USSSA Pride Sign Megan Wiggins
January 22, 2015 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
USSSA Pride News Release
Kissimmee, FL-The USSSA Florida Pride announced on Thursday the trade for former National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Player of the Year Megan Wiggins. The Pride traded catcher Kristyn Sandberg, the sixth and 14th overall picks in the 2015 NPF Draft to the Pennsylvania Rebellion for Wiggins and the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NPF Draft. Wiggins had been traded from the Chicago Bandits to the Rebellion earlier this week.
"The signing of Megan Wiggins brings one of the most powerful bats in the country as well as one of the top defensive outfielders to our lineup. There are not many opportunities to add a player of this caliber," said Pride General Manager Don DeDonatis.
Wiggins, the 2013 Mizuno Player of the Year, has been named the Worth Homerun Champion twice (2012, 2013) and was the 2013 Co-Offensive Player of the Year - which she shared with the Pride's GiOnna DiSalvatore. In 2014, Wiggins hit .289 in 40 games, tied for second in the NPF with 9 homeruns, and was sixth in the NPF with 27 RBIs.
"I'm excited to be apart of the USSSA Pride organization and I'm excited to be starting a new chapter in my life. I think it was the best business decision for me, because of where I am in my career and what the entire USSSA organization has to offer," said Wiggins.
Wiggins spent her first four years in the NPF with the Chicago Bandits, who drafted her eighth overall in 2011 out of the University of Georgia. Her best season statistically came in 2013 when she led the league with 61 hits, batted .433 on the season and hit 11 homeruns with 35 RBIs.
In the offseason, Wiggins plays in the Japan Softball League, the same league where Pride veterans Natasha Watley and Keilani Ricketts compete. She also owns a softball facility in Winder, Georgia called RipZone where she runs softball lessons and agility work with fastpitch players and teams.
Sandberg returns to the Northeast where her softball roots began. The 2012 Miken Rookie of the Year and the Pride's second overall pick in 2012 is a native of Island Park, NY. Sandberg brings a powerful bat and fills a void behind the plate. Earlier this week, the Rebellion traded their top catcher from the 2014 season, Taylor Edwards, and her twin sister and pitcher Taylor, to the Bandits for Wiggins and pitcher Andi Williamson.
The addition of Wiggins adds lefty power, speed, and a strong defensive presence to the back-to-back NPF Champion roster.
For all information about the USSSA Pride and the 2015 NPF season, visit the team website www.usssapride.com and follow the Pride all year long on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
National Pro Fastpitch Stories from January 22, 2015
- USSSA Pride Sign Megan Wiggins - USSSA Pride
- Patton Signs on for Seventh Season with Bandits - Chicago Bandits
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
