The 1997 WPF Drafts are a pair of player drafts held as part of the launch of the inaugural season of Women's Pro Fastpitch softball league. The first, the 1996 WPF Amateur Draft, a draft of 120 softball players, was held in Minneapolis, MN Oct. 8, 1996. The second, the 1997 WPF Senior Draft, a draft of 60 college seniors divided among the WPF's six teams, was held March 20, 1997.

NewsOK.com reported on a 1995 WPF draft. It is unclear if the date is incorrect, or if the results of this draft had any relationship with the 1996 and 1997 drafts mentioned above, or if the draft was disregarded entirely. NewsOK reported that Olympians Michele Smith and Lisa Fernandez were drafted. NewsOK also listed draftees pitchers Kim Ward (sixth round), Dena Carter (10th round) and Amy Day (11th round) and outfielder Becky Burroughs (13th round).

The tables below for the drafts are incomplete, but will be filled out as further research is completed.

The following players were reported as drafted, but the exact round and pick number unclear: Draftees Gena Weber and twin sisters Karla Kunnen-Wojtas and Kari Kunnen-Kossen reported to play for the Roadsters after the 1997 NCAA season finished. Marty Laudato was selected in the 16th round of the WPF draft in October. Molly Lackman, formerly of Immaculata, was picked two rounds two rounds after Laudato.

Following are some of the selections from the 1997 WPF drafts: Position key: C = catcher; INF = infielder; SS = shortstop; OF = outfielder; UT = Utility infielder; P = pitcher; RHP = right-handed pitcher; LHP = left-handed pitcher Positions will be listed as combined for those who can play multiple positions.

align="center" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" width="20" # Denotes player who has not played in the WPF, WPSL or the NPF

1996 WPF Amateur Draft

Round 1

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege1 2 3 4 5 6Julie Smith2B Fresno State

Round 2

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege7 8 9 10 11 12Kim MaherOF/3B Fresno State

Round 3

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege13Shelly Stokes#C Fresno State14 15 16 17Martha Norfsinger-O'Kelley#SS Fresno State18 Round 4

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege19 20 21 22 23 24 Round 5

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege25 26 27 28 29 30 Round 6

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege31 32 33 34 35 36 Round 7

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege37 38 39 40 41 42 Round 8

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege43 44 45 46 47 48 Round 9

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege49 50 51 52 53 54 Round 10

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege55 56 57 58 59 60 Round 11

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege61 62 63 64 65 66 Round 12

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege67 68 69 70 71 72Christa Yorke#C Fresno State Round 13

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege73 74 75 76 77 78 Round 14

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege79 80 81 82 83 84 Round 15

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege85 86 87 88 89 90 Round 16

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege91 92 93 94 95 96 Round 17

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege97 98 99 100 101 102 Round 18

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege103 104 105 106 107 108 Round 19

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege103 104 105 106 107 108 Round 20

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege109 110 111 112 113 114 Round 21

PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege115 116 117 118 119 120

1997 WPF Senior Draft Round 1 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege1Trinity JohnsonPVirginia RoadstersSouth Carolina2Jill Most Oklahoma3 4 5 6

Round 2 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege7 8 9Randi BergSSGeorgia Pride Fresno State10 11 12

Round 3 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege13 14 15 16 17 18Jennifer Clark#RHPCarolina DiamondsFresno State Round 4 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege19 20 21 22 23 24 Round 5 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege25 26 27 28 29 30 Round 6 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege31 32 33 34 35 36 Round 7 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege37 38 39 40 41 42 Round 8 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege43 44 45 46 47 48 Round 9 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege49 50 51 52 53 54 Round 10 PickPlayerPos.WPF TeamCollege55 56 57 58 59 60

Draft notes

References