The 2004 National Pro Fastpitch season was the first season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) for the only professional women's fastpitch 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.
Teams, cities and stadiums TeamCityStadium Akron Racers Akron, Ohio Firestone Stadium Arizona Heat Tucson, Arizona Hi Corbett Field California Sunbirds Sacramento, California United Sports Complexes New England Riptide Lowell, Massachusetts Martin Softball Field NY/NJ Juggernaut Upper Montclair, New Jersey Montclair State University Softball Field Texas Thunder Houston, Texas University of Houston Cougars Softball Stadium
Milestones and events The 2004 season was the culmination of years of work to relaunch the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL) as a new league. In November 2002 the new name for WPSL - National Pro Fastpitch - was announced, along with a 2003 tour and league play beginning in 2004.
NPF initially announced a league roster of teams in Akron, Ohio (Akron Racers), Denver, Colo.(Colorado Altitude), Houston and San Antonio, Texas (Texas Thunder and San Antonio Armadillos), Sacramento, Calif. (California Sunbirds), Tucson, Ariz. (Arizona Heat), Lowell, Mass. (New England Riptide), and Parsippany, NJ (NY/NJ Juggernaut). The Racers were the only NPF team that also played in the WPSL. NPF conducted its first player drafts with these eight teams.
In March 2004, NPF released its inaugural schedule for 2004 and did not include the Armadillos and the Altitude. Reports allowed for the possibility of both teams joining the league in 2005 or later, but it never came to be.
NPF officially launched its first season on June 1, 2004, with three games: the Akron Racers at the Texas Thunder, the Arizona Heat visiting the California Sunbirds, and the New England Riptide at the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut.
Player acquisition
College draft
NPF held tryouts and its first drafts at the 2003 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention, at the Del Lago Resort, in Montgomery, Texas December 3–6, 2003.
On December 6 at the 2004 NPF Draft, the eight NPF teams selected players in a four-round Elite Draft and a six-round College Senior Draft. San Antonio selected Michigan State first baseman, and Indiana assistant coach Stacey Phillips with the first overall selection in the Elite Draft. In the College Senior Draft Iyhia McMichael of Mississippi State was selected first by the Akron Racers.
After the decision was made to launch the 2004 season without the Colorado Altitude and San Antonio Armadillos, a Supplemental Draft was held to allocate players whose rights were held by Colorado and San Antonio.
Notable transactions
The Juggernaut signed Michele Smith, a two-time Olympic gold medal pitcher (1996 and 2000), and five-time Japan Pro League MVP. The Racers brought on board Danielle Henderson, a member of the 2000 gold medal Olympic team.
League standings Source: TeamGPWLPct.GB Texas Thunder 58 41 17 .707 - Akron Racers 60 39 21 .650 3 NY/NJ Juggernaut 60 39 21 .650 3 New England Riptide 60 25 35 .417 17 Arizona Heat 60 19 41 .317 23 California Sunbirds 58 15 43.259 26
NPF Championship
The 2004 NPF Championship Series was held at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio August 25–9. The top four teams qualified and were seeded based on the final standings. The Racers won the tiebreaker over the Riptide based on winning the head-to-head season series 8–4. All series were planned to be best-of-three games, but that changed when rain cancelled the game 1 of the final on August 28. A single winner-take-all game was played on August 29.
