Taylore Fuller and Aubree Munro are two of Florida's five seniors who are eligible to be drafted tonight.
NPF 2016 College Draft is TONIGHT
Thursday, April 14, 2016 | Softball
The Draft will be televised on CBS Sports Network and will begin at 8 p.m. tonight at the CMA Theater in Nashville.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), the premier women's pro softball league, is scheduled to host their annual NPF College Draft. Presented by Bownet, this year's draft will take place on Thursday, April 14, at 8 p.m. ET at the CMA Theater in Nashville, located directly within the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Draft will be televised on CBS Sports Network, updated on the NPF website and the Dallas Charge will be broadcasting over the draft over a live stream on the internet.
The NPF College Draft has become a marquee event for the league, showcasing the current and future stars of an increasingly popular professional sport that is rapidly gaining fans across the country. The 90-minute televised draft will feature NPF team representatives selecting 33 college seniors to join the ranks of the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion (Washington, Pa./Pittsburgh), Scrap Yard Dawgs (The Woodlands, Tex./Houston) and USSSA Florida Pride (Kissimmee/Orlando).
Only college seniors are eligible for the draft.
This means that Florida's quintet of seniors are eligible to be picked on Thursday night.
Overall, UF's senior class has been one of the most successful groups in school history. The Gator seniors were a part of two NCAA Championships (2014, 2015) and two SEC Championships (2013, 2014). The class boasts one All-American and two NFCA Academic All-Americans.
Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz and Kelsey Stewart are 211-31, which currently ranks tied for seventh among four-year class records in program history. Sitting sixth on this list UF's 2012 graduating class that went 216-41 throughout its four seasons.
Florida's senior class is trying to catch UF's 2011 class which boasted a 238-33 mark during their four years.
Individually, this class boasts one All-American and two NFCA Academic All-Americans. Taylore Fuller has hit eight grand slams, which ranks third in NCAA history. Outfielder Kirsti Merritt is a two-time NFCA All-Southeast Region honoree and became the first freshman to ever be named the SEC Tournament MVP in 2013. Aubree Munro is a two-time WCWS All-Tournament Team selection and is regarded as perhaps the best defensive catcher in program history. Last season, Munro did not make an error in 354 chances behind the plate and she remains error-free in 316 chances thus far in 2016. Taylor Schwarz, another defensive stud for the Gators, entered this season ranked tied for fifth in career fielding percentage (.933) in Gator annals. UF's final senior is a two-time NFCA All-American and last season's SEC Player of the Year, Kelsey Stewart, who enters this season already first in Gator history for hits, triples and steals with records sure to fall before her senior season is over.
With TV coverage, broadcast viewership and game attendance on the rise, the NPF is poised to have a breakout year in 2016. The league's partnership with CBS Sports Network grew to a league-best 59 airings in 2015, with more expected this year. Game attendance was up more than 26 percent, highlighted by a single-game record of 12,175 set by the USSSA Pride at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
The expanding inventory of NPF assets, including its six franchises, 150 regular season games, CBS Sports Network broadcast schedule, NPF College Draft, NPF Back-to-School Tour and NPF Championship Series, is broadening national awareness for the league while presenting marketing opportunities for brands looking to connect with family audiences, especially moms and young females. The NPF also plans a major announcement soon detailing a partnership to live stream every game and league event.
Florida's History in NPF
A season ago, Lauren Haeger was chosen as the 21st overall pick with the sixth choice of the fourth round in the NPF draft. The pitcher/first baseman joined former teammate Hannah Rogers as rookies in the NPF in 2015; Rogers signed with the USSSA Pride in November of 2014.
Haeger and Rogers will become the second and third members of Florida's 2014 national championship team to play in the NPF after Stephanie Tofft joined the Akron Racers in June of 2014.
The selection of Haeger marked Florida's first NPF draft pick since 2011, when Kelsey Bruder, Megan Bush and Aja Paculba all were chosen. The two-way player became the ninth Florida alumna to pursue a professional career.
About National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
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.
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