Courtesy of Amelia Jarecke. She has a real passion for developing pitchers and sharing the game and our bullpen and entire team and staff will benefit greatly from having her in our dugout.. She was named the 2021 CAA Pitcher of the Year. Alexander was striking out her uncles as a 9-year-old. Former JMU pitchers Jailyn Ford (2013-16) and Megan Good (2015-19) have . [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. We have to remember that sports are entertainment and lean into everything we love about them. Its not something she can explain but feels. Alexander joins the Howard University squad after their historic NCAA tournament appearance. I cant wait for our athletes to learn from her, Tyson said. I mean some games I have where Im like, oh its Lauren back there.. The mantra, If you build it, they will come, has been touted by many in the womens sports industry, as viewership records are repeatedly broken and athletes like Alexander garner unprecedented fame and attention. [11] She helped JMU advance to their second-ever NCAA Super Regional before being eliminated after losing to UCLA twice. 1 Oklahoma on Monday night. 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. During their time together, Alexander cant remember a single day that Bernett didnt make her smile. Alexander was drafted by the USSSA Pride in 2021, and now plays for Athletes Unlimited. Odicci Alexander. Journaling has been a longtime habit of Alexanders that helped her throughout the months she was away. 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"There was no way I was leaving (Treveon Graham and Briante Weber)," Smart said as he reflected on his VCU exit during Doug Gottlieb's podcast. She tied for ninth with 1,050 win points, appeared in nine games with five starts, posted a 2-1 record in 26.0 innings, ranked fifth in the league with 22 strikeouts and went 2-for-5 from behind the plate with two runs scored and a double. 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. Alexander received media attention for her defensive web gem that shot her to softball stardomduring the 2021 College World Series. Alexander signed a contract with the USSSA Pride, an independent softball team. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She also was named Softball America Pitcher of the . Odicci Alexander, the energetic pitcher who led James Madisons storybook run to the Womens College World Series semifinals, has signed a contract to play professional softball for Athletes Unlimited. She was named the 2018 CAA Player of the Year as well as First-Team All CAA and First-Team All ECAC. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Alexander finished the 2021 season with an 18-3 record and a 1.71 ERA. 5 seed Oklahoma State. Isaiah, her brother, was a basketball player at Kanas State. For her career, Alexander posted a 2.18 ERA and 712 strikeouts in 640 innings of work. 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. 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. She was also strong at the plate, with a career .337 batting average. The Pride, based in Florida, plays exhibition games against national teams and other all-star teams. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I cant wait for our athletes to learn from her, Tyson told Bison Athletics. 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 . In addition, Alexander was selected as a third-team NFCA All-American and first team NFCA All-Northeast Region. It was the freshman. Terry Holland, who coached the University of Virginia basketball program to a pair of Final Fours and nine NCAA tournaments in 16 seasons, die, When Jimmy Miller learned of Terry Hollands passing Sunday, his mind immediately drifted to a photograph from nearly 40 years ago. As one of a small group of Black players in the sport, especially on the mound, the timing of her success on the big stage was powerful the summer after George Floyds murder at the hands of police ignited a movement of racial reckoning in the U.S. I always felt like I was the only Black girl around most of the time at tournaments, she recalled on Sweat the Details about her experience growing up in the sport. Odicci Alexander's incredible summer will include her debut in the Athletes Unlimited professional softball league on Saturday. But things didn't always work out the way she wanted. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 5 Oklahoma State took the top spot on ESPNs SportsCenter Top 10 countdown. Odicci Alexander had a Women's College World Series (WCWS) to remember. Four Oklahoma players enter transfer portal, including Brooke Vestal. [21], Following the 2021 season, Alexander was named an NFCA Second-Team All American, Softball America Pitcher of the Year, D1 Softball Woman of the Year, CAA Pitcher of the Year, and was nominated for an ESPY award. She ranks highly on many of JMUs record books, including her being third in program history in complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and innings pitched, fourth in career home runs with a total of 3, and 10th in JMU history with .428 career on-base percentage. She spray-painted spots on the water well of her grandparents' home and used those spots as targets to train herself. It was her poise, her passion and her heart of the ultimate underdog all of which were distilled into one of the most spectacular plays ever seen at home plate, when she charged a bunt, scooped it mid-stride and laid out into the air, tagging the base runner out by inches to maintain the Dukes 2-1 lead over Oklahoma State and earn her team a spot in the semifinals. The USSSA Pride now operate as an independent professional team, after several years as part of a professional softball league. James Madison coach Loren LaPorte held back tears as she walked out to the middle of the field to make the pitching change. In the 2022 collegiate season, she was a volunteer assistant coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. On the Pride roster, Alexander joins a pair of fellow former JMU stars in Jailyn Ford and Megan Good. What makes the Justices so elite? JMU Beats Mizzou to Reach First Women's College World Series", "James Madison shocks No. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Alexander Oddicci's grandpa is Washington Alexander, and Emily Alexander is her grandmother. You always have someone you can talk to. Alexander's hometown of Boydton has a population of 303. 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. The James Madison softball team's improbable Women's College World Series run came to a close after falling 7-1 to No. Alexander is known for her success as the pitcher of The James Madison Dukes softball team. Login here. Odicci Alexander's otherworldly performance will go down as one of the best individual performances in JMU athletics history. 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. [4][5], Alexander made her debut for James Madison on February 10, 2017 against Charleston Southern where she recorded 8 strikeouts and led the team to a 13-3 victory. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Now, the former James Madison (JMU) standout is joining the Howard University coaching staff. Alexander was a difference maker on both sides of the ball for JMU. For five glorious days, Alexander became the story of the Women's College World Series , the ultimate underdog player taking the ultimate underdog . They've won five National ProFastpitch Cowles Cups and sevenNPF regular season championships. . A standing O is still deserved a year later pic.twitter.com/oLNlW72OLG. [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. PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) So far this week, JMU softball star Odicci Alexander has been named Softball America's Pitcher of the Year, signed a pro softball contract and released her own. (June 17, 2021) - Watch 2021 Softball America Pitcher of the Year Odicci Alexander make her professional debut tonight with the USSSA Pride after signing earlier this week. Copyright 2021 The Hilltop: The Student Voice of Howard University. I now have a voice and Ive impacted and inspired so many girls that look like me or who dont look like me, or who play the same sport as me, Alexander told Sports Illustrated. Go for the gold. Games will be held at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois, from August 28 to September 27, and players score points toward determining a champion. At the plate, Alexander posted a .337 batting averge and 39 home runs in 603 career at-bats. I cant wait for our athletes to learn from her, Tyson said. She threw every inning of the Super Regionals and during the Dukes semifinal run in the WCWS, and earned Womens College World Series All-Tournament Team honors for her efforts. Howard University softball hires Odicci Alexander, HBCU Gameday x Protect Your Skull Player of the Year. Her road has brought her to know that there is more to softball than just playing the sport.. Softball 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.. I am extremely thankful for the opportunities this sport has brought me., Odicci will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program. 8/15/2022 12:26:00 PM The first 50 years of Title IX were spent building, and in many arenas the mantra needs to be updated. Andrea Adelson. Personal: Majored in sport and recreation management at James Madison has two older brothers and two younger sisters brother, Isaiah, played basketball at Kansas State also played on varsity basketball and volleyball teams in high school named as an assistant softball coach at Howard University on Aug. 15, 2022 . Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Odicci Alexander went from striking out her great uncle as a 9-year-old to pitching on the biggest stage in college softball. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. [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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. OKLAHOMA CITY Odicci Alexander winced in pain as a not-as-soft-as-advertised ball bounced off her left foot in the batter's box. Womens sports should feel exciting, dramatic, fun. 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