2007 National Pro Fastpitch season

The 2007 National Pro Fastpitch season was the fourth 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.

2007 NPF Season
LeagueNational Pro Fastpitch
Sportsoftball
DurationMay 29, 2007 – August 18, 2007
Number of teams6
2007 NPF Draft
Top draft pickLindsay Schutzler
Tennessee
Picked byChicago Bandits
Regular Season
Majestic Cup
(Best record)		Washington Glory
Cowles Cup
ChampionsWashington Glory
  Runners-upRockford Thunder
Finals MVPMonica Abbott
Washington Glory

Teams, cities and stadiums
Team City Stadium
Akron Racers Akron, Ohio Firestone Stadium
Chicago Bandits Lisle, Illinois Benedictine University Sports Complex[1]
New England Riptide Lowell, Massachusetts Martin Softball Field[2]
Philadelphia Force Allentown, Pennsylvania ECTB Stadium[3]
Rockford Thunder Rockford, Illinois SportsCore One[4]
Washington Glory Fairfax, Virginia Softball Complex at George Mason University[5]
National Pro Fastpitch teams

Milestones and events

A number of changes to the NPF roster of teams happened in the offseason:

The Texas Thunder were sold to new ownership based in Rockford, Illinois. They relocated there for the 2007 season and renamed themselves the Rockford Thunder.[6]

In January 2007, the Connecticut Brakettes announced they would no longer participate in NPF.[7]

In February, an expansion team named the Washington Glory was added to NPF, and the Glory inherited the contracts of players from the Brakettes.[8]

Arizona Heat suspended play for the 2007 season.[9] Despite rumors to the contrary, the Heat never rejoined NPF.

NPF hired Cheri Kempf to be commissioner. Kempf's background includes pitching on the 1992 gold medal-winning United States national team in the World Cup in Beijing, China, producing instructional books and videos on softball, and announcing professional and college softball telecasts.[10]

In March, the Akron Racers hired Shonda Stanton, the head softball coach at Marshall University to be field manager.[11]

Player acquisition

College draft
Further information: 2007 NPF Draft

The 2007 NPF Senior Draft was held February 14, 2007. Lindsay Schutzler of Tennessee was selected first by the Chicago Bandits.[12]

Notable transactions

Cat Osterman was drafted first in the 2006 NPF Draft by the Connecticut Brakettes. She did not sign with them, becoming a free agent on September 30, 2006. In December 2006, she signed a deal to join the Rockford Thunder.[13]

League standings

Source [14]

Team GP W L Pct. GB
Washington Glory 44 34 10 .773 -
Akron Racers 43 26 17 .605 7.5
New England Riptide 44 26 18 .591 8
Rockford Thunder 44 24 20 .545 10
Philadelphia Force 44 24 20 .545 10
Chicago Bandits 44 23 21 .523 11

The Michigan Ice played a partial schedule in 2007, with hopes of receiving investor support in 2008 to become a full-time NPF member. The Ice never became a full-time member. League games against Team China, Denso Japan professional softball team, the Venezuela national team and the Stratford Brakettes were also scheduled. The results counted in the NPF's team records.[15]

NPF Championship

The 2007 NPF Championship Series was held at Sunset Point Park in Kimberly, Wisconsin August 24-6. The top four teams qualified and were seeded based on the final standings. The series matched the teams up in a double-elimination bracket.[16]

  August 25, 2007[17] August 25, 2007 August 26, 2007
                             
1 Washington Glory 4  
4 Rockford Thunder 0  
  W1 New England Riptide 1  
  W2 Washington Glory 2  
2 Akron Racers 0
3 New England Riptide 3  
  W4 Washington Glory 3
  W5 Rockford Thunder 1
L1 Akron Racers 3  
L2 Rockford Thunder 6  
  W3 Rockford Thunder 5
  L4 New England Riptide 0  
2007 NPF Championship Series - Game 1
#2 seed vs. #3 seed
GameDateScoreLocation
1August 25Akron Racers 0, New England Riptide 3[18]Kimberly, Wisconsin
Riptide advance; Racers to losers bracket
2007 NPF Championship Series - Game 2
#1 seed vs. #4 seed
GameDateScoreLocation
2August 25Washington Glory 4, Rockford Thunder 0[19]Kimberly, Wisconsin
Glory advance; Thunder to losers bracket
2007 NPF Championship Series - Game 3
Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser
GameDateScoreLocation
3August 25Akron Racers 3, Rockford Thunder 6 (10 innings)[20]Kimberly, Wisconsin
Rockford Thunder eliminate Akron Racers
2007 NPF Championship Series - Game 4
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
GameDateScoreLocation
4August 25Washington Glory 2, New England Riptide 1[21]Kimberly, Wisconsin
Glory to final; Riptide to losers bracket
2007 NPF Championship Series - Game 5
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser
GameDateScoreLocation
5August 26Rockford Thunder 5, New England Riptide 0[22]Kimberly, Wisconsin
Thunder to final; Riptide eliminated
2007 NPF Championship Series - Game 6
Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner
GameDateScoreLocation
6August 24Washington Glory 3, Rockford Thunder 1[23]Kimberly, Wisconsin
Washington Glory win NPF Championship
2007 NPF Championship Series MVP
Player Club Stats.
Monica Abbott Washington Glory 2-0 0.00 ERA NH SV[24]

