2013 NPF Season
LeagueNational Pro Fastpitch
Sportsoftball
DurationJune 5, 2013 – August 18, 2013
Number of teams4
TV partner(s)ESPN
2013 NPF Draft
Top draft pickRachele Fico P
LSU
Picked byAkron Racers
Regular Season
Ringor Cup
(Best record)		Chicago Bandits
Cowles Cup
ChampionsUSSSA Pride
  Runners-upChicago Bandits
Finals MVPCat Osterman
USSSA Pride

The 2013 National Pro Fastpitch season was the 10th season of professional softball under the name National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) 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 (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Cowles Cup.

Milestones and events

The Carolina Diamonds ceased operations after the 2012 season. NPF announced that an expansion team named the NY/NJ Comets would begin play in the 2013 season, with the Comets awarded the contracts of the Diamonds' players.[1]

NPF reached a deal with ESPN to broadcast 16 games during the 2013 season.[2]

Rule changes

After the 2012 NPF season ended without a champion, NPF instituted new procedures to name a champion if the Championship Series is not finished:[3]

The creation of a policy and criteria, to award the Cowles Cup, in the event of inclement weather. That policy states a reserve day to play the Championships and also a tiered process for naming a champion if the Series cannot be finished. That policy is as follows:

  • If no games have been played in the Final Series best of three - Championship is awarded to the highest seed
  • If one game has been played in the Final Series best of three - Championship is awarded to the winner of game 1
  • If two games have been played in the Final Series and each team has a loss - Championship is awarded to the team with the best win/loss head to head between the two competing teams during regular season league play. If that record is even, the Championship is awarded to the highest seed.

Other rule changes:[4]

  • Voted in favor of eliminating the international tie breaker in regular season play. (The tie breaker does not currently exist for Championship play either, so this move will essentially remove the tie breaker usage from NPF competition completely.)
  • More clearly defined the Franchise Player Tag, making it permanent for the year it is designated. Once FPT is assigned to a player, it is exhausted for that particular year and cannot be changed or transferred. In the case of a trade, the FPT remains exhausted and cannot be reassigned to any other player(s).
  • Voted in favor of changing the Draft order beginning in the 2014 Draft: Draft order will remain based on regular season finish of the previous year, but will alternate every other round from last place to first place in the opening round to first place to last place in the second round, and so on.
  • Voted in favor of defining the penalty for passing a draft pick. The penalty for "passing" beginning in the 2013 Draft, will be loss of the offending team's first draft selection in the subsequent year.
  • Voted to increase Team rights to drafted players. Rights to players will extend from the current policy to an additional year. Formerly, a Team held the rights to a drafted player until September 1 following the Draft. The new policy gives the team the right to a drafted player until a year from September 1 following the draft in which the player was chosen. Additionally, following that period, any team that picks up the drafted player, must compensate the drafting team an amount of $3,000.

Teams, cities and stadiums

Team City Stadium
Akron Racers Akron, Ohio Firestone Stadium
Chicago Bandits Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago Area) Ballpark at Rosemont
NY/NJ Comets Bridgewater, NJ Various
USSSA Florida Pride Kissimmee, Florida Osceola County Stadium[5]
National Pro Fastpitch teams

Player acquisition

College draft

The 2013 NPF College Draft was held in Nashville, Tennessee on April 1 at 8:00 pm EST in Ford Theatre located in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.[6] Akron Racers selected pitcher Rachele Fico of LSU as the first overall pick.[7]

Notable transactions

League standings

Source:[9]

Team GP W L Pct. GB
Chicago Bandits 48 36 12 .750 -
USSSA Pride 48 34 14 .708 2
Akron Racers 48 16 32 .333 20
NY/NJ Comets 48 10 38 .208 26

NPF Championship

Teams are seeded by the final standings. The third- and fourth-seeded teams play each other, with the winner advancing. The second seeded team plays the winner of game one. The top seed plays a best-of-three series against the winner of game two.

Game 1Game 2Best-of-3 Championship Series
1Chicago Bandits3
2USSSA Pride22USSSA Pride2
4NY/NJ Comets23Akron Racers1
3Akron Racers4
2013 NPF Championship Semifinals - Game One
Akron Racers eliminate NY/NJ Comets
DateScoreLocation
August 22Akron Racers 4, NY/NJ Comets 2[10]Rosemont, Illinois
2013 NPF Championship Semifinals - Game Two
USSSA Pride eliminate Akron Racers
DateScoreLocation
August 23USSSA Pride 2, Akron Racers 1[11]Rosemont, Illinois
2013 NPF Championship Series
USSSA Pride defeat Chicago Bandits 2–1
GameDateScoreSeries
(CHI-USSSA)		Location
1August 23Chicago Bandits 3, USSSA Pride 2 [11]1–0Rosemont, Illinois
2August 24Chicago Bandits 0, USSSA Pride 5[12]1–1Rosemont, Illinois
3August 24Chicago Bandits 1, USSSA Pride 2[12]1–2Rosemont, Illinois

