Is the face of Softball changing?

[Turbine]

In the first 20 plus years of NCAA sponsored softball no pitcher reached the 500 strikeout plateau.

1 & 2
This changed in 4 years ago in 2000 when Southern Mississippi’s Courtney Blades blew by the mark. Just to years later 2002 Texas’ Cat Osterman became the second as she easily eclipsed 500 strikeouts.

Is the face of NCAA softball changed forever with the advent of the one arm teams?

3, 4, 5
On May 1st of this past 2004 season Tennessee’s Monica Abbott made it 3 in the 500 club.

20 days later May 21, 2004 Louisiana's Brooke Mitchell made it a group of 4 when she fanned 8 in a losing cause to Arizona.

The very next day May 22, 2004 Arizona's star pitcher Alicia Hollowell joined Louisiana’s Brooke Michelle as she also crossed the 500 single season strikeout total in a tournament eliminating lost to Louisiana.

The membership list in the 500 SO-Club now stands at 5.

Is this the future of NCAA softball? Or was this season super special -soon to be rare blip- for great pitching?

[RaisingCajun08]

Do you think there will ever be a member to the 600 strikeout club?

[shof]

Abbott (Tenn.) is a freshman and had 582 Ks this year. Was trying to find Cat Osterman's numbers from last year but haven't yet. I thought she may have passed 600 last year but not sure.

[shof]

Double-checked Osterman's stats for last year. She did not get to 500 last year; but did have 488 Ks in only 242 innings according to an article I found on the UT Athletics website. She is definitely capable of hitting 600 with the requisite innings. Top pitchers this year averaged around 11 Ks/7 innings.

[shof]

From the NCAA website:

Hollowell, Ariz, 293 innings, 12.1 Ks/7
Brooke, UL, 315 innings, 11.6 Ks/7
Abbott, Tenn, 352 innings, 11.6 Ks/7

These were the top 3 in Div 1.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by RaginCajun08
Do you think there will ever be a member to the 600 strikeout club?

Southern Mississippi’s Courtney Blades the first member of the 500 club is also the sole member of the 600 club.

Same season.

[Cajun Express]

Originally posted by Turbine
Southern Mississippi’s Courtney Blades the first member of the 500 club is also the sole member of the 600 club.

Same season.

I always wondered why she did not go to UL or LSU after leaving Nicholls. She might have been a champion on either of those teams. I is not like she had been a Golden Eagle her whole life.:confused: :confused: :confused: