The greatest pitcher in Tennessee softball history has made the 18-player cut on the USA Softball Women's National Team.
Monica Abbott, the NCAA's all-time strikeouts leader, is in the running to make the 15-player Olympic roster that will go on a 40-city tour before the 2008 Beijing Games.
Abbott will enjoy a homecoming of sorts when that tour stops in Knoxville on April 12 at the new Sherri Parker Lee Softball Stadium for a game with the Lady Vols. Abbott is expected to pitch for the U.S. team in a game that will be televised live on ESPN at a time yet to be determined.
The roster will be finalized next July. The three players who don't make the team will be named as replacements.
"Being an Olympian is what I've dreamed about since the fifth grade,'' Abbott said in a UT release. "One of my goals for my softball career was to get to the Olympics, and I'm so fortunate that this selection is helping me to close in on that goal.
"I'm ready and excited for the opportunity to play alongside an incredible group of players as we get ready for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.''
Abbott is the youngest member on the team, but she has been a two-time member of the National Team already, leading the pitching staff in 2007 with a 6-0 record and 0.00 ERA. In 26 <0x00BA> innings pitched, she issued no walks and no earned runs.
Abbott joins Jennie Finch, Lisa Fernandez, Alicia Hollowell and Cat Osterman in formulating the 2008 pitching staff for U.S. head coach Mike Candrea.
"Obviously we are very elated and happy for Monica,'' said Ralph Weekly, who serves as Tennessee's co-head coach along with his wife, Karen. "We're proud she continues to represent Tennessee and we're excited she will represent the USA team in the future.''
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Comments » 4
fortandrews writes:
Great!! It could not have happen to a finer person. Monica will do herself proud as well as the University of Tennessee. Thank you Monica for what you did for the Softball program while you were at UT. Wish you the very bset.
PureOrange writes:
Her selection was a no-brainer. I watched her pitch in the national professional fastpitch championships in which her team won and she was MVP. She beat Cat Osterman 4-0 in the first game, pitching a no-hitter.
Wish we had her here for another year or two.
mikeinknoxville writes:
Congrats to Monica Abbott..truly one of the great sports competitors I have witnessed.
vol4good#206163 writes:
It takes a truely special person to master the mind and body the way Monica has, she is incredible. Good Luck and God Speed Monica. Make America proud the way you have made TN fans proud.
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