that feature NPF players. Shoulder Shield and NPF will partner together for a Series of five episodes that will air five consecutive weeks in June. The Series will feature NPF Players talking about the importance of taking preventative measures to stay healthy on and off the field.

“We are excited to team up with an organization like National Pro Fastpitch that services world class athletes. We believe “Throwin’ Down with NPF” will be a great resource to educate players and promote the prevention of arm injuries,” commented Brian Boatner, founder and president of Shoulder Shield. “I invented Shoulder Shield to help me recover from a shoulder injury and get me back on the baseball field, so I understand first-hand the importance of joint health in the sports environment.”

Shoulder Shield’s neoprene sleeve promotes health by trapping heat into injury prone areas such as the shoulder and elbow joints. It diminishes wear and tear on joints, ligaments, and muscles caused by inadequate circulation and the constant heating and cooling of the muscles and joints. Shoulder Shield was designed to keep athletes healthy on the field.

“We are looking forward to the 2012 season with Shoulder Shield on board. And we are all looking forward to seeing the impressive athletes of the NPF featured in the “staying healthy” Throwin’ Down segments” stated Commissioner Kempf.

About Shoulder Shield

The Shoulder Shield is a revolutionary design in athletic sportswear and was designed by athletes, for athletes. The Shoulder Shield’s innovative design promotes health in the user’s shoulder and elbow joints without limiting mobility or restricting performance. The Shoulder Shield was designed to keep athletes healthy and on the field.

About National Pro Fastpitch

National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.

Nashville, TN – National Pro Fastpitch announced today the establishment of the NPF Official Developmental Partnership Program. The Program is designed to join the professional ranks of owners, players, and staff with the amateur ranks of youth participants, their coaches and parents.

The NPF Official Developmental Partnership Program is broken into three distinct groups: Park Partner, Performance Partner, and Playing Partner. ODP’s are linked with NPF through a benefits and privileges package that includes preferential camp and clinic booking, preferential guest speaker scheduling, discounted tickets to NPF games and special events, opportunity to become an Official Retailer of NPF gear, equipment and apparel discounts, and more.

The Park Partnership enables a recreation, city, or privately owned park to enroll all of its membership teams in the program for the price of one ODP fee. Performance Partnership enables training schools, clubs, and groups along with private coaches, teachers, and organizations to enroll all students for the price of a single ODP fee. And the Playing Partnership is designed to allow teams and leagues that may not fall under a single park or facility to enroll team or league members into the ODP program for the one simple fee. The cost for becoming an Official Developmental Partner of the NPF is $250 annually per park, facility, etc.

“We constantly try to find ways to link the accomplished and impressive women athletes of the NPF with the impressionable young players that dream of being in their shoes one day,” commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “This program will broaden the awareness of the League by exposing tomorrow’s players to today’s athletes.”

Participants can become an NPF Official Developmental Partner by going to the NPF website at www.profastpitch.com, clicking on the “Youth Programs” tab, and filling out the information. More information is also available on the website. To view the Commissioner’s introduction of the Official Developmental Program, go to http://www.youtube.com/nationalprofastpitch.

About National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.

The Seattle Sports Commission and the Sports Star of the Year committee have nominated Jenn Salling for the Female Sports Star of the Year Award at the 77th Annual Sports Star of the Year, presented by ROOT Sports™. Salling, in what will be here 2nd season in the NPF, batted Avg .220 0 HR 4 RBI 4 BB

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR JENN!

The Seattle Sports Commission and the Sports Star of the Year committee have nominated Jenn Salling for the Female Sports Star of the Year Award at the 77th Annual Sports Star of the Year, presented by ROOT Sports™. Salling, in what will be here 2nd season in the NPF, batted Avg  .220  0 HR  4 RBI  4 BB

Indianapolis, Ind. – Former Florida two-time All-American softball player, Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.), will join the ranks of five Gator All-Americans as a NCAA Top VIII Award winner in January at the 2012 Honors Celebration during the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. The award is given annually to eight NCAA student-athletes and Bruder, the 2011 SEC Player of the Year and 2011 softball Honda Award winner, becomes UF’s sixth overall recipient of the award, the first honoree since Tim Tebow in 2009.

“Being chosen as a NCAA Top VIII Award winner is almost unbelievable. My time at UF was such a blessing, it molded me into the person and player I am today and I am forever in debt to my coaches and teammates for the experience,” Bruder said. “I can’t begin to thank Gator Nation enough for the unwavering support and the NCAA for this honor. It truly is great to be a Florida Gator.”

The NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award recognizes student-athletes who completed their athletics eligibility during the 2010-11 academic year for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community. The honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of athletics administrators at member institutions and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.

“The NCAA Top VIII Award is a tribute to Kelsey Bruder for all of the hard work and determination that she put forth in becoming the student-athlete she is today,” Florida head coach Tim Walton said. “Kelsey has meant so much to our program and for her to be recognized with such a prestigious national honor really shows a lot about her and her drive, both on and off the field. We strive to create a culture of excellence at Florida and Kelsey is a great example of the type of leader – a first-class person and student-athlete – that we hope to develop for continuation of our program’s success.”

Bruder, the 2011 SEC Player of the Year, led the Gators to the 2011 Women’s College World Series, where they played for their second National Championship in the last three years, marking the team’s fourth straight WCWS appearance – the first SEC team to accomplish the feat. She was named to the 2011 WCWS All-Tournament Team and is a two-time All-American and Academic All-American.

Bruder is member of the “winningest class” in University of Florida history, leading the Southeastern Conference in 2011 through league play in runs (32), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.883), hits (40), RBI (36) and home runs (11). She tops Florida’s all-time list for total bases in a season (152) and her 79 runs last season marked a single-season school record. She was also a part of the NCAA-record 70 wins her freshman year in 2008 and has been a part of just 33 losses in her four-year tenure at Florida. Bruder carries a 3.70 GPA as a Health, Education & Behavior major, and will earn her undergraduate degree following her fall internship in December 2011. She was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft to the USSSA Florida Pride and has continued her softball career professionally.

