Teams, cities and stadiums
National Pro Fastpitch teams
| 2004 NPF Season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Pro Fastpitch |
| Sport | softball |
| Duration | June 1, 2004 - August 18, 2004 |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| 2004 NPF Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Iyhia McMichael Mississippi State |
| Picked by | Akron Racers |
| Regular Season | |
| Regular Season Champions | Texas Thunder |
| Cowles Cup | |
| Champions | NY/NJ Juggernaut |
| Runners-up | New England Riptide |
| Finals MVP | Amanda Scott NY/NJ Juggernaut |
The 2004 National Pro Fastpitch season was the first season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2004 season was the culmination of years of work to relaunch the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL) as a new league. In November 2002 the new name for WPSL - National Pro Fastpitch - was announced, along with a 2003 tour and league play beginning in 2004. [7]
NPF initially announced a league roster of teams in Akron, Ohio (Akron Racers), Denver, Colo.(Colorado Altitude), [8] Houston and San Antonio, Texas (Texas Thunder and San Antonio Armadillos), Sacramento, Calif. (California Sunbirds), Tucson, Ariz. (Arizona Heat), [9] Lowell, Mass. (New England Riptide), and Parsippany, NJ (NY/NJ Juggernaut). [10] The Racers were the only NPF team that also played in the WPSL. NPF conducted its first player drafts with these eight teams.
In March 2004, NPF released its inaugural schedule for 2004 and did not include the Armadillos and the Altitude. Reports allowed for the possibility of both teams joining the league in 2005 or later, but it never came to be. [11]
NPF officially launched its first season on June 1, 2004, with three games: the Akron Racers at the Texas Thunder, the Arizona Heat visiting the California Sunbirds, and the New England Riptide at the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut. [12]
NPF held tryouts and its first drafts at the 2003 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention, at the Del Lago Resort, in Montgomery, Texas December 3–6, 2003.
On December 6 at the 2004 NPF Draft, the eight NPF teams selected players in a four-round Elite Draft and a six-round College Senior Draft. San Antonio selected Michigan State first baseman, and Indiana assistant coach Stacey Phillips with the first overall selection in the Elite Draft. In the College Senior Draft Iyhia McMichael of Mississippi State was selected first by the Akron Racers. [13] [14]
After the decision was made to launch the 2004 season without the Colorado Altitude and San Antonio Armadillos, a Supplemental Draft was held to allocate players whose rights were held by Colorado and San Antonio. [15]
The Juggernaut signed Michele Smith, a two-time Olympic gold medal pitcher (1996 and 2000), and five-time Japan Pro League MVP. The Racers brought on board Danielle Henderson, a member of the 2000 gold medal Olympic team. [12]
Source: [16]
| Team | GP | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Thunder | 58 | 41 | 17 | .707 | - |
| Akron Racers | 60 | 39 | 21 | .650 | 3 |
| NY/NJ Juggernaut | 60 | 39 | 21 | .650 | 3 |
| New England Riptide | 60 | 25 | 35 | .417 | 17 |
| Arizona Heat | 60 | 19 | 41 | .317 | 23 |
| California Sunbirds | 58 | 15 | 43 | .259 | 26 |
The 2004 NPF Championship Series was held at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio August 25-9. The top four teams qualified and were seeded based on the final standings. The Racers won the tiebreaker over the Riptide based on winning the head-to-head season series 8-4. All series were planned to be best-of-three games, but that changed when rain cancelled the game 1 of the final on August 28. A single winner-take-all game was played on August 29. [17]
| NPF Semifinals (Best of 3) | NPF Championship (Single game) | ||||||||
| 1 | Texas Thunder | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | New England Riptide | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | New England Riptide | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | NY/NJ Juggernaut | 10 | |||||||
| 2 | Akron Racers | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | NY/NJ Juggernaut | 2 | |||||||
| 2004 NPF Semifinals NY/NJ Juggernaut defeat Akron Racers 2–1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Series (NYNJ–AK) | Location | |||
| 1 | August 25 | NY/NJ Juggernaut 2, Akron Racers 0 [18] | 1–0 | Akron, Ohio | |||
| 2 | August 26 | NY/NJ Juggernaut 1, Akron Racers 3 [19] | 1–1 | Akron, Ohio | |||
| 3 | August 26 | NY/NJ Juggernaut 2, Akron Racers 1 [20] | 2–1 | Akron, Ohio | |||
| 2004 NPF Semifinals New England Riptide defeat Texas Thunder 2–1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Series (TEX–NE) | Location | |||
| 1 | August 25 | Texas Thunder 4, New England Riptide 1 [21] | 1–0 | Akron, Ohio | |||
| 2 | August 26 | Texas Thunder 1, New England Riptide 3 [22] | 1–1 | Akron, Ohio | |||
| 3 | August 27 | Texas Thunder 0, New England Riptide 3 [23] | 1-2 | Akron, Ohio | |||
| 2004 NPF Championship Game | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Score | Location | |||||
| August 29 | NY/NJ Juggernaut 10, New England Riptide 1 [24] | Akron, Ohio | |||||
| Team | Top Batter | Stats. |
|---|---|---|
| NY/NJ Juggernaut | Kellie Wilkerson | 2-3 4RBIs HR 2B BB |
| New England Riptide | Ashley Moore | 1-4 RBI K |
| Team | Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | AB | BF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY/NJ Juggernaut | Amanda Scott (W) | 5.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 23 |
| NY/NJ Juggernaut | Gina Oaks | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| NY/NJ Juggernaut | Kaci Clark | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| New England Riptide | Leigh Ann Ellis (L) | 0.2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| New England Riptide | Jocelyn Forest | 2.2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 15 |
| New England Riptide | Megan Matthews | 3.2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 17 |
| 2004 NPF Championship Series MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Stats. |
| Amanda Scott | NY/NJ Juggernaut | 3-0 21Ks 0.73 ERA SH (19.0 IP) [25] |
Source: [26]
| Regular Season Champions |
|---|
| Texas Thunder |
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Iyhia McMichael | Akron Racers |
| NPF Batting Champion | Iyhia McMichael | Akron Racers |