Championship Game

Team Top Batter Stats.
USSSA Pride Kristyn Sandberg 3-3 RBI 22Bs
Chicago Bandits Alisa Goler 1-3 RBI
Team Pitcher IPHRERBBSO
USSSA Pride Keilani Ricketts (W) 4.231138
USSSA Pride Cat Osterman (SV) 2.110002
Chicago Bandits Monica Abbott (L) 7.072209
2013 NPF Championship Series MVP
Player Club Stats.
Cat Osterman USSSA Pride 2-0 21Ks 0.00 ERA SH SV 0.87 WHIP (7Hs+7BBs/16.0 IP)[13]

Annual awards

Source[14]

Award Player Team Stat
Player of the Year Award Megan Wiggins Chicago Bandits .433 BA, led league with 11 HR, .780 SLG, .532 OBP, and 1.312 OPS
Pitcher of the Year Cat Osterman USSSA Pride 234 K, 1.06 ERA, 17-4
Rookie of the Year Andi Williamson Chicago Bandits 1.67 ERA, 9 wins
Defensive Player of the Year Ashley Charters USSSA Pride Zero errors, 58 put-outs and 61 assists
Offensive Player of the Year (tie) Megan Wiggins Chicago Bandits
Gionna DiSalvatore USSSA Pride
Home Run Award Megan Wiggins Chicago Bandits 11 HR
Diamond Spike Award[note 1] Caitlin Lowe USSSA Pride 16 SB
Coaching Staff of the Year Chicago Bandits -- Mike Steurwald (HEAD COACH) and Jimmy Kolatis (ASSISTANT COACH)
Jennie Finch Award[note 2] Vicky Galindo Chicago Bandits

Award notes

  1. ↑ The Diamond Spike Award is given to the player with the most stolen bases
  2. ↑ The Jennie Finch award is given to the player who best exemplifies the character and qualities of its famous namesake, and who is considered to positively impact the game both on and off the field.
2013 All-NPF Team[15]
Position Name Team
PitcherCat OstermanUSSSA Pride
PitcherMonica AbbottChicago Bandits
PitcherMichelle GascoigneChicago Bandits
PitcherAndi WilliamsonChicago Bandits
CatcherKaylyn CastilloAkron Racers
1st BaseGionna DiSalvatoreUSSSA Pride
2nd BaseAshley ChartersUSSSA Pride
3rd BaseAndrea DuranUSSSA Pride
Shortstop (tie)Natasha WatleyUSSSA Pride
Tammy WilliamsChicago Bandits
OutfieldMegan WigginsChicago Bandits
OutfieldCaitlin LoweChicago Bandits
OutfieldKelly KretschmanUSSSA Pride
At-LargeCharlotte MorganAkron Racers
At-LargeVicky GalindoChicago Bandits
At-LargeKimi PohlmanChicago Bandits
At-LargeKristen ButlerChicago Bandits
At-LargeSarah PaulyUSSSA Pride
At-LargeOlivia GalatiNY/NJ Comets
NPF Championship Series MVP
Player Club Record
Cat Osterman USSSA Pride 2nd Championship Series MVP for Osterman

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Messenger-Gazette (March 16, 2013). "N.Y./N.J. Comets Join Women's Professional Fastpitch league". nj.com. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  2. ↑ "National Pro Fastpitch Reaches 16-Game Deal with ESPN: Six Games to Air on ESPN2; Additional 10 Games Streamed Live on ESPN3". www.profastpitch.com. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ↑ "Committee Offers Re-Structure Of Championship, Owner's [sic] Approve". www.profastpitch.com. January 23, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ↑ "NPF's Annual Owner's [sic] Meetings Yield Many Changes". akronracers.org. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  5. ↑ "2013 Schedule". USSAPride.com. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  6. ↑ "NPF 2013 College Draft Presented by BOWNET Set For Nashville". www.profastpitch.com. 18 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ↑ "NPF Holds 2013 College Draft Presented by BOWNET". www.profastpitch.com. 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ↑ Justin (March 25, 2013). "Weekend Roundup". Justin's World. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ "National Pro Fastpitch - Standings". Pointstreak. August 18, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Rayburn (August 22, 2013). "8-22-2013 Akron Advances in NPF to Face Pride". Spy Softball. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Rayburn (August 23, 2013). "8-23-2013 NPF Championship Round Two Revised". Spy Softball. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Rayburn (August 24, 2013). "8-24-2013 NPF Championship". Spy Softball. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Cat Osterman Game Log 2013 Playoffs". Stats.805stats.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  14. ↑ "2013 NPF Awards Banquet Honors Season Performances". www.profastpitch.com. August 21, 2013. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ↑ "2013 Award Winners" (PDF). www.profastpitch.com. August 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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