Fans of the Aussie Spirit are in for a feast of top-quality softball watching their favourite team play in the National Pro Fastpitch league, starting this month.
Most of the Aussie Spirit games will be streamed live on NPFTV, which will be accessible through the National Pro Fastpitch website.
Best of all, the telecasts will be free of charge.
The Softball Australia website and social media pages will provide links to the live streaming as they become available.
Games that are not streamed through the NPF website will be available on multiple other platforms, not through an app. There is also an NPF Game of the Week on ESPN, but it is not known if this will be available in Australia.
The 2018 NPF season starts on May 19, with the Aussie Spirit taking on the Beijing Eagles at Missouri Western University. That will be the first of 48 NPF games for the Spirit, with their regular season ending on July 18.
Straight after the NPF season, the Aussie Spirit will head to Japan to prepare for the XVI Women’s Softball World Championship, to be held in Chiba from August 2-12. This tournament is the first potential qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Aussie Spirit players in the NPF
| Tabitha Callendar (WA) | Jordan Lambert (SA) | Ellen Roberts (NSW) | Jade Wall (Qld) |
| Michelle Cox (NSW) | Verity Long-Droppert (WA) | Justine Smethurst (Qld) | Clare Warwick (ACT) |
| Amelia Cudicio (NSW) | Stacey McManus (NSW) | Carmelle Sorensen (Qld) | Melinda Weaver (Qld) |
| Chelsea Forkin (Qld) | Kaia Parnaby (NSW) | Erin Thras (Qld) | Belinda White (SA) |
| Leigh Godfrey (WA) | Samantha Poole (NSW) | Jessica Torpey (Qld) | Tamieka Whitefield (Qld) |
| Shannon Keevers (NSW) | Stacey Porter (NSW) | Stephanie Trzcinski (SA) | |
| Rachel Lack (NSW) | Chelsea Robinson (SA) | Taylah Tsitsikronis (NSW) |
2018 NPF schedule
| DATE | VISITING TEAM | HOME TEAM | LOCATION | |
| May 19 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Aussie Spirit | Missouri Western State University |
| May 20 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Aussie Spirit | Missouri Western State University |
| May 21 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Aussie Spirit | St. Joseph, MO |
| May 22 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Aussie Spirit | Springfield, MO |
| May 23 | Beijing Eagles (DH) | @ | Aussie Spirit | Springfield, MO |
| May 25 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| May 26 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| May 27 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| May 28 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| May 29 | Aussie Spirit (DH) | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| May 30 | Aussie Spirit | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| May 31 | Aussie Spirit | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| June 1 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL | |
| June 2 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL | |
| June 3 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA | |
| June 4 | Aussie Spirit | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| June 5 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Cleveland Comets | Parma, OH |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL | |
| June 6 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Cleveland Comets | Parma, OH |
| Chicago Bandits | @ | Aussie Spirit | Hutchison, KS | |
| June 7 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Cleveland Comets | Parma, OH |
| Chicago Bandits | @ | Aussie Spirit | Wichita, KS | |
| June 8 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Aussie Spirit | Wichita, KS |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Cleveland Comets | Parma, OH | |
| June 9 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Aussie Spirit | TBA |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Cleveland Comets | Parma, OH | |
| June 10 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Aussie Spirit | TBA |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Cleveland Comets | Parma, OH | |
| June 11 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Aussie Spirit | TBA |
| June 12 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 13 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 14 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 15 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 16 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| June 17 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| Aussie Spirit (DH) | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| June 18 | Cleveland Comets | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| June 19 | Cleveland Comets | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| June 20 | Cleveland Comets | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Chicago Bandits | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA | |
| June 21 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 22 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 23 | Chicago Bandits (DH) | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 24 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| June 25 | Chicago Bandits | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Cleveland Comets | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO | |
| June 26 | Chicago Bandits | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Cleveland Comets | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO | |
| June 27 | Chicago Bandits | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Cleveland Comets | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO | |
| June 28 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO |
| June 29 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| June 30 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| July 1 | USSSA Pride | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| July 2 | Beijing Eagles | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| July 3 | Beijing Eagles | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | Cleveland Comets | TBA | |
| July 4 | Beijing Eagles | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | Cleveland Comets | TBA | |
| July 5 | Beijing Eagles | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | Cleveland Comets | TBA | |
| July 6 | Beijing Eagles (DH) | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| Aussie Spirit | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| July 7 | Aussie Spirit (DH) | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| July 8 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| July 9 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO. | |
| July 10 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Aussie Spirit | Kansas City, MO. | |
| July 11 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Aussie Spirit | Creighton University – Omaha, NE | |
| July 12 | Beijing Eagles (DH) | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Aussie Spirit | Iowa State University – Ames, IA | |
| July 13 | USSSA Pride | @ | Aussie Spirit | Iowa State University – Ames, IA |
| July 14 | USSSA Pride | @ | Aussie Spirit | Iowa State University – Ames, IA |
| Beijing Eagles(DH) | @ | Cleveland Comets | Canton, OH | |
| July 15 | Beijing Eagles | @ | Cleveland Comets | Canton, OH |
| July 16 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Cleveland Comets | TBA |
| July 17 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Cleveland Comets | TBA |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA | |
| July 18 | Aussie Spirit | @ | Cleveland Comets | TBA |
| USSSA Pride | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA | |
| July 19 | USSSA Pride | @ | Beijing Eagles | TBA |
| July 20 | USSSA Pride (DH) | @ | Beijing Eagles | Viera, FL |
| Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL | |
| July 21 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| July 23 | Cleveland Comets | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| July 24 | Cleveland Comets | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| July 25 | Cleveland Comets | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| July 26 | Chicago Bandits | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| July 27 | Chicago Bandits | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| July 28 | Chicago Bandits | @ | USSSA Pride | Viera, FL |
| July 31 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 1 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 2 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 3 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 4 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 5 | Chicago Bandits | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 6 | USSSA Pride | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 7 | USSSA Pride | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 8 | USSSA Pride | @ | Cleveland Comets | Avon, OH |
| August 10 | USSSA Pride | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| August 11 | USSSA Pride | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| August 12 | USSSA Pride | @ | Chicago Bandits | Rosemont, IL |
| August 16-20 | Championship Series | TBA | ||
About National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch, an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2004, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in fastpitch softball beyond their collegiate and amateur success.
The NPF affiliate teams consist of the Aussie Spirit, Beijing Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comets and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2018 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the United States, Australia, Canada and China, among which are the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.
