Softball is a sport similar to baseball, and it is played with a larger ball on a smaller field and with only underhand pitches permitted. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hancock.
The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other words, a team is eliminated when it has lost two games. After six teams have been eliminated, the remaining two teams compete in a best-of-three series to determine the Division I WCWS National Champion.
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.
Fastpitch softball, or simply fastpitch, is a form of softball played by both women and men. While the teams are most often segregated by sex, coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. Considered the most competitive form of softball, fastpitch is the format played at the Olympic Games. Softball was on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) program in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2020. It will not be a part of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Kaia Parnaby is an Australian, former collegiate All-American, 2020 Olympian, left-handed professional softball pitcher, originally from Sydney. She is a pitcher and earned a scholarship to and played for the Australian Institute of Sport. She played university softball for the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine team in the Big West Conference where she was recognized as all-conference and the 2013 Pitcher of The Year. She also helped them to their first-ever appearance at the 2010 Women's College World Series. She also played for the Aussie Peppers, a traveling team affiliate in the National Pro Fastpitch. She is a member of the senior Australia women's national softball team and played in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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 New York/New Jersey Juggernaut were a women's professional softball team based in Central Islip, New York. They were founding members of National Pro Fastpitch and were founded in 2004. They were sold in 2005 and renamed the New York Juggernaut. The team folded shortly after the 2005 season concluded. In 2013, the second NPF franchise to represent the region was created called the New York/New Jersey Comets.
The 2002 Women's Pro Softball League season was a year after the WPSL suspended play in 2001 and before it rebranded, toured, and resumed competitive play as National Pro Fastpitch in 2003 and 2004. 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 1997 Women's Pro Fastpitch season was the first season of women's professional softball for Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF). The season began on May 30, 1997 and finished in a championship series between the two highest finishers.
The Beijing Eagles, officially the Beijing Shougang Eagles (北京首钢金鹰女垒), were a women's professional softball team. Established in May 2017, the team plays in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). In the 2019 NPF Season the team will play all their home games at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Managed by Chinese Softball Association, the Eagles' roster is mainly populated with players from the China women's national softball team as a means to gain professional experience against the highest levels of fastpitch play, in anticipation of softball's return to the Olympics in 2020.
Kelly Katlyn Barnhill is an American, former collegiate All-American, professional softball pitcher. She played college softball for the Florida Gators from 2016 to 2019 and was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award and espnW Player of the Year in 2017. She is the career no hitters (7), strikeouts, strikeout ratio (10.5) and WHIP leader for the Gators. She also ranks in career strikeout ratio for both the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA Division I.
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.
Gerald Dean Glasco Jr. is an American college softball coach who is currently head coach at Louisiana and the Women's Professional Fastpitch team Smash It Sports Vipers. Previously, Glasco had been a high school softball coach, an assistant at Georgia and Texas A&M, and National Pro Fastpitch head coach with the USSSA Pride and Scrap Yard Dawgs.
The Cleveland Comets were a women's professional softball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded by General Manager, Stephen Dunn. They moved to Cleveland from Akron, Ohio, in 2018. The Comets played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) and had a partnership with the Mexico women's national softball team.
The Canadian Wild, officially the Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois, were a professional women's softball team based in Marion, Illinois. They were founded in 2019 as part of National Pro Fastpitch and are partnered with the Canada women's national softball team. The team was composed entirely of Canadian players and was essentially the Canada women's national softball team which allowed the team to play against top competition for most of the year, although there are some other players from Softball Canada on the roster.
The 2020 National Pro Fastpitch season was to be the 17th season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the season was cancelled.
The California Commotion were a professional women's softball team based in California. They were founded in 2019 as part of National Pro Fastpitch to be an expansion club for the 2020 National Pro Fastpitch season.
Taylah Tsitsikronis is an Australian female softball Olympian. She was born in Sydney, Australia on 3 July 1994.
