Toro PONY Baseball had a special guest at their 2022 Opening Day. Monica Abbott a two-time Olympic Softball silver medal winner threw out the first pitch. Abbott and her husband, Jeff Bower have been involved with Toro PONY Baseball this season.
Abbott was on Team USA when they won silver at the 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics. Before the Olympics, Abbott pitched for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Over her four years with Tennessee, she leaDS the NCAA Division I in wins, strikeouts, shutouts, and innings. For the past 13 years, Abbott has been pitching in theJapan Softball League. She is the first American female to earn a $1 million contract in softball. Abbott is arguably the best softball pitcher in U.S. history.
Kyle Phelps, the new league president has made a lot of improvements to field improvements and replace outdated equipment. The league hit a record high with the number of players and volunteer coaches.
“We are thrilled to have someone like Monica Abbott helping develop our player's skills,” said Phelps. He continued, “partnering with professionals like her and Nate Sevier for practices and camps is so beneficial to our kids. But we aren’t stopping there. We will also be hosting baseball camps this summer to continue their development year-round.”