Brickey Selected by Rebellion in 2016 NPF College Draft
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior Chaley Brickey was selected during the third round as the 16th overall pick by the Pennsylvania Rebellion during the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Draft, as announced by the league Thursday night.
Brickey is the fifth Jayhawk in program history to play in the professional ranks and fourth KU player to be selected during the NPF draft. Brickey’s draft selection marks the first Kansas draftee since 2013 when Maggie Hull-Tietz was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Chicago Bandits. She is also the first Big 12 Conference player taken in this year’s draft.
“It’s crazy, this is what I’ve always dreamed of,” Brickey said. “As a little kid, I used to watch the draft myself and to actually be on the screen is just crazy. I definitely want to thank my mom for all the stuff she has been through to get me to this point.”
For the fourth year in a row, the NPF College Draft was held inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The draft aired live on the CBS Sports Network.
“It’s really exciting for her,” said head coach Megan Smith. “She’s had such an awesome career here and has done some huge things for Kansas, so it’s so much fun for her to live out her dream now and be able to play professionally.”
Brickey has been a part of Kansas softball’s middle infield the last four seasons and started 197 games to date at shortstop. Earlier this season, Brickey walked her way into the KU record books after recording her 109th career base on balls against UC Riverside (2/21), becoming the Jayhawks’ all-time walk leader, surpassing Tracy Bunge’s base on balls count of 108 from 1983-86. Currently, Brickey has 133 career walks and leads the Big 12 Conference with 29 walks.
“Chaley is a special player,” Smith said. “She’s one of the best to ever wear a Jayhawk jersey as a player, but also a person. It’s a big honor to be one of the few from a program, but she absolutely deserves it and is going to do big things at Pennsylvania.”
The Haltom City, Texas product has etched her name all over the Jayhawk softball record books. With just over a month left in her final season with Kansas, Brickey sits in second in career batting average (.357), is first in runs scored (162), is second in home runs (37), is second in runs batted in (144) and is third in doubles hit (49).
During her senior campaign, Brickey leads the squad with a .371 clip at the plate, 13 doubles and 29 walks. The infielder has registered 39 hits, including eight home runs, and 23 RBIs. She has posted a .724 slugging percentage and .518 on-base percentage in 37 starts. Defensively, Brickey has collected 68 assists, 63 putouts and committed just four errors for a .970 fielding percentage.
ABOUT NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH (NPF)
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.
JAYHAWKS IN THE PROS
Destiny Frankenstein (2006) – New England Riptide, Free Agent
Serena Settlemier (2006-08) – Texas/Rockford Thunder, 14th overall
Brittany Hile (2011) – NPF Diamonds, 15th overall
Maggie Hull (2013) – Chicago Bandits, 11th overall
Chaley Brickey (2016) – Pennsylvania Rebellion, 16th overall
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