Viera, FL– June 10, 2017-The USSSA Pride continue the 2017 season this Sunday, June 11 at 7:05 p.m. ET, against the Chicago Bandits in a three-game series at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee, FL.
The Pride are coming off a series clinching win against the Akron Racers. In three games the Pride outscored the Racers 13-11 to take games two and three. In game three Keilani Ricketts earned player of the game keeping the Racers to one hit in 4 innings pitched and striking out 4 to secure her first win of the season. The 2017 NPF player of the year, Kelly Kretschman started off the season strong batting .444/.583/.667 with three doubles to lead the Pride offense. Andrea Duran went 2-for-6 with two doubles in her comeback after missing all of last season due to an injury. Hannah Rogers threw a scoreless inning in relief in game two of the series.
The upcoming series in Tallahassee marks the first time the Pride will face the defending Cowles Cup Champions this season. The last time these two teams saw each other was in the 2016 National Championship Series in Alabama where the Bandits took the series 2-1.
The Pride return 2016 Triple Crown Winner and NPF Player of the Year, Kelly Kretschman, and 2016 Jennie Finch Award winner Lauren Chamberlain, as well as all seven members of the 2016 All-NPF team: Megan Wiggins, Shelby Pendley, Jordan Taylor, Jolene Henderson, Kelsey Nunley, Hallie Wilson, and Kelly Kretschman.
The 2017 NPF Draft Class includes 2017 ACC Pitcher of the Year and number one draft pick, Jessica Burroughs, 2016 ACC Player of the Year, Alex Powers and their teammate All-ACC First Team Selection, Sydney Broderick, who signed as a free agent this June. Their joined with Arizona Wildcats’, 2017 All-Pac-12 First Team Selection, Mandie Perez, and 2017 Pac-12 All-Conference First Team Selection Mo Mercado.
Head Coach Lonni Alameda returns for her second summer with the Pride following a record breaking 41-15 regular season run that earned the Pride 2016 Coaching Staff of the Year. She will be assisted by Travis Wilson and Craig Snider of the FSU coaching staff.
To purchase tickets to all of the 2017 season games visit usssapride.com/tickets. Online ticket sales are only available until noon on game days. General admission prices are as follows: Adult: $10.00 Children (ages 2 – 12): $5.00 Senior (ages 65 & up): $5.00. Group of 25 or more: $9.
Fans can watch every Pride game all summer long on NPFTV.com.
Follow the Pride all season long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all game or team updates.
Series Schedule:
Thursday, June 11th 7:05 PM (EST)
Friday, June 12th 7:05 PM (EST)
Saturday, June 13th 7:05 PM (EST)
Pride Players to Watch:
- Kelly Kretschman: In 2016, Kretschman finished as back-to-back NPF Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Home Run Champion and became the first Triple Crown Winner in NPF history while earning a spot on the All-NPF team for the fifth time in her career. Kretschman led the league in HR (13), RBI (45) and AVG. (.466) and earned league-leading marks in runs scored (44), total bases (111) and only second in hits (63) and walks in 52 games.
- Shelby Pendley: In her second season Shelby Pendley finished the year hitting .338, 2nd best of the 2016 Pride roster and 4th best in the league. Her regular season on-base percentage (.447) and RBI (35) were 2nd best for the Pride and she led the Pride offense in doubles (9), tied with Kelly Kretschman. In 160 at-bats, she closed out her second season with 33 runs scored, 54 hits and 9 home runs.
- Alex Powers: Drafted 10th overall in the 2017 NPF College Draft following a senior year as an All-ACC First Team selection with First Team All-Region and Third Team All-American honors. Finished hitting .360 in 189 at-bats with 54 runs scored, 68 hits, 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 51 RBI.
- Jessica Burroughs: Drafted number one overall in the 2017 NPF College Draft following a senior season full of accolades: ACC pitcher of the year, All-ACC First Team and NFCA First Team All-American. She finished with an ERA of 1.22 with an overall record of 27-5 with 4 saves and 266 strikeouts over 195 innings pitched.
- Jordan Taylor: For the second year in a row Jordan lead the league in saves (10) and earned a spot on the 2016 All-NPF pitching staff. In 40 innings pitched, Taylor kept her ERA to a league best average of .70 and led the Pride pitching staff once again in three major defensive categories: ERA (.70), Opposing Batting (.90) and saves (10). In 24 appearances, Jordan finished 22 games with 23 games in relief and struck out 54 batters.
Chicago Bandits Players to Watch:
- Danielle Zymkowitz: Ranked third on the team with a .311 batting average during the 2016 season. Was one of the most consistent performers in the NPF during 2016, playing and starting 52 games while ranking among the top 10 in hits. Named to the 2011 All-NPF team in her rookie season after batting .298 with 10 RBI and an on-base percentage of .330.
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- Sammy Marshall: Captured the NPF’s stolen base crown in 2016 by swiping 16 bases in just 18 attempts. Stepped into a starting role in 2016 when Emily Allard suffered a season-ending injury and became a major contributor in the lineup, batting .244 with eight RBI and finished the 2016 season with a spot on the 2016 All-NPF team.
- Lacey Waldrop: Maintained a 5-4 mark in the circle with a 5.50 ERA during her second season as a professional. One of three pitchers on the Bandits roster who finished the 2016 season with a winning record.
Fun Facts:
- This series features four former FSU players, three on the Pride roster and one on the Bandits roster. Jessica Burroughs, the number one draft pick of the NPF Draft, Alex Powers, 2016 ACC Player of the Year, Sydney Broderick, 2017 Second Team All-American and Lacey Waldrop of the Chicago Bandits.
- Head Coach Lonni Alameda earned her fifth-straight ACC Coach of the Year honor for the FSU softball program and led the team to a perfect 24-0 conference record.
- This is the second time the USSSA Pride will play at Florida State University, last year they faced the Scrap Yard Dawgs in a four-game series at JoAnne Graf Field.
- Jessica Burroughs became the first player from the ACC to be named the first overall selection in NPF history and joins Paul Wilson (1994-MLB) and Jameis Winston (2015-NFL) as the only Seminole athletes to be drafted number one overall in a professional draft.
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 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2004, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in fastpitch softball beyond their collegiate and amateur success. The NPF affiliate teams consist of the Akron Racers, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Scrap Yard Dawgs, Texas Charge and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2017 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the United States, Australia, Canada and China among which are the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.
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.