| Pitcher of the Year | Christa Williams | Texas Thunder |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Lindsay Gardner | Texas Thunder |
| Manager of the Year | Wayne Daigle | Texas Thunder |
The 2004 NPF All-Star Series was held July 13 and 14 at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. The East All-Star team included players from NY/NJ Juggernaut, the New England Riptide, and the Akron Racers and was managed by the Racers' Judy Martino. The West All-Star team included players from California Sunbirds, the Arizona Heat, and the Texas Thunder and was managed by the Thunder's Wayne Daigle. [27] [28]
The USA Olympic softball team played a doubleheader against each NPF All-Star Team on July 13. The Olympians swept the games beating the East 5-0, and edging the West 5-3 in 9 innings. [29] The West All-Stars beat the East by a score of 1-0 on July 14. Nancy Evans was named the Most Valuable Player. [30]
| 2004 NPF ALL-STAR ROSTER - WEST TEAM | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | NPF Team | Position |
| Wendy Allen [lower-alpha 1] | Arizona Heat | 1B |
| Erica Beach | Arizona Heat | P |
| Cheryl Bolding | Arizona Heat | OF |
| Clare Burnum | Texas Thunder | 3B |
| Erin Evans | Texas Thunder | OF |
| Nancy Evans | Arizona Heat | 3B |
| Jaime Foutch | California Sunbirds | 3B |
| Lindsay Gardner | Texas Thunder | 2B |
| Peaches James | Texas Thunder | P |
| Julie Marshall | California Sunbirds | C |
| Lisha Ribellia | Arizona Heat | IF |
| Ryan Realmuto | Texas Thunder | C |
| Brandy Thurman [lower-alpha 1] | California Sunbirds | IF |
| Christa Williams | Texas Thunder | P |
| Kristen Zaleski | Texas Thunder | OF |
| 2004 NPF ALL-STAR ROSTER - EAST TEAM | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | NPF Team | Position |
| Lindsey Collins-Miller | NY/NJ Juggernaut | C |
| Leigh Ann Ellis | New England Riptide | P |
| Jocelyn Forest | New England Riptide | P |
| Lyndsey Klein | NY/NJ Juggernaut | SS |
| Carri Leto | NY/NJ Juggernaut | 2B |
| Iyhia McMichael | Akron Racers | OF |
| Gina Oaks | NY/NJ Juggernaut | OF |
| Jaclyn Pasquerella | NY/NJ Juggernaut | 3B |
| Trena Peel | Akron Racers | OF |
| Jen Poore | Akron Racers | C |
| Amanda Scott | NY/NJ Juggernaut | P |
| Brandi Stuart | Akron Racers | 2B |
| Kellie Wilkerson | NY/NJ Juggernaut | 1B |
| Nicole Trimboli | Akron Racers | 1B |
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), formerly the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL), was a professional women's softball league in the United States. The teams battled for the Cowles Cup.
The Akron Racers were a women's softball team based in Akron, Ohio. In 2018 they moved to Cleveland and were renamed the Cleveland Comets. The team was started by Joey Arietta in 1999 to participate in the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). From 2004-2017, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).
The 2014 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 11th season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup. Play began on May 30 in Salisbury, Maryland, between the Pennsylvania Rebellion and the USSSA Pride.
The 2015 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 12th season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2013 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 10th season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2012 National Pro Fastpitch season was the ninth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). The 2012 season is especially notable because due to weather and scheduling issues, the NPF Championship Series was not completed and no Cowles Cup champion was named.
The 2011 National Pro Fastpitch season was the eighth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2010 National Pro Fastpitch season was the seventh season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2009 National Pro Fastpitch season was the sixth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2008 National Pro Fastpitch season was the fifth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2007 National Pro Fastpitch season was the fourth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2006 National Pro Fastpitch season was the third season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2005 National Pro Fastpitch season was the second season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
The 2003 National Pro Fastpitch season was the final year before the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL) relaunched with league play in 2004. In November 2002, WPSL announced that it was taking a new name, National Pro Fastpitch, and that it would spend 2003 as a year of touring before resuming competitive play. From 1997 to 2002, the league operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).
The 2001 Women's Professional Softball League season was the first year that the WPSL suspended play before relaunching the league in 2004 under the name National Pro Fastpitch. From 1997, WPSL operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).
The 2000 Women's Professional Softball League season was the fourth season of professional women's fastpitch softball for the league named Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL). It was the WPSL's final season until the league relaunched in 2004 under the name National Pro Fastpitch. In 1997 and 1998, WPSL operated under the name Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF).
The San Antonio Armadillos were a women's professional softball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They were part of the founding roster of National Pro Fastpitch teams in 2004.
The Colorado Altitude were a women's professional softball team based in Littleton, Colorado. They were part of the founding roster of National Pro Fastpitch teams in 2004.
The 2000 WPSL Drafts were held on December 4, 1999, at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida during the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention for the 2000 season. Draft Day 2000 actually featured three drafts:
The 2006 NPF Senior Draft is the third annual NPF Draft. It was held February 15, 2006 to assign division I college players to pro teams for 2006 season. Athletes are not allowed by the NCAA to sign professional contracts until their collegiate seasons have ended. The first selection was Texas's Cat Osterman, picked by the Connecticut Brakettes. Osterman chose not to sign with the Brakettes. The Brakettes' rights to her expired after the 2006, after which she signed with the Rockford Thunder.
