Jan. 11, 2010

AMHERST, Mass. - Former UMass softball pitcher Brandice Balschmiter has been named an alternate to the 2010 USA Softball Women's National Team as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) on Monday. The UMass career wins leader trained at the USA Softball Selection Camp in Chula Vista, Calif. on Jan. 4-8. This is her second year participating with USA Softball.

17 players were offered USA Softball Athlete Agreements for the 2010 season, but the final roster for the National Team will not be announced until March. Team USA team will be competing in the ISF Women's World Championships, June 23-July 2, 2010 in Caracas, Venezuela as well as other events to be scheduled at a later date.

The Newark, N.Y. native competed with Team USA last August as it won the Pan American Quialifying Tournament in Maracay, Venezuela. Baslchmiter pitched 16 innings in the tournament, striking out 27 and allowing just one run and one hit.

Balschmiter will serve as student assistant for Elaine Sortino's UMass team in the 2010 season as she completes her degree.

Balschmiter finished her career with UMass, going 126-33 over four seasons with a 0.99 earned run average. She was only the second pitcher in UMass history to strikeout 1,000 batters, fanning 1,218 during her career with the Minutewomen, while opponents hit just .117 against the Newark, N.J. native.

During her senior season, Balschmiter went 34-6 with a 0.36 ERA and 344 strikeouts en route to her fourth consecutive Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year honor. In her 42 appearances, she threw 33 complete games with 22 shutouts. In a 15-inning classic vs. Washington in the NCAA Tournament, Balschmiter threw 243 pitches and allowed just one run through 14 innings.

The athletes below were offered a USA Softball athlete agreement for 2010:
Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.)
Chelsea Bramlett (Cordova, Tenn.)
Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif.)
Ashley Charters (Beaverton, Ore.)
Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.)
Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.)
Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.)
Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.)
Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.)
Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.)
Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga.)
Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.)
Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.)
Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.)
Cat Osterman (Houston,Texas)
Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.)
Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo.)

The following 13 athletes selected from the selection camp will be alternates on the 2010 USA Softball Women's National Team:
Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.)
Brandice Balschmiter (Newark, N.Y.)
Courtney Bures (Haymarket, Va.)
Molly Johnson (Lexington, Ken.)
Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.)
Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
Jenae Leles (Fair Oaks, Calif.)
Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.)
Amber Patton (Forsyth, Ill.)
Brittany Rogers (Dacula, Ga.)
Melissa Roth (Long Beach, Calif.)
Taylor Schlopy (West Hills, Calif.)
Angela Tincher (Eagle Rock, Va.)