Bandits roll to 8-2 start in National Pro Fastpitch

In the first two weeks of the National Pro Fastpitch women's softball season, the Chicago Bandits raced out of the gate with an 8-2 record.

We began the campaign with a five-game series against the Philadelphia Force, winning four times.

The core of our offense returned from last year, and we enjoyed an early onslaught at the plate. Our pitching staff was solid from beginning to end, and our defense came up with some great plays.

Following our series with the Force, we faced the USSSA Pride for a five-game series. Again we won four of the five contests. Our pitchers dominated, which was a good thing because after the red-hot start with the bats we fizzled a bit at the plate.

After winning the championship last year, we expect to win again. But our level of play must increase from the 2008 season because the competition is in close pursuit.

How can we improve from last year?

One answer to this question lies in the off-season acquisition of both familiar and new players.

Star performers like Jennie Finch (Team USA), Vicky Galindo (Team USA) and Caitlin Lever (Team Canada) missed the entire 2008 season to compete in the Beijing Olympic Games in China. Their return to the Bandits roster in 2009 is a welcome sight.

We also added several recently graduated college seniors to our lineup, including Tammy Williams (Northwestern) and Amber Patton (DePaul). But perhaps the most important acquisition was strikeout pitcher Eileen Canney.

The players anticipate that the Bandits' 2009 outlook is a bright one.

• Editor's note: Stacy May is the Bandits' third baseman and leadoff hitter who won the NPF's 2008 Majestic Athletic Player of the Year award. May was second in the NPF with a .391 batting average, tied for the league lead with 13 home runs and had 34 RBI, third-best in the league. May led the NPF with 61 hits and a .686 slugging percentage. The Bandits compete in a five-team league that includes the Rockford Thunder, Akron Racers, Philadelphia Force and USSSA Pride. The Bandits play their home games at Judson University in Elgin. For ticket information, call 1-877-7BANDIT, or go online at Chicagobandits.com.