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Bailey2018-06-20 10:19:402018-06-21 13:39:26NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC CHANNEL TO CONTINUE COVERAGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASONCOUNTDOWN TO CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
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NPF NEWS PRESENTED BY:
LEAGUE NEWS
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Michael Newman2018-06-11 14:35:362018-06-21 13:39:20ESPN+ Adds Exclusive Rights to Select Regular Season National Pro Fastpitch Games; Becomes Exclusive Home to the League’s Cowles Cup Championship Series
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Bailey2018-06-20 10:19:402018-06-21 13:39:26NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC CHANNEL TO CONTINUE COVERAGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON
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Julie Walton2018-06-16 08:46:572018-06-16 08:46:57DeWitt Signs Two Year Deal with USSSA Pride
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Julie Walton2018-06-13 08:23:592018-06-13 08:23:59NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH COMBINES GREAT COVERAGE WITH IMPRESSIVE BROADCAST PERSONALITIES FOR 2018
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Gaye Lynn Wilson2018-06-12 12:26:032018-06-12 12:26:03Bandits sign No. 1 overall pick Lowary to one-year deal
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Bailey2018-06-12 11:38:522018-06-12 11:39:52WCWS Most Outstanding Player Signs Contract with the Pride
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Gaye Lynn Wilson2018-06-12 10:19:102018-06-12 10:49:18Nicole Pendley Signs Contract with USSSA PrideGAME RECAPS
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Bailey2018-06-22 09:06:502018-06-22 09:06:50Taylor's Two-Run Shot Leads Bandits Past Eagles
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Gaye Lynn Wilson2018-06-22 09:05:192018-06-22 09:05:19Pride Sweep the Cleveland Comets Series
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Gaye Lynn Wilson2018-06-20 18:17:462018-06-20 18:18:18Ries rolls to win in homecoming
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Michael Newman2018-06-20 13:06:582018-06-20 13:27:27YOUNG PITCHERS AND PLENTY OF POWER HIGHLIGHT WEEK 5 AWARDS, PRESENTED IN PART BY DIAMOND SPORTS (JUNE 12-18)
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Gaye Lynn Wilson2018-06-13 16:37:152018-06-13 17:51:13UNDEFEATED CHICAGO BANDITS SWEEP AWARDS IN WEEK 4, PRESENTED IN PART BY RAWLINGS (JUNE 6-11)
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Bailey2018-06-06 12:18:182018-06-11 14:40:17Sierra Romero Named NPF Player of the Week Presented by BOOMBAH (May 30-June 5)GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
ABOUT US
70-miles per hour pitches, 240-foot home runs, soft hands and lightning-quick reactions all stitched into 7 feverish innings of gritty, gutsy, fast-paced action. Welcome to hard-hittin’, fast-pitchin’, affordable family fun. Welcome to National Pro Fastpitch!
NPF is intended to provide family entertainment for people of all ages and to showcase the top talent in fast-pitch softball today. The primary goal of the league is to secure fast-pitch softball as a professional sports option for generations to come. The league also aspires to entertain and provide positive role models for young girls. NPF athletes exhibit their disciplined work ethic, dedication, and love for the sport through their actions, both on and off the field. The players that represent the league are college-educated, articulate and passionate young women who embrace leadership roles within their communities and strive to reciprocate the support of NPF fans.
5 teams will compete in 2018, with additional teams expected the following season as a result of ongoing expansion efforts. NPF has committed to, and built, a strong national presence through its plentiful action shared on a variety of media platforms, including NPFTV, ESPN+, ELEVEN Sports, B/R Live (presented by Turner), Flo Sports, mlb.com, The Olympic Channel and others. Paired with growing in-venue attendance, this increased exposure provides a solid foundation for partners with whom the league shares a common target audience. In the 2018 season, the entire slate of action, all 120 games plus the Championship Series, will stream live on a myriad of digital platforms, including NPFTV and ESPN+. This coverage consistently generates measurable return for league sponsors, partners and suppliers.
NPF is devoted to working with partners who find positivity in the relationship that exists with our fans through player, team and league activities. Unlimited advertising opportunities across multiple outlets, coupled with the inextinguishable enthusiasm of NPF clubs and the front office, are a winning formula for our corporate partners. NPF’s status as an Official Developmental Partner of Major League Baseball is a bonus as well.
All combined, our developmental partnership with MLB, the broadcast support of local and national networks, the endorsement of leading industry sponsors, the experience and commitment of team owners and the exceptional talent of our players and coaches point to a brilliant future for fast-pitch softball.
NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC CHANNEL TO CONTINUE COVERAGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON
Broadcasts, Featured, League NewsNASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 19, 2018) – National Pro Fastpitch announced an agreement with the global Olympic Channel for regular season and championship action from the 2018 NPF season. The agreement includes more than twenty games and will be the second season in a row that the Olympic Channel has provided coverage of National Pro Fastpitch within its programming.
Launched in August 2016, the Olympic Channel is a multi-platform, global media destination where fans can experience the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games all year round, and is available worldwide via mobile apps for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com.
“We look forward to working with National Pro Fastpitch and bring additional exposure to their sport and athletes,” said Mark Parkman, general manager of the Olympic Channel. “The worldwide appeal of fastpitch softball is a great fit for our worldwide platform and youthful demographic as we look ahead to the sport of softball being re-introduced at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.”
