Cal Nabs Top Seed In NCAA Division I Championship

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – University of California, Berkeley was named the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship today when the NCAA Division I Softball Committee announced the 64-team field. The Golden Bears, champions of the Pacific-12 Conference, are 50-4 and will play Iona College, an automatic qualifier from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, May 18, in front of a home crowd in Berkeley. … Continue Reading

NPF Announces 2012 College Draft Date And Location

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. … Continue Reading

Defending Champs Arizona State Are Unanimous No. 1 in USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Arizona State Sun Devils will began the 2012 exactly where they left off last year, as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation, according to the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll that was released by the Association on Tuesday.

The defending national champion Sun Devils (60-6) claimed all 30 first-place votes in the poll to top the rankings for the sixth straight edition dating back to last season. Florida (56-13) and Alabama (53-11) also remained unchanged in the preseason poll, finishing the rankings in second and third, respectively. Rounding out the top five was California (45-13) who moved up one spot from the final poll last year to fourth, while Oklahoma (43-19) shot up two spots to fifth. … Continue Reading

Brown Resigns As Head Coach Of Chicago Bandits

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Chicago Bandits annouced today that Darrick Brown has resigned as head coach of the Chicago Bandits.

“We want to thank Darrick for the wonderful year of service he provided to the Bandits,” said Bandits GM, Aaron M. Moore. “He was a big reason for the team’s success in 2011, including winning the team’s second NPF Championship.
“We respect his decision to focus on what he has going on in Michigan with his family and indoor center, Brown’s Fastpitch, and the Bandits organization wishes him nothing but success moving forward.” … Continue Reading

Defending Champs Oregon Tech Top NAIA Preseason Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Oregon Tech has claimed the top spot in the 2012 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Owls, who defeated California Baptist 1-0 on May 25 to capture the 2011 National Championship, received 17 of 20 first-place votes and earned 555 points. Oregon Tech, who went 42-13 during the 2011 season, jumps up 17 spots from last season’s final poll. … Continue Reading

Vikings Host NPF All-Star team Wednesday At Erv Lind

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State softball team will get to face some of the best players in the world on Wednesday when the Vikings host the National Pro Fastpitch All-Star team at Erv Lind Stadium.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for youth 17 and under. Group rates of $5 are also available. For more information, call 503-725-3307. … Continue Reading

NPF To Play At Safeco Field

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. … Continue Reading

NFCA Announces 2011 Top Ten All-Academic Teams

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Division III Northwestern (Minn.) tallied a 3.694 team grade point average (GPA) during the 2010-2011 academic year to lead all colleges in the 2011 NFCA Top 10 All-Academic team rankings. This marks the first time in program history that the Eagles have led either the Division III or all-college rankings. … Continue Reading

Texas A&M’s May Named to WNT

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Texas A&M junior catcher Meagan May has been added to the 2011 USA Softball Women’s National Team roster and will compete at October’s Pan American Games, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. May (Spring, Texas) replaces Florida junior catcher Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.), who withdrew from the team in August for personal reasons. … Continue Reading

Escobedo Up For ESPY

TAMPA, Fla. — USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team member Dallas Escobedo is nominated for the “Best College Female Athlete” ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award, ESPN announced Friday. Escobedo concluded her freshman campaign at Arizona State with a record of 37-3 in the circle, including a 10-0 post season that led the Sun Devils to an NCAA Division I Softball National Championship.

Fans can vote for Escobedo online at espn.com/espys, by mobile device also at espn.com/espys, or on the ESPN Facebook page (facebook.com/espn). In addition, fans can follow the official ESPYs Twitter page (twitter.com/ESPYs) and tweet about their favorite nominees, using the tag @ESPYs to have their votes counted. The deadline to vote is July 9. … Continue Reading

Yucaipa College Coaching Staff Captures NFCA NJCAA Division I National Coaching Staff Of The Year Honor

Yucaipa College capped a remarkable softball season Thursday afternoon when the school’s coaching staff took home top honors as the 2011 NFCA NJCAA Division I Softball National Coaching Staff of the Year.

