Ole Miss adds transfer pitcher Brittany Finney from Oklahoma
Ole Miss Softball added transfer pitcher Brittany Finney to its team this week, as announced by head coach Mike Smith on Thursday. Finney comes to the Rebels from the Oklahoma Sooners and will immediately be eligible for Ole Miss in the spring of 2017.
Finney, who will have three years of eligibility remaining, is a 6-foot right-hander who appeared in nine games for the Sooners, totaling 18.2 innings with a 1.12 ERA. She and her teammates finished 53-7 and played in the 2016 College World Series.
Coach Smith was understandably thrilled about adding a player of FInney’s caliber to his Ole Miss team. “She will be able to make an immediate impact in our pitching staff,” he said. “Adding Brittany adds another piece to our puzzle and helps us take one step closer to fulfilling our overall goal to win a national championship. She knows first-hand what it takes to attain one of those, and she will be a huge asset to our pitching staff and the rest of the team with her experience and work ethic to be the best in the country,” he continued.
Finley, a four-year letter winner at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School and 2015 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year, explained her decision to transfer to Ole Miss: “The family atmosphere on the team and the drive, focus and determination of the players and staff really fit with how I feel about the game,” she said.
“To be given the opportunity to join such an outstanding group, and to help Ole Miss Softball as they reach even greater heights is exactly what I’m looking for, and I’m honored to have the opportunity.”
Finney joins an Ole Miss team that finished 2016 in historic fashion. The Rebels competed in their first NCAA Regional in program history–losing 3-0 to No. 3 Oklahoma in the Norman Regional. Ole Miss (41-22) finished with a school record 41 wins, record-tying SEC wins, first NCAA Tournament appearance, first SEC Tournament win, and first win in an NCAA Regional.
The future is bright for Ole Miss Softball. Hotty Toddy!
(Feature image credit: Oklahoma Sooners sports)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
