Akron Racers History Thread 2009 - 2013

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MLB Pitch, Hit & Run
May 4
10am-4pm
Firestone Stadium
1575 Firestone Parkway, Akron
No Charge
Open to girls 7-14, must provide copy of birth certificate to compete.


Akron, OH ? The Akron Racers will be hosting a local competition for the Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit, and Run (PHR) Contest, presented by Scotts. The competition will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at Firestone Stadium in Akron for girls ages 7 to 14.

For the local competition, the young ladies will be divided into four age groups: 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, and 13/14. They will show off their skills in pitching, hitting, and base running. The pitching competition will test the ladies? strike zone accuracy as they throw from 35 feet to hit the strike zone target. Players must throw from the mound on the pitching rubber and will earn points for each strike they toss. For the hitting competition, participants will hit balls off of an adjustable batting tee. The best out of three swings will be awarded points for distance and accuracy. During the running competition, the points will be awarded based on how fast the participant can sprint from second base all the way to home plate.

The athlete with the most points in each of the individual sections of the competition, along with the all-around champion, will be qualified to advance to the Sectional Competition, with details to be announced later. Four winners per age group will be able to advance. Winners of the Sectional Competition will move on to the Team Championships at Major League Ballparks, and the winners there will have the opportunity to compete at the National Finals during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game. This is a great, FREE opportunity to participate in a fun contest against other local ladies and show off those strong softball skills.

If interested in signing up for the local competition at Firestone Stadium, please contact Stacy Corp at 330.376.8188 or at stacycorp@akronracers.us.

 

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Would your softball team like to be a part of the pregame activities? Contact Stacy at Stacycorp@akronracers.us to get more information on these great group programs!

More information also available at Akron Racers - Pro Softball Team: Akron Racers

Field of Dreams: Akron Racers - Pro Softball Team: Field of Dreams

Green Diamond Team: Akron Racers - Pro Softball Team: Diamond Team

 

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The Akron Racers are bringing Travel ball Tuesday to Firestone Stadium on July 30[SUP]th[/SUP]. The Racers are schedule to play NY/NJ Comets at 7:05 p.m. Travel teams will have the option to come early to make signs to cheer on the Racers! The price of tickets for the night will be only $5.00, so bring your teams, your voices, your enthusiasm, and be ready for a fun time! In between innings, there will be team cheering contests, to see what team has the most Racers Spirit. The winning travel ball team will win a FANtastic prize, so be sure to come ready to cheer.

Contact Stacy Corp for tickets
stacycorp@akronracers.us
330-376-8188

 

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Meet the 2013 Akron Racers at the Wing Warehouse on Waterloo Rd tonight(6/3) at 6pm. The Wing Warehouse has a great menu!

 

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Every college athlete deserves the chance to have one last hurrah in the colors of their alma mater, especially those who spent their playing time at smaller schools where the perks of being a college athlete boil down to a basic love of the game.

The Akron Racers women?s professional softball team will provide such an opportunity on June 10, when the team will host its third annual exhibition game between the current Racers? roster and a squad of recently-graduated softball players from a variety of local colleges and universities. Participating players, donning their college uniforms on the diamond for perhaps the last time in their lives, will have the chance to take the field at Firestone Stadium and get a taste of the pros while playing the game they love. The athletes that will form this Senior Collegiate All Star team come from a variety of different National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions and collegiate experiences, from Division I Kent State University to Division II Ashland University to Division III Denison University. So far, the Racers have players registered to participate from four Division I schools, two Division II schools, and five Division III schools.

To select this All-Star team, coaches from colleges and universities of all shapes and sizes all over Ohio were asked to nominate a player or two who they thought could best represent the sport and their respective schools on the diamond. Players must have exhausted their NCAA eligibility in order to be eligible to participate. Through the nomination process, coaches were also able to once again recognize the contributions that their former players made to their respective teams and softball programs. The game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m., and tickets can be purchased on the Racers? website or by calling the ticket office at (330) 376-8188.

Growing the sport of softball from a grassroots perspective is one of the main goals of the Racers? annual exhibition series, according to Racers? President and General Manager Joey Arrietta. ?We need to work together to provide more opportunities for the players now and in the future,? Arrietta said.

This game serves as a part of the team?s ongoing efforts to grow the sport of softball at the local level. Prior to the exhibition?s 8:00 p.m. start, the Racers will host a clinic to give coaches in the area the opportunity to learn and refine the fundamentals of teaching softball at all levels, from high school to college to the pros. Throughout the season Firestone Stadium also hosts a variety of different softball clinics and tournaments, including the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championship finals.

