Marston taken 19th to the Chicago Bandits and Thomas selected 20th to the USSSA Pride
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou softball seniors Jenna Marston (St. Louis, Mo.) and Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) were selected 19th and 20th overall in the National Pro Fastpitch College Draft, held at Ford Theatre inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Monday. A catcher and former shortstop for Mizzou, Marston was picked by the Chicago Bandits. The two-time All-America pitcher Thomas was selected immediately after to the USSSA Pride.
Thomas has pitched to a 12-1 record in her final Tiger season and currently stands with 99 career victories at Mizzou. The school’s all-time strikeouts leader has amassed 1,048 in her career. Thomas has been an integral member of Mizzou’s last three Women’s College World Series squads (2009, 2010, 2011). Before helping the Tigers embark on their inaugural Southeastern Conference campaign, she was a two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Year (2011, 2012).
Marston has played multiple positions in the Tiger uniform and has performed at an all-conference level, starring at shortstop to start her Mizzou career on the 2010 and 2011 WCWS squads. She transitioned to catcher for her junior season and has caught for Thomas and the Tigers’ pitching staff since. Marston currently ranks second in school history with 171 career runs scored, as well 10th all-time at Mizzou with 194 hits. She earned CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America recognition in 2012.
Fans are encouraged to check MUTigers.com and the softball team’s social media outlets, @MizzouSoftball and Facebook, for updates and information throughout the season.
About USSSA Florida Pride:
The USSSA Florida Pride is a professional franchise in the National Pro Fastpitch League that is owned and operated by USSSA. The amateur organization of USSSA has multi-sport coverage and encompasses teams and players from the United States and abroad.
About NPF:
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.
About USSSA:
The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), headquartered in Osceola County, Florida, USSSA is the World’s Largest Multi-sport Athletic Organization. Founded in 1968, USSSA has grown to over 3.7 million participants, competing in 13 nationally sanctioned sports including Baseball, Fastpitch, Slow Pitch, Karate, Basketball, Soccer and more! For more information on USSSA and to register your team visit USSSA.com. Also be sure to visit USSSAToday.com for the latest USSSA News!