Chicago Bandits

Chicago Bandits
League	National Pro Fastpitch
Location	Rosemont, Illinois
Ballpark	Rosemont Field
Year Founded	2005
League championships	1 (2008)
Regular Season championships	4 (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
Former ballparks	Benedictine University (Lisle, IL) 2005-2007
Colors	Black, Orange, Navy Blue, White
Mascot	Outlaw and Bandits (raccoons)
Ownership	Bill Sokolis
Manager	Darrick Brown (Head) Mike Steuerwald (Assistant)

Media Coverage
Newspaper	Elgin Courier News, Northwest Herald Daily Herald
Online Television	Softball Channel, NiFY TV, MLBTV
Radio	WRMN 1410 Elgin
Television	Comcast SportsNet

The Chicago Bandits are a women's professional softball team based in Rosemont, Illinois. Since the 2005 season, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). The Bandits won the 2008 NPF championship, defeating the Washington Glory in the final game of the championship series. The team won their second NPF championship following the 2011 season when they won the championship series two games to none over the USSSA Pride. They play their home games at Rosemont Stadium in Rosemont, Illinois.

USA Softball players

• Jennie Finch
• Victoria Galindo
• Eileen Canney
• Ashley Holcombe

Franchise history

2005

The Chicago Bandits inaugural season took place at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. Chicago recorded an NPF-best 41-7 record, but lost to the Akron Racers in the championship.

2006

Chicago posted a 30-12 record, which again was best in the NPF, but lost to the Connecticut Brakettes in the championship series.

2007

The 2007 Chicago Bandits went 23-21, but failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing in sixth place in the league.

2008

The Bandits began their first season in Elgin with a 4-7 record, playing without Jennie Finch and Vicky Galindo of the United States National Team, and Caitlin Lever of the Canadian National Team, due to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Jessica Sallinger and Kristina Thorson each won 12 games and were Chicago's first duo to record double-digit victories since Jennie Finch and Amy Harre in 2005. After moving to their new stadium, the Bandits recorded 61 home runs in 2008, which was more home runs than in the franchise's first three years combined. The team's home run leaders were Stacy May (13), Rachel Folden (11), and Jamie Clark (11).

The Bandits completed their season sweeping the Akron Racers, New England Riptide and Rockford Thunder to finish the regular season 32-16 and on a 12 game winning streak, earning the highest seed in the 2008 Championship Series.

In the Championship Series, Chicago won all three games and earned the franchise's first NPF Championship with a victory over the Washington Glory in the title game.

2009

The Chicago Bandits began their second season at Judson University in Elgin, IL with the return of Olympians Jennie Finch, Vicky Galindo, and Caitlin Lever. Chicago finished the regular season with a 27-12 record, ranking first in the National Pro Fastpitch standings and earning the top seed for the playoffs in Akron, Ohio.

Despite having the best record in the NPF in 2009, Chicago was upset in the NPF playoffs by the USSSA Pride two games to one, and lost the opportunity to repeat as league champions.

2010

In 2010, the Bandits once again won the regular season title, but once again, the USSSA Pride ended the Bandits championship hopes, winning their first Cowles Cup title.

After the season, standouts Stacy May-Johnson and Jennie Finch announced their retirements from professional softball.

2011

The Bandits moved into their brand new home stadium in Rosemont in time for the beginning of the 2011 season. The team officially opened the stadium for NPF play on June 16, 2011 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony prior to the Bandits 1-0 walk-off win over the USSSA Pride. Caitlin Lever drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 7th.

Unlike the previous three years, the Bandits did not win the regular season title. They finished third in the four-team NPF with a 20-20 record, after losing six of their final eight games at home to close out the regular season.

The Bandits opened the playoffs in Sulphur, LA against the second-seeded Akron Racers and swept the Racers with two straight victories, capped off by a three-run walk-off home run in extra innings by Nikki Nemitz to advance to the finals.

