NASHVILLE, Tennessee (September 1, 2010) – National Pro Fastpitch announced today, in cooperation with USSSA, a tour of NPF All Stars that will be focused on competing with college teams throughout the fall. The NPF “Back to School – College Tour” presented by USSSA will kick off next week on September 10th in Memphis, TN against the University of Memphis softball team.

This fall tour will follow up a very successful 2010 season for National Pro Fastpitch that culminated with the League’s Championship Series in Sulphur, LA last weekend. The USSSA Florida Pride left Sulphur with the 2010 Championship Series trophy in hand as the Chicago Bandits captured the regular season championship for the 5th time in NPF’s short history.

The NPF Back To School – College Tour presented by USSSA will make over 15 stops on college campuses across the United States competing against some of the nation’s best college programs in their fall seasons. Team NPF will be comprised of athletes from all four of the NPF Teams (Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Tennessee Diamonds, and USSSA Florida Pride) and will include an accomplished list of competitors.

The Tour will kick off on September 10th in Memphis, Tennessee and will culminate on November 15th in Daytona Beach, Florida. In between Team NPF will make stops at Ole Miss, UMKC, Missouri Western, Nebraska, Arizona, New Mexico State, UTEP, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State, Florida, San Diego State, Texas, and Daytona Beach.

Team NPF will be decorated group of professionals with well seasoned and impressive resumes including Olympic Gold Medalists and NPF Champions and Award winners. Athletes playing on the tour will include: Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Andrea Duran, Fransesca Enea, Vicky Galindo, Alissa Haber, Kelly Kretschman, Caitlin Lever, Jessica Mendoza, Stacy May, Charlotte Morgan, Sarah Pauly, and many more.

USSSA and NPF will also be coordinating clinics at some of the Tour stops. Information on clinic times, locations, and costs will be forthcoming. All admission to games will go through the respective colleges and universities.

For more information, contact the NPF office at info@profastpitch.com or 615-232-2900; or you can contact USSSA at 800-741-3014.

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).
The USSSA Florida Pride joined the NPF as a franchise team in November of 2009, operated by Florida Pride LLC. USSSA managed the Pride Team during 2009, culminating their inaugural season with a second place finish in the Championship Series and most recently captured the 2010 Championship Series Title. USSSA Florida Pride is sponsored by USSSA, the world’s largest amateur sports association, and is headquartered in Kissimmee, Florida.

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (September 1, 2010) – National Pro Fastpitch announced today, in cooperation with USSSA, a tour of NPF All Stars that will be focused on competing with college teams throughout the fall. The NPF “Back to School – College Tour” presented by USSSA will kick off next week on September 10th in Memphis, TN against the University of Memphis softball team.

This fall tour will follow up a very successful 2010 season for National Pro Fastpitch that culminated with the League’s Championship Series in Sulphur, LA last weekend. The USSSA Florida Pride left Sulphur with the 2010 Championship Series trophy in hand as the Chicago Bandits captured the regular season championship for the 5th time in NPF’s short history.

The NPF Back To School – College Tour presented by USSSA will make over 15 stops on college campuses across the United States competing against some of the nation’s best college programs in their fall seasons. Team NPF will be comprised of athletes from all four of the NPF Teams (Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Tennessee Diamonds, and USSSA Florida Pride) and will include an accomplished list of competitors.

The Tour will kick off on September 10th in Memphis, Tennessee and will culminate on November 15th in Daytona Beach, Florida. In between Team NPF will make stops at Ole Miss, UMKC, Missouri Western, Nebraska, Arizona, New Mexico State, UTEP, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State, Florida, San Diego State, Texas, and Daytona Beach.

Team NPF will be decorated group of professionals with well seasoned and impressive resumes including Olympic Gold Medalists and NPF Champions and Award winners. Athletes playing on the tour will include: Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Andrea Duran, Fransesca Enea, Vicky Galindo, Alissa Haber, Kelly Kretschman, Caitlin Lever, Jessica Mendoza, Stacy May, Charlotte Morgan, Sarah Pauly, and many more.

USSSA and NPF will also be coordinating clinics at some of the Tour stops. Information on clinic times, locations, and costs will be forthcoming. All admission to games will go through the respective colleges and universities.

