However, as soon as Alexander walked off that field on June 7 to a standing ovation from a crowd of 12,000-plus, most of whom were Sooners fans, her college career officially ended, and she could sign any deals she pleased. You can cancel at any time. [18] The next day, James Madison defeated Oklahoma State 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals and become the first unseeded team in Women's College World Series history to win two games in the tournament. Alexander was the 2021 Women's College World Series "Cinderella story" and . Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. I cant wait for our athletes to learn from her, Tyson said. Im very excited and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to continue my professional softball career and show my passion and love for the game, Alexander said in a statement. Go for the gold. (AP . Softball has given me so much, and it is a dream come true to compete on the same field with so many other talented athletes that I have idolized for years.. She also was named Softball America Pitcher of the . "I am so excited to have Odicci join our Bison family. It was her third straight year being named an All-American. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She fashioned a .337 career batting average, and her career total of 39 home runs stands as fourth most in program history. Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP. Because WD and Emily could not travel from Virginia to attend the WCWS, the extended Alexander family in Dallas and Kansas City decided to come in their place. She finished the tournament starting all four games that JMU played with 66 strikeouts on 1,057 pitches. Shes the third JMU player to be drafted by USSSA Pride, joining fellow pitchersJailyn Ford and Megan Good. She also was named Softball America Pitcher of the Year as well as CAA Pitcher of the Year in 2021. [16], Starting in all three games against Missouri and winning two out of three, Alexander helped James Madison advance to their program's first Women's College World Series. Need help? Copy it to easily share with friends. 1 Oklahoma, she received a standing ovation from the fans in USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. She was named D1 Softballs Woman of the Year and Softball America NCAA Pitcher of the Year, and she was nominated for the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award. [17] In Alexander's 2021 Women's College World Series debut on June 3, James Madison upset number-one seeded Oklahoma 4-3 after eight innings. This a big deal for not just our team, but the entire DMV community, the MEAC and all HBCUs.. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. She made us work. She has a real passion for developing pitchers and sharing the game and our bullpen, so our entire team and staff will benefit greatly from having her in our dugout.. James Madison's star pitcher would lose some toenails after. It really opened my eyes at the World Series when I was the only Black girl pitching on that platform.. As Alexander continues her own she emphasizes that while she plays this game, it is about more than a bat and ball. Alexander was competing for Toda Chuo Medics Saitama in the Japan Diamond Softball League when she received the crushing news. Alexander was. Alexander signed a contract with the USSSA Pride, an independent softball team. On Monday, Softball America named Alexander its Pitcher of the Year and USSSA Pride officials announced she has signed a professional contract with the team. The Official Home of Howard Bison Athletics, Softball Suffers Setbacks at the Cavalier Classic, Softball Drops Slugfest to St. Johns at the Cavalier Classic, Softball Falls Twice at the Cavalier Classic, Softball Returns to the Diamond for the Cavalier Classic, Maryn Jordan named MEAC Rookie of the Week, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. This a big deal for not just our team, but the entire DMV community, the MEAC and all HBCUs.. All rights reserved. Gasso's Sooners, softball's Swat Sisters, finally ended James Madison's magical run, beating the unseeded Dukes 7-1 Monday . [12] Alexander was again named an NFCA Third Team All-American, NFCA First Team All-Northeast, CAA Player of the Year, and ECAC Player of the year. Oddicci Alexander's current age is 23 years old. [7] During the week of May 4, Alexander was named D1Softball's player of the week after recording 25 strikeouts and allowing only one hit in two games, with one of them being a perfect game. Andrea Adelson. The first 50 years of Title IX were spent building, and in many arenas the mantra needs to be updated. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is suing Shannon Sharpe, Pat McAfee, and Mississippi auditor Shad White for defamation of character. James Madison's Odicci Alexander received a standing ovation from the crowd in OKC @JMUSoftball | #WCWS pic.twitter.com/rrxB9dNpMS. Jameel and Isaiah Maurice, her older brothers, and Imileigh and Kaylin, her younger sisters, were her childhood companions. The tragic loss of Bernett, affectionately known as LB to her friends and family, rocked everyone who knew her as well as the entire collegiate athletics community. Isaiah, her brother, was a basketball player at Kanas State. The Virginia native started her collegiate softball career at James Madison University (JMU). Her passion for the sport and her love of the game were evident every inning of every game at the WCWS, as we saw firsthand in Oklahoma,Pride General Manager Don DeDonatis Sr. said in a release. You can follow her on Twitter@savannaecollins. Within days of arriving back to campus in her home state of Virginia, Alexander began capitalizing on the massive following her performance generated. I try to instill that in these younger girls: Be true to you, be who you are, be the best person.. But the public frenzy and massive followings that both Alo and Alexander have garnered also bolster the vision of how rich the future could be for pro softball in the U.S. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Lauren would do 360s for me, Alexander laughs. In the postseason, Alexander posted an 8-3 record and collected 94 strikeouts in 75.5 innings of work. Former JMU pitcher Odicci Alexander, right, shakes hands with former JMU player and current Rumble Ponies manager Lorenzo Bundy after throwing the first pitch before the Flying Squirrels took on. In the 2022 collegiate season, she was a volunteer assistant coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Odicci Alexander signs to play for Athletes Unlimited AP 0:05 1:00 Odicci Alexander, the energetic pitcher who led James Madison's storybook run to the Women's College World Series. During the entire NCAA tournament run, she amassed 66 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Odicci Alexander led James Madison to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series in 2021. Gasso was paying homage to Odicci Alexander . In addition, Alexander was selected as a third-team NFCA All-American and first team NFCA All-Northeast Region. Alexander joins Athletes Unlimited after signing a professional contract with the USSSA Pride last week. As one of the biggest names in the game, shed be a highly sought-after addition for both leagues. She has two older brothers, Jameel and Isaiah Maurice, and two younger sisters, Imileigh and Kaylin. In her debut against Team . Who could be the next head coach at Georgia? WASHINGTON (August 15, 2022) Odicci Alexander shot to softball stardom with dominant pitching and defensive web gem during the 2021 Womens College World Series. It was by accident that her abilities were finally recognized. Thank you for following me. When Alexander enters the circle in her second season as a pro, shell be wearing #22 with the last name Bernett. Both of them bought into one another. She attended Park View High School, where she earned Second Team All-State honors as a sophomore. For her achievements, she was named Softball Americas NCAA Pitcher of the Year, D1 Softballs Woman of the Year, and a member of the Womens College World Series All-Tournament team. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [13] She finished 26-6 with 204 strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA, and batted .317 with 26 hits, 13 RBIs, and 2 home runs. The NCAAs new NIL legislation allowing student-athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness while in college didnt go into effect until several weeks after Alexander threw her last pitch. For the 2021 season, Alexander went 18-3 overall while posting a 1.71 ERA to go along with 204 strikeouts. She ranks highly on many of JMU's record books, [] The organization crowns an individual champion from a 60-player roster of the sports top players. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 1 seed Oklahoma and No. . Over the summer, she picked up several endorsements, the most notable when she signed on as an Under Armour athlete that August. Alexander led the teams pitching staff during a regular season run that included just one loss, before embarking on a postseason run that made history. 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Alexander helped the Dukes in their historic 2021 Women's College World Series run, throwing 94 strikeouts in 75.5 innings and finishing with a record of 8-3 in the circle during the run . She wasn't heavily recruited in high school, though she shined and worked hard at her craft. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. After being pulled out in the fifth inning during the second semifinal match on June 7, she received a standing ovation from the crowd. Jocelyn Alo signing out.@78jocelyn_alo | @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/geWz2O8y4Q. What athletes like Alexander have revealed is, If you promote it and put it on TV, they will come. She is outstanding. Odicci will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: America loves a . VIERA, FL. As the World Series unfolded, Major League Baseball teams, the Washington Nationals and the Washington Commanders raved on social media about the JMU team. During the top of the seventh inning when Oklahoma State had runners on second and third base, Alexander fielded a bunt and proceeded to dive to tag out OSU's Scotland David at home plate to secure the victory for JMU. When we do this, when we focus on the sports, it works.. Redshirt senior pitcher Odicci Alexander has been named a finalist for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (ESPY) in the category of Best College Athlete, Women's Sports. Each time Alexander took the mound in the Oklahoma City heat that June, she gained thousands of new followers on social media. Since then, she has become one of the most popular players in the sport . Today, she has tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and TikTok and nearly 100,000 on Instagram, and she takes her newfound influence to heart. 8/15/2022 12:26:00 PM Alexanders gutsy postseason performance created buzz in Oklahoma City and on social media. In that remarkable postseason campaign that capped her college career, Alexander threw 94 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings and finished with an 8-3 record, earning wins over four top-10 teams and a spot on the WCWS All-Tournament team. Press Esc to cancel. They will come in droves.. Odicci Alexander is a softball player who represents James Madison University in the NCAA division one college league. Alexander's college career ended on the field at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, where head coach Loren LaPorte pulled her after the Sooners jumped ahead 6-1 in the fifth. Athletes Unlimited, LLC 2022 / Credit: Jade Hewitt Media, Everybodys going through something. Former JMU pitcher Odicci Alexander has been drafted to the USSSA Pride confirmed by Terence Tarrer, Alexander's marketer, and seen on the JMU Nation Facebook page. She was named the 2018 CAA Player of the Year as well as First-Team All CAA and First-Team All ECAC. Odicci studied Sport and Recreation Management at JMU. I cant wait for our athletes to learn from her, Tyson said. JMU softball star Odicci Alexander signs pro contract with USSSA Pride Michael Phillips Jun 14, 2021 0 Odicci Alexander became a national star at this year's Women's College World Series, and. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images) During the 2021 Women's College World Series, Odicci Alexander (pronounced "odyssey") exploded onto the national stage when she led unranked James Madison University to the semifinals. Softball star Odicci Alexander has officially inked a deal to become an assistant coach of the Howard University softball team for the 2022-2023 season. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Who she is, and what she represents is much deeper than softball, Coach Tori Tysonsaid. In her final season with JMU, Alexander finished 22nd in the league standings, accumulating 1,300 leaderboard points. Her 66 WCWS strikeouts were the second most in the tournament. Alexander Ferry Road was named after the Alexander family, who had lived in that town for a long time. I cant wait for our athletes to learn from her, Tyson told Bison Athletics. On Monday, Softball Americanamed Alexander its Pitcher of the Year and USSSA Pride officials announced she has signed a professional contract with the team. Odicci Alexander, the energetic pitcher who led James Madison's storybook run to the Women's College World Series semifinals, has signed a contract to play professional softball for Athletes Unlimited. Athletes Unlimited's Media-Centric Focus Fits AJ Andrews, Recap: Sims, Hull combine for 52 points in 90-84 win, Athletes Unlimited Softball set to return to Rosemont, Illinois for second season in 2021. Learn how your comment data is processed. At the plate, Alexander posted a .337 batting averge and 39 home runs in 603 career at-bats. Login here. Odicci Alexander's incredible summer will include her debut in the Athletes Unlimited professional softball league on Saturday. She was the starting pitcher for James Madison University from 2017 to 2021, leading the team to their first-ever Women's College World Series in 2021 and making it to the semi-finals. Alexander burst onto the scene when she threw complete game victories to lead the unseeded Dukes past No. Am so excited to have Odicci join our Bison family 18-3 overall posting! Her performance generated Isaiah Maurice, her younger sisters, were her childhood companions Ford and Megan Good, fellow... 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