Kissimmee, FL–Jan 22, 2015-The USSSA Florida Pride announced on Thursday the trade for former National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Player of the Year Megan Wiggins. The Pride traded catcher Kristyn Sandberg, the sixth and 14th overall picks in the 2015 NPF Draft to the Pennsylvania Rebellion for Wiggins and the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NPF Draft. Wiggins had been traded from the Chicago Bandits to the Rebellion earlier this week.
“The signing of Megan Wiggins brings one of the most powerful bats in the country as well as one of the top defensive outfielders to our lineup. There are not many opportunities to add a player of this caliber,” said Pride General Manager Don DeDonatis.
Wiggins, the 2013 Mizuno Player of the Year, has been named the Worth Homerun Champion twice (2012, 2013) and was the 2013 Co-Offensive Player of the Year—which she shared with the Pride’s GiOnna DiSalvatore. In 2014, Wiggins hit .289 in 40 games, tied for second in the NPF with 9 homeruns, and was sixth in the NPF with 27 RBIs.
“I’m excited to be apart of the USSSA Pride organization and I’m excited to be starting a new chapter in my life. I think it was the best business decision for me, because of where I am in my career and what the entire USSSA organization has to offer,” said Wiggins.
Wiggins spent her first four years in the NPF with the Chicago Bandits, who drafted her eighth overall in 2011 out of the University of Georgia. Her best season statistically came in 2013 when she led the league with 61 hits, batted .433 on the season and hit 11 homeruns with 35 RBIs.
In the offseason, Wiggins plays in the Japan Softball League, the same league where Pride veterans Natasha Watley and Keilani Ricketts compete. She also owns a softball facility in Winder, Georgia called RipZone where she runs softball lessons and agility work with fastpitch players and teams.
Sandberg returns to the Northeast where her softball roots began. The 2012 Miken Rookie of the Year and the Pride’s second overall pick in 2012 is a native of Island Park, NY. Sandberg brings a powerful bat and fills a void behind the plate. Earlier this week, the Rebellion traded their top catcher from the 2014 season, Taylor Edwards, and her twin sister and pitcher Taylor, to the Bandits for Wiggins and pitcher Andi Williamson.
The addition of Wiggins adds lefty power, speed, and a strong defensive presence to the back-to-back NPF Champion roster.
For all information about the USSSA Pride and the 2015 NPF season, visit the team website www.dev.usssapride.com and follow the Pride all year long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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:
USSSA is 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!