University of Massachusets Athletics
Balschmiter Drafted By Chicago Bandits Of The NPF
February 18, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 18, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - National Pro Fastpitch held its annual draft on Wednesday night and UMass senior pitcher Brandice Balschmiter was drafted by the Chicago Bandits with the fifth overall pick of the draft. The Bandits were the 2008 league champions and held the final pick of the first round. The five-team league held its five round draft in Akron, Ohio.
Each team had at least three selections in the five-round draft. The Akron Racers held eight of the 25 overall picks due to a draft-day trade with the Washington Glory for the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, which gave Akron the top two picks in the draft. The Rockford Thunder, Philadelphia Force and Chicago Bandits rounded out the first round.
With the first pick in the draft the Racers selected Arizona State's All-American Kaitlin Cochran, making her the second Sun Devil in as many seasons to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick. In the 2008 draft, the Force selected Katie Burkhart with the first pick. Akron followed up the selection of Cochran with another All-American in Oklahoma pitcher D.J. Mathis.
The Rockford Thunder selected University of Houston outfielder Laurie Wagner with the No. 3 pick in the draft. While Philadelphia chose Baylor's Brette Reagan at No. 4 before Chicago took Balschmiter with the fifth overall pick.
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. 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 Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).
Due to NCAA regulations, an active college senior-athlete is not eligible to sign with her respective franchise until her 2008 season is completed.
Balschmiter holds a career record of 95-27 with an ERA of 1.00 at UMass. That includes a 3-0 record thus far in 2009, placing her 13 behind UMass' all-time wins leader and former Olympian, Danielle Henderson.
The Newark, N.Y. native has been named an Easton All-American as well as Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year in all three of her previous seasons. She was also named to the ASA USA Softball National Player of the Year Watch List for the third year in a row prior to this season.
Balschmiter and the Minutewomen, currently ranked 15th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and 23rd in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, travel to California this weekend for the Cathedral City Classic, Feb. 20-22. There UMass will play five games, four of which will be against top-10 ranked opponents including defending national champ Arizona State.
