2015 National Pro Fastpitch season

2015 NPF Season
League National Pro Fastpitch
Sport softball
Duration May 29, 2015 – August 11, 2015
Number of teams 5
TV partner(s) CBS Sports Network,
Longhorn Network/ESPN3
2015 NPF Draft
Top draft pick Lauren Chamberlain 1B
Oklahoma
Picked by USSSA Florida Pride
Regular Season
NPF Trophy
(Best record)
USSSA Florida Pride
Runners-up Chicago Bandits
Player of the Year Kelly Kretschman
Pitcher of the Year Monica Abbott
Cowles Cup
Champions Chicago Bandits
  Runners-up USSSA Pride
Cowles Cup MVP Monica Abbott Chicago Bandits

The 2015 National Pro Fastpitch season is the twelfth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch 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.

Milestones and events

In January 2015, the NPF announced that the Dallas Charge would join the league as an expansion team.[1]

The NPF and CBS Sports Network signed a 2015 agreement for the network to broadcast the NPF Draft, selected regular season games, and all of the NPF Championship Series.[2]

The Pride's homestand against the Bandits, Rebellion, and Racers from July 15 to July 25 was broadcast on the Longhorn Network and was subsequently available for streaming on ESPN3.[3]

On July 10, Cat Osterman pitched the fifth no-hitter of her NPF career, beating the Pennsylvania Rebellion 2-1. (The Rebellion scored their run in the first inning without a hit, by combining two walks and three HBP. Pennsylvania actually led 1-0 going to the 7th inning.)[4]

On July 23, Monica Abbott pitched her second perfect game as a member of the Bandits, beating the Charge, 10-0.[5]

On August 3, Monica Abbott pitched a no-hitter against the Pennsylvania Rebellion, winning 3-0. The pursuit of a perfect game ended in the seventh inning, on a Chicago error and later a walk.[6]

On August 8, Sarah Pauly became the first NPF pitcher to win 100 games.[7]

Rule changes

The League Management Committee - consisting of Akron Racers owner Craig Stout, Chicago Bandits general manager Aaron Moore, Dallas Charge general manager Kevin Shelton, Pennsylvania Rebellion owner Stu Williams, and USSSA Pride general manager Don DeDonatis - met in Kissimmee, FL and voted on the following items:[8]

Teams, cities and stadiums

Team City Stadium
Akron Racers Akron, Ohio Firestone Stadium
Chicago Bandits Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago Area) Ballpark at Rosemont
Dallas Charge Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas Craig Ranch (McKinney) and
Allan Saxe Field[9] (Arlington)
Pennsylvania Rebellion Washington, Pennsylvania Consol Energy Park
USSSA Florida Pride Kissimmee, Florida Champion Stadium

Other sites

Player acquisition

College draft

For more details on this topic, see 2015 NPF Draft.

The 2015 NPF College Draft was held on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 5:30 pm CST at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Lauren Chamberlain of Oklahoma was selected first by USSSA Florida Pride.[16] Draft order was determined by regular season standings from 2014, but subsequent trades and transactions altered the overall draft order.[17]

Notable transactions

For more details on this topic, see 2015 NPF transactions.

League standings

Through 8/10/15 Source:ProFastpitch.com

Team GP W L Pct. GB
USSSA Florida Pride 48 34 14 .708 -
Chicago Bandits 48 31 17 .646 3
Akron Racers 48 22 26 .458 12
Dallas Charge 48 17 31 .354 17
Pennsylvania Rebellion 48 16 32 .333 19

Results table

2015 NPF Records
Team Racers Bandits Charge Rebellion Pride
Akron Racers 5-7 7–5 5–7 5–7
Chicago Bandits 7–5 9–3 10–2 5-7
Dallas Charge 5–7 3–9 6–6 3–9
Pennsylvania Rebellion 7-5 2–10 6-6 1–11
USSSA Florida Pride 7–5 7-5 9–3 11–1

All stats come from

Legend
 Protest/Halted Game
 Postponement
BoldWinning team

Game notes

  1. June 9 game was originally ruled an 11-inning 7-3 win for the Bandits. The Rebellion lodged a protest because the international tie breaker rule ( which states innings begin with a runner on second base) was not used in the 10th or 11th innings. Upon review, NPF upheld the protest and declared the game 'halted' at the point the tiebreaker rule should have been used. The game is to resume at the start of the 10th inning on July 5.[19]

NPF Championship

Logo for the 2015 NPF Championship Series

The 2015 NPF Championship is scheduled to be played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, AL beginning August 15. This is the second time Hoover has hosted the championship.[20] The top four teams from the regular season qualify for the championship playoffs. The highest-seeded semifinal winner then hosted the championship final.