For more information, contact the NPF office at info@profastpitch.com or 615-232-2900; or you can contact USSSA at 800-741-3014.

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).
The USSSA Florida Pride joined the NPF as a franchise team in November of 2009, operated by Florida Pride LLC. USSSA managed the Pride Team during 2009, culminating their inaugural season with a second place finish in the Championship Series and most recently captured the 2010 Championship Series Title. USSSA Florida Pride is sponsored by USSSA, the world’s largest amateur sports association, and is headquartered in Kissimmee, Florida.

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Follow The Fastpitch News Blog on Twitter at Twitter.com/FastpitchNews

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Don’t forget to check out our other softball websites

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SoftballMedia.com One site for all our softball media.

Please visit our sponsor

Sulphur, La. — Facing a decisive game three in the 2010 National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series, the Florida Pride handed the ball to ace pitcher Cat Osterman. Osterman was electric, pitching her way to a complete game, two hit, two run, seven strikeout performance.

Osterman and the Pride out pitched and out hit the Bandits, putting seven runs off 12 hits on the scoreboard. Osterman held Chicago to just two runs on two hits, both Samantha Findlay home runs, for a 7-2 victory. The end of this game not only marked the end of the playoffs, but also the end of two illustrious careers for the Bandits — Jennie Finch and Stacy May.

Leading off the top of the second, Bandits first baseman Samantha Findlay stepped up to face off with Pride pitcher Osterman. Findlay proceeded to blast the first pitch deep over the left field wall for the solo home run, giving the Bandits a 1-0 lead.

With runners on first and second in the bottom of the second, Pride third baseman Andrea Duran dropped a bunt back to Bandits pitcher Kristina Thorson. Duran would be out on the play, but both runners would advance to second and third base.

Lauren Lappin, struggling in earlier playoff games, redeemed herself by blasting an 0-1 change up to the left field fence, scoring two runs to give Florida a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second. Bandits starting pitcher Thorson was pulled following the double for Nikki Nemitz. With Lappin on second, Tonya Callahan blasted her own double, scoring Lappin for a 3-1 Pride lead.

Nemitz stopped the bleeding shortly after, getting the Bandits out of the inning down by two runs. Thorson finished the 1.1 innings of work with three runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout.

It was rookie versus rookie as Charlotte Morgan faced off with Chicago’s Nikki Nemtiz. Morgan got the better of the two in the bottom of the third, ripping a solo home run over the left field wall to give the Pride a 4-1 lead.

With two on and no outs, Kelly Kretschman continued her hot hitting, blasting a two RBI single to right field, giving the Pride a 6-1 lead. Immediately following the single, Nemitz was replaced by Jessica Sallinger in the pitchers circle.

Nemitz finished the game with 1.2 innings pitched, seven hits for three runs and one strikeout in 12 batters faced. Bases were loaded with no outs as Sallinger stepped into the circle to face the potent Pride lineup. Sallinger stopped the bleeding as she got three straight Florida batters to ground out.

The bleeding continued just one inning later as Natasha Watley blasted a solo home run over the centerfield fence to put the Pride up 7-1.

With three outs left till elimination, Chicago’s Samantha Findlay blasted off on Cat Osterman for the second time in the game, bringing the score to 7-2. The home run would be the final time the Bandits touched the scoreboard, losing in the 2010 NPF Championship Series final to the Pride, 7-2.

The championship victory is the second consecutive National Pro Fastpitch trophy for Cat Osterman and the first ever in Florida Pride history.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Diamond Sports have announced the ten student-athletes who are the recipients of the 2010 Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award.

The Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award is presented annually to the top catcher from an NFCA member institution in each of the following divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC, NWAACC and high school.

A committee comprised of head coaches in each of the 10 divisions determines the winner of their respective award. The winners of the 2010 Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award are as follows:

NCAA Division I
Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State University
With her selection this season, Bramlett has now won the last three Diamond Catcher of the Year awards. She ended her record-breaking career as Bulldog by batting .536 on the year, the second-highest average in all of Division I. In addition to throwing out a career-high 21 base stealers in 2010, the four-time Louisville Slugger NFCA First Team All-American also stole a NCAA-leading 61 bases. For her work on the base paths this season she earned the 2010 adidas Golden Shoe, marking the second straight year she has won both the adidas Golden Shoe and Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year awards

NCAA Division II
Alyssa Shirey, Valdosta State University
Shirey helped guide the Blazers all the way to the National Championship game this season by hitting .432 and finished the year with one of the best slugging percentages in all of Division II at 0.814. Behind the plate, she threw out nine of 26 base runners, while in front of the plate she hit 20 home runs, the fourth most in Division II.

