2015 National Pro Fastpitch season: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 09:14, 30 July 2015
| 2015 NPF Season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Pro Fastpitch |
| Sport | softball |
| Duration | May 29, 2015 - August 11, 2015 |
| Number of teams | 5 |
| TV partner(s) | CBS Sports Network, Longhorn Network/ESPN3 |
| 2015 NPF Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Lauren Chamberlain 1B Oklahoma |
| Picked by | USSSA Florida Pride |
| Regular Season | |
| Cowles Cup | |
The 2015 National Pro Fastpitch season is the twelfth season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.
Milestones and Events
In Jan 2015, the NPF announced that the Dallas Charge would join the league as an expansion team.[1]
The NPF and CBS Sports Network signed a 2015 agreement for the network to broadcast the NPF Draft, selected regular season games, and all of the NPF Championship Series.[2]
The Pride's homestand against the Bandits, Rebellion, and Racers from July 15 to July 25 was broadcast on the Longhorn Network and was subsequently available for streaming on ESPN3.[3]
On July 10, Cat Osterman pitched the fifth no-hitter of her NPF career, beating the Pennsylvania Rebellion 2-1. (The Rebellion scored their run in the first inning without a hit, by combining two walks and three HBP. Pennsylvania actually led 1-0 going to the 7th inning.)[4]
On July 23, Monica Abbott pitched her second perfect game as a member of the Bandits, beating the Charge, 10-0.[5]
Rule Changes
The League Management Committee - consisting of Akron Racers owner Craig Stout, Chicago Bandits general manager Aaron Moore, Dallas Charge general manager Kevin Shelton, Pennsylvania Rebellion owner Stu Williams, and USSSA Pride general manager Don DeDonatis - met in Kissimmee, FL and voted on the following items:[6]
- Voted unanimously to use, during doubleheaders, a tiebreaker in the 8th inning due to the overall length of playing time that can take place on a double-header day. Motion was made to implement the tie breaker in the 8th inning of a "true" double header, meaning the same two teams playing each other on the same day, regardless of whether the match-up was scheduled in advance or the result of a make-up game. The motion did not include the discussion of using a run-rule after 5 innings.
- Rejected a motion to use a "run-rule" of 8 runs after 5 innings.
- Voted to allow individual teams the option to conduct autograph sessions as they choose for the Home Team. (Visiting Team must continue to make all players available for autograph session.)
- Voted to allow backstops to exceed the current limit of 30’ and to continue playing by rules implemented mid-season in 2014.
- Voted to require umpires to confiscate any and all broken bats that occur during a game and forward them immediately to the League Office. From there, they will be returned to manufacturers and tested to insure they meet regulatory standards. In the event the bat is assessed to be altered, player and team will be assessed appropriate fines.
- Voted to allow the continuance of no tiebreaker in Championship Series play, (acknowledging that for television or other special circumstances such as play delays, it may be implemented).
- Voted to raise the per diem for coaches, trainers and players from a $25 per day allowance to a $30 per day allowance ($6 Breakfast, $9 Lunch, $15 Dinner)
- Voted on sponsorship real estate inside ballpark venues for televised games to be used as follows:
- From outfield side of dugout around the backstop to outfield side of other dugout belongs to the league if they desire or require to use. This will be for league branding, exclusive category branding and television sponsor branding.
- From outfield side of dugout down the sidelines and around the outfield fence to the outfield side of the other dugout belongs to the home team if they desire or require to use.
- Exceptions may be made to the above.
- Voted to allow teams brand one sleeve of each and every uniform with a sponsor brand, if desired.
- Voted that beginning in 2015, only official suppliers will be allowed into the headband category and those will be the only headbands allowed on the field of play.
- Voted that that logo sizing limitations will be distributed to Official Suppliers and must be adhered to on any and all equipment and apparel that makes the NPF playing field (which includes dugouts).
- Draft order was distributed including the addition of expansion Dallas. Dallas was offered a "Market Choice Selection," which they later used to acquire Renada Davis.
- Voted that the first item of the "Tie Breaking Procedure" to determine regular season standings would be deleted. This places "Head to head" as the first determiner in tie breaking.
- Agreed that a scheduling meeting (for 2016 schedule) would be held at the NFCA Convention in Atlanta in December 2015.