Head coach Stacy Iverson and assistant coaches Lisa Parks, JR Barringer and Joe Cappelli helped lead the Roughriders to the national championship. With a final overall record of 67-4, the title was Yavapai’s second in the past three seasons. … Continue Reading

Oregon Tech Captures NFCA NAIA National Coaching Staff Of The Year Award

Three weeks after winning the school’s first-ever softball national championship, the coaching staff of Oregon Institute of Technology earned another award Tuesday. Head coach Greg Stewart and assistant coaches Bill Fagan and Ryson Mauricio have been named the 2011 NFCA NAIA National Coaching Staff of the Year.

Oregon Tech defeated top-ranked Cal Baptist to win the NAIA national championship last month in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Hustlin’ Owls won the first tournament matchup of the two heavyweights, 1-0. Cal Baptist fought back through the losers’ bracket and forced a second title game with a 7-0 victory. Again, Oregon Tech was up to the challenge with another thrilling 1-0 victory. … Continue Reading

Shaw, Bandits Take Down CrackerJacks In Battle of Sexes

ROSEMONT, Ill. — In the first Battle of the Sexes game to ever be played in a softball stadium, the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch, and the Will County CrackerJacks of the Midwest Collegiate League battled it out in the ultimate test of softball and baseball proportions.

Both teams started out strong through the first part of the game, with Jamee Juarez surrendering just two hits through her three innings of pitching. With the CrackerJacks receiving their pitching help from Mark Brown, uncle of Bandits head coach Darrick Brown, the Bandits got on the board in the second inning. … Continue Reading

Over Twenty-Five Olympians and Coaches Unite to Teach Young Athletes

On June 6, 2011 near the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, 25 top softball players and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame coaches representing 160 national and international medals, will join together to launch the Champions Festival, an event designed to create a new standard of personal excellence for the player, parent and youth coach.

The first in a planned series of Champions Festivals spanning many sports, this day long event includes a Champions Panel where the stars will discuss college recruitment, mental toughness, and college life, and an NCAA Compliance Officer will offer information on college preparation and recruiting. … Continue Reading

NCAA Women’s College World Series One Month From First Pitch

INDIANAPOLIS – The best in collegiate softball will once again descend on Oklahoma City June 2-8 when the 2011 NCAA Women’s College World Series returns to ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The 31st annual event, which is co-hosted by the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City All Sports Association, returns to city for the 15th straight year and the 21st time in championship history.

“The NCAA is excited to once again be back in Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series,” said Sharon Cessna, NCAA Director of Championships. “This championship continues to grow each year as the city has truly embraced this event and has been instrumental in turning it into a marquee tournament for the NCAA and the country. We look forward to celebrating the best of collegiate softball in June.” … Continue Reading

NCAA Releases Division I Bat Testing Penalties

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA has released penalties for use of an illegal bat during Division I postseason competition.

The Division I Softball Committee proposed the penalties to the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet in February and the following was approved: … Continue Reading

The 2010 WCWS All Tournament Team

The NCAA announced the 2010 WCWS All Tournament team and it is as follows.

Brittany Schutte – Florida
Traci Yoshikawa – Hawaii
Rhea Taylor – Missouri … Continue Reading

Quotes And Notes from WCWS Championship Finals

UCLA 15, ARIZONA 9

UCLA HEAD COACH KELLY INOUYE-PEREZ

Opening comment:

“Every team, every program in the country sets out with a vision to be able to get to this point. Ultimately, it’s a dream come true to have your players be able to play their best softball at the biggest of moments and I am so proud of each and every one of the members of this team. They were committed to being able to bring back the history and tradition of where we believe we belong, right here in the thick of it, winning a national championship. They’ve believed since day one. … Continue Reading

Lagenfeld Walk-Off Gives UCLA Win in WCWS Championship Opener

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Senior Megan Langenfeld hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UCLA the 6-5 win in game one of the 2010 Women’s College World Series Championship Series on Monday night at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Arizona (52-13) got the scoring going in the top of the first when freshman Brigette Del Ponte hit a single to left field that allowed senior K’Lee Arredondo to cross the plate, giving the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead. … Continue Reading

