USSSA Florida Pride Makes Preseason Move
The Florida team trades Pitcher Monica Abbott and Catcher Shannon Doepking
Kissimmee, Fla. – In a stunning pre-season move, the USSSA Florida Pride announced today that they have traded veteran pitcher Monica Abbott to the Tennessee Diamonds in exchange for Diamonds’ pitcher Cat Osterman. Also being traded is Pride catcher Shannon Doepking, with Tennessee’s Megan Willis joining the Pride roster in her place.
This trade comes off the heels of another impressive signing to the Pride roster, with Team USA member and former Olympian Andrea Duran joining a team already brimming with talent.
The pitching and catching duo of Cat Osterman and Megan Willis have been playing together since their time at the University of Texas where the two not only garnered national attention on an individual level but also for the bond they formed that seemed to be able to take down any opponent. The former Longhorns once again joined forces in 2009 when the two started for the NPF’s Rockford Thunder, leading their team to the League Championship and ultimately the League title.
On an individual level, both Osterman and Willis have both accumulated impressive stats. Osterman, prior to winning the NPF’s Most Valuable Player for the 2009 season, was a two-time Pan American Gold Medalist, two-time World Cup Champion, and 2006 World Champion. She is also a two-time Olympic medalist, having earned gold at the 2004 games in Athens, Greece, and silver in 2008 in Beijing, China.
Osterman and Willis’s move to the Pride is simply a continuation of two already impressive careers that, together, have made an impact on the softball field.
About USSSA Florida Pride:
The USSSA Florida Pride is a professional franchise in the National Pro Fastpitch League that is owned and operated by USSSA. The amateur organization of USSSA has multi-sport coverage and encompasses teams and players from the United States and abroad.
About NPF:
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.
About USSSA:
The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), headquartered in Osceola County, Florida, USSSA is the World’s Largest Multi-sport Athletic Organization. Founded in 1968, USSSA has grown to over 3.7 million participants, competing in 13 nationally sanctioned sports including Baseball, Fastpitch, Slow Pitch, Karate, Basketball, Soccer and more! For more information on USSSA and to register your team visit USSSA.com. Also be sure to visit USSSAToday.com for the latest USSSA News!
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