Bruder is among three SEC student-athletes that will be honored as 2010-11 Top VIII Award winners in January. For the full release and information on all of this year’s winners, visit NCAA.org
.
University of Florida NCAA Top VIII Award Winners
(Presented by the NCAA honoring eight distinguished student athletes annually for achievement in athletics, academics and leadership)
• Kelsey Bruder, Softball, 2011
• Tim Tebow, Football, 2009
• Stephanie Nickitas, Tennis, 1999
• Danny Wuerffel, Football, 1996
• Megan Neyer, Diving, 1986 (formerly top six)
• Tracy Caulkins, Swimming, 1985 (formerly top six)

2012 NCAA Top VIII Award Winners
(For 2010-11 school year, to be honored in January 2012)
• Sam Acho: University of Texas at Austin, football
• Kelsey Bruder: University of Florida, softball
• Shannon Gagne: University of New Haven, indoor and outdoor track and field
• Kayla Hoffman: University of Alabama, gymnastics
• Lee Ellis Moore: University of Mississippi, indoor and outdoor track and field
• Danielle Robinson: University of Oklahoma, basketball
• Kendra Stern: Amherst College, swimming and diving
• Brittany Viola: University of Miami (Florida), swimming and diving

PORTLAND, Ore. – A crowd of 426 fans filled Erv Lind Stadium on Wednesday night, braving cold weather to watch the Portland State softball team take on a squad of professional players.

Team NPF, made up of players from the league’s four teams – the Akron Racers, the Chicago Bandits, the NPF Diamonds and the USSSA Florida Pride – stopped in Portland on their 19-game, 17-stop Back to School Tour.

The all-stars pounded out 12 hits and two pitchers combined to hold the Vikings hitless in a 11-0 victory in the exhibition.

Despite the score, the Vikings and the fans in attendance enjoyed a game that featured some of the best players of the world. One of them, second-year pro Angeline Quiocho, even performed a dance to Beyonce’s hit song “Single Ladies” in the fourth inning, drawing a standing ovation.

Former Arizona great Caitlin Lowe drove in five runs for Team NPF, and belted a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Caitlin Lever, who played for Canada in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, followed Lowe’s drive with one of her own and ended the night with three hits. Also, Bianca Mejia finished the game 4-for-5, with a pair of RBIs and one double.

Beaverton product Ashley Charters hit 1-for-3 and scored twice for the all-star squad.

“It’s always good to be back, to be able to play in front of your family and your friends and your old coaches. It’s good to be back and show the Northwest what the NPF is all about,” said Charters, who was the starting second baseman on the 2009 NCAA champion team at Washington.

Danielle Lawrie, who along with Charters plays for the USSSA Pride in Florida, said the 50 degree weather was a little too cold for her liking.

“It’s a little too cold right now,” joked Lawrie, who also played for Canada in the Olympics and was teammates with Charters on the ’09 Washington team. “But it’s good. The support has been great on the tour so far.”

Lawrie worked the final three innings, striking out five.

Portland State softball coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said the night was beneficial for her squad and the local community.

“I knew the girls were really excited (to play the game). They definitely focused on the things that they could control. They went into the game with nothing to lose and just tried to enjoy the experience of playing against some of the best players,” Echo-Hawk said.

“Portland has always been a pretty big softball town. To see as many fans come out, especially on a cold night, it’s not only a great thing for the game of softball but also for our program. For the kids to have so many fans in the stands in pretty special.”

The game against Team NPF wrapped up the fall schedule for Portland State. The Vikings will now head into winter workouts, before opening the 2012 season on Feb. 10 in Tempe, Ariz. The Vikings are coming off their second NCAA tournament appearance in three years under Echo-Hawk.

NOTES: Five former Olympians were on Team NPF. Lowe and Andrea Duran played for the United States in 2008, while Lawrie, Lever and Jenn Salling played for Canada that year … Charters, Lawrie and Salling were all teammates on the 2009 Washington team and the trio now plays for the USSSA Pride in Kissimmee, Florida … Charters went to high school at Southridge High School in Beaverton and was a two-time state player of the year … first-year PSU pitching coach Megan Miller was reunited with former college teammate Sam Marder, who caught for Team NPF. Miller, a pitcher, and Marder, a catcher, played at Ohio State from 2007-10.

This year USSSA is delighted to see that our very own USSSA Pride Players attended the Women’s Sports Foundation Annual Salute Dinner in New York.  As you can see from the picture in this articles the girls got dressed up and proudly represented the Pride for what was a fantastic evening. Cat Osterman, Caitlin Lowe and Jessica Mendoza are pictures with the 2011 College Softball Athlete of the Year, Stanford grad Ashley Hansen.

The Women’s Sports Foundation was founded in 1974 and is excited to promote female sports including Fastpitch Softball. Their annual dinner took place last night, October 19th at the historic Cipriani Wall Street in the heart of New York City. This years event celebrates the 32nd year of this annual dinner.

Jessica Mendoza is very much in the spotlight at the moment being a NCAA Sideline Reporter on ESPN. Back during the season she was interviewed on ESPNW talking about her personal journey to become one of the most famous athletes in fastpitch softball and how much it means to her to be a part of the NPF and USSSA families. See the video here!

Don’t forget to keep up to date with all things USSSA Pride by subscribing to our email feed where you will get Pride articles to your inbox! – sign up on the right hand side of this page!

Nashville, TN – National Pro Fastpitch is preparing for the second half of the 2011 NPF Back to School Tour by looking ahead at some exciting venues and first-time visits. The second half of the Tour will kick off in a big way with Team NPF matched up against the 2009 NCAA Champion, Washington Huskies on Saturday October 22 at 3:00 pm. The game will take place at the home of the Seattle Mariners, Safeco Field, and will be followed by a softball skills clinic at 5:00 pm for players of all ages.

“We are grateful to the Seattle Mariners for welcoming us to one of the most beautiful and unique venues in professional baseball, and for allowing us to feature these two teams of outstanding athletes on Safeco Field,” commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “To get to compete against a great program like the Washington Huskies in a Major League venue is something our players are certainly looking forward to.”

Team NPF will return two of UW’s decorated members of the 2009 Championship Team on the visit to Seattle. Facing off against their alma mater will be NPF professionals from the USSSA Florida Pride, Danielle Lawrie and Ashley Charters. Unfortunately, due to a conflict with the Pan Am Games, Jen Salling, who was also a member of the 2009 title team will not be able to compete. However, Lawrie (2009 and 2010 Collegiate Player of the Year) and Charters will surely be met with open arms by so many of their loyal fans while making their professional debut in Seattle.

