The 2001 Women's Professional Softball League season was the first year that the WPSL suspended play before relaunching the league in 2004 under the name National Pro Fastpitch. From 1997, WPSL operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).

Teams When the WPSL suspended the 2001 season, there were four teams in the league: Tampa Bay FireStix, Akron Racers, Ohio Pride, and Florida Wahoos. When the league relaunched in 2004 as the NPF, the Racers were the only WPSL team to continue playing.

Milestones and Events The 2001 year began as normally scheduled for the WPSL. The league had its draft in December 2000 and had a schedule for the upcoming season. However, on February 27, 2001, WPSL announced that the 2001 had been cancelled, and the league would focus on expansion for a league relaunch in 2002. (The relaunch was eventually postponed until 2004.) To maintain public awareness of the league and to test future markets for expansion, in lieu of a WPSL season the league sponsored the "Tour of Fastpitch Champions" during the summer, featuring a team of WPSL All-Stars against a team of USA and international Olympians, called WPSL Gold.

The WPSL announced a plan to restart play in "six to eight markets in 2002, with growth to 12 markets by 2004." The tour moved through 14 cities, as the two WPSL teams played each other and other international and local all-stars. Ten of these games were televised, eight on ESPN2 and two "live" on ESPN, a first for the WPSL. In 2002, the league continued to explore where its new teams would play, and had a 2003 tour as an opener to the return of league play in 2004.

College Draft

Before play was suspended, WPSL held their regularly scheduled 2001 WPSL Senior Draft. Many draftees never played in the league, but some did, even making an All-Star team. These results are indicated below.

align="center" bgcolor="#FFCC00" width="20" + Denotes player who has been selected for at least NPF All-Star team align="center" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" width="20" # Denotes player who never played in the NPF

Draft Selections

Round 1 Pick Player Pos. College Drafted by WPSL/NPF Experience1Courtney Dale#P/OFUCLATampa Bay FireStixNever played in NPF 2Lindsey Collins+CArizonaAkron RacersNPF All-Stars(2003), NY/NJ Juggernaut(2004)3Becky Lemke#PArizonaOhio Pride Never played in NPF4Ashley Lewis#PLSUFlorida WahoosNever played in NPF

Round 2 Pick Player Pos. College Drafted by WPSL/NPF Experience5Allison AndradeINFArizonaAkron Racers NPF All-Stars(2003), California Sunbirds(2004)6Lisa Carey#SSOklahomaOhio PrideNever played in NPF 7Ashli Barrett#COklahomaFlorida WahoosNever played in NPF 8Kim DePaul#3BWashingtonTampa Bay FireStixNever played in NPF

Round 3 Pick Player Pos. College Drafted by WPSL/NPF Experience9Serita Brooks#OFFlorida StateOhio PrideNever played in NPF 10Lauren BauerOFArizonaFlorida WahoosNPF All-Stars(2003), NY/NJ Juggernaut(2004), Arizona Heat(2005)11Ginger Jones-Powers1BAlabamaTampa Bay FireStixTexas Thunder(2004)12Racheal Goodpaster#SSUNLVAkron RacersNever played in NPF

Round 4 Pick Player Pos. College Drafted by WPSL/NPF Experience13Brenda Iglesia#3B/DPCal State FullertonFlorida WahoosNever played in NPF14Andrea Davis#UTOklahomaTampa Bay FireStixNever played in NPF15Nicole Giordano#OFArizonaAkron RacersNever played in NPF16Toni Mascarenas3BArizonaOhio PrideArizona Heat(2005–06)

Round 5 Pick Player Pos. College Drafted by WPSL/NPF Experience17Bronwyn Blair#OFVirginia TechTampa Bay FireStixNever played in NPF18Janette Koshell#OF/PTennesseeAkron RacersNever played in NPF19Lupe Brambila#OFUCLAOhio PrideNever played in NPF20Charla Moore#PTexasFlorida WahoosNever played in NPF

Round 6 Pick Player Pos. College Drafted by WPSL/NPF Experience21Kelley Askew#C/OFAlabamaAkron Racers Never played in NPF22Stephanie Swenson#PUCLAOhio Pride Never played in NPF23Jamie Fuente#PNebraskaFlorida Wahoos Never played in NPF24Sarah Farnworth#P/OFCal State NorthridgeTampa Bay FireStix Never played in NPF

Tour Rosters The rosters of the 2001 WPSL All-Stars and WPSL Gold are listed below:

WPSL Gold # Name Position CollegeHometown 44Laura BergOFFresno StateSanta Fe Springs, CA2Jennifer Brundage3BUCLAAnn Arbor, MI6Crystl BustosSSPalm Beach Community CollegeSanta Clarita, CA22Sheila Douty1BUCLADiamond Bar, CA16Lisa FernandezP/3BUCLALong Beach, CA4Danielle HendersonPUMassCommack, NY 21Kelly KretschmanOFAlabamaIndian Harbour Beach, FL10Teri Klement-GoldbergOFColorado StateFt. Collins, CO 11Jackie LanceOFNew MexicoNorth Delta, BC3Jennifer McFalls UT INFTexas A&MGrand Prairie, TX32Michele SmithP/1BOklahoma StateCalifon, NJ23Michelle VenturellaCIndianaIndianapolis, IN12Erin WhiteC/OFIowa StateRichmond, BC7Cindy Yan Fang2BBeijing, China Head Coach: Judy Martino

