Teams, cities and stadiums
National Pro Fastpitch teams
| 2012 NPF Season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Pro Fastpitch |
| Sport | softball |
| Duration | June 7, 2012 – August 19, 2012 |
| Number of teams | 4 |
| 2012 NPF Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Brittany Mack LSU |
| Picked by | USSSA Pride |
| Regular Season | |
| Ringor Cup | USSSA Pride |
| Cowles Cup | |
| Champions | No champion named |
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.
NPF announced the Carolina Diamonds as a new team for the 2012 season, owned by Amelia Nemeth and husband Alan Demaske . Carolina replaced the NPF Diamonds, a travelling team operated by NPF. The team was headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and played its home games in various venues throughout the Carolinas. [1]
The 2012 NPF College Draft was held in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee on March 7 at 5:00 CST. [2] USSSA Pride selected pitcher Brittany Mack of LSU as the first overall pick. [3]
Source: [4]
| Team | GP | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USSSA Pride | 43 | 31 | 12 | .721 | - |
| Chicago Bandits | 44 | 25 | 19 | .568 | 6.5 |
| Carolina Diamonds | 43 | 17 | 26 | .395 | 14 |
| Akron Racers | 44 | 14 | 30 | .318 | 17.5 |
With only four teams in the league, every team qualified for the postseason. Teams are seeded by the final standings. No. 1 seed USSSA Pride faced No. 4 seed Akron Racers in one best-of-three semifinal series, while the No. 2 seed Chicago Bandits faced the No. 3 seed Carolina Diamonds in another. The winners were scheduled to advance to the best-of-three championship series. [5]
After winning their semifinal series, the Bandits and Pride played the first game of the championship series, with the Bandits winning 2-1. [6]
On Sunday August 26, the start of game was delayed for hours due to rain. After one out in the first inning, the field was deemed unplayable, and the game was cancelled. No makeup game was scheduled and the series was ended without naming a champion.
Conflicting comments were made regarding the possibility of finishing the series on Monday. Citing owners' costs and players' travel obligations, NPF commissioner Cheri Kempf said that "The Bandits had six players that could not change plans, including [starting pitcher] Monica Abbott going to Japan" and,"I can say that the championship wasn't complete, and it wasn't complete because Chicago stated it had six players that could not finish. So therefore, I don't feel like that the right thing to do is to award the championship on one game." However, Bandits owner Bill Sokolis said,"We could have put nine players on the field,". [7] On her blog Monica Abbott wrote that no one asked her to change her flight to Japan, but that she "would have done so in a heartbeat." [8]
NPF announced that a committee would be formed to make recommendations to avoid unfinished championships in the future. [9]
| NPF Semifinals (Best-of-3) | NPF Championship (Best-of-3) | ||||||||
| 1 | USSSA Pride | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Akron Racers | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | USSSA Pride | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago Bandits | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Chicago Bandits | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Carolina Diamonds | 0 | |||||||
| 2012 NPF Semifinals Chicago Bandits defeat Akron Racers 2-0 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Series (CHI-CAR) | Location | |||
| 1 | August 23 | Chicago Bandits 11, Carolina Diamonds 1 [10] | 1-0 | Rosemont, Illinois | |||
| 2 | August 24 | Chicago Bandits 5, Carolina Diamonds 1 [11] | 1-0 | Rosemont, Illinois | |||
| 2012 NPF Semifinals USSSA Pride defeat Akron Racers 2–1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Series (USSA-AKR) | Location | |||
| 1 | August 23 | USSSA Pride 4, Akron Racers 1 [10] | 1-0 | Rosemont, Illinois | |||
| 2 | August 24 | USSSA Pride 7, Akron Racers 8 [11] | 1-1 | Rosemont, Illinois | |||
| 3 | August 25 | USSSA Pride 9, Akron Racers 7 [12] | 2-1 | Rosemont, Illinois | |||
| 2012 NPF Championship Series Incomplete | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game | Date | Score | Series (CHI-USSSA) | Location | |||
| 1 | August 25 | Chicago Bandits 2, USSSA Pride 1 [12] | 1-0 | Rosemont, Illinois | |||
On August 22 NPF hosted a banquet in Rosemont, Illinois, at which the league's annual awards were announced and the All-NPF Team was named: [13]
| Ringor Cup (Best regular season record) |
|---|
| USSSA Pride |
| Award | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year Award | Caitlin Lowe | USSSA Pride | .440 Avg., 51 H, .496 OBP, .509 SLG |
| Pitcher of the Year | Monica Abbott | Chicago Bandits | 14-3, 125.2 IP, 4 SV, 190 K (all led NPF), 1.06 ERA(2nd in NPF), 2 no-hitters |
| Rookie of the Year | Kristyn Sandberg | USSSA Pride | .355 average(4th in League), 33 RBI (1st), .504 OBP (2nd), .624 SLG (2nd) |
| Defensive Player of the Year (tie) | Amber Patton | Chicago Bandits | 1 error, .991 Fielding Percentage |
| Kelley Montalvo | Akron Racers | 3 errors, .978 Fielding Percentage | |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Sam Marder | Akron Racers | .343 Avg., 36 H, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 24 BB. 5th or better in 7 different offensive categories. |
