Jenny Topping
Encyclopedia
Jenny Louise Topping (born May 30, 1980) from Whittier, California
is an American
, former four-time NCAA Division I First Team All-American, left-handed hitting softball
player. She suited up for the University of Washington
from 1999-2000 and Cal State Fullerton for the seasons 2001-2003. She is best known for being a member of the 2004 Gold Medal winning United States
national softball team. She currently holds numerous school records for both universities and is one of 6 NCAA players to bat .400, drive in 200 RBIs on at least 50 home runs throughout her career. She also played professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch
for the defunct Akron Racers
in 2005-2006, 2009.
and having to red-shirt the 1999 season. She hit three home runs, bringing in 11 RBIs and had career single game highs with 4 walks vs. the UIC Flames
on February 6 and 4 hits vs. the Michigan Wolverines
a week later on February 19.
In her first full season Topping earned 2000 First Team All-American citations, along with All Pac 10 honors and was named Newcomer of The Year. Setting school records for RBIs (90; NCAA Division I Freshman class record), home runs (24), walks (56), on base percentage
(.565%) and slugging percentage (.960%), Topping led the NCAA in the first three categories and placed herself in its top-10 all-time season rankings for her RBI and home run totals.
During the week of March 7, Topping garnered National Fastpitch Coaches Association "National Player of The Week" honors for her performance of hitting over .650, driving in double digit RBIs (12) on 5 home runs and slugging an impressive 1.800%. This would help the Husky bat .437, which was second all-time in Washington softball history for a season.
Topping and the Huskies made it into the Women's College World Series
but were eventually eliminated by Jennie Finch
and the Arizona Wildcats
in a 4-2 loss. It would mark Topping's only appearance at the series.
Combined with her shortened 1999 stats, Topping currently still retains season records for RBIs and slugging percentage. She is also tops in career records for batting average, on base percentage
and slugging percentage.
season records for on base percentage
, runs and doubles, while ranking merely in the top-5 for batting average and home runs.
Debuting on February 2, 2001, Topping would set a career and single game school record with 5 RBIs vs. the Colorado State Rams
.
The junior batted .472 (school record, career best and was the conference record) to again earn all-season honors. Topping also posted top-5 school records in slugging, on base and walks.
The Titans won a mercy rule victory 10-1 over the UCSB Gauchos, Topping contributed by smacking her 50th career home run against pitcher Katie Junge on May 4.
Topping's senior season saw her earn her fourth All-American and third Big West all-conference and Player of The Year awards. She set a new Titans record for her .576% on base percentage
to accompany top-5 school and conference records: .437 batting average, .722% slugging and 46 walks.
Topping set a another single game record for Cal State Fullerton by walking 4 times in 5 trips to the plate against the LSU Tigers
on February 22, 2003.
Topping ended her career as the Titan career record holder in batting average (.442), .771% slugging, .573% on base and walks (137). She also holds top-10 career records in RBIs, hits, home runs, doubles and runs. She owns the Big West batting crown (in just three seasons) and ranks top-10 for RBIs, home runs, doubles and walks. Overall, the acclaimed catcher would rank top-10 in RBIs, home runs, walks and slugging in all of the NCAA Division I, of which she still does for her career slugging (5th) and walks (7th) totals.
previewed their prowess by scoring a tour best 28 runs off the Army Black Knights
in exhibition game 8 on February 28. Topping went 4/5 with 4 RBIs, a home run and scored on two of teammate Lovieanne Jung
's three home runs. Topping also hit a walk-off home run vs. the Illinois Fighting Illini
on March 4.
At the festival, Topping saw limited time on the field but managed to hit a team best .666 and earned a gold medal as the USA defeated Australia
in the title game on August 23.
Topping would go on to also earn a gold medal in 2006 World Championships. In 2008 she served as an alternate at the Bejing Olympics and won a silver medal. She had been a Team USA member since 2001, starting on the USA Blue Team.
rookie played well to earn a spot on the NPF
All-Star roster. Her team made it into the Cowles Cup Championship and on August 28, 2005 they outlasted the Chicago Bandits
5-4 in 8 innings to win. Topping hit a double off Jennie Finch
.
Topping played two more seasons in 2006 and 2009 respectively and claims a career .328 batting average.
University of Washington Huskies & Cal State Fullerton Titans
NPF
NCAA Division I softball career 200 RBIs list
NCAA Division I softball career 50 home runs list
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, former four-time NCAA Division I First Team All-American, left-handed hitting softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
player. She suited up for the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
from 1999-2000 and Cal State Fullerton for the seasons 2001-2003. She is best known for being a member of the 2004 Gold Medal winning United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national softball team. She currently holds numerous school records for both universities and is one of 6 NCAA players to bat .400, drive in 200 RBIs on at least 50 home runs throughout her career. She also played professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch , formerly the Women's Pro Softball League , is the only professional women's softball league in the United States. The WPSL was founded in 1997 and folded in 2001. The NPF revived the league in 2004 and currently features four teams: USSSA Pride, Akron Racers, Chicago...
for the defunct Akron Racers
Akron Racers
- 2010 :The following is the Racers 2010 home schedule:* Thursday, June 24 * Friday, June 25 * Saturday, June 26 * Sunday, June 27 * Thursday, July 1 * Friday, July 2 * Saturday, July 3...
in 2005-2006, 2009.
University of Washington
Topping began her career by playing in only 9 games before tearing her ACLACL
- Companies and organizations :* American Classical League* Arctic Co-operatives Limited* Asianet Communications Limited* Association for Computational Linguistics* Atlantic Coast Line Railroad* Atlantic Container Line* Australian Christian Lobby- Sports :...
and having to red-shirt the 1999 season. She hit three home runs, bringing in 11 RBIs and had career single game highs with 4 walks vs. the UIC Flames
UIC Flames
The UIC Flames are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Chicago. They are called the Flames as a reference to the Great Chicago Fire, and their team colors are navy blue and fire engine red. Approximately 300 student athletes compete in 18 varsity sports...
on February 6 and 4 hits vs. the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
a week later on February 19.
In her first full season Topping earned 2000 First Team All-American citations, along with All Pac 10 honors and was named Newcomer of The Year. Setting school records for RBIs (90; NCAA Division I Freshman class record), home runs (24), walks (56), on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(.565%) and slugging percentage (.960%), Topping led the NCAA in the first three categories and placed herself in its top-10 all-time season rankings for her RBI and home run totals.
During the week of March 7, Topping garnered National Fastpitch Coaches Association "National Player of The Week" honors for her performance of hitting over .650, driving in double digit RBIs (12) on 5 home runs and slugging an impressive 1.800%. This would help the Husky bat .437, which was second all-time in Washington softball history for a season.
Topping and the Huskies made it into the Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
but were eventually eliminated by Jennie Finch
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
and the Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
in a 4-2 loss. It would mark Topping's only appearance at the series.
Combined with her shortened 1999 stats, Topping currently still retains season records for RBIs and slugging percentage. She is also tops in career records for batting average, on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
and slugging percentage.
California State-Fullerton
After having transferred to a new team, Topping continued in honors by repeating as an All-American and picked up her first All Big West selection and Player of The Year award. Topping set surviving school and conference season records in RBIs (59), walks (56) and slugging (.821%). She also set new Cal State Fullerton TitansCal State Fullerton Titans
The Cal State Fullerton Titans are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Cal State Fullerton, located in Fullerton, California. The Titans are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I level...
season records for on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
, runs and doubles, while ranking merely in the top-5 for batting average and home runs.
Debuting on February 2, 2001, Topping would set a career and single game school record with 5 RBIs vs. the Colorado State Rams
Colorado State Rams
Colorado State University competes in 16 sponsored intercollegiate sports, including 10 for women and six for men...
.
The junior batted .472 (school record, career best and was the conference record) to again earn all-season honors. Topping also posted top-5 school records in slugging, on base and walks.
The Titans won a mercy rule victory 10-1 over the UCSB Gauchos, Topping contributed by smacking her 50th career home run against pitcher Katie Junge on May 4.
Topping's senior season saw her earn her fourth All-American and third Big West all-conference and Player of The Year awards. She set a new Titans record for her .576% on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
to accompany top-5 school and conference records: .437 batting average, .722% slugging and 46 walks.
Topping set a another single game record for Cal State Fullerton by walking 4 times in 5 trips to the plate against the LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
on February 22, 2003.
Topping ended her career as the Titan career record holder in batting average (.442), .771% slugging, .573% on base and walks (137). She also holds top-10 career records in RBIs, hits, home runs, doubles and runs. She owns the Big West batting crown (in just three seasons) and ranks top-10 for RBIs, home runs, doubles and walks. Overall, the acclaimed catcher would rank top-10 in RBIs, home runs, walks and slugging in all of the NCAA Division I, of which she still does for her career slugging (5th) and walks (7th) totals.
2004 Olympics
Topping made the USA National Team and spent most the year playing on the Aiming For Athens tour. Team USATeam USA
Team USA is a wrestling faction brought together as part of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's X-Cup Tournaments, which involved a team of X Division superstars from various countries representing their nation in an international wrestling competition.-America's X-Cup:Team USA was created and led...
previewed their prowess by scoring a tour best 28 runs off the Army Black Knights
Army Black Knights
Army Black Knights is the name of the athletics teams of the United States Military Academy. They participate in NCAA Division I-A as a non-football member of the Patriot League, a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school, and a member of Atlantic Hockey, the Collegiate Sprint...
in exhibition game 8 on February 28. Topping went 4/5 with 4 RBIs, a home run and scored on two of teammate Lovieanne Jung
Lovieanne Jung
Lovieanne Jung is a retired American softball player. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jung moved with her family to California at a young age....
's three home runs. Topping also hit a walk-off home run vs. the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
on March 4.
At the festival, Topping saw limited time on the field but managed to hit a team best .666 and earned a gold medal as the USA defeated Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the title game on August 23.
Topping would go on to also earn a gold medal in 2006 World Championships. In 2008 she served as an alternate at the Bejing Olympics and won a silver medal. She had been a Team USA member since 2001, starting on the USA Blue Team.
NPF
The Akron RacersAkron Racers
- 2010 :The following is the Racers 2010 home schedule:* Thursday, June 24 * Friday, June 25 * Saturday, June 26 * Sunday, June 27 * Thursday, July 1 * Friday, July 2 * Saturday, July 3...
rookie played well to earn a spot on the NPF
NPF
NPF may refer to:*National Park Foundation*The National Policy Forum of the British Labour Party*The National Press Foundation*National Pro Fastpitch* NPF , NetBSD's stateful packet filter*The Network Processing Forum...
All-Star roster. Her team made it into the Cowles Cup Championship and on August 28, 2005 they outlasted the Chicago Bandits
Chicago Bandits
The Chicago Bandits are a women's professional softball team based in Rosemont, Illinois. Since the 2005 season, they have played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch . The Bandits won the 2008 NPF championship, defeating the Washington Glory in the final game of the championship series...
5-4 in 8 innings to win. Topping hit a double off Jennie Finch
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
.
Topping played two more seasons in 2006 and 2009 respectively and claims a career .328 batting average.
Awards & Honors
- Softball World Champion (2006)
- International Sports Invitational Champion (2005)
- Gold medalist at Athens Olympic Games (2004)
- Gold medalist at Pan American Games (2003)
- Big West ConferenceBig West ConferenceThe Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
Player of the Year (2001-2003) - First-team All-American (2000-2003)
- Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year (2000)
University of Washington Huskies & Cal State Fullerton TitansCal State Fullerton TitansThe Cal State Fullerton Titans are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Cal State Fullerton, located in Fullerton, California. The Titans are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I level...
| YEAR | G Game A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements... |
AB | R | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
RBI | HR | 3B | 2B Doubles Doubles may refer to:* Doubles , Trinidadian food* Double , a two-base hit* Doubles , in sports like tennis and badminton refers to games with two players on each side... |
TB Total bases In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total.... |
SLG | BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
SBA |
| 1999 | 9 | 24 | 5 | 9 | .375 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | .750% | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | 67 | 176 | 43 | 77 | .437 | 90 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 169 | .960% | 56 | 16 | 2 | 2 |
| 2001 | 62 | 168 | 55 | 71 | .422 | 59 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 138 | .821% | 56 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 53 | 142 | 37 | 67 | .472 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 108 | .760% | 35 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 55 | 144 | 25 | 63 | .437 | 36 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 104 | .722% | 46 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 246 | 654 | 165 | 287 | .439 | 229 | 60 | 3 | 64 | 537 | .821% | 200 | 65 | 2 | 3 |
NPFNPFNPF may refer to:*National Park Foundation*The National Policy Forum of the British Labour Party*The National Press Foundation*National Pro Fastpitch* NPF , NetBSD's stateful packet filter*The Network Processing Forum...
Akron RacersAkron Racers- 2010 :The following is the Racers 2010 home schedule:* Thursday, June 24 * Friday, June 25 * Saturday, June 26 * Sunday, June 27 * Thursday, July 1 * Friday, July 2 * Saturday, July 3...
| YEAR | AB | R | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
RBI | HR | 3B | 2B Doubles Doubles may refer to:* Doubles , Trinidadian food* Double , a two-base hit* Doubles , in sports like tennis and badminton refers to games with two players on each side... |
TB Total bases In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total.... |
SLG | BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
| 2005 | 77 | 16 | 29 | .376 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 44 | .571% | 27 | 9 | 0 |
| 2006 | 33 | 5 | 8 | .242 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | .454% | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | 91 | 14 | 29 | .318 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 45 | .494% | 24 | 23 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 201 | 35 | 66 | .328 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 104 | .517% | 58 | 35 | 2 |
Links
NCAA Division I softball career .400 batting average listNCAA Division I softball career .400 batting average list
There are currently 71 batters and 38 records in the .400 Batting Average Club:* Note every player on the list played four seasons of at least 30 at-bats.-Progression:...
NCAA Division I softball career 200 RBIs list
NCAA Division I softball career 200 RBIs list
There are currently 53 batters and 37 records in the 200 RBIs Club:-Progression:Jenny Dalton drove in her 316th career RBI on a grand slam home run against Shawn Starling of Troy Trojans on May 17, 1996; Dalton surpassed former teammate Laura Espinoza for the record.Leah Braatz became just the...
NCAA Division I softball career 50 home runs list
NCAA Division I softball career 50 home runs list
There are currently 78 batters and 27 records in the 50 Home Runs Club:-Progression:Stacey Nuveman hit her 86th career home run against Kristen Hunter of the Oregon State Beavers on May 4, 2002. She surpassed former Arizona Wildcats Laura Espinoza and Leah Braatz, who had matched the total in 1998....