League leaders

Annual awards

Source:[25]

Majestic Cup
(Best regular season record)
Washington Glory
Award Player Team
Player of the Year Award Amber Jackson Washington Glory
Pitcher of the Year Desiree Serrano Washington Glory
Rookie of the Year Kristina Thorson Philadelphia Force
Defensive Player of the Year Jackie Pasquerella New England Riptide
Offensive Player of the Year Veronica Wootson Akron Racers
Manager of the Year Carie Dever-Boaz Washington Glory
2007 All-NPF Team[26]
Position Name Team
PitcherKristina ThorsonPhiladelphia Force
PitcherDesiree SerranoWashington Glory
PitcherSarah PaulyWashington Glory
PitcherEileen CanneyNew England Riptide
CatcherMackenzie VandergeestRockford Thunder
1st BaseKellie WilkersonPhiladelphia Force
2nd BaseVeronica WootsonAkron Racers
3rd BaseNorrelle DicksonAkron Racers
ShortstopAmber JacksonWashington Glory
OutfieldKristen ZaleskiRockford Thunder
OutfieldSharonda McDonaldPhiladelphia Force
OutfieldShanel ScottNew England Riptide
At-LargeOli KeohohouWashington Glory
At-LargeNicole ThompsonWashington Glory
At-LargeChelsea SpencerPhiladelphia Force
At-LargeJamie ClarkChicago Bandits
At-LargeKristen ButlerAkron Racers
At-LargeSerena SettlemierRockford Thunder

See also

References
  1. "Directions". ChicagoBandits.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  2. "Stadium". New England Riptide. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  3. "Stadium". PhiladelphiaForce.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  4. "ROCKFORD THUNDER". ThunderProFastpitch.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  5. "TEAMS". profastpitch.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  6. "Texas Thunder to Relocate to Rockford". OurSportsCentral.com. 24 August 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  7. "BRAKETTES ANNOUNCE 2007 CHANGES". Brakettes.com. 11 January 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  8. "Washington, DC team to join National Pro Fastpitch". OurSportsCentral.com. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  9. Greg Hansen (11 February 2007). "Opinion by Greg Hansen : Heat suspends play for 2007". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  10. "Kempf Named NPF Commissioner". National Fastpitch Coaches Association. 16 February 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  11. "Marshall's Shonda Stanton Named Field Manager for National Pro Fastpitch's Akron Racers". HerdZone.com. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  12. "National Pro Fastpitch Announces 2007 College Draft Selections". ProFastpitch.com. 14 February 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  13. "Osterman signs with the Rockford Thunder". TexasSports.com. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  14. "2007". profastpitch.com. 19 August 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  15. "2007 NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH SCHEDULE RELEASED". profastpitch.com. 9 February 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  16. Marty Gitlin (18 August 2007). "2007 Playoffs Right Around the Corner". profastpitch.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  17. "FIRST DAY OF CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER". profastpitch.com. 24 August 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  18. "Riptide started off on right foot". Lowell Sun. 26 August 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  19. "Glory Claim First Playoff Victory of NPF Playoffs Behind No Hitter From Monica Abbott". Pointed Magazine. 25 August 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  20. "National Pro Fastpitch games". Appleton Post Crescent. 26 August 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  21. "RIPTIDE FALLS SHORT TO GLORY, 2-1". Profastpitch.com. 25 August 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  22. "Thunder Into Finals Behind Osterman No-Hitter". Profastpitch.com. 26 August 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  23. "Glory Win Championship Game Over Thunder 3-1Abbott Named Series MVP". Profastpitch.com. 26 August 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  24. "Articles from 2007". Profastpitch.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  25. "2007 Awards Announced". OurSportsCentral.com. 24 August 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  26. "Force Foursome on All-NPF Team, Thorson Top Rookie". OurSportsCentral.com. 17 August 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
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