Amanda Marie Chidester (born April 11, 1990) is an American former professional softball player and current assistant coach for Michigan. She was named National Pro Fastpitch Player of the Year for the Chicago Bandits in 2019.[2] She has been a member of the USA Softball Women's National Team on-and-off since 2012. She played college softball at Michigan from 2009 to 2012 and was named First Team All-Big Ten three of her seasons. She was twice selected as the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American.[3][4] Chidester represented Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal.[5] In 2021, Chidester played her second season in the Athletes Unlimited Softball league and placed second in individual points earned.[6]
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Current position | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Title | Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||||||||
Team | Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||
Conference | Big Ten | ||||||||||||||||||||
Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Allen Park, Michigan[1] | April 11, 1990||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | |||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2012 | Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | Scrap Yard Dawgs | ||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | Chicago Bandits | ||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Catcher | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |||||||||||||||||||||
2023–present | Michigan (Asst.) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Accomplishments and honors | |||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early years
editChidester was born in 1990 and grew up in Allen Park, Michigan. She attended St. Francis Cabrini High School, graduating in 2008. As a senior in 2008, she was selected as the Detroit Catholic League Female Athlete of the Year. In 2007, she was named the Gatorade Michigan Softball Player of the Year. She was also selected as a first-team EA Sports All-American in both 2007 and 2008.[7]
College career
editChidester enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2008. As a freshman in the spring of 2009, Chidester appeared in 58 games and led the Michigan softball team with a .350 batting average. She was selected as a second-team NFCA All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten player.[7]
As a sophomore in 2009, Chidester started all 57 games for Michigan, including 56 games at second base.[7]
As a junior in 2010, Chidester moved to third base. She started all 58 games for Michigan, including 51 at third base and seven at catcher. She led the team with a .423 batting average and 75 RBIs. At the end of the season, she was selected as the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and a first-team NFCA All-American at third base.
As a senior in 2011, Chidester was the captain of the Michigan softball team. She started 58 games for Michigan, including 13 at third base and 45 at first base. She compiled a .347 batting average with 46 RBIs and was named Big Ten Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. On May 25, 2013, she became the second Michigan Wolverines softball player to reach 200 career RBIs.[7][8][9]
Team USA
editIn June 2012, Chidester was named to the USA Softball Women's National Team.[10][11] She hit a grand slam to lead Team USA to a victory over Brazil in the 2012 World Cup of Softball.[12]
At the Tokyo Games, Chidester garnered four hits and drove in three runs for Team USA. She and the team lost in the gold medal game against Team Japan 2-0 on July 27, 2021, with Chidester going making three outs at the plate.[13][14]
Professional career
editDuring the 2019 season, Chidester was named the NPF Player of the Year, NPF Offensive Player of the Year, and Home Run Award winner.[15]
Coaching career
editOn September 6, 2022, Chidester was named an assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines softball team.[16]
Personal life
editChidester is openly lesbian and is engaged to a Mexican softball player Anissa Urtez.[17]
Statistics
editYEAR | G | AB | R | H | BA | RBI | HR | 3B | 2B | TB | SLG | BB | SO | SB | SBA |
2009 | 58 | 183 | 37 | 64 | .349 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 104 | .568% | 11 | 22 | 0 | 2 |
2010 | 57 | 164 | 34 | 49 | .299 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 84 | .512% | 14 | 20 | 1 | 2 |
2011 | 58 | 175 | 49 | 74 | .423 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 124 | .708% | 21 | 15 | 1 | 3 |
2012 | 58 | 176 | 37 | 61 | .346 | 46 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 105 | .596% | 31 | 22 | 2 | 2 |
TOTALS | 231 | 698 | 157 | 248 | .355 | 200 | 40 | 5 | 39 | 417 | .593% | 77 | 79 | 4 | 9 |
YEAR | G | AB | R | H | BA | RBI | HR | 3B | 2B | TB | SLG | BB | SO | SB |
2020 | 13 | 32 | 4 | 7 | .219 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .250% | 2 | 3 | 0 |
2021 | 31 | 84 | 22 | 30 | .357 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 56 | .666% | 13 | 13 | 2 |
Olympics | 6 | 20 | 0 | 4 | .200 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .300% | 0 | 4 | 1 |
TOTAL | 50 | 136 | 26 | 41 | .301 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 70 | .514% | 15 | 20 | 3 |
YEAR | G | AB | R | H | BA | RBI | HR | 3B | 2B | TB | SLG | BB | SO | SB |
2020 | 15 | 50 | 3 | 15 | .300 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 29 | .580% | 4 | 8 | 0 |
2021 | 15 | 46 | 12 | 19 | .413 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 41 | .891% | 9 | 6 | 0 |
TOTAL | 30 | 96 | 15 | 34 | .354 | 25 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 70 | .729% | 13 | 14 | 0 |
References
edit- ^ "Amanda Chidester Biography". Team USA. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013.
- ^ "NPF AWARDS BANQUET KICKS OFF 2019 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES". Profastpitch.com. 2019-08-14. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams". Nfca.org. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Americans". Nfca.org. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Softball Team". Teamusa.org. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "Player Leaderboard". Auprosports.com. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Amanda Chidester Biography". Mgoblue.com. University of Michigan. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013.
- ^ Michael Rothstein (May 19, 2011). "A consistent Amanda Chidester leads Michigan softball team into NCAA regional action". AnnArbor.com.
- ^ "Michigan's Carol Hutchins, Amanda Chidester and Haylie Wagner sweep Big Ten softball awards". AnnArbor.com. May 16, 2011.
- ^ Jo-Ann Barnas (June 14, 2012). "Allen Park's Amanda Chidester named to U.S. national softball team". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ Colleen Thomas (June 17, 2012). "Chidester makes U.S. national team". The Michigan Daily.
- ^ "World Cup of Softball: Amanda Chidester's grand slam powers Team USA past Brazil". NewsOK. July 1, 2012.
- ^ "JPN 2, USA 0". Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ^ "Chidester". Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- ^ "NPF Awards Banquet Kicks Off 2019 Championship Series". profastpitch.com. August 14, 2019. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Howard, Leah (September 6, 2022). "Wolverines Add Michigan Alum, Olympian Chidester to Coaching Staff". MGoBlue.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ Zeigler, Cyd (15 December 2020). "These 2 athletes will play against each other at the Olympics. They just got engaged". Outsports. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Player Stats". Ausports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-11.