Following the Seattle stop, Team NPF will then play Oregon State (Oct. 23, 1:00 pm), Portland State (October 26, 6:00 pm), and Oregon (October 27, 6:00 pm). Oregon State is hosting a skills clinic from 9:00-11:00 am prior to the OSU/Team NPF game. The final leg of the Tour will start with a November 3 stop against Oklahoma in Norman (7:00 pm) followed by November 4 match-up against San Diego State University (6:00 pm) before the final stop at Mt. San Antonio College on November 5 (2:00 pm).

The 2011 Tour is presented by USSSA for the second year in a row along with added support from Major League Baseball this year. Team NPF currently is 11-0 on the Tour having already made stops in 9 cities and competed against Memphis, Ole Miss, Central Arkansas, Missouri State, Daytona State, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Southern Miss, LSU, and Georgia. The first half of the Tour wraps up this weekend with games against UNC (2:00 pm) and NC State (4:00 pm) in Raleigh on Saturday October 15. Team NPF will join NC State on Friday evening from 5:00-8:00 pm to host a skills clinic in Raleigh.

Along the way, Team NPF made a visit to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, hosted several skills clinics, and enjoyed the opportunities to play at various college campus’s and visit with a variety of softball fans.

“This Tour is such a great experience for the League all the way around,” stated Kempf. “It is a wonderful experience for our players, the college players, and of course, the fans of the game. We love the exposure and we are looking forward to an exciting second half of the 2011 Tour.”

ATHENS, Ga. – The National Pro Fastpitch brought its 2011 Back-To-School Tour to the University of Georgia on Thursday and the All-Stars defeated the Bulldogs, 6-1, at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.

In its second year, the NPF’s Back-To-School Tour was making it second trip to the Classic City and in this year’s meeting the All-Stars pulled out the victory with two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to improve to 11-0 on the tour.

Last year, Georgia took Team NPF to extra innings before falling 9-8. In Thursday’s meeting the Bulldogs tied the game 1-1 in the third and trailed by only one at 2-1 after five before the All-Stars got their two big innings to pull away and secure the victory.

The contest served as a homecoming for four former Bulldogs who play for Team NPF in their first professional season. Those players included 2011 NPF Rookie of the Year and All-NPF selection Alisa Goler, All-NPF selection Megan Wiggins, Brianna Hesson and Taylor Schlopy.

“It was a little bit weird being on the visitor’s side and not being with our team,” Schlopy said. “But it was nice being home and it was nice to win. It was good for Georgia to bring people out to support and build softball, and we all had a blast. It’s just fun competition and it was very friendly.”

Team NPF took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Kelly Kretschman started the game off with a single to left, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Schlopy. Two batters later, another member of the 2011 All-NPF Team Bianca Mejia drove in the run on a single to right.

In the third, the Bulldogs pulled even with the All-Stars at 1-1. With one out, junior Macie Couey doubled down the left field line. Later in the inning with two outs, freshman Gracie Goulder added a double of her own to left driving in Couey.

The contest remained tied until the fifth inning when two-time World Cup Champion Andrea Duran gave the All-Stars the lead back at 2-1 with a two-out, solo home run to straight-away center.

The All-Stars then got four more runs over the next to frames to extend the score to its final margin of 6-1. In the sixth, Roya St. Clair and Kretschman each picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk, respectively. In the seventh, two-time Women’s College World Series champion Caitlin Lowe provided an RBI single while St. Clair notched a second RBI on a single through the left side.

From the circle, Jamee Juarez earned the win for the All-Stars pitching five innings allowing just the one run on three hits. Taryne Mowatt closed out the game for Team NPF pitching two scoreless innings. For the Bulldogs, sophomore Morgan Montemayor provided five innings of work allowing two runs before giving way to senior Erin Arevalo to finish out the contest.

“Throughout the fall we have been working on meshing everyone together,” Montemayor said. “Every game has its ups and downs, and we just need to keep working hard in practice going into individuals. Now is the time to work on the little things we can to get better.”

Thursday’s game against the NPF All-Stars concluded the fall practice schedule for the Bulldogs, who will now enter into individual workouts leading up to the 2012 preseason.

BATON ROUGE – The LSU softball team carried a one-run lead into the seventh inning and had Team NPF down to its final strike before the Tigers dropped a 4-1 decision to the professional team Tuesday in-front of 1,234 fans at Tiger Park.

“I’m pretty proud of how it went,” head coach Beth Torina said. “I’m proud of our team, I’m proud of the city of Baton Rouge and the LSU fans. Everybody came out, and I thought it was a good showing. The NPF thought this was one of the best crowds, if not the best crowds. I’m proud of how the whole event went for us.”

“It was really important for me to let everyone have the experience,” Torina continued. “We got 21 out of the 22 players into the game in some way, shape or form tonight. That was really important for me too, to let them all feel like they have been a part of it.”

Brittany Mack was sensational in the circle for the Tigers and pitched 6.1 frames of two-hit ball. After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning, Mack proceeded to retire 17 straight batters. The Round Rock, Texas, product finished with seven strikeouts against two walks.

“The off speed definitely kept them guessing. I don’t know if they have ever seen an off speed curve before. It was fun to throw that in there to some of them, but I definitely kept telling myself these are good hitters you can’t take it like you would some other teams. You have to take it like you would Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee but to the next level. You got to take them one at time, be focused and you got to make sure that you keep the pitches off the plate.”

Ashley Langoni provided offensive fireworks at the plate and a defensive web gem in the field. With two outs during the sixth inning, Langoni broke the scoreless tie and belted a 3-2 offering over the right field scoreboard to vault LSU ahead, 1-0.

“We went around the batting lineup twice,” Langoni said. “I laid off that outside pitch. She finally put it over the plate for me, and I went with it. Usually, I pull it over left field onto the berm and it felt good to go with it. I’ve been waiting for this game since they announced it last year. To play against a team like this is awesome, it was a great opportunity and I wouldn’t change anything about it.”

LSU recorded two outs in the seventh inning sandwiched between a walk and a hit batter. Rachele Fico relieved Mack, and had two strikes on Brittany McKinney before she drew a free pass to load the bases.

Andrea Duran was hit-by-a-pitch and Caitlen Lowe coaxed a walk to put Team NPF up 2-1. Ashley Charters slapped a two-run single through the middle for the final margin of 4-1.

