National Pro Fastpitch Names New Supervisor of Officials

Nashville, TN – October 13, 2015 – National Pro Fastpitch announced the appointment of Mike Raynor as the League’s next Supervisor of Officials. Raynor replaces Ed Whipple, who recently retired from the position following a 3-year stint.

As Supervisor, Raynor is slated to oversee the NPF staff of umpires, a position which includes the identification and hiring of the game’s top umpires, regular season and Championship Series assignments and umpire evaluations. In addition, Raynor will communicate with the League Commissioner and team owners regarding current and future rule changes and revisions, along with overall operation of the NPF umpire program.

“An ever-present priority for the NPF is to staff the nation’s best umpires to officiate the world’s best competition,”said NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “That priority, along with the administration of the NPF Staff of Umpires, can be challenging. It is a necessary for the Supervisor to have a solid understanding of what takes place on the field, as well as the overall goals of the league. I am confident Mike Raynor brings us the experience, expertise and leadership needed, to keep our umpire performance at that necessary level.”

Raynor’s resume includes experience in the administration, coaching and officiating categories over an excess of 40 years. As an official, Raynor has umpiring experience in both NCAA and NPF. As an NCAA umpire, he has a combined 20 plus years officiating the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Conference USA, the Southern Conference and numerous others. In addition to actively officiating games, Raynor’s resume of administrating officials is also lengthy, as he has served as the Umpire in Chief and Crew Chief in numerous Division I conference Championships and NCAA Regional Tournaments. Currently, Raynor serves as the Umpire Coordinator and Supervisor of Officials for the Atlantic Coast Conference, the BIG EAST Conference, the Big South Conference and the Ivy League.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work in the NPF as its Supervisor and oversee the officiating of the toughest competition our sport has to offer,”commented Raynor. “I especially look forward to putting the game’s best umpires on the field with the most talented and accomplished players. We plan to provide an excellent game management and umpiring environment for the owner’s coaches, players and fans.”

Raynor will resume the duties of NPF Supervisor immediately.

About National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.  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 and has been since 2002. http://www.profastpitch.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 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.