Teams, cities and stadiums
National Pro Fastpitch teams
| 2008 NPF Season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Pro Fastpitch |
| Sport | softball |
| Duration | May 29, 2008 – August 17, 2008 |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| 2008 NPF Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Katie Burkhart Arizona State |
| Picked by | Philadelphia Force |
| Regular Season | |
| Majestic Cup (Best record) | Chicago Bandits |
| Cowles Cup | |
| Champions | Chicago Bandits |
| Runners-up | Washington Glory |
| Finals MVP | Nicole Trimboli Chicago Bandits |
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 Chicago Bandits started their first season in Elgin, Illinois at Judson University. The original plans were for the Bandits to play at Judson temporarily while a potential $5 million softball stadium was built nearby. [5] Those plans did not come to fruition, and the Bandits eventually moved to a new ballpark in Rosemont, Illinois for 2011. [6]
As part of the USA Softball Team Bound 4 Beijing Tour in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, two games were scheduled between the US Olympic softball team and a team of NPF All-Stars. The announced roster for Team NPF was: [7]
NPF veterans Monica Abbott, Cat Osterman, Kelly Kretschman, Vicky Galindo and Jennie Finch were on the Olympic team roster. Team NPF was coached by Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso and private instructor Cindy Bristow. Bristow was head coach and assistant general manager of the Georgia Pride, which later became the Florida Wahoos, a team in the WPSL. [8]
The Olympic team beat Team NPF in both games, [9] on June 6 by a score of 10-8 [10] and on June 14 by a score of 6-0. [11]
On the same tour, the US Olympic team beat the Washington Glory 2-0 on May 10, [12] and beat the Akron Racers 6-2 on July 22. [13]
The 2008 NPF Senior Draft was held February 18, 2008 via conference call. First-Team All-American pitcher Katie Burkhart of Arizona State was selected first by the Philadelphia Force. [14]
Source [15]
| Team | GP | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bandits | 48 | 32 | 16 | .667 | - |
| Philadelphia Force | 48 | 31 | 17 | .646 | 1 |
| Washington Glory | 48 | 30 | 18 | .625 | 2 |
| New England Riptide | 48 | 22 | 26 | .458 | 10 |
| Akron Racers | 48 | 19 | 29 | .396 | 13 |
| Rockford Thunder | 48 | 18 | 30 | .375 | 14 |
In each NPF team's 48-game schedule were games against international teams, which counted in the standings. Chinese Taipei, Venezuela, Canada and the Netherlands each played at least two series against NPF teams. [16]
The 2008 NPF Championship Series was held at Sunset Point Park in Kimberly, Wisconsin August 21-4. The top four teams qualified and were seeded based on the final standings. The series matched the teams up in a double-elimination bracket. [17]
| August 22 and 23, 2008 | August 23, 2008 | August 24, 2008 | |||||||||||
| 1 | Chicago Bandits | 4 | |||||||||||
| 4 | New England Riptide | 1 | |||||||||||
| W1 | Chicago Bandits | 5 | |||||||||||
| W2 | Philadelphia Force | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia Force | 7 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Washington Glory | 4 | |||||||||||
| W4 | Chicago Bandits | ||||||||||||
| W5 | Washington Glory | ||||||||||||
| Lower round 1 | Lower final | ||||||||||||
| W3 | Washington Glory | 3 | |||||||||||
| L1 | New England Riptide | 2 | L4 | Philadelphia Force | 2 | ||||||||
| L2 | Washington Glory | 11 | |||||||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series - Game 1 #1 seed vs. #4 seed | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Location | ||||
| 1 | August 22 | Chicago Bandits 4, New England Riptide 1 [18] | Kimberly, Wisconsin | ||||
| Chicago Bandits advance; Riptide to losers bracket | |||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series - Game 2 #2 seed vs. #3 seed | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Location | ||||
| 2 | August 22 | Philadelphia Force 7, Washington Glory 4 [18] | Kimberly, Wisconsin | ||||
| Philadelphia Force advance; Glory to losers bracket | |||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series - Game 3 Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Location | ||||
| 3 | August 23 | Washington Glory 11, New England Riptide 2 [19] | Kimberly, Wisconsin | ||||
| Glory eliminate Riptide | |||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series - Game 4 Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Location | ||||
| 4 | August 23 | Chicago Bandits 5, Philadelphia Force 1 [20] | Kimberly, Wisconsin | ||||
| Bandits to final; Force to losers bracket | |||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series - Game 5 Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Location | ||||
| 5 | August 23 | Washington Glory 3, Philadelphia Force 2 [21] | Kimberly, Wisconsin | ||||
| Glory to final; Force eliminated | |||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series - Game 6 Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Location | ||||
| 6 | August 24 | Chicago Bandits 6, Washington Glory4 [22] | Kimberly, Wisconsin | ||||
| Chicago Bandits win NPF Championship | |||||||
| 2008 NPF Championship Series MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Stats. |
| Nicole Trimboli | Chicago Bandits | .555 (5/9) 5RBIs 2HRs SB [23] |
Source: [24]
| Majestic Cup (Best regular season record) |
|---|
| Chicago Bandits |
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year Award | Stacy May | Chicago Bandits |
| Pitcher of the Year | Katie Burkhart | Philadelphia Force |
| Rookie of the Year | Rachel Folden | Chicago Bandits |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Kristen Butler | Akron Racers |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Jaime Clark | Chicago Bandits |
| Coaching Staff of the Year | Chicago Bandits—Head Coach Mickey Dean, assistant coaches Thomas Macera and Craig Nicholson | |
| 2008 All-NPF Team [25] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Team | |
| Pitcher | Katie Burkhart | Philadelphia Force | |
| Pitcher | Eileen Canney | New England Riptide | |
| Pitcher | Sarah Pauly | Washington Glory | |
| Pitcher | Angela Tincher | Akron Racers | |
| Catcher | Kristen Butler | Akron Racers | |
| 1st Base | Lyndsey Angus | New England Riptide | |
| 2nd Base | Emily Friedman | Philadelphia Force | |
| 3rd Base | Stacy May | Chicago Bandits | |
| Shortstop | Chelsea Spencer | Philadelphia Force | |
| Outfield | Jaime Clark | Chicago Bandits | |
| Outfield | Sharonda McDonald | Philadelphia Force | |
| Outfield | Kellie Wilkerson | Philadelphia Force | |
| At-Large | Gina Carbonatto | New England Riptide | |
| At-Large | Rachel Folden | Chicago Bandits | |
| At-Large | Lindsay Gardner | Rockford Thunder | |
| At-Large | Oli Keohohou | Washington Glory | |
| At-Large | Sara Larquier | Washington Glory | |
| At-Large | Lisa Modglin | New England Riptide | |
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 Chicago Bandits were a women's professional softball team based in Rosemont, Illinois. Since the 2005 season, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). The Bandits won the 2008 NPF championship, defeating the Washington Glory in the final game of the championship series. The team won their second NPF championship following the 2011 season when they won the championship series two games to none over the USSSA Pride. Following the 2015 season the team won its third NPF championship defeating the USSSA Pride two games to none. They played their home games at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois. The team folded in 2021 when the NPF disbanded.
Natasha Renee Watley is an American, former collegiate four-time first-team All-American, two-time medal winning Olympian, retired seven-time pro All-Star softball player. Watley played college softball at UCLA, and helped the Bruins win a national championship. She represented the United States women's national softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal, and again at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and won a silver medal.
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 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 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 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 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 2016 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 13th 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 2017 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 14th 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 2018 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 15th 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.
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