Lisa Norris carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before Ashley Applegate singled to centerfield to open the fifth inning. Norris racked up 16 strikeouts and surrendered two hits in a 136-pitch effort.

“I think this is going to carry us longer than just the fall season,” Torina said. “I think this performance can boost us to play with anybody in the country. If we can play with professional players then obviously we can play with anybody in Division one. This is going to be a really good year for LSU softball. I feel really good about what is in store for us.”

The Tigers return to action this weekend playing host to Chipola CC [Saturday 2:30 p.m], Nichols State [Saturday 5 p.m.] and McNeese State [Sunday 3 p.m.] as part of the LSU Collegiate Fall Classic. All of LSU’s fall softball games have free admission at Tiger Park.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -Sunday’s second game featured the NPF All-Star team in its Back to School fall tour playing college teams around the nation.

Alabama got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Kayla Braud lined a ball off the glove of Montalvo into the corner down the left field line, Braud raced around the bases, beating the throw of Francesca Enea for an inside the park home run.

“The feeling of running out in front of the crowd here never changed,” Montalvo said. “It really hit home. The second I came out here it was like I was in an Alabama uniform again. It was a real special day.”

Sophomore pitcher Jackie Traina was perfect through the first 4.2 innings before giving up a single to Kretschman in the fifth inning. The single was followed by a single from another former Alabama player when Montalvo punched one into center, however the NPF team stranded both runners.

“It was a who’s-who of college softball,” Murphy added. “For Jackie Traina to come out as a sophomore and four-hit them and strike out 10 was remarkable. She showed great poise, the sky is the limit for her.”

The NPF team would capitalize the next inning as it plated two runs to take the lead late. Traina struck out 10 against a roster that featured former All-Americans and Olympic talent.

Alabama will close out its fall slate on Sunday, Oct. 16, when the Crimson Tide host North Georgia and Tennessee State. The first game will start at 1:30 p.m.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Despite a 2-for-3 outing and an RBI from sophomore second baseman Dana Hathorn, the Gamecocks drop a 5-1 game to the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) All-Stars on Friday night in front of 617 fans at Beckham Field.

With attendance near capacity to see the fresh turf at Beckham Field, the NPF All-Stars got off to a quick start with two runs in the first. Singles from Francesca Enea and Brittany McKinney drove in Ashley Charters and Bianca Mejia to stake the pros to a 2-0 lead after a half inning.

The Gamecocks tried to tie it up in the bottom of the frame, starting the inning with singles from junior Samie Garcia and senior Lauren Lackey. After Jamee Juarez tallied two of her 11 strikeouts, sophomore Chelsea Hawkins drew a walk to load the bases for Hathorn. She slapped a single to left that scored Garcia. Lackey tried to score as well, but Megan Wiggins’ throw beat her home to end the inning and Carolina threat.

The All-Stars added two more in the second, as Caitlin Lever drove home Roya St. Clair after she started the inning with a double. Wiggins followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Charters. The pros posted their final run in the seventh when Jenn Salling’s sacrifice fly scored Wiggins.

South Carolina posted hits in the third and fourth from senior Kaitlin Westfall and Hawkins, respectively but did not threaten again until the seventh, when Hathorn started the frame with a single. The NPF team got two outs before junior Hannah Milks reached on an error, giving the Gamecocks two runners on for the top of the order. But Juarez got a pop fly to get out of the inning and close the game.

No All-Star had more than one hit, but Charles scored twice without a hit. Juarez went the distance, scattering six hits and an earned run while posting those 11 strikeouts. Redshirt junior Audrey Broyles posted three shutout innings, fanning one and walking three.

The Gamecocks face Winthrop and Gardner-Webb in a doubleheader in Rock Hill on Sunday afternoon at 1 PM.

-GamecocksOnline.com-

This past weekend, the NPF’s Back To School Tour made a more important stop than any of the others on the agenda for the College Tour. The All-Stars of the NPF payed an extremely emotional visit to St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital. It was very important to the NPF to show, that they to are in support of the life saving work that the doctors and nurses of St. Judes to to help these kids try and live the lives that they are suppose to be living. It was way more than the players donating their time and talent to visit these kids, it was an experience that all of them will never forget. How could anyone really forget?

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Ranked one of the best pediatric cancer hospitals in the country, St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. The children of St. Judes are in a fight for their lives every day, and with the help of the country and most of all families and doctors, the kids lives are immediately better.

USSSA Pride Centerfielder and Olympic Team Member Caitlin Lowe spoke about the experience:

{ It was right after a long travel day but the kids put huge smiles on our faces when we walked in. They were so happy to talk with us and get autographs. We signed for about 30 minutes for all the patients and their families.

We took a tour of the hospital where they told us that they were strictly run on donations. It actually costs over a million dollars per day to run that one hospital! This is why it is so important to spread the word about what they are doing. They have a policy where they won’t turn away any patient. They cover travel, housing, and all bills for patients and their families. It really is an amazing program.

As a special treat we got to meet a huge softball fan right after her bone marrow transplant. Her name was Maddie and she’s amazing. After the long procedure all she cared about was talking softball with the team. She’s the definition of a true competitor and really an inspiration to all of us. }

DAYTONA BEACH — The numbers on the scoreboard showed Tuesday night’s exhibition between the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars and Daytona State Falcons was a blowout.

Smiles on the faces of the pro softball players, most of whom played for major Division I colleges in recent years, and the junior college players said something else: There were no losers.

“The point of coming out here is to have fun,” former Spruce Creek and Alabama standout pitcher Kelsi Dunne said after a 15-0 shutout by the NPF All-Stars. “It’s fun being with your teammates that you haven’t seen for a while, and I’m sure it’s fun for Daytona State’s players to get to play us.”

The NPF All-Stars are on their “Back to School Tour” that will take them to 19 colleges across the country. USSSA and Major League Baseball help sponsor the tour.

Dunne heads back to school herself today, returning to the University of Alabama, where she is finishing up her master’s degree in sports management. The NPF All-Stars will face Florida at 8:15 tonight following a game between the Gators and Falcons at 6 on the DSC diamond.

Dunne hadn’t pitched in a game since June, but it didn’t seem to matter. She had seven strikeouts in a little over four innings.

“I was just trying to get back in a groove out there,” Dunne said. “Having the support of my teammates just made it so much easier.”

The NPF All-Stars scored two runs in the first, seven runs in the second and six runs in the third.

