NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 14, 2016) – Catcher Lexie Elkins from Louisiana-Lafayette was the first pick in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Draft presented by Bownet.
The draft was held at the CMA Theater inside the Country Music Hall of Fame Thursday night, April 14. This is the fourth year in a row the college draft for NPF, the nation’s premier professional softball league, has been held in Nashville. This was the second year the draft was televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network.
Elkins was tabbed by the Pennsylvania Rebellion, a team looking to bolster its offensive output. She leads the NCAA in batting average, home runs and slugging percentage this season.
“In the offseason we tried to do some things to improve our ability to pound the ball a little bit,” Rebellion owner Stu Williams said. “We picked up Stacy Porter which we thought was good, but we were looking for a good, young hitter and leader.
“Lexie was at the top of our list from day one. She does have the power. She rarely strikes out. We are very excited to have her in Pennsylvania. We can’t wait to see how this season unfolds.”
With the second pick the USSSA Pride chose infielder Sierra Romero.
The Akron Racers made two picks in the first round, selecting pitcher Jailyn Ford from James Madison at No. 3 and Missouri infielder Sam Fagan at No. 4.
The USSSA Pride chose Kentucky pitcher Kelsey Nunley at No. 5.
The Scrap Yard Dawgs, making their first draft selection ever as a franchise, took Nebraska outfielder Kiki Stokes with the sixth and final pick of the first round. It was their first of eight picks in the draft.
“The philosophy of this draft was to make sure we had kids who could drive the ball,” Scrap Yard Dawgs general manager Connie May said. “We wanted to make sure they were athletes who had speed so we could have a lot of versatility across the field.
“We have a pretty good baseline of athletes on the team already. We want to bring in these players to complement those people and work together to push each other as a team.”
May is a big fan of the movies “Moneyball” and “Draft Day”. She enjoyed every minute of her first draft. “It was awesome,” May said. “I love this game. I have been doing this for 42 years in every capacity. “It is an amazing experience. NPF is really gaining some traction.”
The Southeastern Conference was the leader in terms of selections with 18 of the 40 picks, including five of the first 12 picks. Florida led all schools with four picks followed by Missouri with three picks.
In the second round the Dallas Charge made draft history with its first pick of the night choosing infielder Cailtin Attfield as the No. 9 pick overall. Attfield is the first player in University of Alabama-Birmingham program history to be selected in the NPF Draft.
Two other schools also saw their first players drafted by the NPF. Iowa State utility player Brittany Gomez was selected No. 28 in the fifth round by the Pennsylvania Rebellion. In the sixth round left-handed pitcher Hannah Perryman was picked out of Missouri-St. Louis.
The draft consisted of six rounds with six selections each in the first two rounds and seven selections in each of the remaining rounds.
Round-by-round selections from 2016 NPF College Draft presented by Bownet:
First Round:
1. Pennyslvania Rebellion – Catcher Lexie Elkins (Louisiana-Lafayette)
2. USSSA Pride – Infielder Sierra Romero (Michigan)
3. Akron Racers – Pitcher Jailyn Ford (James Madison)
4. Akron Racers – infielder Sami Fagan (Missouri)
5. USSSA Pride – Pitcher Kelsey Nunley (Kentucky)
6. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Outfielder Kiki Stokes (Nebraska)
Second Round:
7. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Outfielder Emily Crane (Missouri)
8. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Outfielder Allexis Bennett (UCLA)
9. Dallas Charge – Infielder Caitlin Attfield (UAB)
10. Akron Racers – Infielder Alex Hugo (Georgia)
11. Chicago Bandits – Pitcher Shelby Turner (UCF)
12. USSSA Pride – Infielder Kelsey Stewart (Florida)
Third Round:
13. USSSA Pride – Outfielder Haylie McCleney (Alabama)
14. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson (Georgia)
15. Dallas Charge – Outfielder Taylor Gadbois (Missouri)
16. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Infielder Chaley Brickey (Kansas)
17. Chicago Bandits – Catcher Kelsi Kloss (LSU)
18. USSSA Pride – Catcher/Utility Erica Field (James Madison)
19. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Catcher/Utility Lexi Overstreet (Tennessee)
Fourth Round:
20. Akron Racers – Utility Geri Ann Glasco (Oregon)
21. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Outfielder Lindsey Stephens (Texas)
22. Chicago Bandits – Infielder Emily Carosone (Auburn)
23. Akron Racers – First baseman Sandra Simmons (LSU)
24. Chicago Bandits – Shortstop Kristen Brown (North Carolina)
25. USSSA Pride – Outfielder Kirsti Merritt (Florida)
26. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Infielder Christian Stokes (Kentucky)
Fifth Round:
27. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Pitcher Sara Driesenga (Michigan)
28. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Utility Brittany Gomez (Iowa State)
29. Dallas Charge – Pitcher Cheridan Hawkins (Oregon)
30. Akron Racers – Catcher-Outfielder Hannah Day (Troy)
31. Akron Racers – Utility Emily Messer (South Alabama)
32. USSSA Pride – Pitcher Heather Stearns (Baylor)
33. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Catcher-Outfielder Lee Ann Spivey (South Florida)
Sixth Round:
34. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Catcher/Utility Taylore Fuller (Florida)
35. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Infielder Kayla Winkfield (Mississippi State)
36. Pennsylvania Rebellion – Infielder Bianca Bell (LSU)
37. Akron Racers – Left-Handed Pitcher Hannah Perryman (Missouri-St. Louis)
38. Dallas Charge – Outfielder Alyssa Gillespie (Oregon)
39. USSSA Pride – Catcher Aubree Munro (Florida)
40. Scrap Yard Dawgs – Infielder Mikela Manewa (Oregon State)
About National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2002, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in diamond sports beyond their collegiate success. The 2016 NPF season will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Coverage includes the NPF College Draft presented by Bownet on Thur., April 14, followed by 23 regular-season games, a Championship Series Preview Special and the 2016 NPF Championship Series. The NPF recently announced that the Scrap Yard Dawgs, located in The Woodlands, Texas, will join the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2016 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand, representing the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.
Note to Media
Photos and b-roll of players is available. Interviews with the league commissioner are welcomed, and top players from each team are accessible immediately. If you’re interested in pursuing story angles about professional softball for women, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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