On the Beat With Amanda Chidester at the 2019 Cowles Cup Championship

At the National Pro Fastpitch 2019 Awards banquet, Chicago Bandits Amanda Chidester won the Offensive Player of the Year and the Player of the Year awards. Both awards were well-deserved after she hit .380 with 15 homers, 35 rbi's and scored 25 runs this season.

A star at the University of Michigan, Amanda has played for Team USA since 2012. She joined the Bandits this season and made her mark quickly.

Of course, on a personal note, I greatly appreciate Amanda for catching my "slightly" high first pitch. Despite the height, I can always say that the catcher caught it!

After a tough loss in Game One, I caught up with Amanda. We talked about her awards, the loss and her family. Several things were very clear.

Amanda is such a positive person. After a rare loss, Amanda remained upbeat and seemed ready to play Game Two right then. There was no head-hanging. It was all about the next game.

It is also very evident how much her family means to her. I had the pleasure o sitting with her parents at the NPF Awards banquet. It was so interesting and pleasant talking with her father Brian. I heard some stories from Amanda's college career, as well as other tidbits. It was clear that the family is tight and all very proud of Amanda. It was heart-warming. They represent all that is good with softball.

We all agreed that women's softball is such an underappreciated sport. More stories like Amanda's need to be told.

For her part, Amanda helps the sport grow by always being there for the fans (even the big ones like me). She is one of the most popular Bandits and she always signs and takes photos for the fans.

I thank Amanda for her time and consideration. I wish her luck throughout the series.
After Friday's loss, the Bandits are now down 2-0. They need to win tonight to stay alive. The Bandits have come back many times this year and they need to do it again.

I also thank the Bandits organization and the NPF for facilitating my coverage. Check ChicagoBandits.com for more info on Amanda and her team and NationalProFastpitch.com for more info on the league.