Dunne really had a no-hitter completed after getting three outs in the fourth, but DSC was allowed to continue sending batters to the plate until every Falcon had one at-bat in the exhibition.

Tarin Knott, one of those extra batters, slapped a liner past shortstop for the Falcons’ only hit of the night.

“I was shocked,” Knott said. “It was overwhelming. I got lucky, I guess.”

DeLand High graduates Nicole Vogt and Kaylyn Freeborough drew walks off Dunne.

“It was definitely an experience to be able to say I got on base against Kelsi Dunne,” Vogt said. “I’ve never had this opportunity to play a pro team, and (today) we get a chance to play the University of Florida. I can’t wait. I’m so stoked.”

Daytona State freshman pitcher Tanna Seuferer gave up six runs to the pros in the third inning, but still had a huge smile after the game. And why not? Seuferer’s parents and grandfather traveled here from Chariton, Iowa, to watch her play.

“It was so exciting,” Seuferer said. “I was just trying not to give up any home runs.”

She didn’t. But the pros did smack three homers earlier in the game as Brittany McKinney (North Carolina), Francesca Enea (Florida) and Jenn Salling (Washington) each belted second-inning home runs.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Missouri State softball team dropped a 9-0 decision to the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) All-Stars in an exhibition game at Killian Softball Stadium on Monday night.

“Any time you have the opportunity to be on the field with some of the best players in the game, you are going to learn something,” said head coach Holly Hesse. “I was really excited to see some great at-bats against a hard throwing pitcher like (Jamee) Juarez.

Sophomore hurler Savannah Wiggins had a strong showing against the NPF All-Stars. She retired the first two batters on the game, including a strikeout of Ashley Charters. But back to back hits put the NPF squad ahead, 1-0.

Wiggins ran into trouble in the second inning as she surrendered four hits and NPF scored three runs to go ahead, 4-0.

Missouri State was able to get its first hit in the bottom of the second. With two outs, junior Caitlin Chapin laced a double just inside the line in left field. She was stranded on second and the score remained, 4-0 NPF.

Wiggins settled down in the third inning, retiring the NPF All-Stars in order. Fellow sophomore Jordan Esquenazi came on in relief to start the fourth inning. She allowed five runs in a third of an inning before being replaced by freshman Chelsea Jones, who finished the game for the Bears.

Jones threw an inning and two-thirds of shutout ball, walking one and striking out Olympic gold medalist Catilin Lowe in the fifth inning.

Missouri State’s offense was held in check by NPF pitcher Jamee Juarez. She allowed just two hits to MSU, with freshman Erin Duewel’s single to right center in the fifth accounting for the Bears’ other hit.

Missouri State will travel to Tulsa on Saturday, Oct. 8 for a pair of games against Central Arkansas (1:00 p.m.) and Tulsa (3:00 p.m.) to wrap up the fall exhibition slate.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A combined effort in the circle by the University of Memphis softball team held the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars to just one hit in a 3-0 exhibition loss on Friday night at Gameday’s First Tennessee Fields.

The Tigers mixed up their five pitchers every inning to hold Team NPF, a team that included four Olympians, without a hit through the first 5 2/3 innings. Angeline Quiocho recorded the only hit in the game with a soft infield single to short in the sixth inning for Team NPF.

“I think it was a great opportunity to play them (Team NPF),” said Memphis head coach Natalie Poole. “They are a very talented team. It’s great for the community. We had an opportunity to work on some things we needed to work on and being challenged in the greatest way by playing some great athletes.”

The game marked the beginning of the NPF Back to School Tour that pits the All-Stars against college teams across the country. Team NPF will play 18 more games at 16 stops during the tour that also began in Memphis last fall.

The Tigers stranded six runners in the game and had runners in scoring position in the first, fifth and seventh innings.

The U of M’s best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners on second and third with one out, Memphis pinch runner Ashleigh King was thrown out attempting to score from third on a failed squeeze attempt.

Team NPF scored two runs in the first inning on two errors. The All-Stars later added an unearned run in the seventh.

Memphis pitching combined for eight strikeouts, including three by both junior Carly Hummel and freshman Jordan Richwood in each of their two innings of work.

Jamee Juarez earned the victory for Team NPF after pitching the first four innings and striking out eight with one walk. Taryne Mowatt picked up the save with three scoreless innings in relief with five strikeouts and three walks. Hummel took the loss, allowing two runs on one hit with three strikeouts and a walk.

Memphis will close out its fall schedule next week with a pair of doubleheaders at home. The Tigers will play two against Mississippi Valley State at the Tiger Softball Complex on Friday at 5 and 7 p.m. Memphis then plays a doubleheader on Sunday, Oct. 9, against Christian Brothers at 2 and 4 p.m

CONWAY, Ark. –  The University of Central Arkansas softball team likely faced their toughest task of the 2011-12 season today as they squared off with the best that fastpitch softball has to offer—the National Professional Fastpitch All-Stars.

The NPF All-Stars is made up of players from the four National Professional Fastpitch teams—the USSSA Florida Pride, Chicago Bandits, Akron Racers and the NPF Diamonds.

The NPF All-Stars took advantage of some miscues in the field by the Bears and opened up a 7-0 lead before Kasey Britt recorded an RBI single for UCA in the bottom of the third inning.

The All-Stars closed with three runs apiece in the final two frames, giving them the 13-1 victory. Of the 13 runs, only five were earned by UCA pitching as the Bears were guilty of committing three errors on the evening.

Former Ohio State Buckeye and four-time All-Big 10 selection Jamee Juarez was the winning pitcher for NPF. Juarez tossed three innings and allowed a run on two hits while striking out two. Taryne Mowatt, former two-time national champion with Arizona, pitched two scoreless innings while striking out five to close out the game.

NPF did the majority of their damage offensively in the second inning when they plated five runs, all unearned. In the inning, the former Big East Player of the Year, Melissa Roth and former Olympic Silver Medalist from UCLA, Andrea Duran, each laced two-run singles.

The All-Stars added three more in the fourth inning when Angeline Quiocho, a former Mountain West Player of the Year from BYU, hit a three-run homer, making it 10-1.

That wouldn’t be all the fireworks, however, as former All-NEC First Team selection Bianca Mejia hit a two-run shot to centerfield before Jessica Backhora, an All-SEC selection while at Arkansas, capped off the scoring with an RBI single, which plated former three-time All-American from the University of Washington, Jenn Salling.