NCAA And American Cancer Society Present Second Annual Strikeout Cancer Night At Women’s College World Series

INDIANAPOLIS – For the second consecutive year, the NCAA is teaming with the American Cancer Society and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to support the “StrikeOut Cancer” initiative. The StrikeOut Cancer Night presented by AT&T will take place on Tuesday, June 8, during Game 2 of the finals of the 2010 NCAA Women’s College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. … Continue Reading

WCWS Session 1 & 2 Press Conference Quotes

2010 NCAA WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Session 1 Pre-Tournament Press Conference Quotes
Wednesday, June 2
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Oklahoma City, Okla. … Continue Reading

ASA/USA Names Top 3 Finalists For Player Of The Year Award

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today the Top 3 Finalists for the 9th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honors in Division I women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. Past winners of this award include UCLA’s Stacey Nuveman, Florida State’s Jessica Van der Linden, … Continue Reading

2010 NCAA Divison 1 Printable Bracket.

SEC Champion Alabama was named the No. 1 overall seed for the 2010 NCAA Division I Softball Championship on Sunday night by the NCAA selection committee. To view the NCAA selection release, click here. To view a printable bracket, click here. … Continue Reading

Washington Is First Ever Ranked No. 1 In Every ESPN/USA Softball Poll

Oklahoma City — Despite losing first place votes to both Alabama and Michigan, Washington is the No. 1 team in the nation, according to the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll released today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. The 16th consecutive No. 1 ranking for the Huskies (45-6) also marks the first time in the history of the poll that a team has been the top ranked team for an entire regular season. … Continue Reading

D-I Softball Championship Field Released!

INDIANAPOLIS-The University of Alabama was named the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship today when the NCAA Division I Softball Committee announced the 64-team field. The Crimson Tide, champions of the Southeastern Conference, are 48-9 and will play Alcorn State University, an automatic qualifier from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, May 21, in front of a home crowd in Tuscaloosa.

Thirty conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 34 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket. The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and will play at campus sites this weekend. … Continue Reading

Field Of 64 Set For 2010 NCAA Division II Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2010 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. Four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments. Regional competition will be held May 14-16. Winners will advance to the super regionals May 21-22. The finals will be held May 27-31 at Heritage Park Softball Complex in St. Joseph, Missouri and will be hosted by Missouri Western State University. … Continue Reading

Washington No. 1 for 11th consecutive time

OKLAHOMA CITY — For the 11th consecutive time, Washington (33-3, 5-1 Pac-10) claimed the No. 1 spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll announced today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. The Huskies have held the top spot since June 9, 2009, just days after winning the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Click here for the complete poll.

After playing then No. 5 UCLA in the opening weekend of Pac-10 play, and taking two of three games, the Huskies (33-3, 5-1 Pac-10) were supposed to face their toughest test of the season last week against then No. 2 Arizona (32-7, 2-4 Pac-10). But the Dawgs made easy work of the Wildcats, dropping them to No. 3 in the poll with a three-game sweep, 2-1, 7-0 and 9-3, in Seattle. … Continue Reading

LSU’s Kirsten Shortridge Named USA Softball Collegiate Player Of The Week

This honor is great for our program. I wouldn’t have won this award without the help of my teammates and coaches,” said Shortridge. “Our lineup, defense and pitching are strong. It was important for us to start the SEC season strong, but we still have work to do to reach our goals for the season.”

Shortridge was 8-for-11 at the plate fueled by a trio of multi-hit performances to raise her season average by 43 points to a scorching .420 mark. She also scored seven runs, stole a base in each game and picked up three RBI from the leadoff spot to spark the Tigers to a weekend sweep at South Carolina. … Continue Reading

Georgia Tech’s Yee Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Senior second baseman Jen Yee has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for games played between February 22-28.

Yee powered her way to a .545 batting average last week by going 12-for-22 with six home runs, eight runs and 14 RBIs. She also walked twice and had one stolen base. … Continue Reading

Messiah Tops Preseason NFCA Division III Top 25

Defending national champion Messiah received all eight first-place votes, taking the No. 1 spot in the preseason NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll, the association announced Wednesday.

