June 4, 2008
Former Arizona softball pitcher and 2002 Honda Award Winner <a href="/sports/2013/4/18/208229409.aspx">Jennie Finch</a>
has been selected to the U
Former Arizona softball pitcher and 2002 Honda Award
Winner Jennie Finch has been selected to the U.S. National Team and will be
competing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Finch was a member of the 2004 Olympic
team that won a gold medal in Athens, Greece. Finch will be coached by Arizona head coach Mike Candrea and will be joined by three other former Wildcats,
including Caitlin Lowe and Lovieanne Jung.
Recently, Finch spoke about her preparation for the
2008 Olympic Games and reflected on her time as a Wildcat:
Question 1: What was your favorite memory about the University of Arizona?
Favorite...
I have too many. The friendships, the many hours spent at Hillenbrand, hanging
in Center, the community of Tucson, the staff, the many sporting events - so much fun! It was an all around incredible experience I am forever grateful for.
Question 2: How did playing for the Arizona Wildcats
help prepare you for the Olympics?
The U of A
allowed me to learn how to balance life and sport. It gave me the
opportunity to excel and be the best that I could be. From the coaches to
competing for a National Championship year in and year out, U of A prepared me
to compete at the highest level.
Question 3: What are you looking forward to the most
in traveling to Beijing?
Competing
with my teammates, representing our great country, playing the Best softball
the world has ever seen!
Question 4: What does it mean to you to be on the
2008 USA Softball Team with other Arizona Letterwomen and Head Coach Mike
Candrea?
It is so
special to have the opportunity to achieve my dreams with fellow Wildcats and
Coach Candrea. It makes it all that much better having the honor to play
with each other and especially under Coach. It's a unique bond we share and we
are so proud to be Cats and honored to be playing for the USA!
2002
National Player of the Year
Widely
regarded as the top candidate in the nation in 2002, UA senior pitcher/first
baseman Jennie Finch did not disappoint and posted a year which earned her the
prestigious Honda Softball Award as National Player of the Year for the second
consecutive year.
Finch set
an NCAA record in 2002 by accumulating 60 consecutive victories, a total that
spanned three seasons. Finch set the record in 2001 with a 32-0 mark.
Finch ended
the 2002 season with a 34-6 record and a 0.97 ERA. Finch struck out 366 batters
in 273 innings pitched, threw three no-hitters and had 21 shutouts. On April
17, 2002, Finch broke her own record for strikeouts in a game when she struck
out 19 batters.
Offensively,
Finch ended 2002 with a .311 batting average, drove in 56 runs and banged 16
home runs, including two grand slams. Against Alabama on February 2, 2002,
Finch was 3-for-3 with two home runs and seven RBI.
Finch ended
her career at Arizona with a 119-16 record, moving her to No. 2 on the UA chart
for career victories behind former Honda winner Nancy Evans.
Finch was
selected to the USA National team, participated in its top-level international
summer competition and remains a top candidate for the U.S. Olympic Team and
the 2004 Olympiad in Athens, Greece.
2002
Honors
·
Honda Softball
Award
·
NFCA First-team
All-America
·
All-Pacific
Region
·
All-Region 2
Team
·
First-team
All-Pac-10
·
WCWS
All-Tournament Team
·
Pac-10 Pitcher
of the Year
National
Team Experience
2007
- Led team
in appearances during the summer with eight and six starts for a 5-0
record and 0.23 ERA
- Threw 49
strikeouts in a team-high 31.0 innings pitched, allowing only nine hits.
- Gold
medalist at Pan American Games. Made one appearance, a combined no-hitter,
at the Pan American Championships. Accounted for 11 of 12 outs in the 4.0
innings pitched, all strikeouts
- World Cup
Champion. Posted a 1-0 record; worked 11.0 innings with 18 strikeouts,
allowing only four hits and one walk
2006
- Gold
medalist at ISF World Championships. Made two appearances with one start
and one win. Posted nine strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched. Offensively
hit .125 (2-for-16) with a double, RBI and two runs scored
- World Cup
Champion. Pitched three innings of relief where she recorded six
strikeouts
- Against
the Houston Thunder in exhibition, recorded 12 strikeouts in 5.2 innings
in first appearance after having son, Ace
2005
- Silver
medalist at Japan Cup
- Silver
medalist at World Cup. Posted 0.88 ERA with one win and 11 strikeouts
2004
- Gold
medalist at Olympic Games in Athens, Greece
2003
- Gold
medalist at Pan American Games
2002
- Gold
medalist at ISF World Championships
2001
- Gold
Medalist at Pan Am Qualifier
- 2-0
record and 0.00 ERA
At The
University of Arizona
- Arizona's co-winner of the Ruby Award,
most outstanding female senior student athlete (2002)
- Set NCAA
record for consecutive wins with 60 (2002)
- Three-time
NFCA First-team All American
- Three-time
First-Team All Pac-10 and All-Pacific Region
- Top three
finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2002)
- Pac-10
Pitcher of the Year (2001 & 2002)
- Led Arizona to NCAA Women's College World Series title (2001)
- Finished
the season 32-0, NCAA record for wins in a season (2001)
- Two-time
Honda Award winner for softball at Nation's top player
Other
Facts
- Member of
NPF Chicago Bandits (2005, 2006, 2007)
- Named NPF
Co-Pitcher of the Year (2005)
- Professional
Baseball Scouts Foundation Amateur Choice Award (2004)
- Personal
website is www.jenniefinch.net