WPSL All-Stars Name Position CollegeHometown Years in WPSLMonica Armendarez3B/UTIndianaCarlsbad, NM3 Patti BenedictOFMichiganLamont, FL3 Kaci ClarkPUCLABrentwood, TN3 Danielle CoxOFFlorida StateAnniston, AL2 Julie CrandallCUNLVSan Jose, CA2 Jaime Foutch1B/OFOklahoma StateEdmond, OK1 Stephanie KlaviterPMinnesotaNew Ulm, MN2 Lyndsey KleinSSUCLARoseville, CA1 Amy KylerPCleveland StateMarshallville, OH3 Marty LaudatoCBloomsburgMalvern, PA4 Kim MaherOF/UTFresno StateOakland, CA1 Kendall Richards3B/UTTexas A&MEugene, OR2 Julie Smith2BFresno StateGlendora, CA1Kellyn TateOFMichiganChesterfield, MO3

Head Coach: Tim Kiernan

Tour Schedule and Results

WPSL Gold schedule and results: DateW/LScoreOpponentPitcherLocation 6/1W7-5WPSL All-StarsFernandez (1–0)Plant City, FL6/8W8-0WPSL All-StarsFernandez (2–0)Allentown, PA6/9W5-4WPSL All-StarsHenderson (1–0)Allentown, PA6/14W5-2WPSL All-StarsSmith (1–0)Oklahoma City, OK6/15W6-2WPSL All-StarsHenderson (2–0)Oklahoma City, OK6/17L1-2USA RedFernandez (1–2)Los Angeles, CA6/23L2-3WPSL All-StarsHenderson (2–1)Akron, OHL2-3WPSL All-StarsSmith (1-1)Akron, OH6/24W14-1WPSL All-StarsFernandez (3–1)Akron, OH6/28W4-1Tennessee All-StarsSmith (2–1)Chattanooga, TN6/29T1-1WPSL All-StarsN/AChattanooga, TN7/1W6-5WPSL All-StarsFernandez (4–1)Houston, TX 7/2L1-2WPSL All-StarsSmith (2-2)Houston, TX7/4CancelledWPSL All-StarsN/APlant City, FL7/13W9-0White Sox All-StarsFernandez (5–1)Rockford, IL7/14W5-0WPSL All-StarsSmith (3–2)Rockford, IL7/21L0-1CanadaHenderson (2-2)Madison, WI7/22W4-0CanadaFernandez (6–1)Madison, WI 7/31CancelledWPSL All-StarsN/APlant City, FL8/8W3-0WPSL All-StarsFernandez (7–1)Salem, VA8/9L2-4WPSL All-StarsHenderson (2–3)Salem, VA8/9W2-0WPSL All-StarsFernandez (8–1)Salem, VA8/17W6-0WPSL All-StarsFernandez (9–1)Akron, OH8/18W3-2WPSL All-StarsSmith (4–2)Akron, OHW6-3WPSL All-StarsFernandez (10–1)Akron, OH8/29W4-0WPSL All-StarsSmith (5–2)Omaha, NE8/30W2-1WPSL All-StarsFernandez (2–1)Omaha, NE

WPSL All-Stars schedule and results: DateW/LScoreOpponentPitcherLocation 6/1L5-7WPSL GoldKlaviter (0–1)Plant City, FL6/8L0-8WPSL GoldClark (0–1)Allentown, PA6/9L4-5WPSL GoldKyler (0–1)Allentown, PA6/14L2-5WPSL GoldKyler (0–2)Oklahoma City, OK6/15L2-6WPSL GoldKlaviter (0–2)Oklahoma City, OK6/17W1-0USA BlueKyler (1–2)Los Angeles, CA6/23W3-2WPSL GoldClark (1-1)Akron, OH6/23W3-2WPSL GoldKyler (2-2)Akron, OH 6/24L1-14WPSL GoldKlaviter (0–3)Akron, OH6/29T1-1WPSL GoldN/AChattanooga, TN7/1L5-6WPSL GoldKyler (2–3)Houston, TX7/2W2-1WPSL GoldKlaviter (1–3)Houston, TX7/4CancelledWPSL GoldN/APlant City, FL7/14L0-5WPSL GoldKlaviter (1–4)Rockford, IL7/14W7-0White Sox All-StarsKyler (3-3)Rockford, IL7/31CancelledWPSL GoldN/APlant City, FL8/8L0-3WPSL GoldKlaviter (1–5)Salem, VA8/9W4-2WPSL GoldKyler (4–3)Salem, VAL0-2WPSL GoldClark (1–2)Salem, VA8/17L0-6WPSL GoldClark (1–3)Akron, OH8/18L2-3WPSL GoldKlaviter(1–6)Akron, OHL3-6WPSL GoldKyler (4-4)Akron, OH8/29L0-4WPSL GoldKyler (4–5)Omaha, NE 8/30L1-2WPSL GoldClark (1–4)Omaha, NE

Game notes

References

External links National Pro Fastpitch

See also

List of professional sports leagues List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada