College
Finch played softball for the University of Arizona (from 1999-2002) where she was a three-time All-American pitcher and first baseman, and two-time winner of Honda Sports Award.
In 2002, Finch set a new National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record by winning her 51st consecutive game. She ended up with 60 consecutive wins breaking the previous record of 50 that was set by Florida State's Rebecca Aase in 1993. Finch's streak spanned nearly two seasons and included three straight wins in the 2001 Women's College World Series, where she won Most Outstanding Player honors. A near-capacity crowd filled Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium and chants of "Jennie" echoed throughout the crowd in the 6–0 victory over Cal State Northridge. Finch said, "It's significant and it's nice. But it doesn't even come close to the team goal of winning a national championship."
Finch recorded 24 wins in her freshman season; 29 in her sophomore season; 32 in her junior year, (with no losses, setting an NCAA record); and 34 in her senior season for a career total of 119 wins, 12th-most at the time. In that stretch, Finch struck out a total of 1,028 batters.
Her jersey number 27 (the date of her parents' first date) was retired by the University of Arizona in a pre-game ceremony at Hillenbrand Stadium on May 9, 2003.
Read more about this topic: Jennie Finch
Famous quotes containing the word college:
“... [a] girl one day flared out and told the principal “the only mission opening before a girl in his school was to marry one of those candidates [for the ministry].” He said he didn’t know but it was. And when at last that same girl announced her desire and intention to go to college it was received with about the same incredulity and dismay as if a brass button on one of those candidate’s coats had propounded a new method for squaring the circle or trisecting the arc.”
—Anna Julia Cooper (1859–1964)
“I had a classmate who fitted for college by the lamps of a lighthouse, which was more light, we think, than the University afforded.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The only trouble here is they won’t let us study enough. They are so afraid we shall break down and you know the reputation of the College is at stake, for the question is, can girls get a college degree without ruining their health?”
—Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards (1842–1911)