Wallace State softball, a two-time national champion, to host USSSA Pride professional team on Nov. 11 at Heritage Park

HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State softball has won two NJCAA Division I national championships and eight Alabama Community College Conference titles, establishing itself as one of the premier programs in the nation.
The Lions have now been selected as the first junior college team ever to play the USSSA Florida Pride professional team. Wallace State will host USSSA Pride during its fall exhibition tour on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., at Heritage Park in Cullman.
Only six teams are on the USSSA Pride fall schedule, and Wallace State coach Jayne Clem is honored her club has been chosen as one of the opponents.
“It means the world to us. Some of our players have watched these professional players in college or played against them along the way. I’m sure some of these professional players have served as role models for our players. For us to be able to step on the same field with them is really neat,” said Clem, who has won 761 games in 15 seasons at Wallace State. “It says a lot for our program to be the first junior college ever chosen to be a part of the tour. It proves we are a top-notch program in the state and in the nation. We’re going to take a lot of pride in the opportunity.”
Clem and the Lions are expecting a larger crowd than what they can support at their home venue, Bobby McCracken Stadium, therefore the game will be played at Heritage Park. Preceding the game, which is on Veterans Day, Wallace State and USSSA pride players plan to team up for a softball clinic at Heritage Park from noon to 4 p.m.
The USSSA Florida Pride is coming off its third National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) championship in team history. They finished the 2014 season as regular season and postseason champions. The 2014 NPF championship was played in Hoover, mainly to capitalize on the growing support of fastpitch softball in the state.
Pride team members expected to play against Wallace State are NPF Player of the Year Andrea Duran, Olympic gold and silver medalist Kelly Kretcshman, a former player for the University of Alabama, 2013 NPF Offensive Player of the Year GiOnna DiSalvatore and 2014 batting champion Courtney Ceo.
Other collegiate stops on the USSSA Pride fall tour include Georgia, Georgia Tech, UAB, Mercer and Florida State.
Wallace State softball won the 2008 and 2013 NJCAA Division I national championships and has captured all of its state championships since 2003, including winning four in a row from 2007-2010.
Tickets to the Nov. 11 game are $10 and can be purchased in advance here or by contacting Clem at 256.352.8355 or at Jayne.clem@wallacestate.edu. Tickets will also be available at the gates.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit wallacestate.edu.