MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama softball pitcher Farish Beard was selected by the Dallas Charge in the sixth round of the 2015 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft on Wednesday, giving the Jaguars a drafted player for the second straight year.
Beard is the second South Alabama softball player ever chosen in the NPF Draft and the second female student-athlete in school history to be selected in a professional draft. Hannah Campbell was the first last year, when the Akron Racers took her third overall.
Record-Setting Career
Beard, a native of Fairhope, Ala., owns a 56-11 career record at South Alabama. She is a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region selection and was a Top 25 finalist for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
She holds South Alabama program records for lowest ERA (1.34), lowest opponent batting average (.144) and most strikeouts per seven innings (9.46).
Draft Details
The 2015 NPF College Draft consisted of four rounds of five selections, one round of six and one round of seven, for a total of 33 draftees in the rookie class. A team that drafts a player holds her rights for two full seasons.
Under NCAA rules, an active college senior may not sign with the franchise that drafted her until her 2015 college season is complete.
Beard, Clark React
“This is truly an honor, and it goes to show that hard work does pay off,” Beard said. “Coach Clark has helped me grow in my time here, both mentally and physically, and this honor brings much-deserved publicity to the Jaguar softball program.”
South Alabama head coach Becky Clark called the selection a great honor for Beard and the program.
“When you look at her body of work, it’s obvious what she has meant to South Alabama softball and shows she is definitely deserving of being drafted,” Clark said. “She is such a competitor and plays the game with so much heart. I am extremely proud of her and all of her hard work; she has definitely earned her success.”
About the NPF
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. The league was created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to play professionally and has operated since 1997, previously under the names Women’s Pro Fastpitch and Women’s Pro Softball League. Since 2002, the NPF has been Major League Baseball’s official development partner in women’s fastpitch softball.
