2010 National Pro Fastpitch season

2010 NPF Season
League National Pro Fastpitch
Sport softball
Duration June 9, 2010 – August 22, 2010
Number of teams 4
2010 NPF Draft
Top draft pick Charlotte Morgan
Alabama
Picked by USSSA Pride
Regular Season
Ringor Cup
(Best record)		 Chicago Bandits
Cowles Cup
Champions USSSA Pride
  Runners-up Chicago Bandits
Finals MVP Natasha Watley
USSSA Pride

The 2010 National Pro Fastpitch season is the seventh season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch 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.

Teams, cities and stadiums

Team City Stadium
Akron Racers Akron, Ohio Firestone Stadium
Chicago Bandits Elgin, Illinois (Chicago Area) Judson University
Tennessee Diamonds Nashville, Tennessee Draper Diamond (Lipscomb University)[1]
USSSA Florida Pride Kissimmee, Florida Osceola County Stadium and Champion Stadium
National Pro Fastpitch teams

Milestones and events

NPF announced the Rockford Thunder would not be playing in 2010 because ownership "failed to maintain NPF Team requirements to field a Team for the 2010 Season." It was also announced that the league was adding a new team named the Tennessee Diamonds which would begin play in 2010 in Blount County, Tenn. and have first rights to players on the Thunder's roster.[2]

Later it was revealed that the Diamonds would be moving operational headquarters from Alcoa, TN to Nashville, TN. The Alcoa owners did not fund the team or comply with other contractual commitments made to NPF. The team was operated by NPF in Nashville for 2010.[3]

NPF revealed that the Philadelphia Force would not participate in the league when the 2010 schedule was released without the Force.[4]

Player acquisition

College draft

The 2010 NPF Senior Draft was held February 10, 2010, at Heritage Key Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. The NPF Draft was broadcast on MLB.com. USSSA Pride selected Charlotte Morgan of Alabama as the first overall pick.

Notable transactions

The USSSA Florida Pride traded Monica Abbott and Shannon Doepking to the Tennessee Diamonds for Diamonds’ pitcher Cat Osterman and Megan Willis.[5]

Jennie Finch announced she would retire at the end of the season.[6]

League standings

Source [7]

Team GP W L Pct. GB
Chicago Bandits 50 30 20 .600 -
USSSA Pride 48 28 20 .583 1
Akron Racers 49 24 25 .490 5.5
Tennessee Diamonds 49 16 33 .327 13.5

NPF Championship

The 2010 NPF Championship Series was held at McMurry Park in Sulphur, Louisiana August 26–29. All four teams qualified and were seeded based on the final standings. The first seed played the fourth seed on a best-of-three series, and the second seed played the third seed in another best-of-three series. The winners played each other in a best-of-three series that determined the champion.[8]

NPF Semifinals (Best-of-3) NPF Championship (Best-of-3)
      
1 Chicago Bandits 2
4 Tennessee Diamonds 0
1 Chicago Bandits 1
2 USSSA Pride 2
2 USSSA Pride 2
3 Akron Racers 1
2010 NPF Semifinals
Chicago Bandits defeat Tennessee Diamonds 2-0
GameDateScoreSeries
(CHI-TEN)		Location
1August 26Chicago Bandits 2, Tennessee Diamonds 0[9]1-0Sulphur, Louisiana
2August 27Chicago Bandits 4, Tennessee Diamonds 1[10]2-0Sulphur, Louisiana
2010 NPF Semifinals
USSSA Pride defeat Akron Racers 2–1
GameDateScoreSeries
(USSA-AKR)		Location
1August 26USSSA Pride 3, Akron Racers 2[9]1-0Sulphur, Louisiana
2August 27USSSA Pride 2, Akron Racers 3[10]1-1Sulphur, Louisiana
3August 28USSSA Pride 6, Akron Racers 1[11]2-1Sulphur, Louisiana
2010 NPF Championship Series
USSSA Pride defeat Chicago Bandits 2-1
GameDateScoreSeries
(CHI-USSSA)		Location
1August 28Chicago Bandits 1, USSSA Pride 2[12]0-1Sulphur, Louisiana
2August 29Chicago Bandits 7, USSSA Pride 2[13]1-1Sulphur, Louisiana
3August 29Chicago Bandits 2, USSSA Pride 7[14]1-2Sulphur, Louisiana
2010 NPF Championship Series MVP
Player Club
Natasha Watley[15] USSSA Pride

Annual awards

Source:[16]

Ringor Cup
(Best regular season record)
Chicago Bandits
Award Player Team
Player of the Year Award Stacy May Chicago Bandits
Pitcher of the Year Lisa Norris Akron Racers
Rookie of the Year Nikki Nemitz Chicago Bandits
Defensive Player of the Year Lisa Modglin Akron Racers
Offensive Player of the Year Rachel Folden Chicago Bandits
Home Run Award (tie) Rachel Folden Chicago Bandits
Stacy May Chicago Bandits
Diamond Spike Award[note 1] Lisa Modglin Akron Racers
Coaching Staff of the Year Chicago Bandits -- Mickey Dean, Mike Stuerwald, Maggie Johnson
Jennie Finch Award[note 2] Jennie Finch Chicago Bandits

Award notes

  1. ↑ The Diamond Spike Award is given to the player with the most stolen bases
  2. ↑ 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.
2010 All-NPF Team
Position Name Team
PitcherSarah PaulyUSSSA Pride
PitcherMonica AbbottTennessee Diamonds
PitcherLisa NorrisAkron Racers
PitcherJennie FinchChicago Bandits
CatcherRachel FoldenChicago Bandits
1st BaseSamantha FindlayChicago Bandits
2nd BaseChelsea MesaTennessee Diamonds
3rd BaseStacy MayChicago Bandits
ShortstopChelsea SpencerTennessee Diamonds
OutfieldLisa ModglinAkron Racers
OutfieldEmily FriedmanChicago Bandits
OutfieldKelly KretschmanUSSSA Pride
At-LargeMegan GibsonTennessee Diamonds
At-LargeTonya CallahanUSSSA Pride
At-LargeJackie PasquerellaAkron Racers
At-LargeJessica ValisAkron Racers
At-LargeNatasha WatleyUSSSA Pride
At-LargeMegan WillisUSSSA Pride

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mark Wheeler (1 June 2010). "Pro softball team settles on home field, looks to settle in quickly". The City Paper. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Rayburn (5 January 2010). "New NPF Franchise". Spy Softball. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Rayburn (20 May 2010). "5-20-10 Funding Causes NPF Diamonds to Move". Spy Softball. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "2010 NPF SCHEDULE RELEASED". www.profastpitch.com. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "USSSA Florida Pride Makes Preseason Move". Diamond Sports. 6 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Finch set to retire next month at age 29". Espn.com. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  7. ↑ "Summer 2010 - Standings". pointstreak.com. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "2010 NPF Championship Site Announced". profastpitch.com. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 Adam Gierhart (26 August 2010). "8-26-10 NPF Championship Games Thursday". Spy Softball. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  10. 1 2 Adam Gierhart (27 August 2010). "8-27-10 NPF Championship Friday". Spy Softball. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Pride end Akron Racers' softball season". Canton Repository. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Osterman closes out Bandits in game one". OurSportsCentral.com. 28 August 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Nicole Pauly Pushes Bandits Over Pride, Forcing Game Three". OurSportsCentral.com. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "Bandits fall in title game". Chicago Daily Herald. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "NPF All-TIME AWARD WINNERS". AkronRacers.org. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "May, Bandits Earn 12 Awards at NPF Awards Luncheon". OurSportsCentral.com. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
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