Former Tiger named a finalist for Australian Olympic Softball Team

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Former University of Memphis pitcher Ellen Roberts has been named one of 20 finalists for the Australian National Team set to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Roberts competed for the Tigers from 2011-14 and set many of the school records that still stand today.

Roberts is second in the Memphis record books with 41 wins and 133 appearances. She still holds the career record with 103 starts for the Blue and Gray and 64 complete games. Her 659.1 innings pitched is nearly 80 innings more than any other pitcher in program history, and her strikeout record of 488 was just passed by Molly Smith in 2018.

As a senior, Roberts was named an NFCA All-Region Third Team selection after leading the Tigers with 12 wins and a 2.89 ERA in 33 starts.

After graduating from Memphis, Roberts continued her softball career in the professional ranks. She spent two seasons with the Italian Professional League as well as one season in the Dutch Pro League. After spending three seasons in the New Zealand League, Roberts is going into her third season in the Japanese Professional League.

The Memphis alumnae also has three years of experience in the National Pro Fastpitch league, competing one season for the Chicago Bandits in 2017 and two seasons for the Australian National Team in 2018 and 2019. She has also been a member of the Aussie Spirit National Squad since her professional debut in 2014.

The Westleigh, New South Wales native has won numerous championships in her professional career, including multiple awards for individual performances in Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand and Japan.

Most recently, Roberts won the 2020 Australian National Championship with NSW Firestars. She pitched two innings in relief of the final en route to the title. The championship marked the fourth-straight title for the New South Wales team.

Roberts will participate in a training camp held at the Australian Institute of Sport on March 4-8 before the team travels to the United States in late May to compete in the NFP against elite-level competition as part of their preparation for the sport's return to the Olympics.

All 20 of the finalists have previously represented the Travelodge Aussie Spirit at the international level. The final roster of 15 will be selected in late June following the conclusion of the NFP prior to the team flying to Japan to the Olympics in July.

For more information on the Memphis softball team, follow the Tigers on social media at @MemphisSoftball.

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Former Tiger named a finalist for Australian Olympic Softball Team

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