In the finals, they once again met the Pride. In the first game, the Pride took an early 2-0 lead, but rookie Megan Wiggins hit a three-run double off Pride starter Cat Osterman. Two pitches later, Osterman went down with an arm injury, but the Pride came back to tie the game at 3 in the bottom of the 7th. In the 8th, Bandits right-fielder Amber Patton drove in the go-ahead run and NPF Co-Pitcher of the Year Monica Abbott made it stand up for a one game lead in the best-of-three series.

The next afternoon, Chicago got on the board early and often, scoring five times in the bottom of the first. The Pride got two back, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the day, as the Bandits cruised to their second Cowles Cup championship with a 10-3 victory. They became the first NPF team to win multiple Cowles Cup championships.

Season-By-Season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Season	W	L	T	Finish	Playoff results
2005	30	12	0	1st place National Pro Fastpitch	Regular Season Champions, Lost to Akron Racers in NPF Championship
2006	41	7	0	1st place National Pro Fastpitch	Regular Season Champions, Lost to Connecticut Brakettes in NPF Championship
2007	23	21	0	6th place National Pro Fastpitch	Did not qualify
2008	32	16	0	1st place National Pro Fastpitch	Won National Pro Fastpitch Championship (Defeated Washington Glory)
2009	27	12	0	1st place National Pro Fastpitch	Regular Season Champions, Lost to USSSA Pride 2-games-to-1 in first round of NPF playoffs
2010	30	20	0	1st place National Pro Fastpitch	Regular Season Champions, Lost to USSSA Pride in NPF Championship
2011	20	20	0	3rd place National Pro Fastpitch	Won National Pro Fastpitch Championship (Defeated Akron Racers 2-0 in Semi-finals, Defeated USSSA Pride 2-0 in Finals)
Totals	203	108	0

Moments

• July 16, 2009, Jennie Finch pitches a perfect game for the Chicago Bandits. Finch did not allow a hit over seven innings in a 3-0 win against the Philadelphia Force.
• July 27, 2009, the Chicago Bandits played the Schaumburg Flyers of the Frontier League men's baseball team in what was dubbed as Battle of the Sexes 2. The game was played at Schaumburg's Alexian Field under softball rules. The Bandits won 4-2 before an Alexian Field record crowd of 8,918. The game was considered a success even though the original tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs garnered much more national press attention. For this event, the Chicago Bandits received the most press coverage than in the previous years despite winning the 2008 NPF league championship and playing with Jennie Finch. Also just a few years earlier the USA's best softball players played a team of MLB All Stars and the game was televised on national television.
• July 9, 2010, Jennie Finch pitches a perfect game for the Chicago Bandits against the Akron Racers at Silver Cross Field in Joliet, Ill. Finch struck out 11 batters en route to a 2-0 win.^[1]
• August 21, 2011, The Bandits defeat the USSSA Pride 10-3 in Sulphur, LA to clinch their second NPF Cowles Cup championship. They are the first team in NPF history to win multiple Cowles Cup titles.

Players

Chicago Bandits rosterMonica Abbott 27 Jennie Finch 22 Jamee Juarez 29 Taryne Mowatt 44 Nikki Nemitz						Catchers 20 Jenna Grim 11 Shannon Doepking 25 Rachel Folden 4 Mariesha Marker Infielders 31 Emily Friedman 35 Alisa Goler 17 Christine Knauer 23 Dorian Shaw 10 Kristin Shifflett 2 Tammy Williams Outfielders 19 Vicky Galindo 9 Caitlin Lever 3 Megan Wiggins 12 Amber Patton		Manager -- Darrick Brown Coaches -- Mike Steuerwald 7-day disabled list ∞ Reserve list § Suspended list ‡ Restricted list # Rehab assignment → More rosters

External links

• Chicago Bandits
• National Pro Fastpitch
• The Softball Channel

References

1. ^ http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/sports/2484018,Finch-perfect-Bandits_EL071010.article