Kelly Kretschman

Kretschman holds the current career record for walks (the first to cross 200) and she became the only player with three 30 walk seasons. Kretschman also claims the hits (first past 500), doubles (the first player to top 80), RBI (being the first to reach 250), and runs crowns. In 2015, she also became just the second player to collect 300 career hits and in 2016 she became the first to tally 1,000 at bats. Currently, she stands second all-time in home runs behind Megan Wiggins. In 2019, Kretschman announced her retirement.

She also won three straight Cowles Cup Championships from 2005-2007. In 2010, she won her fourth title; in her other seasons of play since but not including 2014, Kretschman was a finalist for the title and claimed her fifth NPF Cowles Cup on August 24, 2013. In all the combined finals games, Kretschman has gone 6/25 with three RBIs. She did not play in the 2011 finale.

In 2012, Kretschman was a volunteer assistant with the University of Maryland. From 2015 to 2016, Kretschman was an assistant coach at Texas State.

For a final season, Kretschman would be named First Team All-American and All-SEC. She entered more top-10 season records for average, hits, walks and percentages to the Alabama Crimson Tide program. Besting the Michigan Wolverines 7-2 on February 28, Kretschman connected for her 50th career home run off pitcher Meghan Ritter.

Kretschman would graduate owning career records in average, RBIs, home runs, triples, doubles, hits, walks, runs, stolen bases, slugging and on-base percentages for the Tide. She retains the records for hits, home runs, doubles, triples, runs and slugging. She is tops in the SEC for doubles and ranks top-10 in several other categories. In NCAA Division I, Kretschman ranks in career runs (3rd) and hits (6th)

Kretschman began her career with the Akron Racers in 2005 and hit .280. From the next year on 2006–2011, not including 2008, Kretschman would play for the Connecticut Brakettes, Washington Glory and finally the USSSA Pride, her current and longest tenure. In 2006, 2009–10 and 2015–17, she was named an NPF All-Star. She would win her first Player of The Year award in 2015. In 2016, she was again named Player of The Year and became the first batter to achieve the Triple Crown with career highs in average, RBIs and home runs; she also had career bests in runs, hits, slugging and stolen bases. In 2017, she earned a third consecutive Player of The Year honor with career highs that topped her own records for walks and batting average to set league records.

Kretschman began her career with Team USA in 2000 while still a student at Alabama. On the "Aiming For Athens" tour, she would hit .471. She had tour highs of 5 RBIs (in part courtesy of a grand slam) vs. the UCLA Bruins on March 28 and a perfect 4/4 hit game over the Texas Longhorns on March 9, 2004.

Kretschman was named First Team All-American for the 2000 season and continued her all-conference success. She ranked top-10 in school history for virtually every season stat: average, RBIs, home runs, triples, doubles, hits, walks, runs, stolen bases, slugging and on-base percentages. The hits total (102) led the NCAA that year and is still the school record while every other latter category is a top-10 Tide record.

For the 1999 season, Kretschman repeated as All-American, moved up to First Team All-SEC and broke another school record with 30 stolen bases. Her hits and triples are top-10 for a season with the Tide. In a doubleheader with the Arkansas Razorbacks on March 21, she would swipe 4 bags for a career highlight.

Kelly Sue Kretschman (born August 26, 1979) is an American, former collegiate 4-time All-American, two-time medal winning Olympian, retired 9-time pro All-Star softball outfielder and current softball coach originally from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. Kretschman played college softball at Alabama in the SEC where she is the conference career leader in doubles. She won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a member of Team USA. She also played in the National Pro Fastpitch with four teams including her longest tenure with the USSSA Pride; she is the all-time career leader in RBIs, hits, doubles and base on balls. She also owns numerous records for the Tide and is one of select NCAA Division I players to bat .400 with 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases for her career.