Kissimmee, FL-November 5, 2015–The USSSA Florida Pride are pleased to announce the free agent signing of former University of Florida pitcher Hannah Rogers to a two year contract in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). Rogers is coming off a 2014 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) Championship where the right-handed pitcher went a perfect 4-0 on her way to capturing the title and WCWS Most Outstanding Player accolades. Currently, Rogers is finishing her degree in event management at the University of Florida.
“This is perfect timing for me, because I’ll be able to graduate from UF before the season begins in the spring. I’m super excited to be able to keep playing the sport that I love. It’s a bonus that I’ll still be close to home,” said Rogers about continuing her career in the NPF.
In a Florida program loaded with All-Americans, Rogers is the program’s only four time All-American. She finished her career with a 127-31 record and ranks second all time at Florida in wins, strikeouts (833), innings pitched (988), and shutouts (41). During the Gators’ postseason run, Rogers was at her best going 7-0 with a 0.64 ERA and throwing 7 complete games and 6 shutouts. Rogers was named the 2014 WCWS Most Outstanding Player after four complete‐game wins, three shutouts, and one save in the WCWS. Additionally, she was named the 2014 SEC Female Athlete of the Year after finishing 2014 with a 30-8 record, 1.60 ERA, and 167 strikeouts.
The Lake Wales, Florida native adds immediate depth to a star-studded pitching rotation for the Pride which features the 2014 NPF Pitcher of the Year Cat Osterman and the 2013 WCWS Champion and WCWS Most Outstanding Player Keilani Ricketts. Rogers becomes the third University of Florida Gator to play in a Pride jersey. Rogers’ former Gator teammates Francesa Enea and Kelsey Bruder were members of Pride championship teams.
“We’re excited for Hannah Rogers to be a part of our Pride family and for her to continue her playing career in the NPF. With the retirement of Danielle Lawrie, we needed a strong replacement in the circle. Hannah Rogers can be that pitcher for us. Hannah showed what kind of competitor she was when she carried her Florida team to a 2014 National Championship. We want her to bring that competitiveness and resilience to our team. It’s also great to have a player represent the Pride from the state of Florida and a player who is very recognizable in the fastpitch community right now.”
University of Florida head coach and former USSSA Pride head coach Tim Walton agrees that Rogers will not only be a strong addition to the Pride lineup, she will also be a great ambassador for the sport at the professional level.
“This is a great opportunity for Hannah to play with the USSSA Pride. Not only do they want great players, they want great ambassadors for the game of softball. Hannah will be that for them,” said Walton.
The Pride are back in action this fall in their 2014 Fall Tour where they will face six college programs throughout the month of November. Games include the University of Georgia on November 6th, Georgia Tech on November 8th, Wallace State Community College on November 11th, UAB on November 12th, Mercer on November 13th, and Florida State University on November 15th. Then, the back-to-back NPF champions will look to defend their NPF Championship during the summer of 2015.
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!