Where Are They Now? Jennie Finch

The legendary softball pitcher was featured in the 2005 SI Swimsuit Issue.

Jennie Finch / Stewart Shining/Sports Illustrated

The early 2000s were a golden era for former professional softball player Jennie Finch. She finished up her illustrious collegiate career (complete with a 2001 Women’s College World Series win among other accolades) at the University of Arizona in 2002. And just two years later, she punched a ticket to her first Olympics. 

The pitcher was an undeniable asset to the 2004 Athens games squad, who took home gold for Team USA. For Finch, it was another meaningful notch in what had been a very successful sporting career to date, earning her greater acclaim—and a spot on the pages of the SI Swimsuit Issue.

The following year, Finch traveled to the Bahamas for her 2005 feature, which was captured by photographer Stewart Shining. Much like her performance in Greece, the photo shoot was golden—complete with shimmery swimwear and bright sand beaches.

Jennie Finch was photographed by Stewart Shining in the Bahamas. / Stewart Shining/Sports Illustrated

Jennie Finch college

In 1999, Finch took her on-field talents to the University of Arizona, where she joined the softball team as a pitcher. During her first year, the athlete helped lead her team to her first college World Series. Though they didn’t win it all, the run set Finch up for an incredibly successful remainder of her collegiate career.

Over the course of the next three seasons, she earned both National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-American and First Team All-Pac-10 honors each year. During her sophomore season, Finch embarked on a winning streak that would take her through to the end of her senior year. That streak included the biggest collegiate accolade of all—the 2001 National Championship title.

Jennie Finch / Chris Landsberger/Getty Images

During her final season, (in addition to her first team honors) she earned both NFCA Pitcher of The Year and Honda Sports Award for softball honors.

Jennie Finch professional career

Following her departure from Arizona, Finch continued to pursue softball in a professional capacity. The year after her 2004 Olympic gold medal performance, she joined the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) softball league. In her debut season, she was named the NPF’s Co-Pitcher of the Year.

Jennie Finch / David Saffran/Getty Images

After five years of professional play, the 44-year-old athlete retired to focus on her family.

How fast did Jennie Finch pitch?

During her playing career, Finch’s pitches were clocked at around 68 MPH. Because the mound is closer to the home plate in softball than baseball, her softball pitches were the equivalent of a 98 MPH baseball pitch.

Jennie Finch / Cheyenne Boone/Getty Images

As a cohost for This Week in Baseball, a series that aired Major League Baseball (MLB) highlights, Finch participated in a segment called Jennie Challenge, where she pitched to—and managed to strike out—several MLB players. The athlete attributed her ability to do so to the mound’s proximity to the plate, which made her pitches arrive at the hitter more quickly than they were used to.

Jennie Finch husband and kids

In 2005, Finch married fellow athlete Casey Daigle. At the time, the 43-year-old was an MLB pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played in the major leagues through 2010, before heading to the minor leagues for one season and then retiring.

Casey Daigle and Jennie Finch / Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Daigle proposed to Finch on the softball field at the University of Arizona.

Finch and Daigle share three kids together: two sons (born in 2006 and 2011) and a daughter (born in 2013). Her oldest son, Ace, is an impressive right-handed pitcher. It remains to be seen if the athlete will follow in his mother’s footsteps.

Jennie Finch, Ace Daigle and Diesel Daigle / Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images