NOVEMBER 9 UPDATE

Sarah Perales, 07,OF, Third Coast Thunder, committed to Texas Southern University

Lindsey Hansen 2007 ss/cf from High Intensity Gold has committed to Michigan State

Sam Toy -- OF/2B CA Breeze Gold/Tourville has committed to University of Toledo

Washington Sidewinders Gold Class of 2007 early signing period:

Brittany Devitt - 3B, Washington Sidewinders Gold, Indiana University
Sarah Minice - P, Washington Sidewinders Gold, Fairfield University
Jessica Snyder - IF, OF Washington Sidewinders Gold, Bucknell University

Class of 2008 verballed:

Karli Merlich - P, 1B, Washington Sidewinders Gold, Texas Tech University
Ashley Andrews - C, SS, CF Washington Sidewinders, University of Tennessee

HOMER HAWK COMMITMENTS

BRITTANY WILSON '07 - UIC
SARAH PORZEL '07 - ST AMBROSE
HALLIE GIBBS '07 - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
STEPHANIE TRAPP '07 - LEWIS UNIVERSITY
LAUREN PANEK '07 - ST FRANCIS UNIVERSITY
HANNAH CARTER '07 - ROBERT MORRIS COLLEGE
MEGAN PARADZINSKI '07 - ST XAVIER UNIVERSITY
NICOLE COSTELLO '07 - SAINT JOSEPH'S COLLEGE RENSSELAER

Colorado Springs, Colo.---Four players who were integral in the success of the USA Softball Women’s National Team during the past two decades, including capturing the first Olympic gold medal in the sport of softball, headline the list of inductees who will be enshrined into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame on Thursday evening at the Sheraton Hotel in Colorado Springs.

Sheila Douty (Diamond Bar, Calif.), Michele Granger (Granite Bay, Calif.), Dot Richardson (Orlando, Fla.) and Michele Smith (Califon, N.J.) become the first members of the original U.S. Olympic Softball Team to be inducted into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame. Each was a member of the 1996 USA Softball National Team that captured the sport’s first Olympic gold medal. Douty, Richardson and Smith also led the U.S. to its second consecutive Olympic gold medal in Sydney, Australia. Granger also becomes the first U.S. Olympian to be inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame tonight.

A total of nine people were elected in four different categories to the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame during the 74th ASA National Council Meeting held last year in Tucson, Ariz.

USA Softball’s Avon Meacham is the lone player from the men’s fast pitch category to be selected to the Class of 2006. A three-time ASA All-American, Meacham led the USA Softball Men’s National Team in three Pan American Games.

Entering the Hall of Fame tonight in the meritorious service category is retiring Alaska Commissioner Pat Lillian (Anchorage, AK) was selected after serving on the ASA Council for more than 20 years and as an ASA commissioner 33 years. Also being inducted in the meritorious service category is Illinois Commissioner Don Brewer and Region 1 umpire-in-chief Norm Davis of Lewiston, Maine.

Ralph Miller (San Francisco, Calif.) will become the 33rd individual enshrined in the umpire category into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame and is the final member of the Class of 2006.

Members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2006 are: Don Brewer (Murphysboro, Ill.) meritorious service; Norm Davis (Lewiston, Maine), meritorious service; Sheila Douty (Diamond Bar, Calif.), women’s fast pitch player; Michele Granger (Davis, Calif.), women’s fast pitch player; Pat Lillian (Anchorage, AK), commissioner; Avon Meacham (Upper Marlboro, Md), men’s fast pitch player; Ralph Miller (San Francisco, Calif.), umpire; Dot Richardson (Orlando, Fla.), women’s fast pitch player; Michele Smith (Califon, N.J.), women’s fast pitch player.

Brief bios on each of the selected individuals are listed below:

Sheila (Cornell) Douty: Two-time Olympic gold medalist who was named ASA All-America 16-times as first baseman, DH and utility. She was a member of seven ASA national championship teams. She compiled a .418 batting average with the Raybestos Brakettes. In international competition she batted .412 in three ISF World Championships and .433 batting average in five Pan American Games.

Michele Granger: Southpaw pitcher who earned ASA All-America honors six times. Compiled 13-7 record in five U.S. Olympic Festivals, 4-0 in two ISF World Championships and 9-0 in three Pan American Games. Holds record for most consecutive strikeouts in a Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship (18). She led the U.S. to its first Olympic gold medal in 1996.

Dr. Dot Richardson: Two-time Olympic gold medalist who was named ASA All-America 15-times and was member of 10 ASA national championship teams. She won the Erv Lind Award as outstanding defensive player in ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship seven times.