NPF Semifinals NPF Championship
      
1 USSSA Florida Pride 2
4 Dallas Charge 0
1 USSSA Florida Pride 0
2 Chicago Bandits 2
2 Chicago Bandits 2
3 Akron Racers 0
2015 NPF Semifinals
USSSA Pride defeat Dallas Charge, 2-0
Game Date Score Series
(USSSA–DAL)
1Aug 14USSSA Pride 8, Dallas Charge 0[21]1-0
1Aug 15USSSA Pride 8, Dallas Charge 7[22]2-0
2015 NPF Semifinals
Chicago Bandits defeat Akron Racers, 2-0
Game Date Score Series
(CHI-AKR)
1Aug 14Chicago Bandits 3, Akron Racers 1[21]1-0
2Aug 15Chicago Bandits 5, Akron Racers 2[23]2-0
201blur NPF Championship Series
Chicago Bandits defeat USSSA Pride, 2-0
Game Date Score Series
(CHI–USSSA)
1Aug 16Chicago Bandits 1, USSSA Pride 0[24]1-0
2Aug 17Chicago Bandits 1, USSSA Pride 0[25]2-0
NPF Championship Series MVP[26]
Player Club Record
Monica Abbott Chicago Bandits 3 wins, 1 save, 26 strikeouts in 4 games

Statistical leaders

Source

Batting avg

Player (Team) Total
Natasha Watley (USSSA Pride).390
Brittany Cervantes (Chicago Bandits).358
Jill Barrett (Akron Racers).339
Kelly Kretschman (USSSA Pride).338
Amber Patton (Chicago Bandits).338

Slugging pct

Player (Team) Total
Brittany Cervantes (Chicago Bandits).670
Nerissa Myers (Akron Racers).556
Taylor Schlopy(Akron Racers).530
Kelly Kretschman (USSSA Pride).521
Shelby Pendley(USSSA Pride).519

On base pct

Player (Team) Total
Brittany Cervantes (Chicago Bandits).507
Nerissa Myers (Akron Racers).443
Natasha Watley (USSSA Pride).438
Taylor Schlopy(Akron Racers).416
Kristyn Sandberg (Pennsylvania Rebellion).402

Runs scored

Player (Team) Total
Taylor Schlopy(Akron Racers)34
Brittany Cervantes (Chicago Bandits)26
Jill Barrett (Akron Racers)26
Kelly Kretschman (USSSA Pride)24
2 tied at 23

Hits

Player (Team) Total
Jill Barrett (Akron Racers)56
Emily Allard (Chicago Bandits)51
Kelly Kretschman (USSSA Pride)48
Amber Patton (Chicago Bandits)48
Natasha Watley (USSSA Pride)46

Runs batted in

Player (Team) Total
Nerissa Myers (Akron Racers)31
Megan Wiggins (USSSA Pride)29
Taylor Edwards (Chicago Bandits)29
Andrea Duran (USSSA Pride)26
Taylor Schlopy(Akron Racers)26

Home runs

Player (Team) Total
Taylor Schlopy(Akron Racers)10
Nerissa Myers (Akron Racers)9
Taylor Edwards (Chicago Bandits)9
Brittany Cervantes (Chicago Bandits)9
2 tied at 7

Stolen bases

Player (Team) Total
Emily Allard (Chicago Bandits)12
Kelly Kretschman (USSSA Pride)10
Danielle Zymkowitz (Chicago Bandits)8
Kahley Novak (Dallas Charge)7
AJ Andrews (Chicago Bandits)7

Earned run avg

Player (Team) Total
Monica Abbott (Chicago Bandits)0.31
Jordan Taylor (USSSA Pride)0.51
Cat Osterman (USSSA Pride)1.35
Kirsten Verdun (Chicago Bandits)1.52
Chelsea Thomas (USSSA Pride)1.73

Batters struck out

Player (Team) Total
Cat Osterman (USSSA Pride)164
Monica Abbott (Chicago Bandits)149
Lauren Haeger (Dallas Charge)86
Keilani Ricketts (USSSA Pride)83
Sarah Pauly (Akron Racers)68

Wins

Player (Team) Total
Cat Osterman (USSSA Pride)14
Monica Abbott (Chicago Bandits)13
Sarah Pauly (Akron Racers)10
Chelsea Thomas (USSSA Pride)8
2 tied at 7

Saves

Player (Team) Total
Jordan Taylor (USSSA Pride)11
Emily Weiman (Pennsylvania Rebellion)3
Haylie Wagner (Pennsylvania Rebellion)3
Sarah Pauly (Akron Racers)2
10 tied at 1

Losses

Player (Team) Total
Jolene Henderson (Dallas Charge)10
Dallas Escobedo (Pennsylvania Rebellion)9
Morgan Melloh (Dallas Charge)8
Emily Weiman (Pennsylvania Rebellion)7
Lauren Haeger (Dallas Charge)7

Annual awards

The 2015 NPF Awards Banquet was held at the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama on August 13. The annual awards were presented, and the 2015 All-NPF Team was announced.[27]

