squad to an Olympic gold medal in Athens at the 2004 Olympic Games. Finch would win three World Cups, two Olympic medals, and two world championships during her stretch with the national team, helping the U.S. As a junior, Finch helped lead Arizona to a Women’s College World Series national championship.įollowing her successful collegiate career, Finch’s run would turn to the national scene during her time with Team USA. She would go on to break the NCAA record for consecutive wins, 60, while collecting Softball Player of the Year and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year honors in 20. The star pitcher would leave with a career 50-12 record with six perfect games, 13 no-hitters, 784 strikeouts and a 0.15 ERA.įinch became a household name at the collegiate level becoming an All-American pitcher and first baseman for the Arizona Wildcats in the early 2000s. I’m just forever grateful and we have a long ways to go but we definitely need to celebrate where we are today.”įinch, who was born in La Mirada, California, became a phenom on the softball diamond dominating her prep competition at La Mirada High School. We think of sports often when we think of Title IX but most importantly its about education and providing that opportunity and equal rights for both. So I’m so thankful for the women and men who have supported equal opportunities. “I’m a product of Title IX and without Title IX I wouldn’t have been able to be who I am today. “I am so forever thankful,” Finch told NBC Los Angeles. With the anniversary, one of the sport’s greatest pitchers looked back recently at just how much of an impact Title IX has on her and sports today. On July 20, 2010, Finch announced her retirement from softball to focus on her family.Finch transcended women’s softball, leaving an impact like none other that came before her.In 2004, People magazine named her as one of its “50 Most Beautiful People”, the only female athlete on the list. Finch received the most votes in an ESPN online poll as the most attractive female athlete in 2003.In 2002, ESPN called Finch the “runaway winner” of the Best Dressed competition at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards.She was named NPF’s “Co-Pitcher of the Year” in 2005 alongside teammate Lauren Bay.She pitched for the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) softball league in the past.In addition, it was said that her pitching style helped the American team to its gold medal victory. In the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, Finch scored a 2-0 win-loss record, during which she struck out 13 batters in 8 innings while giving up only 1 hit, 1, walk, and no runs.Her jersey number 27 was retired by the University of Arizona in a pre-game ceremony at Hillenbrand Stadium on May 9, 2003.She was also named the “Pitcher of the Year” and “Honda Player of the Year”. In the final season of her senior year, she was named to 2000 First Team for the NFCA and the Pac-10 conference.She started her year by piling up 21 consecutive winning streaks in a 10-2 run-rule against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on February 6, 2000, to shutout win over Cal State Northridge Matadors on April 13, 2000. During her sophomore year, she was named into the 2000 National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American and First Team All-Pac-10.At the time, she acquired a career-high in doubles and disregarded her first career no-hitter during the NCAA tournament on May 21 vs the Texas State Bobcats. On February 5, 1999, her career first kicked off by winning a run-rule game against the UIC Flames.Her father was her first pitching coach.She started playing softball at the age of 5 and began pitching when she was aged 8.Green Jennie Finch as seen in January 2019 (Jennie Finch / Instagram) Sexual OrientationĬhristianity Jennie Finch as seen in August 2018 (Jennie Finch / Instagram) Jennie Finch Facts
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