Former All-American Jennie Finch-Daigle will serve as a volunteer coach for the Cowgirls in 2014, working with the pitchers.
Finch, a native of La Mirada, California, was a pitcher and first-baseman for the University of Arizona, the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch won the 2001 Women's College World Series and helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Time magazine described her as the most famous softball player in history.
In 2010, Finch retired from softball to focus on her family. In August 2011 she started work as a color analyst for ESPN doing National Pro Fastpitch and college softball games.
Finch began her career by achieving a career high in doubles and throwing her first career no-hitter during the 1999 NCAA tournament against Texas State. Despite making the World Series, the Wildcats were eventually eliminated by DePaul.
As a sophomore year, Finch was named a 2000 NFCA First Team All-American and First Team All-Pac 10. She also threw three no-hitters and led the Wildcats in home runs and slugging percentage and achieved a career best in hits and batting average. Finch began the year with a 21 consecutive game win streak.
After suffering her only losses in back-to-back games, Finch finished the year 8–0 starting a new streak against the Oregon Ducks that would span the next two seasons. Finch's 29th win, a World Series victory over the No. 1 seeded Washington Huskies, began a 35 scoreless inning streak, after allowing runs in the fourth inning she pitched a shutout the rest of the way for a 4–2 win.
As a junior in 2001, Finch was once again named NFCA First Team and All-Pac 10, adding the Pitcher of The Year award to her resume. She was awarded the Honda Sports Award for Softball Player of The Year. Finch's season ERA, wins and shutouts were and still do rank among the Top 10 at Arizona. Along with a no-hitter and career highs in WHIP and RBIs.
Finch opened the season with 31 consecutive scoreless innings spanning 6 wins that combined with the innings from her last game in 2000, was a career best 35 before being snapped in the second inning by a lead off home run vs. McNeese State. On March 30, Finch hit two home runs and a double in an 11–1 romp of the Oregon to drive in a career best 9 RBIs, which tied her third all-time in the NCAA for a single game.
Finch and the Wildcats were the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and made it to the World Series for a third straight year with Finch on the mound. She recorded victories over California and Oklahoma to reach the finals. In a 1–0 shutout against UCLA, Finch set an NCAA record with a perfect season capped with the National Championship. Finch also had a hit in the game and was named MVP for the series. The victory extended her win streak to 40 consecutive games along with the 8 to end the 2000 season.
In her final season, Finch was named 2002 First Team for the NCAA and the Pac 10 conference as well as Pitcher of The Year and Honda Player of The Year. Finch tossed 3 no-hitters and broke the season strikeouts record, while her wins and shutouts were and remain Top-10 school records. Against Cal State Fullerton, Finch matched her own record of 35 consecutive scoreless innings that was broken in a 13–1 mercy win over Northern Iowa.
Finch set several records in single games beginning with a new NCAA record by winning her 51st consecutive game in the 6–0 victory over Cal State Northridge. For one of her no-hitters, Finch posted her 100th career victory over Notre Dame and struck out 15 against UL-Lafayette for a career best. Finch tied a then school record of 19 strikeouts with a 1-0, 9 inning shutout against Oklahoma. The Wildcat then beat the UCLA to start the year 20–0 and set an NCAA record with 60 straight wins dating back to the 2000 season, as Finch would lose her next decision.
To open a return trip to the WCWS as defending champion, Finch shutout Nebraska and ended the game with her 1,000th career strikeout. In the semifinals of the World Series, Finch hit her 50th career home run to score the winning run and help herself beat the Florida State in 11 innings. The Wildcats suffered a 6–0 loss in the championship game to California.
Finch left the program as the career leader in strikeouts, shutouts, innings pitched and tied for no-hitters (8), while ranking in the Top-10 in most other pitching categories. She also ranked in the Top-10 in home runs, RBIs and walks. Finch remains ranked in the Top-10 in several pitching and walks all-time lists. She is currently ranked 7th in career winning percentage (0.881%).
Her no. 27 jersey number was retired by the University of Arizona on May 9, 2003.
