Angela Tincher Biography
Angela Tincher
Position: Pitcher
Height: 5’7”
Birthdate: December 16, 1985
Hometown: Eagle Rock, VA
High School: James River
College: Virginia Tech
Major: Finance, 3.84 GPA, graduated Summa Cum Laude
Angela Tincher graduated from Virginia Tech as one of the most decorated and accomplished pitchers in the history of collegiate softball. In her four years pitching for the Hokies she compiled an amazing 123-35 record with a sparkling 0.78 ERA. Her 2,149 strikeouts ranked third in NCAA softball history, and she also fired 14 no-hitters – including a pair of perfect games – while notching 120 double-digit strikeout performances. Of those 120 contests in which she fanned more than 10 batters, Angela struck out at least 16 hitters on 42 occasions.
Angela’s fairytale senior season concluded with Virginia Tech’s first-ever trip to the Women’s College World Series and included her no-hitter against the USA Softball Olympic Team, ending that squad’s 185-game pre-Olympic winning streak. For the season she went 38-10 with a 0.63 ERA and 679 strikeouts, pitching a school-record 344 innings and making 44 starts. Her 38 victories and 679 strikeouts established school and ACC records, and she led the nation in ERA for the second straight year.
For her efforts Angela was named the National Player of the Year by USA Softball and Honda, the ACC Pitcher of the Year for the third straight season, a first-team All-American and ACC Tournament MVP. She was a finalist for the ESPY honoring the College Female Athlete of the Year and one of five finalists for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is awarded to the NCAA’s top female athlete. Angela also was named first-team All-ACC, earned a Top VII Award from the NCAA and was named the ACC’s Female Athlete of the Year.
She was drafted in the first round of the NPF collegiate draft by the Akron Racers and went on to lead the league in strikeouts and earn all-star honors as a rookie. Said Racers General Manager Joey Arrietta: “She is incredibly talented with a rare gift to pitch. I was prepared to do whatever it took to get her in a Racers uniform.” She signed a 2009 contract with Leopalace 21 of the Japan Professional League, where she played in the spring, before returning to the United States and earning a spot on the United States Pan Am Qualifier Team. Angela will return to Leopalace in September after the NPF season.
In the Community — Angela is an active participant in “Hokies With Heart” which is Tech’s community outreach program. She has participated in reading and autograph nights at local elementary schools, has volunteered at the Montgomery County Christmas Store, which assists low-income families in the community during the holiday season, and has hosted local kids at games, where they get to run the bases afterwards and the team signs autographs and poses for pictures. Angela is a frequent headliner at softball clinics for coaches and kids of all age groups and skill levels, gives pitching lessons to youth softball players in the off-season, speaks regularly to youth groups and community organizations, such as D.A.R.E., and is a volunteer assistant Coach at Virginia Tech.
