The tone for winning was set early in Georgia history and has continued today. >>> The Bulldogs have had 15-consecutive 40+ win seasons, including seven with 50 or more. Heading into the program’s 21st year, Georgia has accumulated 892 victories along with a trio of SEC titles. The goal for every team is to reach NCAA >>> postseason, and Georgia has done that for 15-straight seasons, one of 11 teams to do so. With nine Super Regional appearances, Georgia has gone on to the Women’s College World Series three times, becoming one of the last four teams standing in 2009 and 2010. Numerous elite players have called Athens home, evident in the 25 NFCA All- >>> Americans since 2002. Along with that, Georgia boasts 58 NFCA All-Region and 67 All-SEC honorees. Success isn’t just on the field either, as Georgia has had 125 selections to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Lu Harris-Champer enters her 21st year >>> coaching and 17th season at Georgia. One of the top coaches in the NCAA, Harris- Champer has tallied 986 career wins with 777 of those by the Bulldogs. Harris- Champer has reached 40 or more wins in 19 of her 20 seasons coaching. The game of softball hasn’t stopped for many after their Georgia career ends, as 17 >>> Bulldogs have gone on to the professional side. Since 2007, nine Bulldogs have heard their names in the NPF Draft. Five former players were on NPF rosters in 2016 with three of them earning All-NPF honors. There is no place like home for the Georgia >>> Bulldogs, and Jack Turner Stadium provides a great home field advantage. With close to 1,400 in the grandstands, Bulldog Nation has helped Georgia to 512 home wins. Georgia has also hosted nine NCAA Regionals and four Super Regionals. TABLEOFCONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION Location Athens, Ga. GENERAL INFORMATION 1 Quick Facts Founded 1785 Winning Tradition Enrollment 36,130 Postseason Staple Colors Red and Black ProDawgs Mascot Bulldogs Jack Turner Stadium Conference Southeastern Conference University of Georgia/Athens, Georgia President Jere W. Morehead (Georgia State, ‘77) 2017 Schedule 2017 Roster and Pronunciations J. Reid Parker 2017 Preview Director of Athletics Greg McGarity (Georgia, ‘76) COACHING STAFF MEET THE BULLDOGS 10 Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer (W. Illinois, ‘89) Returner Bios Newcomers Overall Record 986-349-1 (21st Season) Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer Record at UGA 777-273 (17th Season) Assistant Coaches Associate Head Coach Tony Baldwin (Butler, ‘95) Georgia Administration Assistant Coach Rachele Fico (LSU, ‘13) Softball Staff Softball Program Specialist Kara Moore Office Phone 706-425-3350 Office Fax 706-425-3144 HISTORY 2016 IN REVIEW 24 First Year of Softball 1997 2016 Statistics All-Time Record 892-408 2016 Results All-Time SEC Record 310-233 2016 SEC Standings 2016 SEC/NCAA Statistics All-Time SEC Tournament Record 20-20 2016 Review NCAA Tournament Appearances 15 NCAA Postseason Record 60-33 Last NCAA Tournament Appearance 2016 WCWS Appearances/Last 3/2016 FACILITY INFORMATION HISTORY 28 Home Field Jack Turner Stadium Georgia Records Capacity 1,400 No-Hitters and Perfect Games Surface Natural Grass Annual Leaders Field Dimensions LF: 190; CF: 220; RF: 190 Awardwinners Letterwinners Press Box Phone Number 706-425-3362 NCAA Tournament SEC Tournament TEAM INFORMATION National Polls 2016 Record 46-20 (12-12 SEC) Yearly Stats 2016 SEC Finish 6th Yearly Results 2016 Postseason Women’s College World Series Series Records 2016 Final Rankings Series Results NFCA/USA Today 7 ESPN.com/USA Softball 6 Credits Letterwinners Returning/Lost 11/6 The 2017 Georgia softball media guide was written, designed and edited by Whitney Tarpy using Adobe Position Starters Returning/Lost 5/4 InDesign CC 2015. Pitchers Returning/Lost 3/1 Front/Back Covers Newcomers 12 Design by AdSmith MEDIA INFORMATION Photography Mike Holliday, John Kelley, Steve Colquitt, David Barnes, Emily Selby, UGA Sports Communications, UGA Softball SID Whitney Tarpy Public Affairs, Akron Racers and others. Email [email protected] Office Phone 706-542-7965 Special Thanks Special thanks to the Georgia softball staff, Brooke McCoy, Jen Galas, Brandon Weiss and the Georgia Sports Georgia Softball Twitter @UGASoftball Communications staff and student assistants. Georgia Softball Instagram @UGASoftball Georgia Softball Facebook /UGASoftball Printing Walker360 - Montgomery, Ala. Georgia Athletics Twitter @UGAAthletics GEORGIADOGS.COM 1 @UGASOFTBALL WINNINGTRADITION In its 20 seasons of existence, the Georgia Bulldogs have made noise across the softball landscape. From three Women’s College World Series appearances to three Southeastern Conference titles, Georgia has established itself a winning tradition. Since the opening season in 1997, Georgia has accumulated 892 wins, including 310 in SEC action. A majority of those wins have come under the helm of Lu Harris-Champer, Nicole Barber 777 to be exact in her 16 years in the Classic City. The Bulldogs have had 15-straight seasons with 40 or more wins, including seven of those with 50 or more victories. 