NCAA Division III
Tiffany Kruse, Luther College
Kruse started all 49 games for the Norse in 2010 and helped guide them to 42-7 record and a National Championship appearance. Kruse was an offensive force for Luther this season, leading the team in RBIs, home runs and stolen bases with 58, 18 and 14, respectively. Her 18 home runs was not only a school single-season record, but it was also the third most in all of Division III. Behind the plate, Kruse was equally as dangerous, throwing out nine of 23 would-be base stealers.

NAIA
Brittney Fisher, Bethel College (Ind.)
Fisher helped lead the Pilots to the school’s first-ever NAIA quarterfinal appearance this season by batting .404 on the year. By blasting 11 home runs, Fisher finished the season ranked 39th amongst all NAIA players. As a catcher, she played a key part in the Pilots’ deep run into the national tournament by throwing out 11 of 20 runners in 2010.

NJCAA Division I
Cyd Allen, Salt Lake Community College
Allen helped lead the Bruins to a top six finish at the national tournament by going 90-for-173 on the year for an astounding batting average of .520, the fourth best in NJCAA Division I. She also drove in a division leading 91 runs, while hitting for extra bases 33 times. On the field, Allen committed just four errors in 428 chances for Salt Lake, in addition to throwing out 12 of 27 base stealers.

NJCAA Division II
Ashley Heiberger, Iowa Lakes Community College
Heiberger was a major factor in the Lakers’ third place national finish in 2010, due in large part to her 39 extra base hits, 53 stolen bases and NJCAA Division II leading 101 RBIs. Behind the plate this season, Heiberger committed only four errors on 472 chances for a fielding percentage of .992, ranking her in the top 20 nationally.

NJCAA Division III
Val Karas, Joliet Junior College
Karas hit .396 the season for the Lady Wolves with 57 RBIs, 42 runs, 13 home runs and 13 doubles. She also played a key role as catcher and helped lead Joliet to third place at the Region IV tournament.

Cal JC
Adriana Perez, Antelope Valley College
Perez was the top hitter in Cal JC this season with a batting average of .575 to go along with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. As catcher, Perez helped lead the Marauders to the state tournament and a sixth-straight Foothills Conference crown by committing just three errors in 209 chances and throwing out 16 of 29 base runners from behind the dish.

NWAACC
Shaila Rivers, Walla Walla Community College
Rivers helped lead the Warriors to a league tournament berth this season by coming up big at the plate with a .417 batting average to go along with 15 doubles and 33 RBIs.

High School
Sarah Mooney, North Mecklenburg High School (N.C.)
Mooney was an integral component of the Viking’s state tournament run this year, hitting an astounding .605 for the season while driving in 40 runs and scoring 42 of her own. The James Madison commitment also showed power from the plate in 2010 by hitting 27 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs, for a slugging percentage of 1.222. From behind the plate, Mooney was nearly flawless, throwing out 15 of 30 base runners and ending the year with no errors in 209 chances.

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Please visit our sponsor

While at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma, I had the opportunity to interview Team USA player Andrea Duran.

Feel free to email questions for future shows to fastpitchTV@gmail.com. You may also leave questions, or comments on our call in line 209-Softbal.

The Fastpitch TV Show is sponsored by SoftballJunk.com

While at the Softball World Cup in Oklahoma, I had the opportunity to interview Team USA Catcher Lauren Lappen.

Feel free to email questions for future shows to fastpitchTV@gmail.com. You may also leave questions, or comments on our call in line 209-Softbal.

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BOGOTA, Colombia — Despite a performance that included seven errors, the 2010-11 USA Softball Women’s Junior National Team beat Mexico 15-3 in six innings to improve to 4-0 at the III Pan American Championship (18-Under) in Bogota, Colombia. Team USA closes out pool play Thursday with a doubleheader against Canada and Brazil.

