Like many of Pitt’s athletic teams, head coach Michelle Phalen’s softball squad experienced a… Like many of Pitt’s athletic teams, head coach Michelle Phalen’s softball squad experienced a number of firsts in finishing out the 2008 season.

For the first time in team history, three players made All-Big East teams, one of whom will be moving on to the National Professional Fastpitch League, also a first for the Panthers.

In addition to making the All-Big East first team, marking her third honor as an all-conference selection, senior infielder Jessica Dignon will continue her softball career with the Washington Glory of the NPF.

‘It’s awesome,’ said Phalen. ‘First of all she’s a great player.

‘She loves to compete, she loves to play, it’s an outstanding opportunity for her to continue to play softball. Jess is very deserving, and I know she’s going to do well.’

The Glory is one of six teams in the NPF and last year’s league champion. Phalen sees Dignon’s signing not only as an incredible opportunity for Dignon herself, but also an opportunity in exposure for the team.

She noted that a little girl watching pro softball could see Dignon playing, realize she’s from Pitt and then decide she wants to play for Pitt, too. ‘It’s great for our softball program to have someone with her talent in the pro league,’ said Phalen.

Being represented in the NPF isn’t the only highlight of the Panthers’ season, as there were many high points before the season ended. In addition to Dignon, sophomore pitcher Kayla Zinger and junior catcher Samantha Card were named All-Big East, with Card on the first team and Zinger on the third.

Card was also chosen as part of the All-Region second team.

In May, the Panthers beat Notre Dame for the first time in the program’s history. Pitt started the season 4-0, also a first, and won four games against top-25 ranked programs.

‘We beat some teams that we never would’ve thought we would beat,’ said Phalen. ‘We had a really young team. There was a lot of growth, a lot of learning as we went, but we had some great players.’

The team ended its campaign with a 31-25 record, the second time in the past three years that the program has boasted a 30-win season. When the regular season ended, it traveled to Louisville to compete in the quarterfinals of the Big East Championships, dropping a close game against DePaul in 11 innings, 4-3.

The loss didn’t put a damper on an all-around great season, one that included a record-breaking 12 league wins and a plethora of stellar performances.

‘I look back on [the season] now and wish I could’ve enjoyed it a little more as we were going along,’ said Phalen. ‘But, you know, you don’t have that luxury.’

In summing up the team’s season, Phalen couldn’t emphasize enough the number of high points that the team, as a whole, experienced throughout the past season.

‘It was a season that we wanted to have and we thought we could have,’ said Phalen. ‘We had a lot of great experiences. When I look back, each one of our players had a weekend or a game where they really shined.

‘There were a lot of shining stars this season. I can’t pick just one player to put it all on. We had a really determined, focused group, and that was the reason we were successful.’