Aside from supporting fastpitch softball on the local level and giving collegiate players one more chance, the Senior Collegiate All Star game will also serve as a home tuneup for the Racers after their first series of the National Pro Fastpitch season in Chicago. After the Senior Collegiate All Star game, they head to Corpus Christi, Texas to take on the USSSA Pride. The Racers will play the Pride from June 13-15 before heading to Pennsylvania and New Jersey to face the NY/NJ Comets from June 19-22. The Racers? first home series of the season at Firestone Stadium will be against the Bandits from June 27-29.

[FONT=&amp]About the Akron Racers: [/FONT][FONT=&amp]The Akron Racers, headquartered in Akron, OH, are the oldest existing team in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. The Racers competed in the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL) for two seasons in 1999 and 2000 and in the NPF since 2004. Historic Firestone Stadium is home to the Racers and numerous amateur events at all levels of play. The Racers kick off their 12th season of play in 2013. [/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]About National Pro Fastpitch: [/FONT][FONT=&amp]National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fast pitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women's fast pitch softball since 2002. www.profastpitch.com[/FONT]

 

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June 10[SUP]th[/SUP] the Akron Racers will host a Coaches Clinic followed by the Ohio Senior Collegiate All-Stars vs the Akron Racers!!

The coaches clinic includes entry into the exhibition game.

6-8
Firestone Stadium
$60 registration, $75 at the door

Register at Akron Racers - Pro Softball Team: Clinics

 

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Learn from the Pros!

June 25th
Pitching, Hitting, Defense

July 9th
Mental Game, Bunting, Slapping, Outfield

July 23rd
Hitting, Base Running, Pitching, Catching

8u-12u
10:00am-12pm

14u-18u
1:30-3:30

For more information contact: Lisa at lisasimpson@akronracers.us

Registration is available at: Akron Racers - Pro Softball Team: Clinics
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Currently live on ESPN.

 

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Monica Abbott freaking bringing it! 75-76 mph

 

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How about getting better than a cheap high school fence that you fall through, or even a warning track?? Heck it's a Pro League isn't it?

 

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More like rec league fencing... most high schools have better. At least they had one...With only 4 teams in the NPF it is about 6 teams short of a league.

 

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For that league to really get attention, they need a team play in the Disney complex. The draw down there with all of the tournaments played down there might help. How much is a franchise who's in? Lol

 

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I saw them play in grassed infield this year...

 

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I know they have had several exhibitions prior to a MLB game or games played at minor league baseball parks...Nothing like playing with a mound behind the pitcher and having to drop bases 30 feet short of the way the field was originally designed...Does NPF actually draw enough to use a minor league baseball field?
I would think a college venue would serve them better and give the apperiance they are playing in front of a decent crowd.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/NATI...45883136.76603.108201462540279&type=3&theater

 

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How about getting better than a cheap high school fence that you fall through, or even a warning track?? Heck it's a Pro League isn't it?

Probably cant afford a fence. You know they pay those ladies hundreds of dollars a year.....:lmao:

 

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Went to the 8 o'clock game. I enjoy Firestone Park.. They are constantly promoting to get people to come and see the games. Had a great time.

 

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For that league to really get attention, they need a team play in the Disney complex. The draw down there with all of the tournaments played down there might help. How much is a franchise who's in? Lol

NPF is treading water at this point.

You have a good suggestion with using fast pitch facilities and going to where the fan base will be.
Doing events like Mens major slow pitch or partnering with these events or youth fastpitch events may be a better fit than baseball until NPF can grow.

No TV money will be going their way with a 4 team league.With only 4 teams the same issues that plagued the WPSL is also hurting the NPF as far afacilities, revenues and travel expenses.

Moving the HQ to Nashville should have been a plus for the NPF but with no growth or signs of growth since the move the league may be seeing its last years.
The partnershipwith MLB really did nothing to support the NPF league outside of streaming some games on-line and in my opinion was more like a “Harlem Globetrotter” pre gamefor MLB and Minor league events.

The league will never be a cash cow just like the other women’s pro sports but after the 2004 resurrection if it is to stay around the business model / direction will have to change.

 

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Monica Abbott freaking bringing it! 75-76 mph

Gotta question the speed readings - they were clocking Ivy Renfro at 72 and she was 67 a month ago at the WCWS.

Are the Racers players doing many personal appearances and/or clinics with fastpitch leagues and events to build up their fan base?

 

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Gotta question the speed readings - they were clocking Ivy Renfro at 72 and she was 67 a month ago at the WCWS.

Abbott wasn't throwing 75-76 even though it said that on the TV. I watched Fico in the Regionals and she was consistant 64-66 sometimes touching 67 and it had her at 71 a couple times last night. I believe you can take 5-6 mph off of all the speed reading you saw. Must have been a Daddy Ball Gun......