Thursday, November 28, 2019

Swag Week: Sara Moulton Autographed Softball and Strike Zone Sports Shirts

Swag Week features pieces of memorabilia I have collected because of my coverage of teams and events. Today, Swag Week continues with a swag twofer courtesy pf former Chicago Bandits Sara Moulton.
Minnesota native Sara Moulton was a star pitcher for the University of Minnesota. Sara holds school records for wins (112), appearances (178), innings pitched (1,017), complete games (108), no-hitters (5), shutouts (47) and strikeouts (1,184). She was the 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a 4x All-Big Ten honoree. She was the first Golden Gopher pitcher to earn All-America honors.
Sara was also the first Minnesota native to be drafted in the National Pro Fastpitch. The Chicago Bandits selected Sara with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NPF Draft.
During her three seasons with the Bandits, the team won two NPF championships. Sara was a big contributor, compiling a record of 15-8 with a 3.80 ERA over 180 innings pitched.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Sara in each of her seasons with the Bandits. The last interview can be found at On the Beat With Sara Moulton, while the previous two interviews and all other interviews with the Bandits can be found on my YouTube Chicago Bandits playlist.
Always a tough competitor, Sara underwent a big transformation during her time with the Bandits. She changed her diet and lifestyle habits and lost oa lot of weight. She also took up long-distance running, a topic covered in the last interview.
Prior to her retirement after the 2016 season, Sara already had a headstart on her future. She is the co-owner and lead pitching instructor at Strike Zone Sports in Eagen, MN. Strike Zone Sports is a top training center for Minnesota fastpitch softball lessons.
I always like following the post-playing careers of the athletes I cover. I have kept in touch with Sara and when shirts became available from Strike Zone Sports, I contacted her and got a couple, along with a signed ball, since I never got one during her time here.
You can go to StrikeZoneSports.net for more info. You can also follow Strike Zone Sports on Facebook for more frequent updates.

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