Teams, cities and stadiums
Other sites
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Dallas Charge are scheduled to play a two-game series at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas on June 11 and 12, 2015.[8]
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Dallas Charge are scheduled to play a two-game series at University Field in Columbia, Missouri on June 15 and 16, 2015.[9]
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Dallas Charge are scheduled to play a two-game series at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, on August 6 and 7, 2015.[10]
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Pennsylvania Rebellion are scheduled to play a game at Santander Stadium in York, Pennsylvania June 25 and two games at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania June 26 and 27,2015.[11]
- The Dallas Charge and Akron Racers are scheduled to play a four-game series in Colorado at Twin Rivers Community Park in Greeley, Erie Community Park in Erie, Christopher Fields in Westminster and Aurora Sports Park in Aurora from June 29-July 2, 2015.[12]
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Pennsylvania Rebellion are scheduled to play series at Ned Skeldon Stadium in Maumee, Ohio July 3 and 4, 2015.[9]
- The Dallas Charge and Akron Racers are scheduled to play a two-game series at Berliner Park in Columbus, Ohio July 17 and 18, 2015. On August 1, 2015 at Berliner Park Dallas Charge will play Akron Racers, immediately followed by Chicago Bandits playing the Pennsylvania Rebellion.[13]
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Chicago Bandits are scheduled to play a two-game series at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois July 29 and 30, 2015.[9]
- The USSSA Florida Pride and Dallas Charge are scheduled to play a two-game series at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas August 3 and 4, 2015.[9]
Player Acquisition
College Draft
The 2015 NPF College Draft was held on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 5:30 pm CST at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Lauren Chamberlain of Oklahoma was selected first by USSSA Florida Pride.[14] Draft order was determined by regular season standings from 2014, but subsequent trades and transactions altered the overall draft order.[15]
Notable Transactions
- Monica Abbott re-signed with Chicago Bandits for 2015 season.[16]
League standings
Through 7/28/15 Source:ProFastpitch.com
| Team | GP | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USSSA Florida Pride | 41 | 29 | 12 | . | - |
| Chicago Bandits | 37 | 25 | 12 | . | 2 |
| Akron Racers | 36 | 17 | 19 | . | 9.5 |
| Dallas Charge | 38 | 14 | 24 | . | 13.5 |
| Pennsylvania Rebellion | 38 | 10 | 28 | . | 17.5 |
Results table
| Team | Racers | Bandits | Charge | Rebellion | Pride |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Racers | — | 4-5 | 6–4 | 2–3 | 5–7 |
| Chicago Bandits | 5–4 | — | 7–2 | 9–0 | 4-5 |
| Dallas Charge | 4–6 | 2–7 | — | 6–6 | 2–5 |
| Pennsylvania Rebellion | 3-2 | 0–9 | 6-6 | — | 1–11 |
| USSSA Florida Pride | 7–5 | 5-4 | 5–2 | 11–1 | — |
Game log and schedule
All stats come from [1]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Protest/Halted Game | |
| Postponement | |
| Bold | Winning team |
2015 Game log
June
July
August
NPF Championship
The top four teams from the regular season qualify for the championship playoffs. The highest-seeded semifinal winner then hosted the championship final.
| Semi-Finals | Championship | ||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
Semi-finals
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Championship
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistical leaders
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2015) |
Annual awards
| Award | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year Award | |||
| Pitcher of the Year | |||
| Rookie of the Year | |||
| Defensive Player of the Year | |||
| Offensive Player of the Year | |||
| Home Run Award | |||
| Diamond Spike Award | |||
| Coaching Staff of the Year | |||
| Jennie Finch Award |
| 2015 All-NPF Team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Team | Notes |
| Pitcher | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Catcher | |||
| 1st Base | |||
| 2nd Base | |||
| 3rd Base | |||
| Shortstop | |||
| Outfield | |||
| Outfield | |||
| Outfield | |||
| At-Large | |||
| At-Large | |||
| At-Large | |||
| At-Large | |||
| At-Large | |||
| At-Large | |||
| NPF Championship Series MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Record |
Game notes
- ^ June 9 game was originally ruled an 11-inning 7-3 win for the Bandits. The Rebellion lodged a protest because the international tie breaker rule ( which states innings begin with a runner on second base) was not used in the 10th or 11th innings. Upon review, NPF upheld the protest and declared the game 'halted' at the point the tiebreaker rule should have been used. The game is to resume at the start of the 10th inning on July 5.[17]
- ^ Hannah Rogers finished the 9th inning, Lauren Chamberlain hit the game-winning home run in the top of the 10th, and Jordan Taylor closed out the game in the bottom of the 10th. This would normally indicate that Rogers would get the win, and Taylor the save, but the official box score shows Taylor getting the win and no save awarded.[18]
See also
- List of professional sports leagues
- List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
References
- ^ Kayla Lombardo (22 Feb 2015). "NPF 'Charges' toward expansion, establishes team in Dallas". www.aol.com. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- ^ "NPF and CBS Sports Network Sign Agreement for 2015 Season". National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Jami Lobpries (13 July 2015). "USSSA Pride Games to be Aired on Longhorn Network". USSSAPride.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Joe Tuscano (10 July 2015). "Osterman no-hits Rebellion for second time in as many years". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ^ NPF (24 July 2015). "Bandits Rout Charge Behind Abbott's Perfect Game". SportsPageMagazine.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "League Meeting Yields Changes for 2015 NPF Season". ProFastpitch.com. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ "2015 NPF Schedule". www.profastpitch.com. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ Tbonesbaseball.com (24 March 2015). "CommunityAmerica Ballpark to host pro fastpitch softball games". Kansas City Kansan. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d "2015 Schedule". USSAPride.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "GoPLAYGirls Excited to Welcome the USSSA Pride and Dallas Charge to San Antonio". goplaygirl.com. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "TOP LEVEL PRO SOFTBALL COMING TO YORK & LANCASTER". http://www.yorkrevolution.com/. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ "NPF to play four games at Sparkler/Fireworks tournament". Triple Crown Sports. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "NORTH AMERICAN ALL SANCTIONED WORLD SERIES JULY 17-19, 2015". FastpitchShowdowns.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ "2015 NPF College Draft Presented by Bownet" (PDF). ProFastpitch.com. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
- ^ "Rules of the Draft" (PDF). ProFastpitch.com. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
- ^ Jacquie Boatman (15 April 2015). "Former Olympian, two-time Pitcher of the Year returns to circle for Bandits 2015 season". ChicagoBandits.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ Joe Tuscano (11 June 2015). "League upholds Rebellion protest". Observer-Reporter.com. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ "USSSA PRIDE vs PA Rebellion (Jun 26, 2015)". Profastpitch.com. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.