Patrika Barlow Joins Softball Team in 2009
January 07, 2009 | Softball
Jan. 7, 2009
After four seasons as a standout point guard on the University of Louisville's basketball team, Patrika Barlow will join 2009 Cardinals' softball team for her final season of athletic eligibility.*
"For the last few years, Patrika has been telling us she was going to play softball for us and we thought she was kidding," said U of L softball coach Sandy Pearsall. "But she did come out this fall and we're extremely excited to have her in the program. She's a tremendous athlete with great speed, quickness and power. She learns very quickly and is developing the skills necessary to become a top athlete in our game."
Barlow, who played high school softball, was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter on the women's basketball team. She was an integral part of Louisville's first Sweet 16 appearance in 2008 and helped the Cards to their first national ranking and BIG EAST Championship appearance. As a senior, she averaged nearly seven assists per game, set a new single-season record with 251 assists and tied the school record with 16 assists against Ball State on Nov. 10, 2007.
The University of Louisville softball team will open the 2009 season in Feb. 6-8 at Florida International's Combat Classic. The Cardinals return eight starters and 11 letterwinners from the 2008 team which earned U of L's fifth-straight NCAA tournament appearance.
* Note: The NCAA allows Division I student-athletes a five-year clock of eligibility once they enter college full-time. During that period, the student-athlete is limited to four seasons of competition in a single sport. After exhausting her allotted four years in basketball, Barlow has one more season of athletic eligibility remaining.
