2016 National Pro Fastpitch season


The 2016 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 13th season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch for the only professional women's softball league in the United States. From 1997 to 2002, NPF operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch and Women's Pro Softball League. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.

Milestones and events

The Akron Racers celebrated their 15th season in 2016, the most of any NPF team. They have played in all 13 of the NPF's seasons, as well at the WPSL's last two seasons.
On October 23, 2015, the NPF announced that the Scrap Yard Dawgs would join the league as an expansion team.
On April 11, NPF announced a renewal of their television agreement with CBS Sports Network for 2016. Broadcasts will include the 2016 NPF College Draft, 23 regular-season games, a Championship Series Preview Special, and most of the Championship Series.
On June 10, the Pride's Chelsea Thomas and Kelsey Nunley pitched a combined no-hitter against the Dawgs at the Scrap Yard's
first-ever home game.
On August 11, Lauren Haeger pitched a no-hitter, beating the Chicago Bandits 5-0. The only Bandit to reach base did so via a Charge fielding error.
Rawlings announced it would begin awarding a fastpitch softball gold glove to an NPF player, selected by a vote of league coaches and managers. The Racers' AJ Andrews was selected for this award.
Kelly Kretschman became the first NPF player to win the triple crown when she ended the season leading in batting average, home runs, and RBI.

Rule changes

On June 12, in response to online threats made against players, NPF cancelled the mandatory 45-minute autograph session after each game. The following Tuesday, the league reinstated the sessions, but limited the attendees to children.

Teams, cities and stadiums

Player acquisition

College draft

The 2016 NPF College Draft is the 13th annual collegiate draft for NPF, and was held on Thursday, April 14, 2016, 7:00 pm CST at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
With the first overall pick, the Pennsylvania Rebellion selected Louisiana-Lafayette catcher Lexie Elkins, who led the NCAA during the 2015–16 season in batting average, slugging percentage and home runs and was also tied for 13th in Division I history with 72 career home runs.

Notable transactions

Through 2016 Season
x-Clinched Playoff Berth
y-Clinched Best Overall Record
TeamGPWLPct.GB
y-USSSA Pride503713.740-
x-Scrap Yard Dawgs482919.6047
x-Chicago Bandits482325.47913
x-Akron Racers502228.44015
Dallas Charge502030.40017
Pennsylvania Rebellion501733.34020

Final two games between Scrap Yard Dawgs and Chicago cancelled as there was no playoff implications

Results table

All stats come from

NPF Championship

The 2016 NPF Championship was held at Rhoads Stadium on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, from August 19–23.

Championship Game

Statistical leaders

Through 8/14/16 Source:
League Leaders Summary as of August 14, 2016
TeamavgGabrh2b3bhrrbitbslg%bbhbpsogdpob%sfshsb-attpoaefld%
USSSA Pride.296 50 1405 257 416 57 8 64 245 681.485 142 41 214 8.373 18 18 62-76 1064 409 35.977
Chicago Bandits.273 48 1337 218 365 49 9 30 190 522.390 144 34 238 6.357 8 26 49-58 993 383 36.975
Akron Racers.257 50 1340 225 345 54 8 57 215 586.437 140 32 299 5.340 9 18 28-37 1017 308 45.967
Scrap Yard Dawgs.252 48 1237 193 312 39 8 47 177 508.411 175 31 311 8.357 8 32 41-58 987 376 45.968
Pennsylvania Rebellion.250 50 1327 173 332 42 7 33 157 487.367 106 37 237 4.321 9 28 53-66 1020 308 42.969
Dallas Charge.243 50 1325 172 322 42 4 41 164 495.374 125 27 283 7.319 7 16 34-43 1021 337 45.968
Totals.262 296 7971 1238 2092 283 44 272 1148 3279.411 832 202 1582 38.345 59 138 267-338 6102 2121 248.971