The day’s events kicked off four hours before the first pitch when UCA, along with the help of the NPF All-Stars, hosted some 58 kids for an all skills clinic at City of Colleges Park in Conway. The event gave instruction to girls between the ages of 6-18.

The Bears will wrap up their fall season next Saturday when they travel to Tulsa, Okla. for two games. UCA will play Tulsa at 11 a.m. before finishing up their exhibition season with a 1 p.m. start against Missouri State.

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss softball team fell to the NPF All-Stars 23-1 Saturday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex in fall softball action.

The NPF team, which is made up of current NPF players, former college All-Americans, former Olympians, is on a “Back To School Tour.”

NPF took a 6-0 lead heading into the top of the sixth before posting 16 runs in the top of the seventh to claim the 23-1 win.

For the Rebels, Corrine Doornberg scored Ole Miss’ run in the bottom of the seventh.  Brittany Broom recorded the RBI for the Rebels.

Kendall Bruning got the start for Ole Miss and pitched four innings, allowing three hits and four runs.  Jamee Juarez recorded the win for the NPF All-Stars, pitching four innings, allowing two hits and striking out three.

Ole Miss will finish their fall season on October 19 taking on Holmes Community College and Northwest Community College in Oxford.

The Missouri State softball team will face its toughest test when they play the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) All-Stars in an exhibition game tonight at Killian Softball Stadium at 7:00 p.m. as part of the 2011 NPF Back to School Tour. Admission to the game will be $5.00 and both teams will participate in a post-game autograph session.

Missouri State returns 13 letterwinners and three All-MVC selections (Caitlin Chapin, Kirstin Cutter and Natalie Rose) from the 2011 team that went 30-25, captured the school’s sixth MVC Softball Championship and posted the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 13 years in May.

A list of the NPF All-Stars that will play at Killian tonight include:

• Jenn Salling (Washington)
• Taryne Mowatt (Arizona)
• Roya St. Clair (Michigan)
• Jamee Juarez (Ohio State)
• Andrea Duran (UCLA/Olympian)
• Caitlin Lowe (Arizona/Olympian)
• Caitlin Lever (Georgia Tech/Canadian Olympian)
• Bianca Mejia (Long Island University)
• Melissa Roth (Louisville)
• Ashley Charters (Washington)
• Jessica Bachkora (Arkansas)
• Angeline Quiocho (BYU)

The team consists of two Olympic gold medal winners in Andrea Duran and Caitlin Lowe. The team also consists of four national title winners in Caitlin Lowe and Taryne Mowatt who won NCAA titles at Arizona in 2006 and 2007, and Ashley Charters and Jenn Salling at Washington in 2009.

NPF, formerly the Women’s Pro Softball League, is comprised of four team with additional teams expected in 2012. NPF is intended to provide family entertainment for people of all ages and to showcase the top talent in fastpitch softball today. It is the goal of the League to entertain and provide positive role models for young people. NPF demonstrates work ethic, dedication, and love for the sport of fastpitch softball. NPF athletes exhibit this through their actions, both on-and-off the field. They are prominent people within their communities and appreciate and embrace the fans that follow their play through NPF action.

{USSSA Pride’s Jessica Mendoza sits down and tells the story of where exactly her baseball/fastpitch roots began, how influencial her family was in her success, and her alternate career now as a sideline reporter for the SEC and her first opportunity to cover a major league game for ESPN}

My dad was a baseball coach, so it wasn’t a surprise that we spent much of our “bonding” time in the dugouts of the baseball field or watching Dodgers games. My first sport was baseball — I was the only girl on the team. Baseball was as much a part of my life as playing tag or climbing trees was for other kids.

So, even though I’ve spent the last 23 years (and counting) playing softball, there is no doubt where my true roots began. As a kid I would spend hours picturing myself playing in a MLB uniform, in all the big parks around the country.

It was not until recently, when I got my first opportunity to cover a major league game as a reporter for ESPN, that my dreams of being a pro baseball player came flooding back. I was so nervous to cover my very first game — Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers, no less. Would I feel comfortable? Out of place? How much do I really know about the game? Could I relate to these guys?

The moment I knew I belonged — and that the sports were more like twin siblings than wicked step kids — was when I met Red Sox manager Terry Francona. He has two daughters who played softball at UNC, and he follows the sport and knew about me and some of my Olympic teammates.

When we were in-game and I was in my reporter spot next to the dugout, looking and listening for information I could share on air, Terry Francona was peeking through the side of the dugout looking for me! He was curious about my approach as a hitter, the types of pitchers I preferred facing and what I felt my biggest assets as a player were. After going back and forth with questions, I realized there was very little difference between the way I play the game and the way most of the guys on the field play. I felt like I was at home. In the dugout with the coach, talking the game, taking in what I love about baseball … and softball. It’s all the same.

Last week I covered my second game, the Rangers in Oakland. I felt even more at home as I stood with ESPN analyst and ex-player Nomar Garciaparra during pregame batting practice and discussed the swings of hitters five feet away.

What was the main point of discussion? “Moneyball,” of course! Brad Pitt was there in Oakland and the movie premiered last week, so it was certainly a hot topic. Nomar and I agreed we were never Moneyball hitters (we don’t like to take pitches or walk often, and one of the main points of emphasis in Moneyball is on-base percentage). I am pretty sure A’s general manager Billy Beane (the character Pitt plays in movie) would not have liked my style of hitting: free swinging, bad-ball hitting. Which makes sense, too — as a kid I always imagined myself in a Dodger-blue uniform!

I now know one thing — besides hitting tips and Moneyball styles — I have learned working MLB games this year: My role as a reporter in the dugouts of MLB games is so much more similar to my role as a professional softball player than I ever would have thought.

I’m sure it won’t be long before the Terry Franconas of the game ask me to put down my notepad and grab a bat.

- USSSA Prides Left Fielder Jessica Mendoza

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (9-28-11) — National Pro Fastpitch, which has featured local players such as CARRI LETO-MARTIN and SAVANNAH BROWN of Valhalla High School and SARAH HERSHMAN of San Diego State over the past decade, announced it will return to San Diego this fall.

NPF will again hold its Back to School Tour, with San Diego State hosting the 16th of 17 stops on Fri., Nov. 4, when the Aztecs meet a ballclub composed with many of pro softball’s rising stars.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to play against professional softball players right here on our own campus,” said Aztecs coach KATHY VAN WYK. “It’s a great chance to test ourselves against the best while helping the NPF promote the league.”