“We had some shaky defensive moments but I am really proud of our offensive performance today,” said Head Coach Karen Johns (Starkville, Miss.). “On the day that we needed them the most, they stepped up to the plate and bailed us out. Our pitching was on target again but our offense is what got the job done for us against Mexico.”

The bunt was the problem for the Americans, as Devanie Gutierrez scored Mexico’s only earned run the top of the second when she advanced home on a sacrifice bunt from Maria Mercado Contreras. Gutierrez reached on a bunt then advanced when third baseman Chelsea Goodacre (Temecula, Calif.) misplayed a Grecia Garcia Silva bunt. A bunt from Maria Mata Fuentes advanced Gutierrez to third. Ivette Lopez Gonzales, bunting, then reached on another error that scored Garcia. After Goodacre misplayed a bunt from Saidy Lopez that allowed her to reach, Maria Gandanilla grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Stefania Aradillas Alanis started out the third with a single to right center. She advanced to second when the next batter, Kim-Li Gil Sanchez, reached on an error by third baseman Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.), who replaced Goodacre. Alanis advanced to third on a Gutierrez sacrifice bunt. She scored on an error by catcher Chelsea Zgrabik (Nokomis, Fla.), who left the plate unattended when it was thought the batter, Fuentes, had struck out on what turned out to be the second strike in a 1-2 count. Fuentes later lined out with a highlight reel catch that sent shortstop Shelby Pendley (Albuquerque, N.M.) leaping into the air.

“Shelby’s catch was amazing,” Johns said. “It was incredible. Not only did she get us out of that inning, I think she really shifted the momentum back to our team. It was a real turning point.”

The USA defense was able to shut down Mexico in the fourth and fifth, then the Red, White and Blue offense took over, scoring 10 runs in the sixth. Chamberlain doubled to left field, scoring Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.) and moving Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.) to third base. With the game at 6-3, Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif.) doubled, scoring Haeger, who singled, and moving Chamberlain to third. Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.) then walked. An illegal pitch from Lopez, who moved from third to pitcher, scored Chamberlain and advanced Wilson and Cordes. Wilson and Cordes later scored on two more illegal pitches.

After Madison Shipman (Valencia, Calif.) singled to shortstop, Mercades Arzapalo Aguilar took the circle for Mexico. She allowed Lahners to double, scoring Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif.), who reached on a single and advanced on a wild pitch. Haeger doubles to score Lahners. A triple from Chamberlain scored Haeger. On a passed ball, Chamberlain scored. Wilson grounded out to end the 10-run sixth.

Team USA had 17 hits, including five doubles and two triples.

Cheyanne Tarango (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) worked the first three innings for Team USA, striking out three while allowing all three of Mexico’s hits. Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) worked the next three innings, striking out six.

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The Fastpitch News Blog is sponsored by SportJunk.com

Follow The Fastpitch News Blog on Twitter at Twitter.com/FastpitchNews

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Don’t forget to check out our other softball websites

Fastpitch.FM Home of the Fastpitch Radio Show.
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FastpitchSearch.com A seach engine just for softball.
SoftballJunk.com The best place online to buy softball equipment.
SoftballMedia.com One site for all our softball media.

Please visit our sponsor

While at the Softball World Cup in Oklahoma, I had the opportunity to interview Monica Abbott.

Feel free to email questions for future shows to fastpitchTV@gmail.com. You may also leave questions, or comments on our call in line 209-Softbal.

The Fastpitch TV Show is sponsored by SoftballJunk.com

Have you heard about the Softball Cruise Clinic? This week Angela Tincher joins me as we talk about the Softball Cruise Clinic.

Visit the Softball Cruise Clinic website at www.SoftballCruiseClinic.com.

Feel free to email questions for future shows to fastpitchTV@gmail.com. You may also leave questions, or comments on our call in line 209-Softbal.

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This week we have the last part of the fastpitch softball coaches clinic at the PFX Tour in Dallas. This was a great softball clinic with Lisa Fernandez, and Kirk Walker. On this episode they talk about griping the bat.

Visit the PFX website at www.PFXtour.com.

Feel free to email questions for future shows to fastpitchTV@gmail.com. You may also leave questions, or comments on our call in line 209-Softbal.

The Fastpitch TV Show is sponsored by SoftballJunk.com