“What we know about softball is that it is widely watched around the world and it is a beloved international sports choice of many,” commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “We know this because of the overwhelming success the sport enjoyed in the four Olympic Games between 1996 and 2008. We believe coverage of softball at the highest level will certainly help grow the audience and the demand, which will ultimately help grow the sport itself. We are a league designed to appeal to a worldwide audience and we hope to reinforce the argument that softball and baseball are logical choices to be included on the 2024 Paris slate of events.”
Games featured on the Olympic Channel will be available on-demand and in international regions that do not conflict with exclusive domestic rights agreements that also exist for 2018 NPF content coverage. The line-up of games will include action from all five NPF teams and is dispersed throughout the entire season.
The league opened play on May 19th with the Aussie Spirit hosting the Beijing Shougang Eagles. Regular season action will conclude August 13, followed by the best of three Championship Series August 16-20, held this year in Rosemont, IL at the home of the Chicago Bandits.
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 Aussie Spirit, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comets, and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2018 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.
ESPN+ Adds Exclusive Rights to Select Regular Season National Pro Fastpitch Games; Becomes Exclusive Home to the League’s Cowles Cup Championship Series
Broadcasts, Featured, League NewsPer ESPN (May 24, 2018) ESPN+ has added more exclusive content and another championship event, reaching an agreement with National Pro Fastpitch to carry regular season games throughout the summer and the league’s Cowles Cup Championship Series. The exclusive regular season slate begins Thursday, May 31, and will continue into August, featuring multiple appearances from every team in the league. ESPN+’s first season of NPF coverage will culminate with the best-of-five championship series, which gets underway Thursday, Aug. 16. ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International division in partnership with ESPN.
“ESPN+ will now offer the best in professional women’s softball, adding more exclusive live events to its dynamic and growing portfolio.” said Richard Mace, ESPN manager of Programming and Acquisitions. “In addition to a robust NPF regular season slate and the league’s championship series, fans will receive a highly personalized experience on the ESPN App and access to a multitude of professional and college games and a full library of on-demand sports content. For softball enthusiasts, ESPN+ offers hundreds of softball games each year from a variety of levels, including Little League Softball in the summer and college action throughout the spring.”
“National Pro Fastpitch is thrilled to be included on ESPN+ during the subscription service’s inaugural year,” said Cheri Kempf, NPF Commissioner. “Softball fans have come to rely on ESPN to deliver our fast-paced and entertaining sport, so to include the professional level among coverage options through ESPN+ is a perfect fit. We are looking forward to an exciting season of action, capped off with our Championship Series in August.”
Exclusive Schedule Features All-Five Teams: Three Veteran Clubs, Two International Newcomers
ESPN+’s exclusive 13 game regular season slate is highlighted by at least four appearances by each of the five teams in the league. Schedule highlights include:
ESPN+ to Add Live Programming and Original Content
National Pro Fastpitch is the latest addition to ESPN+ comprehensive lineup, which include hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more.
ESPN’s Continued Commitment to Sport of Softball
ESPN has long been a supporter of the sport of softball, with complete coverage of the NCAA Division I Super Regionals and Women’s College World Series (WCWS) for the 12 and 18 consecutive seasons, respectively. In 2017, the network expanded its coverage to include every game of the post season. This season alone, ESPN led the industry with a schedule of more than 650 NCAA Division I games available across its family of networks and ESPN+. Supporting the sport at multiple levels, ESPN signed a multi-year deal with USA Softball in 2017 to televise games from the World Cup of Softball and added every game of the Little League Softball World Series and all of its U.S. regional tournaments to ESPN+ in 2018.
2018 NPF on ESPN+ Schedule
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International division in partnership with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).
ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.
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 Aussie Spirit, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comets, and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2018 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.
NPF Commissioner Cheri Kempf has been a softball analyst with ESPN since 2006 and has anchored ESPN’s WCWS studio coverage since 2008.
ESPN media contact: Kimberly Elchlepp at kimberly.m.elchlepp@espn.com or 860-424-2923; @kimelchlepp
Taylor’s Two-Run Shot Leads Bandits Past Eagles
Beijing Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Featured, Game RecapsPride Sweep the Cleveland Comets Series
Cleveland Comets, Game Recaps, USSSAVIERA, FL (June 20, 2018) – The USSSA Pride take the series from the Cleveland Comets with the three-game sweep. Clinching the win tonight with the score of 4 to 1.
They out-scored the Comets 17-1 in the series and the Pride improved their overall record, to the NPF best of 12-0.
Keilani Ricketts did great things in circle for her 2018 season debut as she threw a no-hitter and the first no-hitter for the Pride this season. She struck out nine in her appearance
Ricketts surely locked it up in the circle with her performance, and got Vaultz Lock It Up Player of the Game.
The Pride swung for the fences as they scored all four runs on homeruns.
Shelby Pendley scored the first solo shot of the night, and put the Pride on top 1-0 in bottom of the second.
Hallie Wilson got herself on base with a line drive up the middle to start off the bottom of the third. Megan Wiggins hit a long ball over centerfield to drive in two more runs and brought the Pride 3-0.
After a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, Kirsti Merritt knocked one over the left field fence and finalized the four runs for the Pride.
A couple of errors for the Pride defense allowed the Comets to get one across the plate in the top of the seventh, but Ricketts quickly shut them down.
Tonight was the first ever LGBTQ+ Pride night for the USSSA Pride and the entire NPF organization.
The Pride pick it back up at the USSSA Space Coast Stadium against the Chicago Bandits on June 25.
Quick Facts
Time: 1hr 34m
Attendance: 905
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 Aussie Spirit, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comets and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2018 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.
Ries rolls to win in homecoming
Beijing Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Game Recaps