Team era w-l g cg sho sv ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr ab b/avg wp hbp bk sfa sha
USSSA Pride 2.33 37-13 50 7 8/4 14 354.2 303 144 118 103 326 42 4 30 1338.226 13 30 1 6 22
Scrap Yard Dawgs 3.04 29-19 48 17 11/4 4 329.0 314 174 143 111 266 55 10 22 1273.247 12 29 7 11 18
Pennsylvania Rebellion 3.87 17-33 50 9 2/1 7 340.0 376 217 188 137 261 42 7 54 1352.278 9 24 0 12 27
Dallas Charge 4.13 20-30 50 16 6/0 6 340.1 352 235 201 190 265 42 8 52 1337.263 22 42 6 10 22
Akron Racers 4.23 22-28 50 16 4/0 6 339.0 382 233 205 144 240 39 5 69 1359.281 14 45 4 9 32
Chicago Bandits 4.40 22-25 48 11 2/1 7 331.0 365 235 208 147 224 63 10 45 1312.278 18 32 4 11 17
Totals 3.66 147-148 296 76 33/10 44 2034.0 2092 1238 1063 832 1582 283 44 272 7971.262 88 202 22 59 138

Player avg gp-gs ab r h 2b 3b hr rbi tb slg% bb hbp so gdp ob% sf sh sb-att
Kelly Kretschman, FL.466 48-47 133 42 62 9 0 13 45 110.827 31 5 15 1.563 5 0 13-15
Sami Fagan, AK.392 48-48 158 34 62 10 2 9 39 103.652 12 0 18 0.430 2 3 0-0
Nerissa Myers, SY.389 48-47 131 33 51 10 0 6 22 79.603 33 4 14 0.524 0 2 3-7
Taylor Edwards, CH.353 43-43 133 22 47 9 2 10 34 90.677 21 4 20 0.453 1 0 0-0
Shelby Pendley, FL.351 50-50 148 30 52 9 0 9 34 88.595 29 4 21 1.459 4 0 7-9
Jill Barrett, CH.345 48-48 171 27 59 5 0 0 12 64.374 11 1 20 0.388 0 3 5-6
Hallie Wilson, FL.338 49-45 136 25 46 5 1 3 20 62.456 10 7 16 0.412 0 0 4-7
Taylor Gadbois, DA.331 48-47 157 29 52 3 1 1 8 60.382 7 1 29 0.364 0 4 14-17
Danielle Zymkowitz, CH.310 47-47 145 21 45 3 3 0 19 54.372 13 2 16 0.375 0 4 3-4
Ashley Thomas,AK.306 49-49 147 26 45 5 3 6 17 74.503 5 1 22 0.331 1 3 3-3
Kiki Stokes, SY.304 40-40 115 23 35 6 1 7 20 64.557 13 4 26 1.385 3 0 5-6
Kayla Winkfield, PA.296 37-35 108 16 32 5 1 2 12 45.417 6 3 23 0.350 0 2 6-10
Alisa Goler, PA.295 44-41 129 13 38 9 0 2 17 53.411 13 0 18 0.359 0 0 1-2
Shellie Robinson, AK.292 40-35 113 17 33 7 1 3 25 51.451 6 0 31 1.320 3 0 1-1
Megan Wiggins, FL.288 50-49 177 35 51 7 3 10 24 94.531 14 4 21 0.354 0 1 11-14
Lauren Haeger, DA.286 48-48 147 11 42 5 0 7 33 68.463 10 1 18 2.333 1 1 0-0
Taylor Schlopy, AK.282 50-50 149 34 42 10 1 9 27 81.544 28 8 33 3.419 1 0 4-6
Megan Blank, CH.281 41-37 114 13 32 6 0 3 21 47.412 11 5 7 0.369 0 4 2-3
Amanda Fama, SY.273 47-47 121 19 33 6 0 3 17 48.397 11 4 30 0.350 1 4 0-0
Brittany Cervantes,CH.260 44-43 123 24 32 5 0 7 23 58.472 33 2 33 2.414 4 0 4-4