Messiah will again be led by sophomore Jessica Rhoads, who dominated the national championship tournament both from the rubber and at the plate, culminating in the school’s first national championship and a 43-4 overall record. East Texas Baptist and Ohio Northern begin 2010 sharing the No. 2 spot. ETBU went 39-9 a year ago, while Ohio Northern returns all but one starter to a team that made its first appearance at the national championship. Fellow championship participant Cortland State starts at No. 4, and national championship runner-up Coe, which finished 41-13 a season ago, rounds out the top five. … Continue Reading

Texas Tech Reported Recruiting Violations

LUBBOCK — Texas Tech filed a report with the NCAA over the summer admitting violations of a ban on text-messaging recruits in three sports — football, men’s golf and softball.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that Tech athletic director Gerald Myers referred most questions to Brian Shannon, Tech’s faculty representative who has communicated with NCAA and Big 12 Conference officials on the case.

Shannon told the newspaper that violations were uncovered last February by Tech’s athletic compliance staff in a routine review of phone records. He said that after an internal investigation, Tech sent a report to the NCAA and the Big 12 in July that included self-imposed penalties. … Continue Reading

NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll – 2010 Preseason

The NFCA Division II Top 25 is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Final 2009 records are shown. First-place votes are in parentheses. … Continue Reading

USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll – 2010 Preseason

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each of the 30 conferences. Records shown are the teams final 2009 records. Last ranking reflects the final 2009 poll. First-place votes are in parentheses. … Continue Reading

Mizuno Re-Signs Washington Huskies to Equipment Contract

Norcross, GA (November 10, 2009) – Mizuno USA, Inc., announced today that the company has reached a multi-year equipment contract extension with the University of Washington Huskies to remain an “Official Corporate Sponsor of the Women’s Softball Program.” Washington’s softball team will continue to be equipped in Mizuno, utilizing the company’s bats, ball gloves, bat bags, accessories, and protective gear.

Washington won the 2009 NCAA Softball National Championship, the program’s first national title, with a 51-12 overall record and a 14-7 record in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Huskies went to their ninth Women’s College World Series in school history, where they had previously finished as the National Runner Up in 1996 and in 1999. Head Coach Heather Tarr enters her sixth season as the Head Coach of the Huskies.
… Continue Reading

Hays Named Head Softball Coach at Texas Tech

Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers announced Shanon Hays, who has guided the program at Lubbock Christian for the past three years, as new head coach for the Red Raider softball program. Hays will become the seventh head softball coach in the history of the program, and the fifth since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.

“We have studied the pool of applicants, sought out expert advice and conducted a thorough investigation of where the collegiate softball game is headed and all roads led us back to Coach Hays being the best fit for Texas Tech,” said Gerald Myers. … Continue Reading

NCAA puts a moratorium on composite baseball bats, are softball bats next?

I was just sent a copy of a memorandum that was sent out to all the major bat manufacturers. This particular memorandum is about composite baseball bats, but it opens the question What about softball bats. Instead of describing the memorandum I am just going to post it, and you an read it for yourself. … Continue Reading

Washington Wins Opening Game of Championship Series

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Washington exploded for eight runs on seven hits in Monday’s first game of the NCAA Championship Series, recording an 8-0 seven-inning win over Florida. Washington (50-12) leads Florida (63-4) in the best-of-three series with game two scheduled for 7 pm CDT on Tuesday evening.

Washington’s win snaps Florida’s 29-game winning streak, handing the Gators first loss since March 29, when UF lost to Alabama.

Washington opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. Niki Williams led off the inning with a walk and stole second, going to third on an Ashley Charters single. Kimi Pohlman followed by reaching base on a fielders choice with no out recorded on the play to load the bases. … Continue Reading

Swine Flu Prompts University Of Delaware To Forfeit Softball Championship

The University of Delaware canceled its softball team’s three-game series against Hofstra after 12 students, including one baseball player, were diagnosed with the swine flu. Hofstra inevitably took the regular season championship in the Colonial Athletic Assn.

