OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss softball senior outfielder RT Cantillo has been a Rebel for each of the past four years. Now she will become a Bandit. Cantillo was selected by the Chicago Bandits on Monday evening at the 2014 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft in Nashville, Tenn.
The Santa Ana, Calif., native was taken by the Bandits with the fourth pick in the fifth round of the draft. Cantillo was one of three student-athletes from the Southeastern Conference selected in the draft, joining Madison Shipman of Tennessee and Nicole Morgan of Texas A&M.
“We’re all really proud of RT and her accomplishments,” Ole Miss head coach Windy Thees said. “She’s worked hard her whole career and she’s having a great senior season this year. It’s a great honor for her and for Ole Miss softball to have one of the 20 players drafted. We know RT will be a great representative of Ole Miss.”
Cantillo currently ranks in the top 10 in the career record books at Ole Miss in batting average (2nd), hits (5th), doubles (6th), triples (T4th), home runs (9th), RBIs (7th), runs (4th), walks (4th), total bases (6th), slugging percentage (4th), on base percentage (1st), stolen bases (5th) and hit by pitch (2nd). She is one of just three players to rank in the top five in program history in career batting average, hits, runs and walks.
She broke the single-season program record with 42 runs scored during her junior season, and as a senior this year she has upped her production even further with a .495 batting average, the second highest in the SEC, including a .500 clip in league play.
There are four teams in NPF: the Arkon Racers, Chicago Bandits, Pennsylvania Rebellion and USSSA Pride. College seniors are eligible for the NPF College Draft, which features five rounds of four selections for a total of 20 overall draftees in the 2014 class. Drafting an athlete gives an NPF affiliate team the rights to that athlete for two full seasons.
NPF is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the official development partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.
Ole Miss (19-18, 3-9 SEC) takes the diamond again April 7 with a doubleheader at Southeastern Louisiana at 3 and 5 p.m. CT.
For Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball and on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball.
