Although we are just looking at five great moments in softball 2016, there were far more than that. Overall all it was a big year for Women’s fastpitch. In college, we saw some new faces emerge as we said goodbye to some great ones. Big news on the Olympic Scene and an upset and repeat at the professional level. Youth softball continues to grow and the sport continues to grab the attention of new fans.
- Softball is Back! On August 8, 2016, the IOC voted to add five sports to the 2020 games in Tokyo. Although it is not a long-term commitment, it is certainly a step in the right direction. USA Softball Women’s National Team athlete Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.) expressed the feelings of many “This means so much to not only our USA Softball Women’s National Team program but to millions of girls across the world. Even if I’m not there, knowing that softball athletes will get to compete on the highest stage against the best competition in the world is amazing.” Go Team USA.
- Chicago Bandits Claim Second Straight Cowles Cup. The Chicago Bandits struggled during the first half of the NPF season. Not many, other than those on the team and in the organization, gave them much of a chance to repeat. Championship teams rise up and overcome and that is exactly what the 2016 Bandits squad did. The took the final game 2-1, knocking out the USSSA Pride who many thought were a lock to win the Cup. Head Coach Mike Steuerwald summed it up well stating “These 23 players have been the most fun group, minus the softball at one point in the season. Then, in the second half, they decided to add the softball to that.”
- Kaylee Puailoa (Georgia) Sends Shockwaves through College Softball with one swing! Down 2-1 with two outs in the bottom seventh and a runner on, Puailoa came in as a pinch hitter and put a 0-2 ball to dead-center field to take the walk-off win over No. 1 Florida. The Gators were the favorites heading into the tournament but the gritty Georgia squad never gave up and made a trip to just their third WCWS in program history.
- Auburn Sets School Records and makes Run at WCWS. The Auburn Tigers set several school records in 2016 with total wins (58) being one of them. This team really came together and fell just short losing to Oklahoma in the championship series. It was a year to remember for the Tigers. Head Coach Clint Myer has really turned the program around. Since taking over at the send of the 2013 season, Auburn has broken 21 records, including 16 on offense, and led the nation in a plethora of categories. Myer has done a great job in getting his players to buy into the program. “Having the opportunity to play for a national championship is something that we have talked about since we’ve got there,” Myers said. “It’s them buying in into the hard work and the commitment of practice, weight room and everything else.”
- Oklahoma Wins WCWS with Young Guns. After the first month of the season, not many thought the young Sooner team would eventually be your National Champions. They were 10-4 the first month of the season and on the surface that did not look bad. But, they were o-4 against ranked opponents. They were beating the teams you would expect, but struggling against teams they would most likely see in any post season action. Things started to turn and sophomore pitcher Paige Parker caught fire. All but two players in the final games starting line-up were underclassmen. Four of those were freshman. The young guns got the job done taking two of three games from Auburn with timely hitting, solid defense and great pitching.
