NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 5, 2019) – National Pro Fastpitch will hold its annual NPF College Draft for the third consecutive year at the ACME Feed and Seed, located on 1st and Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The event will take place on Monday, April 15th at 7:00 pm CT.
The draft, which has taken place since 2013 in Nashville, is a featured event for the league each year.
“We love the light the Draft shines on the future of the NPF and professional softball in general,” commented NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “It is a fun night to celebrate not only the outstanding accomplishments of the college seniors that will be drafted, but the confidence of our teams in the future potential of these women as professional athletes.”
The 2019 Draft will feature five rounds of five selections each round, for a total of 25 total picks. The Canadian Wild has elected to not participate in the 2019 Draft due to the fact their team also doubles as the national federation team for Canada, of which, members have already been selected through a tryout process held in January of 2019. The remaining five teams will draft in the order of their 2018 regular season finish with the exception of trades.
The league has held a college draft every year since its inception in 2004, making the 2019 Draft the 16th for the league overall, each with a diverse group of draftees. In terms of number one picks, pitchers dominate the category, being the first name called a total of ten times. Infielders and outfielders were selected number one, twice each, and only one time in the history of the draft, was a catcher selected first. Arizona State leads all other universities in the category of number one selections, having had three total.
The Southeastern Conference leads all other conferences in total number of draftees with 106, followed by the PAC 12 (10), with a total of 92. The university program with the highest number of total draftees is Oklahoma, with 19. There is a four-way tie for universities with the most picks in a single draft. Arizona (2017), Florida (2016), Oklahoma (2013) and UCLA (2004), have all had four total selections in one draft.
Downtown Nashville has been the home of the Draft for the past six years. From 2013 through 2016, the event took place at the historic Country Music Hall of Fame, and since 2017, the ACME. The ACME location is a popular event space featuring celebrity events for Sheryl Crow, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Rolling Stone Magazine, and many more.
The 2019 NPF College Draft will be a free live streamed event with details of the event, along with ancillary happenings, to be forthcoming.
Order for 2019 Draft:
| Selection | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ROUND 1 | ||
| 1 | Chicago Bandits | Trade with Cleveland Comets 12/13/2018 |
| 2 | USSSA Pride | Trade with Bejiing Eagles 4/20/2018 |
| 3 | USSSA Pride | Trade with Aussie Spirit 4/24/2018 |
| 4 | Chicago Bandits | |
| 5 | USSSA Pride | |
| ROUND 2 | ||
| 6 | Cleveland Comets | |
| 7 | Bejiing Eagles | |
| 8 | Aussie Peppers of MN | |
| 9 | Chicago Bandits | |
| 10 | USSSA Pride | |
| ROUND 3 | ||
| 11 | Cleveland Comets | |
| 12 | Bejjing Eagles | |
| 13 | Aussie Peppers of MN | |
| 14 | Chicago Bandits | |
| 15 | Cleveland Comets | Trade with USSSA Pride 5/24/2018 |
| ROUND 4 | ||
| 16 | Cleveland Comets | |
| 17 | Bejiing Eagles | |
| 18 | Aussie Peppers of MN | |
| 19 | Chicago Bandits | |
| 20 | USSSA Pride | |
| ROUND 5 | ||
| 21 | Cleveland Comets | |
| 22 | Bejiing Eagles | |
| 23 | Aussie Peppers of MN | |
| 24 | Chicago Bandits | |
| 25 | USSSA Pride |
About National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2004, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in fastpitch softball beyond their collegiate and amateur success. The NPF affiliate teams consist of the Aussie Peppers of Minnesota, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois, Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comets, and USSSA Florida Pride. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the United States, Australia, Canada and China among which are the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball