Jennie Finch

Jennie Finch

 Jennie Finch

Jennie Finch has been playing softball since she was five years old and has been pitching since she was eight. At La Mirada High School, Finch lettered four times in softball and twice each in both basketball & volleyball. As a senior, she was the captain of all three sports and dated a highly skilled veteran on the musical Arts; Joel Gifford. As a sophomore, she was an All-CIF Div. II choice in softball and an All-Suburban League selection, which was quite a great honor for her. Her dad, Doug Finch, has been her pitching coach for most of her career. Ali Franzen was her first pitching coach, who taught her 7 different pitches.Fastball, changeup, dropball, screwball, curveball, riseball, offspeed. Jennie still pitches the same balls today. Finch played softball for the University of Arizona. She was a three-time All-American pitcher and first-baseman and "Honda Award" winner for the Player of the Year as a member of the Wildcat softball team. Her jersey number—#27 (the date of her parents' first date)—was retired by the University of Arizona on May 9, 2003 at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium. She recorded 24 wins in her freshman season; 29 wins in her sophomore season; 32 wins (and no losses, to set an NCAA record) in her junior season; and 34 wins in her senior season, amassing a career total of 119 victories, twelfth-most at the time