| Home Run Award | Megan Wiggins | Chicago Bandits | 12 HR |
| Diamond Spikes Award (tie) [note 1] | Sharonda McDonald | Akron Racers | 13 SB for each player |
| Amber Patton | Chicago Bandits | ||
| Coaching Staff of the Year | Carolina Diamonds -- Lisa Navas–Head Coach, Miranda Ervin–Assistant Coach, Lisa Dodd–Assistant Coach | ||
| Jennie Finch Award [note 2] | Natasha Watley | USSSA Pride | |
| 2012 All-NPF Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Team | |
| Pitcher | Cat Osterman | USSSA Pride | |
| Pitcher | Monica Abbott | Chicago Bandits | |
| Pitcher | Michelle Gascoigne | Chicago Bandits | |
| Pitcher | Andi Williamson | Chicago Bandits | |
| Catcher | Rachel Folden | Carolina Diamonds | |
| 1st Base | GiOnna DiSalvatore | Carolina Diamonds | |
| 2nd Base | Ashley Charters | USSSA Pride | |
| 3rd Base | Amber Patton | Chicago Bandits | |
| Shortstop | Natasha Watley | USSSA Pride | |
| Outfield | Megan Wiggins | Chicago Bandits | |
| Outfield | Caitlin Lowe | USSSA Pride | |
| Outfield | Sharonda McDonald | Akron Racers | |
| At-Large | Sam Marder | Akron Racers | |
| At-Large | Vicky Galindo | Chicago Bandits | |
| At-Large | Jessica Mendoza | USSSA Pride | |
| At-Large | Bianca Mejia | Carolina Diamonds | |
| At-Large | Kelly Kretschman | USSSA Pride | |
| At-Large | Nicole Pauly | Akron Racers | |
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. She won a gold medal, and again at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and won a silver medal.
Sarah Jo Pauly is an American, former collegiate All-American, retired 7-time professional All-Star, right-handed softball pitcher and coach originally from Phoenix, Arizona. She played college softball at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi from 2002-2005 and owns virtually all the pitching records. She is the Big South Conference career strikeouts, ERA, shutouts, WHIP, strikeout ratio, no-hitters (9) and perfect games (2) leader in just three seasons. She joined the National Pro Fastpitch in 2006 and as a rookie earned Pitcher of The Year and currently holds NPF records for the most innings pitched, games played and games started through her 11 seasons as arguably the most successful undrafted player in league history. 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 her entire career.
The Carolina Diamonds, formerly known as the NPF Diamonds, Tennessee Diamonds, Rockford Thunder and Texas Thunder, was a women's softball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since the 2004 season, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). They were known as the Texas Thunder from 2004 to 2006, the Rockford Thunder from 2007 to 2009, and the Tennessee Diamonds in 2010. They relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2012.
Angelique "Angel" Bunner is an American, former professional softball pitcher. Bunner pitched collegiately for Auburn from 2008 to 2012. In the 2012 NPF Draft, she was drafted seventeenth overall by the Carolina Diamonds. During her professional career in the National Pro Fastpitch, she played for the USSSA Pride, Chicago Bandits, Pennsylvania Rebellion, Carolina Diamonds, NY/NJ Comets and most recently the Beijing Eagles. She currently ranks in career innings pitched and won a Cowles Cup championship with the Bandits in 2016.
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 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 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 Scrap Yard Fast Pitch was an independent women's professional softball team based in Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston. Established in October 2015 as the Scrap Yard Dawgs, the team played in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The Dawgs were the first NPF team to be based in the Houston area since the Texas Thunder became the Rockford Thunder in the 2007 season. In 2017, the Dawgs won their first NPF title against Pride in the best of three game series.
The following is a list 2016 NPF transactions that have occurred in the National Pro Fastpitch softball league since the completion of the 2015 season and during the 2016 season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick (s), if applicable. Players who have retired are also listed. Per Commissioner Cheri Kempf's tweet, NPF contracts expire in February, therefore the extension of a contract "through 2018" means the player is only contracted to play through the 2017 season, with the contract expiring the following February. "Thru 2018 season" therefore would mean a contract that expires in February 2019, covering only games played in 2018.
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 2019 NPF College Draft was the 16th annual collegiate draft for the National Pro Fastpitch. It took place April 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee at Acme Feed & Seed, a downtown entertainment venue. It was available for internet viewing via NPFTV, the league's streaming platform. The Chicago Bandits selected Kelly Barnhill from Florida with the first overall pick in the draft.
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