Rebellion disbands, won’t play in 2017
The Pennsylvania Rebellion have disbanded and will not participate in the upcoming National Professional Fastpitch softball league season.
NPF commissioner Cheri Kemp said the Rebellion decided not to pay the franchise fee for the season and the players on the roster have become free agents.
Rebellion owner Stu Williams refused comment and general manager Steve Zavacky could not be reached for comment Monday. Williams also is the owner of the Washington Wild Things baseball team, which participates in the independent Frontier League.
“We appreciate the participation of the Rebellion over the past three seasons of NPF action,” Kempf said in a release. “Women’s professional sports remains a pioneering endeavor that includes challenges, and we understand the Rebellion ownership’s decision to not pursue a franchise purchase at this time.”
Kemp said the league would continue play with the five remaining teams: the USSSA Pride, Chicago Bandits, Akron Racers, Houston ScrapYard Dawgs and Texas Charge.
The Pennsylvania Rebellion roster was removed from the NPF website Monday.
The Rebellion spent three seasons in the NPF, competing at Consol Energy Park in North Franklin Township, and had a record of 42-104. They qualified for the league’s championship series in 2014 but failed to do so in the following two seasons.
Interestingly, the Rebellion completed a trade over the weekend, sending Lindsey Stephens and Cheyenne Cordes to Texas for Caitlin Attfield, Chelsea Forkin and Vanessa Stokes.
The Rebellion finished last season with a 17-33 record, last in the NPF standings. The team was coached the past two years by Craig Montvidas but his contract was not renewed after the season.
Among the players released by the Rebellion are pitcher Dallas Escobedo, the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NPF Draft; catcher Lexie Elkins, the top pick by the Rebellion in last year’s draft, catcher Kristyn Sandberg, and Australian National Team star Stacey Porter.
Williams purchased the franchise in 2013 and hired California University head coach Rick Bertagnolli to manage it. But he left just 12 games into the season and was replaced by his assistant, Stacey Rice. Montvidas replaced Rice after the season.
It didn’t take long for some of the released players to find jobs. Texas signed Escobedo and the ScrapYard Dawgs signed Alisa Goler and Kayla Winkfield.