Feb. 12, 2005
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech softball standout Jessica Sallinger was selected ninth overall by the NY/NJ Juggernauts in the second annual National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft on Tuesday, Feb. 8. Sallinger was the third pitcher selected in the draft and will join the team after her senior season at Tech.
“It’s very excited about being drafted and where I’m going to play after the season,” said Sallinger. “It’s an honor, but right now I’m focused on my senior season at Tech.”
Sallinger is off to a 3-0 start this season with two complete-game shutouts and a no-hitter in Tech’s season opener versus Chattanooga on Feb. 5. The Kennesaw, Ga., native broke the Atlantic Coast Conference career strikeouts record on Feb. 9 against Georgia Southern with 11 K’s and currently has 1,056 (17th all-time in the NCAA). Sallinger becomes the second Tech player to be selected in the draft (Tara Knudsen/Arizona) in as many years.
“We are all very happy for Jessica, but it doesn’t come as a surprise,” said head coach Ehren Earleywine. “It’s an exciting time for her and she is very deserving of everything she gets. We wish her the best in the pro league, but for now we all, including Jessica, have one thing on our mind and that’s winning the next game.”
The professional league consists of six teams; Akron Racers, Arizona Heat, Chicago Bandits, New England Riptide, NY/NJ Juggernaut, and Texas Thunder. The California Sunbirds will remain a part of the league but is suspending play for 2005 while working this year to restructure with plans to field a team again in 2006 along with additional teams in other potential markets.
The six NPF teams picked their 2005 Senior College Player Selections on Tuesday evening. Due to NCAA regulations, an active college senior-athlete may not sign with her respective franchise until their 2005 college season is finished. Senior selection rights expire July 15, 2005.
The entire draft can be found at 2005 NPF Senior Draft.
-GT SOFTBALL-