Player era w-l app-gs cg sho sv ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr ab b/avg wp hbp bk
Monica Abbott, SY 0.72 18-1 23-17 12 7/2 3 125.2 66 14 13 30 167 3 1 4 433.152 2 7 6
Jordan Taylor, FL 0.74 3-0 23-1 0 0/3 9 38.0 12 5 4 9 52 3 0 3 127.094 3 3 0
Jolene Henderson, FL 2.00 9-3 14-11 2 1/1 0 63.0 56 24 18 11 50 7 2 6 242.231 0 4 0
Kelsey Nunley, FL 2.45 6-1 17-8 2 2/0 3 54.1 47 21 19 20 60 9 1 3 204.230 2 7 0
Dallas Escobedo, PA 2.62 4-8 20-12 5 1/0 0 82.2 81 41 31 29 86 8 1 13 319.254 3 2 0
Hannah Rogers,FL 2.62 6-2 17-7 0 0/1 2 56.0 54 22 21 19 40 9 1 6 213.254 0 7 0
Madi Osias, PA 2.62 0-0 6-1 0 0/0 1 10.2 11 7 4 6 2 2 1 3 45.244 0 0 0
Keilani Ricketts, FL 2.64 6-5 18-11 1 0/3 0 79.2 71 37 30 13 79 9 0 4 302.235 4 7 1
Chelsea Thomas, FL 2.86 7-2 13-12 2 1/0 0 63.2 63 35 26 31 45 5 0 8 250.252 4 2 0
Sara Nevins, SY 2.90 1-1 5-3 1 0/0 0 19.1 14 10 8 13 10 1 0 0 69.203 0 3 0
Michelle Gascoigne, CH 2.96 5-4 21-8 5 0/1 6 75.2 71 40 32 35 72 6 2 11 282.252 7 3 0
Ellen Renfroe Reed, SY 3.00 3-2 10-4 1 0/1 0 32.2 37 17 14 12 18 8 1 2 132.280 0 2 0
Lauren Haeger, DA 3.01 10-7 23-16 9 3/0 0 111.2 91 56 48 57 100 12 2 19 419.217 6 9 0
Morgan Melloh, DA 3.04 4-8 21-13 5 2/0 5 78.1 67 44 34 58 79 4 4 8 289.232 2 10 1
Emily Weiman, PA 3.15 2-10 23-9 1 0/1 2 71.0 77 36 32 25 46 10 2 9 288.267 0 6 0
Sarah Pauly, AK 3.45 7-6 18-16 8 2/0 1 87.1 101 49 43 36 60 14 1 16 359.281 0 6 2
Sara Driesenga, SY 3.48 1-4 15-6 1 0/2 0 56.1 61 37 28 20 34 12 3 3 227.269 1 7 0
Angel Bunner, CH 3.55 1-3 10-9 0 0/0 0 45.1 55 27 23 9 25 8 1 7 190.289 1 3 1
Vanesa Stokes, DA 3.67 0-2 10-3 0 0/0 0 21.0 22 11 11 9 12 6 0 3 81.272 1 2 0
Jailyn Ford, AK 3.69 9-9 25-17 6 2/0 2 98.2 95 58 52 31 75 9 1 16 376.253 3 14 0

Players of the Week

Annual awards

The 2016 NPF Award Banquet was held August 18 at Embassy Suites in Tuscaloosa. In addition to the usual state of annual awards, Kelly Kretschman received a special award for being the first NPF player to win the Triple Crown. NPF also awarded Appreciation Awards to Larry Brushett, softball representative form Mizuno, and Dina Kwit, Chicago Bandits photographer. Rawling presented a Gold Glove to a female athlete, A.J. Andrews of the Akron Racers, for the first time as well.

All-NPF Team