Sippel Inducted Into ISF Hall of Fame

Nebraska Associate Head Softball Coach Lori Sippel, who also serves as Head Coach for Team <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Canada, was formally inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 8, at the Canada Cup softball tournament in Surrey, British Columbia.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Joining Sippel in the induction ceremony were fellow Canadians Terry Baytor and Dale McMann. With the induction, Sippel joins an elite group of 133 Hall of Famers worldwide, representing 20 countries. Sippel also becomes one of only five Canadians to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

 

Following the induction ceremony, Sippel guided Team Canada to its third consecutive victory of the day that helped propel the Canadians into the final game against Australia. Team Canada finished with a 9-4 record at the prestigious event and was runner-up to Australia, marking the team’s best finish since Sippel helped pitch the 1996 team to the Canada Cup title.

 

Arguably the most dominant pitcher in the history of the Canadian women’s national team, Sippel first joined the team in 1983 when she was only 17 years old and was a mainstay for 15 years culminating with her appearance in the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. Her final performance came in the 1998 World Championships, where she tossed a one-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory over Italy that secured a spot for the Canadians in the 2000 Olympics.

 

Sippel was a standout pitcher at Nebraska from 1985 to 1988 and will begin her 15th coaching season with the Huskers this spring. In the circle for NU, Sippel was a four-time All-Big Eight selection as well as the three-time Big Eight Tournament Most Valuable Player. Nationally, Sippel was a two-time second-team All-American and was the 1988 GTE Academic All-American of the Year as well as a Honda Broderick Award Nominee.

 

When she finished her career at NU, she held eight career school records and five single-season school records.

 

Sippel’s No. 16 jersey has been retired by Team Canada and Nebraska and her selection to the 2006 ISF Hall of Fame class is just another honor in a long list of accolades.