2003 SEC CHAMPIONS The winning doesn’t stop when the regular season ends, but carries on in postseason action. The team chemistry of the 2016 squad carried the Bulldogs to Oklahoma City. In 2014, the Bulldogs brought home the SEC Tournament crown after defeating Kentucky in the Championship Game. The past 15 years have also seen Georgia in a NCAA Regional while appearing in nine Super Regionals, collecting 61 wins in the program’s NCAA Championship history. Kim Wendland With the 2017 season here, there may be a new squad in Athens, but the goals 2005 SEC CHAMPIONS remain the same, and Georgia won’t be quieting down any time soon. 892 310 15 Program SEC Program Straight 40+ Chelsea Wilkinson Wins Wins Win Seasons 2014 SEC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS GEORGIADOGS.COM 2 @UGASOFTBALL POSTSEASONSTAPLE Georgia’s winning tradition doesn’t just stem from what the Bulldogs accomplish in regular-season games, but from what it has achieved when those are over. The Bulldogs have made themselves a mainstay in NCAA Championship action, making it to a NCAA Regional in each of the past 15 seasons. Its stellar track record into the postseason slate puts Georgia as one of 11 teams in the nation to appear in a Regional for 15 or more straight years. Within that realm, Georgia is one of three Southeastern Conference teams to produce such success. Georgia isn’t just a staple in Regional fields, but also into the next round, appearing 2009 WOMEN’S COLLEGE in nine Super Regionals since 2005. The Bulldogs have made it to Super Regionals WORLD SERIES the last three seasons, just one of 12 teams to do so. The pinnacle of college softball is in Oklahoma City, and Georgia made back-to-back showings at the Women’s College World Series in 2009 and 2010, finishing as one of the last four teams standing in both. The Bulldogs returned in 2016 after knocking off back-to-back National Champion Florida in dramatic walk-off fashion. The consistency that the Bulldogs have showed reaching postseason play has planted the program as one of the top teams in NCAA softball. 2010 WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES 15 3 61 Consecutive Women’s NCAA NCAA College Postseason Regionals World Series Victories 2016 WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES GEORGIADOGS.COM 3 @UGASOFTBALL PRODAWGS BULLDOGS IN THE PROS Former Bulldogs have made their presence known in the professional world, helping to Erin Arevalo Akron Racers 2012 grow the game across the nation. Nicole Barber Mosca Softball Macerata 2006 Washington Glory 2007-08 Overall, 17 Bulldogs have gone on to play ball after their collegiate career. Since 2007, Kasi Carroll Fiorini Forli 2008 nine Georgia players were selected in the NPF Draft. Alisa Goler Chicago Bandits 2011-14 Pennsylvania Rebellion 2015-16 In the 2016 season, Georgia had five past athletes represented on an NPF roster. Four Michelle Green Arizona Heat 2008 of those fromer Bulldogs--Alisa Goler, Kristyn Sandberg, Taylor Schlopy and Megan Brianna Hesson NPF Diamonds 2011 Wiggins--have had noteworthy careers in the NPF, each earning league-wide accolades. Akron Racers 2012 Since Goler, Schlopy and Wiggins entered the league in 2011, at least one of the four Alex Hugo Akron Racers 2016 former Bulldogs has been named to the All-NPF Team. Alex Hugo became the fifth Megan McAllister Philadelphia Force 2007 former player to join the NPF after a solid rookie season in 2016. Shanna McKeon Dornbirn Sharx 2006 Kellie Middleton Akron Racers 2007-08 This past season, Goler, Wiggins and Schlopy each earned All-NPF honors while Wiggins Kristyn Sandberg USSSA Pride 2012-14 was a part of the regular-season champion USSSA Pride. Pennsylvania Rebellion 2015-16 Taylor Schlopy Akron Racers 2011-16 ABOUT THE NPF Kristin Schnake USSSA Pride 2009-10 National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league, created NPF Diamonds 2011 to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in Tess Sito Akron Racers 2013 their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch Kim Wendland Rockford Thunder 2007 (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the official Development Partner Megan Wiggins Chicago Bandits 2011-14 of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002. USSSA Pride 2015-16 Melissa Wood Dornbirn Sharx 2008-09 PRODAWGS IN 2016 Alisa Goler Kristyn Sandberg Megan Wiggins Georgia IF 2008-11 Georgia C 2009-12 Georgia IF 2008-11 Pennsylvania Rebellion Pennsylvania Rebellion USSSA Pride Alex Hugo Taylor Schlopy Rachele Fico Georgia IF 2013-16 Georgia OF/P 2008-11 Georgia Assistant Coach Akron Racers Akron Racers Akron Racers GEORGIADOGS.COM 4 @UGASOFTBALL JACKTURNERSTADIUM Jack Turner Stadium services industry.