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Opening Day for baseball coincided with the unofficial start of the 2013 National Pro Fastpitch season. The professional softball league's four teams won't play their first games until June 5, but the college draft starts to bring the rosters into focus.

The first four picks in the National Pro Fastpitch softball college draft were pitchers.

National Pro Fastpitch's season ended as an ugly, soggy shambles, fingers raised not skyward to celebrate a championship but instead pointed accusingly in every direction.

The National Pro Fastpitch season ended without a champion for the first time in the league's nine-year history because of weather delays and what the league cited as scheduling conflicts for players on both teams.

Monica Abbott was her usual brilliant self in the pitcher's circle for Chicago on Saturday. But it was the Bandits' catcher, Shannon Doepking, who was the star in the opener of the NPF championship series.

The Akron Racers beat the USSSA Pride 8-7 in the National Pro Fastpitch playoffs to force a Saturday Game 3 in their series.

Kristen Butler found her missing stroke. Her long home run sparked the defending-champion Bandits to a romp in their NPF playoff opener.

The four NPF teams are set for their playoff tournament this weekend in Chicago. Here is all you need to know about the teams and players battling for the title.

Despite financial challenges, National Pro Fastpitch softball league is about to complete its ninth year, a testament to the dedication of its players and owners.

Jennie Finch may have retired from the softball, but she's not done being an athlete. Finch is running the NYC Marathon on Sunday to raise money for youth running programs.

In a 10-3 upset over league favorites USSSA Pride, the Chicago Bandits became the first team to recapture the Cowles Cup.

Pride pitcher Cat Osterman left with an injury in the fifth inning, while Bandits ace Monica Abbott kept her cool en route to an extra-inning victory in Game 1.

Stacy May-Johnson retired from pro softball last year after a successful career. But she couldn't stay away from the diamond, and hasn't lost a beat in her comeback.

Now that she's learned to ignore bad breaks, Bandits pitcher Monica Abbott is even tougher to hit.

CHICAGO -- It seems the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano can't go very long without some sort of controversy following him. Zambrano, who is headed to the disabled list with lower back issues, threw the first pitch at a Chicago Bandits softball game after le...

The Chicago Cubs placed pitcher Carlos Zambrano on the disabled list Friday after lower back soreness cut short his start Thursday against the San Francisco Giants.