Avon Meacham: Named ASA All-America three-times and was MVP of the 1994 ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship. He batted .306 (30-for-98) in six ASA nationals.

Michele Smith: Two-time Olympic gold medalist who was named as an ASA All-America 10-times and was a four-time winner of the Bertha Tickey Award as the outstanding pitcher at ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship. She was one of the premier double-threat players to ever play the game.

Don Brewer: Has been involved with Illinois ASA since 1961 and excelled as a manager, sponsor and commissioner. Compiled won-loss record of 1,630 wins and 557 losses as a fast pitch and slow pitch manager. He sas been Illinois ASA commissioner since 2001 and received membership awards each year.

Norm Davis: Began ASA career in 1964 as an umpire and served as Maine UIC for 15 years. In 1989, was named to ASA National Umpire staff. He is also a member of National Indicator Fraternity and ASA Umpire Medals program.

Ralph Miller: Umpired 24 years and worked eight ASA nationals including five Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championships. In 1996, was selected to umpire the ISF World Championship in Midland, Mich., and served as deputy UIC for Oakland ASA from 1998-2001.

Pat Lillian: Retiring after 33-year career as Alaska ASA commissioner, Lillian served as the women’s coordinator at eight U.S. Olympic Festivals. She is chair of the International Softball Federation Athletes Commission and is a member of the Northwest Region Hall of Fame.

The National Softball Hall of Fame was established in 1957 to honor those players and non players for their contributions to the development and promotion of softball. The nine new inductees increase membership in the Hall of Fame to 316. Formal induction ceremonies have been held since 1981.

Caguas, Puerto Rico – The USA Jr. Women’s National Team arrived in Puerto Rico yesterday to compete in the 2006 II Jr. Women’s Pan American Championships, which will qualify teams to compete in the 2007 Jr. Women’s World Championships in Poland. In their first outing as a team, the U.S. will face Venezuela tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. (CT) to kick off competition.

The field is composed of nine teams from the Pan American region including Antillas Holandesas, Argentina, Aruba, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, host team Puerto Rico, the United States and Venezuela. The top five finishers will receive berths to the ISF VIII Women’s World Championship in Poland, June 20-30, 2007. Team USA will play each team before beginning medal play on Fri. Nov. 17.

The team consists of 16 players who are either in high school or their freshman year of college. Jay Miller (Mississippi State head coach) is serving as head coach and is assisted by Suzy Brazney (Golden West College head coach), Cheri Kempf (Owner of Club K) and Barbara Jordan (Cal-State Northridge head coach).

The U.S. is the defending Pan American champion, defeating Canada, 2-0 at the inaugural Championship four years ago in Mexico.

Complete coverage of the event including results, recaps, player journals, tournament stats and photo galleries can be found at www.usasoftball.com.

#	name	pos.	hometown	b/t	High SchoolCollege
30	K' Lee Arredondo	IF	Tempe, AZ	B/R	University of Arizona
2	Ashley Brignac	P/SS	River Ridge, LA	R/R	John Curtis Christian H.S.
10	Neena Bryant	OF	Placentia, CA	R/R	University of Oregon
41	Megan Elliott	P	Prince Frederick, MD	R/R	Arizona State
13	Kenzie Fowler	P/1B	Tucson, AZ	R/R	Canyon del Oro H.S.
16	Alissa Haber	OF/1B	Newark, CA	L/L	Stanford
52	Ashley Hansen	UT	Chandler, AZ	L/R	Corona del Sol H.S.
18	Monica Harrison	SS/2B	Garden Grove, CA	R/R	Pacifica H.S.
14	Tiffany Huff	UT	Saugus, CA	L/R	University of Tennessee
29	Donna Kerr	P/OF	San Diego, CA	R/R	Patrick Henry H.S.
35	Brittany Lastrapes	OF	Laguna Niguel, CA	L/L	Laguna Hills H.S.
28	Bianca Mejia	SS	Sylmar, CA	R/R	Michigan State
6	Rosey Neill	C	Laguna Hills, CA	R/R	Stanford University
37	Katie Schroeder	OF	Yorba Linda, CA	L/R	Esperanza H.S.
9	Lindsey Sisk	OF	Murrieta, CA	R/R	Murrieta Valley H.S.
7	Maggie Viefhaus	UT	Pacific, MO	L/R	University of Michigan

Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller (Starkville, Miss.) has been named as the head coach for the USA Junior Women’s National Team and will be assisted by three former USA Softball National Team members. Suzy Brazney (head coach Golden West College), Barbara Jordan (head coach Cal State Northridge) and Cheri Kempf (owner of Club K in Nashville, Tenn.) have all represented the USA in international competitions as players and now turn their focus to leading the U.S. as coaches.