2004 NPF SemifinalsNY/NJ Juggernaut defeat Akron Racers 2–1 Game Date Score Series Location 1 August 25 NY/NJ Juggernaut 2, Akron Racers 0 1–0 Akron, Ohio 2 August 26 NY/NJ Juggernaut 1, Akron Racers 3 1–1 Akron, Ohio 3 August 26 NY/NJ Juggernaut 2, Akron Racers 1 2–1 Akron, Ohio
2004 NPF SemifinalsNew England Riptide defeat Texas Thunder 2–1 Game Date Score Series Location 1 August 25 Texas Thunder 4, New England Riptide 1 1–0 Akron, Ohio 2 August 26 Texas Thunder 1, New England Riptide 3 1–1 Akron, Ohio 3 August 27 Texas Thunder 0, New England Riptide3 1-2 Akron, Ohio
2004 NPF Championship GameDate Score Location August 29 NY/NJ Juggernaut 10, New England Riptide 1Akron, Ohio
Championship Game
Team Top Batter Stats. NY/NJ Juggernaut Kellie Wilkerson 2-3 4RBIs HR 2B BB New England Riptide Ashley Moore 1-4 RBI K
Team Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NY/NJ Juggernaut Amanda Scott (W) 5.0 4 1 1 3 4 20 23 NY/NJ Juggernaut Gina Oaks 1.0 2 0 0 1 0 5 6 NY/NJ Juggernaut Kaci Clark 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 New England Riptide Leigh Ann Ellis (L) 0.2 2 3 3 2 1 4 6 New England Riptide Jocelyn Forest 2.2 4 4 4 3 0 12 15 New England Riptide Megan Matthews 3.2 5 3 2 1 2 16 17
2004 NPF Championship Series MVP PlayerClubStats.Amanda ScottNY/NJ Juggernaut 3-0 21Ks 0.73 ERA SH (19.0 IP)
Annual awards Source: Regular season championsTexas Thunder
AwardPlayerTeamPlayer of the Year Iyhia McMichaelAkron RacersNPF Batting ChampionIyhia McMichaelAkron RacersPitcher of the YearChrista WilliamsTexas ThunderDefensive Player of the YearLindsay GardnerTexas ThunderManager of the Year Wayne DaigleTexas Thunder
NPF All-Star Teams
The 2004 NPF All-Star Series was held July 13 and 14 at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. The East All-Star team included players from NY/NJ Juggernaut, the New England Riptide, and the Akron Racers and was managed by the Racers' Judy Martino. The West All-Star team included players from California Sunbirds, the Arizona Heat, and the Texas Thunder and was managed by the Thunder's Wayne Daigle.
The USA Olympic softball team played a doubleheader against each NPF All-Star Team on July 13. The Olympians swept the games beating the East 5–0, and edging the West 5–3 in 9 innings. The West All-Stars beat the East by a score of 1–0 on July 14. Nancy Evans was named the Most Valuable Player.
2004 NPF ALL-STAR ROSTER - WEST TEAMPlayerNPF TeamPositionWendy AllenArizona Heat1BErica BeachArizona HeatPCheryl BoldingArizona HeatOFClare BurnumTexas Thunder3BErin EvansTexas ThunderOFNancy EvansArizona Heat3BJaime FoutchCalifornia Sunbirds3BLindsay GardnerTexas Thunder2BPeaches JamesTexas ThunderPJulie MarshallCalifornia SunbirdsCLisha RibelliaArizona HeatIFRyan RealmutoTexas ThunderCBrandy ThurmanCalifornia SunbirdsIFChrista WilliamsTexas ThunderPKristen ZaleskiTexas ThunderOF
2004 NPF ALL-STAR ROSTER - EAST TEAMPlayerNPF TeamPositionLindsey Collins-MillerNY/NJ JuggernautCLeigh Ann EllisNew England RiptidePJocelyn ForestNew England RiptidePLyndsey KleinNY/NJ JuggernautSSCarri LetoNY/NJ Juggernaut2BIyhia McMichaelAkron RacersOFGina OaksNY/NJ JuggernautOFJaclyn PasquerellaNY/NJ Juggernaut3BTrena PeelAkron RacersOFJen PooreAkron RacersCAmanda ScottNY/NJ JuggernautPBrandi StuartAkron Racers2BKellie WilkersonNY/NJ Juggernaut1BNicole TrimboliAkron Racers1B
All-Star Game note
See also
List of professional sports leagues List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
References
External links National Pro Fastpitch