LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Former Kentucky shortstop Brooke Marnitz has joined the Washington Glory in its inaugural season in the National Pro Fastpitch Softball League. The Lexington native made the expansion team after an open tryout and will be on the opening day roster for the Glory.
Marnitz led UK and the SEC with 21 home runs this season. The South All-Region First Team selection also led the SEC with 61 RBI, 137 total bases, and a .895 slugging percentage. She led the nation in home runs per game throughout the majority of the season and is currently tied with Maryland?s Amber Jackson for the Division I lead with 0.41 per game. Marnitz is ranked fourth nationally with 1.2 RBI per game and is fifth in slugging percentage.
Marnitz set UK single-season records for home runs, RBI, total bases, and slugging percentage as a senior. She also took over as the all-time home run leader at UK and was named as one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball College Player of the Year. She was named SEC Player of the Week after she set the NCAA mark for hits in consecutive at-bats with 12 straight. Marnitz reached base in 17 consecutive plate appearances with five walks included during the streak. She had a pair of career-best eight-game hitting streaks this season and drove in a school-record six runs in the Cats? win over Southern Miss this season.
?What a great opportunity for Brooke to continue her playing career,? said UK head coach Eileen Schmidt. ?In softball, there just are not a lot of options after college. This will give her a chance to stay in the system against some really tough competition.?
The Denver-based league, which has been in operation since 1997, currently has six teams, including the New England Riptide, Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Rockford Thunder, Washington Glory and Philadelphia Force. The Michigan Ice will fill in on a limited basis as the seventh team in 2007, while league games against Team China, Denso Japan, Venezuelan National Team and the Stratford Brakettes have also been scheduled.
The Glory?s season opener will be this Thursday, May 31, when they host 2006 league champion New England.
