Jennie Finch has been the face of softball ever since she led her Arizona Wildcats team to the national title 14 summers ago. Even though her playing days are over, she is still heavily involved with the game being an advisory board member for the Capital One Cup, a member of the World Baseball Softball Confederation and occasional commentator for games. With the College Softball World Series underway Finch has been promoting her sport and discussing her memories of past Olympic glory as well as her insight into today's game.
Softball is somehow not an Olympic game anymore, and Finch isn't going to stand by without her sport getting the recognition it deserves. She tells the Star Tribune about her efforts to ensure future Olympic softball games are held:
"As an athlete, you hope for better things for the next generation to follow. With how far we came in such a short period of time, it was exciting to be a part of it -- to help catapult the sport to that level. So it was heartbreaking, but one of the big life lessons I've learned through softball is to control the controllable. We have to do what we can to make sure we do all we can to get it back in. I'm currently active with the World Baseball Softball Confederation, doing everything I can ... with the goal and mission to get softball back in for 2020. With the new President of the International Olympic Committee, I think we have a good shot."
In addition to all the work she is putting towards softball in the Olympics, she still has time for the college game as well. When asked about the World Series by SB Nation, Finch gave a lengthy response that ended with:
"But I think this year has proved in all conferences that any team can win and so it's going to be an exciting couple of weeks for college softball and we'll see where it takes us."
Do you think softball should be included in the Olympics? Who do you think will win the World Series this year? Tell us your thoughts below.
