2001_Women's_Pro_Softball_League_season

2001 Women's Pro Softball League season

2001 Women's Pro Softball League season

Sports season


The 2001 Women's Professional Softball League season was the first year that the WPSL suspended play before relaunching the league in 2004 under the name National Pro Fastpitch. From 1997, WPSL operated under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).

Quick Facts League, Sport ...

Teams

When the WPSL suspended the 2001 season, there were four teams in the league: Tampa Bay FireStix, Akron Racers, Ohio Pride, and Florida Wahoos. When the league relaunched in 2004 as the NPF, the Racers were the only WPSL team to continue playing.

Milestones and Events

The 2001 year began as normally scheduled for the WPSL. The league had its draft in December 2000 and had a schedule for the upcoming season. However, on February 27, 2001, WPSL announced that the 2001 had been cancelled, and the league would focus on expansion for a league relaunch in 2002. (The relaunch was eventually postponed until 2004.) To maintain public awareness of the league and to test future markets for expansion, in lieu of a WPSL season the league sponsored the "Tour of Fastpitch Champions" during the summer, featuring a team of WPSL All-Stars against a team of USA and international Olympians, called WPSL Gold.[1]

The WPSL announced a plan to restart play in "six to eight markets in 2002, with growth to 12 markets by 2004." The tour moved through 14 cities, as the two WPSL teams played each other and other international and local all-stars. Ten of these games were televised, eight on ESPN2 and two "live" on ESPN, a first for the WPSL.[2] In 2002, the league continued to explore where its new teams would play, and had a 2003 tour as an opener to the return of league play in 2004.

College Draft

Before play was suspended, WPSL held their regularly scheduled 2001 WPSL Senior Draft.[3][4] Many draftees never played in the league, but some did, even making an All-Star team. These results are indicated below.

+ Denotes player who has been selected for at least NPF All-Star team
# Denotes player who never played in the NPF

Draft Selections

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 6

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Tour Rosters

The rosters of the 2001 WPSL All-Stars[5] and WPSL Gold[6] are listed below:

WPSL Gold

Head Coach: Judy Martino

WPSL All-Stars

More information Name, Position ...

Head Coach: Tim Kiernan

Tour Schedule and Results

WPSL Gold schedule and results:[7]

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WPSL All-Stars schedule and results:[9]

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Game notes

  1. The USA Olympic softball team split into two teams, USA Red and USA Blue, to play a doubleheader against the two WPSL tour teams.[8]
  2. Called due to rain
  3. Perfect game

References

  1. "NPF History". profastpitch.com. 4 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 19 July 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ""Tour of Fastpitch Champions" Features Olympians/All-Stars". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2003. Retrieved 22 July 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. "2001 Women's Pro Softball League Senior Draft". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2001. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  4. "Twenty-four collegiate seniors drafted by Women's Pro Softball League's four teams". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2001. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  5. "2001 WPSL All-Stars". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2002. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  6. "2001 WPSL Gold". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2002. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  7. "2001 WPSL Gold Team Results". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2002. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  8. Lance Swan (17 June 2001). "WPSL Teams Split With USA National Teams". NFCA.org. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  9. "2001 WPSL All-Star Team Results". ProSoftball.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2002. Retrieved 22 July 2015.

See also



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