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| Wesley Wolverine junior #13 UT Ashley Royer (Lititz, PA). |
The professional softball Scrap Yard Dawgs of Conroe, Texas, the reigning Cowles Cup champion, have announced that the team will no longer be affiliated with the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league.
This will leave the NPF with the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, and USSSA Pride, as well as two global representatives, The Aussie Pride and the Beijing Shougang Eagles.
BREAKING UPDATE (1/29/2018)… New unconfirmed reports are that the Akron Racers also are leaving the NPF, or considering it, and will be replaced by a second Chinese team, leaving the NPF now with the Chicago Bandits, and USSSA Pride and three global representatives
In a press release, the Dawgs pledged to “continue to compete at the highest level as an independent team playing a full summer schedule that includes major venues and globally televised events in packed stadiums against the top-ranked teams in the world.”
The Dawg’s 2018 schedule includes a season opening home series at The Scrap Yard Sports Complex against the 2018 USA Softball Women’s World Championship team, followed by another home series against the 2018 USA Softball Women’s All-Star team.
To be sorted out, the Dawg’s roster currently has five players also on 2018 Team USA scheduled for the opener. They are Monica Abbott (Tennessee), Taylor Edwards (Nebraska), Ali Aguilar (Washington), Kasey Cooper (Auburn), and Hannah Flippen (Utah).
Going forward, the Scrap Yard Dawgs promise player contracts that will include significant salary increases with players having a much stronger voice and vote in all strategic owner/management decisions — a level of compensation and representation, the Dawgs claim, was unavailable to them under the NPF structure.
