Jennie Finch is a former softball. She was one of the best right-handed softball pitchers ever. The pitcher began her career in 1999. Finch has pitched for Arizona Wildcats, Chicago Bandits and the USA national softball team.
She was born in La Mirada, California. Finch started playing softball when she was 5 years old.
In 2001 when she was invited for the first time in the United States national softball team, she had a record of 32 victories of 32 matches for the University of Arizona. Jennie Finch was named in the 2002 NFCA First Team and the Pac-10 conference for Pitcher of the Year and Honda Player of the Year.
Finch stroke out 13 batters in eight innings and gave up only one hit, one walk and no runs in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. She recorded a 2–0 (win – loss) record in the competition. Her great performance helped the American national team to win the gold medal in the most prestigious softball competition.
Jennie successfully combines her career with her personal life. On 15th January 2005 she married Major League Baseball pitcher Casey Daigle. They have two sons (Ace Shane and Diesel Dean) and one daughter (Paisley Faye).
One of the best pitchers ever, Finch, took part in another major tournament – the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. The United States’ softball team had 3 consecutive golden medals at this stage, and Finch and her teammates were trying to win the fourth straight victory for their national team. Jennie Finch played at the same top level and pitched four no-hit innings in the 11-0 victory over Venezuela. Then, she pitched 5 shot-out innings in team’s second consecutive success against Chinese Taipei (7-0). The United States also beat the host nation China (7-0). But, eventually in the decisive match for the golden medals against Japan, Jennie Finch and her teammates lost 3-1 and went home with the silver. That was the last time softball was played in the Olympic games.
“I feel like we let USA softball down. Many women have worn this uniform, and accepted nothing but gold,” sad Jennie Finch said after the defeat.
It comes a moment, when every great sportsman has to put the end of his/her career. On 20th July 2010 Jennie Finch announced her retirement from softball, in order to focus on her family. In her honour, the jersey with number 27 was retired by the University of Arizona.
The softball star of Merced High School – Madilyn Nickles will play for the national softball team of the USA this summer. She was selected in the senior squad after a tryout in Irvine. Nickles is unique, because she was the only high school player to be invited to the tryouts (40 players were invited). Most of the called players were seniors in different colleges. There have also been graduated people among the players.
The infielder Hailey Breakwell, who graduated in the Idaho State University, will join the White Sox team to take part in the Down Under Fastpitch Classic in Sydney on 5th February. Breakwell was born in The United States, but her father is a Kiwi and she has decided to become a part of the New Zealand national softball team.
Glendale Community College softball player Elena Kramer, who was 19 years old, died in a car crash when she was on her way to school on the first day after the holidays.
Andrew Barragan has been appointed as a new head coach of the softball team at San Benito High. He was exceptionally happy to take this challenge, because he is a man, who likes to work hard and prove he is one of the best in the profession. On Thursday, Barragan was named as the new softball coach at San Benito High. The Balers softball team won the Central Coast Section Division championship on nine occasions under former coach Scott Smith. So, Barragan can feel a little bit under pressure, because everyone is going to expect great things of him.