“You always have concern over things that you have no control over,” Hofstra Coach Bill Edwards told Newsday. “I don’t know that we are aware countrywide about how serious and how big this is, when there is still an unknown factor there is always concerns. It is what it is, we certainly have to follow university and national protocol because it is going to be well out of our hands as to what transpires here.” … Continue Reading

Alabama’s Dunne Named USA Softball’s Player of the Week

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – After leading her then-No.4 Alabama Crimson to a three-game sweep of then-No.6 Georgia Kelsi Dunne (Port Orange, Fla.) was selected the USA Softball Player of the Week for the week of March 30 – April 5 announced today by the Amateur Softball Association.

The sophomore collected all three wins against Georgia on the weekend with three starts, posting a 0.54 ERA on the weekend. She came in for an inning of relief in the seventh of game two to help her team break the tie and earn a 3-2 win in eight innings. Dunne’s three wins increase her win total against ranked opponents to six on the season. … Continue Reading

Holly Ridley of Texas A&M named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Right-fielder Holly Ridley (Sugar Land, Texas) of the Texas A&M Aggies was chosen as the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for her performance during the week of Feb. 23 through March 1. Tallying a .625 average (10-for-16), the senior led the Aggies to a 4-1 weekend that included a walk-off home run and five doubles.

“What an honor to be chosen as National Player of the Week,” said Ridley. “This recognition really reflects a team effort. I just wanted to contribute to help us win and it paid off. We are even more excited about our season after this past weekend and know that we can fight it out with the best of them.” … Continue Reading

Siskiyous Tops First Cal JC Regular Season Poll

With a 2-1 record over the opening weekend, Siskiyous leads the way in the Cal JC Top 20 Coaches Poll. First place votes were spread between four schools with Siskiyous and Mt. San Antonio College earning two top-votes apiece while Sacramento City and Cerritos College each had one first-place vote. The top four teams are separated by just seven points. … Continue Reading

Tennessee’s Huff And Oklahoma’s Flores Named Co-Players Of The Week

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) announced today that Oklahoma’s Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) and Tennessee’s Tiffany Huff (Saugus, Calif.) were named the USA Softball National Collegiate co-Players of the Week for the week of February 2-8. Both hitting over .640 for the weekend, both Flores and Huff contributed 15 RBI to their respective teams as No. 3 Oklahoma went 4-1 and No. 12 Tennessee recorded a 4-1 mark.

Flores led the Sooners hitting .643, going 9-for-14 with nine runs scored and 15 RBI. The junior shortstop was named MVP of the Hawaii Paradise Classic, which Oklahoma won by outscoring opponents 58-9. Against UAB, Flores had a two-run double and two three-run home runs for eight total RBI which tied an Oklahoma record for RBI in a single game. On the weekend, she had a 1.429 slugging percentage, a .737 on-base percentage with two doubles, three home runs, two walks and 20 total bases. … Continue Reading

Softball Knocks Off No. 1 Florida, 1-0

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman Whitney Canion threw a complete-game shutout, leading the Baylor softball team (1-2) to a 1-0 win over No. 1 Florida (2-1), 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. It marked the first win over a number one team in Baylor softball history.

Canion (1-1) went seven innings, giving up three hits, no runs, one walk and 10 strikeouts. It was the first 10-strikeout game by a Lady Bear pitcher since Lisa Ferguson fanned 10 on March 16, 2007 at Hawaii. … Continue Reading

Former Northwestern Standout Makes Her Pitch for the Bandits

Eileen Canney, will take the circle for the Chicago Bandits during the 2009 National Professional Fastpitch season.

Eileen Canney was acquired by the Bandits after the New England Riptide announced they would not be returning for the 2009 season. Canney is no stranger to the Chicagoland area as she made her home at Northwestern for four years dominating in the circle. The right handed hurler garnered a laundry list of awards pitching for the Wildcats including two time Big 10 Pitcher of the Year, three time All Big 10 selection, two time First-Team NFCA All-Midwest Region and Big 10 Freshman of the Year honors all while leading her team to consecutive World Series appearances. … Continue Reading