Bandits, Racers earn top honors at 2010 NPF Awards
Smiling after a standing ovation and chants of "one more year, one more year" Chicago Bandits third baseman Stacy May held the 2010 Mizuno National Pro Fastpitch Player of the Year trophy proudly at the NPF Awards Luncheon on Thursday.
May, who is retiring from pro softball, helped the Bandits take home 12 awards in all.
After finishing the 2010 regular season in first place, the Bandits captured the Ringor Cup for best record, earning Chicago it's fifth NPF Regular Season Championship since the team's inception in 2005. Head coach Mickey Dean and his assistants Mike Stuerwald and Maggie Johnson, coached Chicago to a 30-20 record, earning top honors as the NPF Coaching Staff of the Year.
In addition to the All-NPF team, a new award was added to the ceremony by Ringor. The NPF Diamond Spikes Award for most stolen bases in a season was handed out to Akron Racers speedster Lisa Modglin. Modglin finished the season with 17 stolen bases.
University of Michigan alum and Bandits rookie Nikki Nemitz continued a trend of three straight Rookie of the Year awards for the Bandits. The Miken Rookie of the Year award puts Nemitz in line with Tammy Williams (2009) and Rachel Folden (2008) as winners in the last three seasons. Nemitz finished 2010 with a 7-2 record, 74 strikeouts and a 2.18 ERA in 86.2 innings of work.
Bandits catcher Rachel Folden and May took home a golden bat from Wilson as the Wilson Home Run Champions with 12 home runs on the season each. Folden also captured the Worth Offensive Player of the Year award. Folden finished the regular season with a .316 batting average, 42 hits, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs and a .692 slugging percentage in 133 at-bats. In the league leaders categories, she sat second behind teammate May in batting average and tied for first in home runs. Folden led the league in RBIs.
The Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award was handed out to Akron's Modglin. Another Racer, Lisa Norris, took home the Diamond Sports Pitcher of the Year award.
To cap off the afternoon, May earned her second career Player of the Year trophy with a .333 bating average, 12 home runs, 26 RBIs and excellent defensive play as the third baseman for the Bandits. Her role as a leadoff hitter included a .394 on-base percentage and a .639 slugging percentage.