Award Player Team Stat
Player of the Year Award Kelly Kretschman USSSA Florida Pride hit .338 with 7 HR, and 22 RBIs, made only one error, 10 for 10 in stolen bases
Pitcher of the Year Monica Abbott Chicago Bandits 13-1, 1 SV, 12 complete games and 11 shutouts, 1 no-hitter, 1 perfect game, 146 Ks in 90.1 IP
Rookie of the Year Shelby Pendley USSSA Florida Pride led all rookies in SLG, hits, HR, OBP, RBIs, total bases, and runs; ranked second among rookies in batting average and doubles.
Offensive Player of the Year Brittany Cervantes Chicago Bandits hit .358 and led the league in SLG and OBP.
Defensive Player of the Year Courtney Senas Pennsylvania Rebellion .964 fielding percentage with 49 put outs and four assists, the most by an outfielder
Home Run Award Taylor Schlopy Akron Racers 10 HR
Rally Spikes Award[note 1] Emily Allard Chicago Bandits 12 SB
NPF Trophy[note 2] USSSA Florida Pride
Coaching Staff of the Year Dallas Charge Head Coach Jennifer McFalls and Assistant Coaches Chez Sievers and Michelle Gromacki
Jennie Finch Award [note 3] Cat Osterman USSSA Florida Pride

Notes

  1. The Rally Spikes Award is given to the player with the most stolen bases
  2. The NPF Trophy is awarded to the team with the best regular season record.
  3. The Jennie Finch award is given to the player who best exemplifies the character and qualities of its famous namesake, and who is considered to positively impact the game both on and off the field.

All-NPF Team

2015 All-NPF Team[28]
Position Name Team
PitcherMonica AbbottChicago Bandits
PitcherCat OstermanUSSSA Florida Pride
Pitcher Jordan TaylorUSSSA Florida Pride
Pitcher Sarah PaulyAkron Racers
CatcherTaylor EdwardsChicago Bandits
1st BaseKaitlyn RichardsonDallas Charge
2nd BaseShelby PendleyUSSSA Florida Pride
3rd BaseAndrea DuranUSSSA Florida Pride
ShortstopJill BarrettAkron Racers
OutfieldKelly KretschmanUSSSA Florida Pride
OutfieldTaylor SchlopyAkron Racers
OutfieldNatasha WatleyUSSSA Florida Pride
At-LargeBrittany CervantesChicago Bandits
At-LargeKelley MontalvoAkron Racers
At-LargeAmber PattonChicago Bandits
At-LargeKristyn SandbergPennsylvania Rebellion
At-LargeMegan WigginsUSSSA Florida Pride
At-LargeTammy WilliamsChicago Bandits

See also

References

  1. Kayla Lombardo (22 Feb 2015). "NPF 'Charges' toward expansion, establishes team in Dallas". www.aol.com. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. "NPF and CBS Sports Network Sign Agreement for 2015 Season". National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  3. Jami Lobpries (13 July 2015). "USSSA Pride Games to be Aired on Longhorn Network". USSSAPride.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  4. Joe Tuscano (10 July 2015). "Osterman no-hits Rebellion for second time in as many years". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  5. NPF (24 July 2015). "Bandits Rout Charge Behind Abbott’s Perfect Game". SportsPageMagazine.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  6. "Bandits Get Another No-Hitter From Monica Abbott". Journal & Topics Newspapers Online. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  7. Joe Tuscano (8 August 2015). "Pauly wins 100th, dents Rebellion’s playoff hopes". Observer-Reporter.com. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  8. "League Meeting Yields Changes for 2015 NPF Season". ProFastpitch.com. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  9. "2015 NPF Schedule". www.profastpitch.com. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  10. Tbonesbaseball.com (24 March 2015). "CommunityAmerica Ballpark to host pro fastpitch softball games". Kansas City Kansan. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "2015 Schedule". USSAPride.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  12. "GoPLAYGirls Excited to Welcome the USSSA Pride and Dallas Charge to San Antonio". goplaygirl.com. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  13. "TOP LEVEL PRO SOFTBALL COMING TO YORK & LANCASTER". http://www.yorkrevolution.com/. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  14. "NPF to play four games at Sparkler/Fireworks tournament". Triple Crown Sports. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  15. "NORTH AMERICAN ALL SANCTIONED WORLD SERIES JULY 17-19, 2015". FastpitchShowdowns.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  16. "2015 NPF College Draft Presented by Bownet" (PDF). ProFastpitch.com. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
  17. "Rules of the Draft" (PDF). ProFastpitch.com. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
  18. Jacquie Boatman (15 April 2015). "Former Olympian, two-time Pitcher of the Year returns to circle for Bandits 2015 season". ChicagoBandits.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  19. Joe Tuscano (11 June 2015). "League upholds Rebellion protest". Observer-Reporter.com. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  20. "Field Set for 2015 National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series". ProFastpitch.com. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Homeruns Take Center Stage in Opening Day of Championship Series". OurSportsCentral.com. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  22. "Pride Hold on to Sweep Series". OurSportsCentral.com. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  23. "Bandits Advance to Championship with 5 to 2 Win". OurSportsCentral.com. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  24. "Bandits Steal Game One 1-0". OurSportsCentral.com. 16 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  25. "Chicago Bandits bring home NPF championship". Chicago Daily Herald. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  26. "Chicago Bandits defeat USSSA Pride to win third NPF championship". Sports Illustrated. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  27. "NPF Kicks Off Championship Series With Annual Awards Banquet". ProFastpitch.com. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  28. "NPF Kicks Off Championship Series With Annual Awards Banquet". NFCA.org. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.

External links

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