Monica Abbott

About Monica Abbott

Monica Cecilia Abbott (born July 28, 1985) is an American athlete who pitched for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball team from 2004-2007. During her senior season, she set the record for the most strikeouts in a Division I softball season and became the NCAA Division I Softball all-time leader in career wins, strikeouts, shutouts, innings pitched, games started and games pitched. She was the recipient of the 2007 Honda Sports Award for the Top Collegiate Softball Player in the country and was named the 2007 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She was also named the 2007 Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year

Abbott was born in Salinas, California and attended North Salinas High School from 2000 to 2004; her parents are Bruce and Julie Abbott, and her siblings are Jessica (born 1984), Jared (born 1988) and twins Bina and Gina (born 1991).

One of the most sought after pitchers in the nation, Abbott averaged over 300 strikeouts in her three seasons as a prep star at North Salinas High School in Salinas, Calif. In her junior season, the southpaw tossed seven perfect games, while compiling a 0.17 ERA. She threw back-to-back perfect games in the Division I CCS playoffs of that year, striking out 14 of 15 batters in her first contest and 18 in the seven-inning championship game.