Kissimmee, FL—June 26, 2016—The USSSA Pride will hit their next stop on the NPF College Tour this Monday night. They will stop in Ann Arbor, MI to play a three-game series at the home of the Michigan Wolverines. The Pride will face two different opponents—the Akron Racers during game one and the Chicago Bandits for games two and three.
After winning four straight before the series finale on Sunday in Akron, the Pride are still at the top of the league standings. They hold a win percentage of .786, standing at 11-3. Facing the second-place Racers in a two-game series in Akron, the Pride will face them once more in Ann Arbor before taking on a middle-of-the-pack Chicago Bandits team in a rematch of the 2015 NPF Championship Series. With both teams undergoing major roster changes during the off-season, it looks to be a series far different from what fans saw in August.
This series also acts as a homecoming of three former Wolverines who now don the USSSA Pride jersey: National Player of the Year Sierra Joy, Big 1o Pitcher of the Year Jordan Taylor and Lauren Sweet will be back at Alumni Field where all three played under Michigan Softball Head Coach Carol Hutchins. Sierra Romero will miss Monday Night’s game as shell be in California for Honda Cup Award Festivities.
Following the game on Wednesday, June 29th, fans can go head-to-head in the box with a professional NPF pitcher as part of Jordan Taylor’s “So You You Think You Can Hit?” event. All proceeds will be donated to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and benefit the fight of pediatric cancer. It’s a cause Jordan holds dear to her heart ever since her playing days at Michigan and we hope to see you there! Please visit jordantaylorsoftball.com for more.
This series also marks the first time this season the USSSA Pride will be on CBS Sports Network. All three games at Alumni Field will be broadcasted live on CBS Sports Network. Find your local listing here.
Series Schedule
Monday, June 27th, 6:30 PM (ET) Purchase Tickets
Tuesday, June 28th, 8:00 PM (ET) Purchase Tickets
Wednesday, June 29th, 8:00 PM (ET) Purchase Tickets
Pride players to watch:
- Sierra Romero: A member of Michigan’s Class of 2016, Romero returns to Ann Arbor to play once again in front of the Wolverine faithful. The 2016 National Player of the Year has quickly become an offensive staple in the Pride line-up hitting .344 with 11 hits, 8 RBIs and 2 HR so far this season.
- Jordan Taylor: Although not recording a multitude of starts for the Pride, Taylor could once again pitch at Alumni Field after graduating five years ago. Jordan already has 3 saves in the book and continues to take the role of closer. Last season, Taylor led the NPF in saves (11) and her timely dominance on the mound has been a key asset to securing Pride wins.
- Lauren Sweet: A year after her senior year at Michigan ended, Sweet is coming back to Michigan as a member of her professional team. Lauren has not made an appearance for the Pride this season due to a leave of absence. Nonetheless the first year Sweet brings a strong offensive presence and a confident demeanor behind the plate that will only benefit the Pride in due time.
Fun facts
- A total of 12 players involved in this series are former players for the Big Ten conference.
- The Pride are the only team to hold players (3) from Michigan on their roster.
- Sierra Romero and Lauren Sweet played together for the Wolverines for three years, making a run at the Women’s College World Series title, taking second place.
- Jordan Taylor graduated from Michigan in 2011, missing a chance to play with future Pride teammate Sweet by a year.
- This is the first time this season that any Pride player will return to play on the field of her alma mater.
TICKET INFO
Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Games are free for children ages five years or younger. Tickets can be purchased online on Michigan’s ticket page or at the gate. Games will be played at Alumni Field at the Wilpon Complex in Ann Arbor, MI. Find tickets to specific games below:
BROADCAST INFO
Fans can view all three games of this series on CBS Sports Network. Find your local channel here.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for this week’s games can be found on the NPF schedule page.
FOLLOW THE PRIDE
dev.usssapride.com
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 USSSA: The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), headquartered in Osceola County, Florida, USSSAis 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.
About National Pro Fastpitch (NPF): National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2002, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in diamond sports beyond their collegiate success. The 2016 NPF season will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Coverage includes the NPF College Draft presented by Bownet on Thur., April 14, followed by 23 regular-season games, a Championship Series Preview Special and the 2016 NPF Championship Series. The NPF recently announced that the Scrap Yard Dawgs, located in The Woodlands, Texas, will join the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2016 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand, representing the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball