Akron Racers

Akron Racers
League National Pro Fastpitch
Location Akron, Ohio
Ballpark Firestone Stadium
Year founded 1999
Cowles Cup championships 2005
Colors black, red, grey
Retired numbers 4, 6, 24, 43
Coach Brian Levin
General Manager Joey Arrietta
Exterior of Firestone Stadium, site of Akron Racer home games.

The Akron Racers are a women's softball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team was started by Joey Arietta in 1999 to participate in the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).[1][2] Since the 2004 season, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF).

History

The Akron Racers became the first Midwest franchise to begin play in the WPSL in 1999. The league suspended play in Orlando and assigned the Wahoos roster to the Racers. In 2000, the league consolidated sending the Georgia Pride team to Akron. The team was renamed the Ohio Pride. Both teams began sharing Firestone Stadium [3]

In their first year the Racers made it to the championship of the WPSL, but lost to the Tampa Bay FireStix.[4]

The WPSL suspended operations in 2001; the Racers was the only team of the four 2001 teams to revive when the league reformed as the NPF in 2004. In 2005 the Racers beat the Chicago Bandits to win the NPF championship.[5] From 2004 to 2008, the Akron Racers have compiled an all-time win-loss record of 149-94.

Crystl Bustos was named manager in October 2009, replacing Barb Sherwood.[6]

The Racers upset the highly favored Chicago Bandits in the 2014 NPF Championship Series in Hoover, AL in the best two-of-three to move on to face the USSSA Pride. The Racers and Pride battle for eighth innings before the Pride pushed across a run on the bottom of the eighth inning to take the 1-0 advantage. The Racers could not hold off the Pride in game two dropping the 8-3 decision.

The Racers grabbed Coach of the Year honors (Brian Levin & Dustin Combs), Offensive Player of the Year (Nerissa Myers) and Jennie Finch Award (Kelley Montalvo). Five Racers were named to the All-NPF Team including Myers, Montalvo, Rachele Fico and rookies Jill Barrett and Ashley Thomas.

2015

Of their selections in the 2015 NPF Draft, the Racers signed Griffin Joiner of Kentucky, Shellie Robinson of USC Upstate, and Megan Low of UTSA.[7]

General managers

All-time head coaches

# Name Term Regular season Playoffs
GC W L W% GC W L W%
1 Brian Levin 2015,2016 98 44 54 .449 4 0 4 .000

Season-by-season

Season W L T Finish Playoff results
1999 34 32 0 2nd place WPSL Lost to Virginia Roadsters in WPSL Semifinals
2000 15 17 0 3rd place WPSL Did Not Qualify
2004 39 21 0 2nd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to NY/NJ Juggernaut in NPF Semifinals
2005 36 10 0 2nd place National Pro Fastpitch Won NPF Championship
2006 29 17 0 3rd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to Connecticut Brakettes in NPF Semifinals
2007 26 17 0 2nd place National Pro Fastpitch Eliminated by Rockford Thunder in Game 3
2008 19 29 0 5th place National Pro Fastpitch Did Not Qualify
2009 26 14 0 2nd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to Rockford Thunder in NPF Semifinals
2010 24 25 0 3rd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to USSSA Pride in NPF Semifinals
2011 22 17 0 2nd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to Chicago Bandits in NPF Semifinals
2012 14 30 0 4th place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to USSSA Pride in NPF Semifinals
2013 16 32 0 3rd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to USSSA Pride in Game 2 of NPF Championship Semifinals
2014 24 24 0 3rd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to USSSA Pride in NPF Finals
2015 22 26 0 3rd place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to Chicago Bandits in NPF Semifinals
2016 22 28 0 4th place National Pro Fastpitch Lost to USSSA Pride in NPF Semifinals
WPSL Totals 49 49 0
WPSL and NPF Totals 368 339 0
NPF Totals 319 290 0

Notable players

Retired numbers

The Racers have retired four numbers:[9]

PlayerNumber
Carla Brookbank-Schaal 4
Crystl Bustos6
Amy Kyler 24
Duke Justice [note 1] 43
  1. ↑ The number 43 is also retired in honor of Duke Justice, who served as a groundskeeper at Firestone Stadium for 43 years.

Current players

Akron Racers roster
Active roster
(YYYY = Final season of player contract)		 Inactive roster Coaches

Pitchers

Catchers

  • 13 Griffin Joiner (2017)
  • 15 Hannah Day (2016)

Utility players

  • 20 Emily Messer (2016)
  • 29 Geri Ann Glasco (2017)

Infielders

  •  1 Ashley Thomas (2017)
  •  5 Sami Fagan (2017)
  • 10 Kelley Montalvo (2017)
  • 16 Alex Hugo (2017)
  • 22 Sandra Simmons (2017)
  • 52 Sam Fischer (2017)

Outfielders

  •  2 Taylor Schlopy (2017)
  •  3 Shellie Robinson (2017)
  •  9 A.J. Andrews (2017)
  • 21 Cassie Tysarczyk (2016)
  • 25 Jennifer Gilbert (2017)
Head Coach
  • Brian Levin
Assistant Coaches
  • Dustin Combs
Legend
  • * Franchise Player Tag
  • (C) Captain
  • (A) Alternate captain

Roster updated September 1, 2016
→ All NPF rosters

References

  1. ↑ "AKRON GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER -- TOGETHER". Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  2. ↑ "1999 WPSL Season" (pdf). Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  3. ↑ Digital Ballparks: Firestone Stadium
  4. ↑ "Steve Dimitry's IWPSA Web Page". Archived from the original on 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  5. ↑ "profastpithc.com: About NPF". Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  6. ↑ cleveland.com
  7. ↑ "Racers Sign Three Draft Picks". AkronRacers.org. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Crystl Bustos". Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  9. ↑ "Firestone Stadium A-Z". AkronRacers.org. Retrieved 19 May 2015.

External links

Achievements
Preceded by
NY/NJ Juggernaut
2004		 Cowles Cup NPF Champions
Akron Racers
2005 		Succeeded by
New England Riptide
2006
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