It’s the second straight season for San Diego State to host a Tour contest.

“We are honored that the NPF has again chosen San Diego and our program as one of the tour stops,” added the Aztec coach. “The draw of professional athletes helps us promote our program as well.”

Participating NPG players include Olympic medalists Andrea Duran, Kelly Kretschman, Caitlin Lowe; former Canadian Olympic Team member Caitlin Lever; former Canadian Olympic Team members and NCAA Champions Danielle Lawrie and Jenn Salling; 2010 NPF Pitcher of the Year, Lisa Norris; 2011 All NPF Team Members Ashley Charters, Bianca Mejia, Megan Wiggins, Brittany McKinney, and Sam Marder; and NPF Rookie of the Year, Alisa Goler.

Along with softball, other professional women’s team sports leagues in North America include WPS soccer and WNBA basketball, while AVP beach volleyball may soon be returning.

“As we near the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the fact that we have a professional league for women’s fastpitch players is yet another testament to its impact,” Van Wyk noted. “Opportunities for girls and women continue to grow and by coming out to this game and helping us support the league, people can help ensure these opportunities continue.”

The Tour begins with a game against the University of Memphis on Sept. 30, concluding on Sat., Nov. 5, at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Complete Tour SCHEDULE.

Tickets will become available soon. Visit the SDSU women’s softball website for further information.

Historic note – Back in the 1970s, the original women’s pro softball league played games at San Diego State and Oceanside High School with a local franchise, the San Diego Sandpipers.

Nashville, TN – National Pro Fastpitch announced completed plans today for the 2011 NPF Back to School Tour. The NPF Back To School Tour will once again be sponsored in part by USSSA with additional support from Major League Baseball. This year’s Tour will include 19 games over 17 stops. The Tour will once again kick off in Memphis, TN on Friday September 30th against the University of Memphis Tigers.

The NPF Back to School Tour was launched in 2010 as a way to introduce the League and its premier athletes to enthusiastic fans of the game all across the United States. In 2010, the Tour made 20 stops and played in front of over 20,000 unique fans. The NPF team of All-Stars is a combination of players from all four of the NPF’s League participants – Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, NPF Diamonds, and USSSA Florida Pride. The team plays exhibition games against college teams from San Diego, CA to Daytona Beach, FL.

Players participating on the 2011 NPF Back to School Tour include Olympic medalists Andrea Duran, Kelly Kretschman, Caitlin Lowe; former Canadian Olympic Team member Caitlin Lever; former Canadian Olympic Team members and NCAA Champions Danielle Lawrie and Jenn Salling; 2010 NPF Pitcher of the Year, Lisa Norris; 2011 All NPF Team Members Ashley Charters, Bianca Mejia, Megan Wiggins, Brittany McKinney, and Sam Marder; and NPF Rookie of the Year, Alisa Goler.

The NPF Tour Team will be coached by Christie Bingham. Bingham has been coaching softball for 16 years with much success. Her career in interscholastic coaching saw her earn seven Coach of the Year awards in Memphis, TN, enjoy over 600 career victories, post a winning percentage of .780 and develop teams that were ranked in the top 25 eight times.

The 2011 Tour Team will be making many stops for clinics and appearances along their way, with dates already set in Memphis, TN; Oxford, MS; Conway, AR; Daytona, FL; Hattiesburg, MS; Atlanta, GA; Raleigh, NC; Corvallis, OR; and Walnut, CA.

The Tour will kick off on Friday September 30th in Memphis and will conclude Saturday November 5th in Walnut, CA. To get ticket, clinic, or appearance information, please go to the NPF website at www.profastpitch.com or the individual college team sites.

The complete NPF Back To School Tour:

Sept. 30 University of Memphis First Tennessee Fields; Memphis, TN
Oct. 1 Ole Miss Oxford, MS
Oct. 2 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
Oct. 3 Missouri State Springfield, MO
Oct. 4 Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL
Oct. 5 University of Florida Daytona Beach, FL
Oct. 7 University of South Carolina Columbia, SC
Oct. 9 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
Oct. 10 University of Southern Miss Hattiesburg, MS
Oct. 11 LSU Baton Rouge, LA
Oct. 13 University of Georgia Athens, GA
Oct. 15 University of North Carolina Raleigh, NC
Oct. 15 NC State Raleigh, NC
Oct. 22 University of Washington Seattle, WA
Oct. 23 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
Oct. 26 Portland State University Portland, OR
Oct. 27 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
Nov. 3 University of Oklahoma Norman, OK
Nov. 4 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
Nov. 5 Mt. SAC Walnut, CA

Pride Left fielder Jessica Mendoza has a great offseason gig to keep her on her toes as an SEC/ESPN sideline reporter for the NCAA football season.

USSSA Pride pitcher Danielle Lawrie, sister of Brett Lawrie was just interviewed by breakfast television in Vancouver, British Columbia. Danielle Lawrie is a former Olympic softball player, sister of Brett Lawrie from the Toronto Blue Jays and talks with Kyle about her time playing softball and her plans for her future with sports.

Click on the link below to see the video!

http://video.citytv.com/video/detail/1130372480001.000000/interview-with-danielle-lawrie/

See more about Brett Lawrie here on MLB.com

Sulphur, LA - All season long the USSSA Florida Pride had softball fans confident that they would repeat as Cowles Cup Champions.  The Chicago Bandits never got that memo as they struck early and often in a 10-3 rout of the defending and regular season National Pro Fastpitch champions here at the NPF Championship Series at McMurry Park.

Series MVP, Monica Abbott kept the Pride off balance for the second day in a row and avoided a deciding game 3 by ending the Pride’s hopes of taking the Cowles Cup back home with them.  The Bandits took advantage of a 5 run 1st inning and scattered 5 additional runs took take the cup to Rosemont in 2 games.  Megan Wiggins came up huge in the Bandits win offensively and defensively.  A national audience on ESPN2 watched Wiggins go deep, hit a triple, and make a huge game changing diving catch in left field.  Meanwhile the Pride used 3 pitchers on the day, started Jordan Taylor pitched only. 1 innings and gave up 5 runs before being pulled for Sarah Pauly who was replaced later in the game by Danielle Lawrie.

