Oct. 22, 2011
SEATTLE - As part of its `Back to School Tour' with a 19-game schedule throughout the country, an All-Star group of National Pro Fastpitch players will play a game against the University of Washington softball team. Softball fans can catch the game at Safeco Field on Saturday, October 22 at 3 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F004747AFC53761. The box office will be open from 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. Husky softball fans will once again be able to see three former UW Softball All-Americans - pitcher Danielle Lawrie and infielder's Jenn Salling and Ashley Charters. Danielle Lawrie was named NCAA Player of the Year in two consecutive years (2009, 10). She finished her spectacular UW career as the leader in wins with a 136-41 record and also left UW with 103 complete games, 65 shut outs, 8 no-hitters, a 1.20 ERA, and 1848 strikeouts, which is fourth in NCAA history for career strikeouts. Salling went into the NPF Draft as the No. 3 pick to the USSSA Pride. She left UW ranked in the Husky career records for batting average (T-10, .342), triples (T-8, 7), walks (sixth, 97), slugging percentage (ninth, .543), on base percentage (fifth, .474), and hit by pitch (T-10, 9). Charters finished off her UW career as its career leader in stolen bases (133) and triples (16). All three players were big contributors to UW's National Championship Team in 2009 and are currently playing together in the NPF for the USSSA Pride. The USSSA Pride won the NPF Championship in 2010 and went back to the finals this past season, but lost to the Chicago Bandits. Other athletes participating this year include Olympic medalists Andrea Duran, Kelly Kretschman, Caitlin Lowe; former Canadian Olympic Team member Caitlin Lever; 2010 NPF Pitcher of the Year, Lisa Norris; 2011 All NPF Team Members Bianca Mejia, Megan Wiggins, Brittany McKinney, and Sam Marder; and NPF Rookie of the Year Alisa Goler. 16-year coach Christie Bingham will lead the NPF Tour Team. Bingham has earned seven Coach of the Year awards with over 600 career victories and a 0.780 winning percentage, developing teams that were ranked in the top 25 eight times. This is only the second year that the NPF `Back to School Tour' was launched to introduce the League and its athletes to fans all across the United States, and it is sponsored by the NPF/MLB and USSSA. Last year in a 20-stop tour, more than 20,000 fans came to watch the games. The NPF team of All-Stars will include players from all four of the NPF's League p articipants - Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, NPF Diamonds, and USSSA Florida Pride. Tickets for the Saturday game will go on sale through Ticketmaster starting Wednesday at 10 a.m. There will be a post-game clinic for $30, which includes admission to the game. The Safeco Diamond Club will also be open for the 5 p.m. UW-Stanford football game. |
