Amber Freeman, the former Pac 12 Player of the Year, signs with the USSSA Pride. Photo courtesy of John Treadwell
Kissimmee, FL – May 27, 2015- The USSSA Florida Pride are pleased to announce Amber Freeman, the 11th overall pick in the 2015 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) draft, has signed a two year contract with the Pride. The former Arizona State All-American and 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year adds valuable catching depth and a powerful bat to the Pride lineup.
“We are excited to add Amber Freeman to our lineup. With the off-season moves we made this year, we needed a catcher and a righty power hitter. Amber comes from a great program at Arizona State and has international experience so she’s used to competing against the best,” said Pride General Manager Don DeDonatis.
Freeman, one of the most prolific hitters in Sun Devil history, is ranked fourth at Arizona State with 55 career home runs. Her 194 career RBIs and 45 career doubles both rank fifth in ASU history. Freeman’s .424 batting average during the 2014 season ranks as the 14th best in Arizona State history.
“When I saw I was drafted by the Pride I was so excited! It definitely was the team I wanted to play for. When I saw they chose me I was so ecstatic and smiling from ear to ear,” said Freeman.
Freeman became the Pac-12 Softball Player of the Year in 2012 where her single-season stats ranked her fifth in home runs (18) and seventh in RBI (61). She received NFCA first and second team accolades during her junior, sophomore and freshman seasons.
As a freshman, Freeman was named to the 2012 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament team after leading the tournament field with a .500 batting average. She finished the year with a team best .370 batting average in post-season play, raking 53 hits, 24 runs, 12 homers, and 41 RBI. As a result, she received Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team.
“I am looking forward to the next chapter of my softball career. I get to be teammates and play against people that I have idolized since I was a little girl. I think it’s an amazing experience and something that can help me grow,” said Freeman.
The two-time All-American capped successful junior and sophomore years as a member of the USA Women’s National Softball Team. Freeman was a USA World Cup silver medalist in 2013.
A product of Mater Dei High School in California, Freeman was a member of the Gatorade All-American First Team in 2010 and was a member of the 2010-11 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team who won the 2011 ISF Junior World Championship and 2010 Pan American (18-Under) Championship. On the Junior Women’s National Team she played alongside fellow draftees Lauren Chamberlain, Shelby Pendley, and Hallie Wilson as well as Pride shortstop Madison Shipman.
“This rookie class is amazing. I’m most excited about playing alongside the best of the best: Especially my best friend Lauren Chamberlain. This class has so much to offer!”
Freeman and the USSSA Pride kick off the 2015 season in McKinney, Texas against the Dallas Charge on June 6th. Follow all of the action of Twitter, Facebook and www.dev.usssapride.com.
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:
USSSA is 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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