The Bandits came to Sulphur as the league’s 3rd place team and go home Champions as they dismantled their rivals in 100+ degree temperatures.  The Pride who committed 4 errors on the day never found a rhythm and found themselves fighting for their softball future all game long.  Abbott and company made things tough for the Pride as they kept plugging away and never letting up.  “You can never slack up on them, you have to go into each inning like the score is 0-0″, said Wiggins.

2011 marked the second year that the 2 teams met for the Cowles Cup in Sulphur.  If you missed it, you can catch the game at 9pm CST on ESPN2 on Monday, August 22.

2011 Regular Season Statistics

Sarah Pauly-  3-3 Record   ERA 2.01   47K   BB12

• 3^rd season with Pride
• Opponent  Average .202   On Base Percentage  .256
• In 2010 had 23 Game Appearances, compared to only 10 in 2011
• Threw 16 complete games in 2010, only 5 this season
• Started 18 games in 2010, only 8 started in 2010
• 108K in 2010, 47K in 2011
• Threw a one hitter against Diamonds in Championship Series in 2011

SULPHUR, La. — You could write a book about the sum total of big plays, strange turns and general oddities that occurred on a steamy Saturday night in Sulphur, but with just more than 15 hours separating Monica Abbott’s pitch that Charlotte Morgan swung on and missed to the first pitch of the next game Sunday, there wouldn’t be enough time to read it.

That’s the thing about the postseason. There isn’t much time to dwell until there’s all the time in the world.

In a game in which momentum swung back and forth like the pendulum of a grandfather clock in a gale, the Chicago Bandits beat the USSSA Pride 4-3 in eight innings to take the lead in the best-of-three National Pro Fastpitch championship series.

Underdogs after finishing the regular season with a .500 record and entering the playoffs as the third of four seeds, the Bandits are a game away from their second title in franchise history because surprising sources young and old rose to the occasion, including veteran reserve Vicky Galindo punctuating her first extended appearance of the postseason with three hits, rookie Megan Wiggins hitting cleanup for the first time in weeks and slapper Amber Patton delivering the game-winning RBI rather than setting the table for a slugger behind her in the order.

They also won because of a pitcher whose claim to greatness is being at her best when the situation seems to have turned for the worst. Others rise to the occasion. Abbott apparently resides there.

Abbott surely didn’t want to end up with the spotlight to herself in a highly-anticipated pitching duel against Cat Osterman in quite this manner, seeing her counterpart sink to her knees in obvious pain after throwing a pitch in the fifth inning and exit the game with an injury of unknown severity. But the show must go on, understudies or not.

And so the pitcher once traded away by the Pride offered yet another soliloquy on perseverance.

After the Pride loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second on an infield single, sacrifice bunt and back-to-back walks, Abbott managed to coax an easy comebacker out of Natasha Watley. Only instead of getting the force at the plate, she sailed the ball over catcher Shannon Doepking’s head from point-blank range and could only watch as two runs raced home, a potentially insurmountable deficit against Osterman.

With runners now on second and third, still just one out and every opportunity for implosion, Abbott retired Caitlin Lowe and Jessica Mendoza on nine pitches to end the inning. Then she retired the side in order in the third. And the fourth. And after Wiggins laced a three-run double to put the Bandits in front in the top of the fifth, Abbott retired Watley, Lowe and Mendoza in order in the bottom of the fifth. She retired the next 16 batters she faced after the error and did so against a lineup that included six former Olympians and the past two SEC players of the year.

USSSA Pride coach Tim Walton has faced Abbott for years, dating back to the start of his tenure as coach at the University of Florida in 2006. There aren’t too many people in the world who know the secrets of slugging better than Walton, but he remains as unconvinced now as ever of the existence of a magic bullet for the tall lefty.

“She’s about the exact same, to be honest with you,” Walton said of Abbott’s makeup. “She’s tough, she feeds off her stuff. She’ll potentially make one mistake a game, and you’ve got to get her, otherwise she’s going to throw you down and beat you up as the game goes on. She’s got great pitches, and now she’s added the off-speed pitch, which is something she hasn’t had over the last couple of years, so I think she’s locating her pitches better.”

Others contend that as good as Abbott was while rewriting record books in college, she’s even better now because of a mental focus taken to new heights. Doepking has been around Abbott as long as just about anyone, catching for her during three seasons in college and the past three seasons in various locales around NPF.

“She’s very different,” Doepking said. “It’s crazy going through the years of how long I’ve been with her and seeing her grow as she has as a pitcher. She’s always been good, but the way she throws now compared to college is completely different — with the exact same pitches. A lot of it is she’s learned the game so well. She can throw the exact same pitch in five different locations, so I think her mental side has changed, where she is the most mentally tough person I’ve ever met. She is the most humble person, she is the most hard-working person.”

To sum it up in a way sure to make grammarians wince, she’s always been impossible to hit. It’s just she’s more impossible now.

Credit some of the latter development to the changeup Walton mentioned, a devastating option for a pitcher who throws as hard as Abbott. Several times Saturday it earned her big outs.

“The changeup is a pitch that I feel like I’ve always had, but because I’ve been so overpowering in the college game and been able to throw hard, it was never really used consistently,” Abbott said. “I always had it, and it would be good in practice and everything, but when I would throw it in college, once every blue moon, I’d throw it like 63 miles per hour. So I finally have found something that works really well. I think the biggest part for me is just selling it and making it look just as aggressive as any hard pitch I throw.”

Of course, no pitch is perfect. Doepking called for it again with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and two strikes on Pride third baseman Andrea Duran. But Duran, who once nearly single-handedly eliminated Alabama and Texas on the same day in the Women’s College World Series with clutch home runs, was sitting on the change and drove it over the left-field fence.

There would be no 17th batter in a row retired. There would be extra innings.

Wouldn’t you know it, after Galindo’s single, Caitlin Lever’s sacrifice bunt, an illegal pitch on an intentional walk and Patton’s single put the Bandits back on top in the top of the eighth, Abbott retired the side in order in the eighth, striking out Mendoza and Morgan for the final two outs.

“It’s the way she responds,” Doepking said. “She doesn’t get down. You don’t see three more hits after [a bad play]. You see another strikeout. You don’t see another bad throw; you see another good throw. That just shows what kind of mental grind she has with every single pitch. She’ll make a mistake and it doesn’t faze her. Nothing fazes her.”

A championship celebration might.