sammi
noland
sophomore l catcher l 5-10
tucson, ariz. l canyon del oro hs
#
19
Career capsule
tournament in July of 2012. The national title was a first for the program, and Noland
contributed to the title by going 1-for-1 with a sacrifice in the championship game. One
day earlier, Noland played a key role in the Desert Thunder advancing in the tournament,
as she scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over Oklahoma
Athletics Gold.
Sammi Noland appeared in 14 games as a freshman in 2013. Playing behind the only
All-America catcher in school history, Noland gained valuable experience while dedicating
herself to improving her game and helping develop an inexperienced Husker pitching
staff. Her bullpen sessions helped Nebraska rank 15th nationally in ERA, while both of
the Huskers’ primary pitchers were first-team all-region selections in 2013, and Tatum
Edwards was a second-team All-American.
In addition to her tireless work with the Husker pitching staff, Noland pinch hit six
times and appeared in seven games as a pinch runner last spring. Although she did not
record a hit, she did score two runs. Defensively, Noland saw action behind the plate
twice in 2013, successfully fielding all three of her chances.
Personal
Samantha (Sammi) Rae Noland is the daughter of Steve and Mia Noland. Sammi was
born on June 23, 1994, in Phoenix, Ariz. She has an older brother, Seth (25) and a younger
sister, Emily (15). Sammi comes from an athletic family, as her father was a football and
baseball player at Willmar Community College in Willmar, Minn., and her brother played
baseball at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Sammi has not declared a major.
Freshman season [2013]
Despite limited playing time behind one of the nation’s top catchers, Noland played
a valuable role for Nebraska as a freshman in 2013. She appeared in 14 total games,
scoring two runs while going hitless in six at bats. Noland also fielded all three of her
chances behind the plate to post a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. While her stats may
have been limited, Noland was key in developing a Husker pitching staff that ranked 15th
nationally in ERA and had two pitchers tabbed as first-team all-region selections.
Noland put in countless hours in the bullpen, as Nebraska switched its pitching
development strategy, focusing on one-on-one bullpen sessions that required tireless
effort from Noland. Known for her positivity and upbeat personality, Noland put in her
behind-the-scenes work without complaint, and her effort helped Nebraska advance to an
NCAA Super Regional for the first time in school history and earn a berth in the Women’s
College World Series for the seventh time in program history.
Before Nebraska
Noland was a three-time state champion at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson,
Ariz., and she concluded her prep career by winning the ASA Gold National Championship
with the AZ Desert Thunder in the summer of 2012.
Noland ended her high school career with a state championship, and she keyed the
victory by breaking a 4-4 tie with a fourth-inning grand slam. For her efforts as a senior,
Noland was selected as a first-team All-Southern Arizona pick and Division II first-team
selection by the Tucson Citizen.
Prior to her senior season, Noland played a key role in helping Canyon del Oro to a pair
of state championships in her first three high school seasons. As a junior in 2011, Noland
batted .422 (43-for-102) with 14 doubles, two home runs, six stolen bases, 28 runs scored
and 28 RBIs. She added a .487 on-base percentage and a .618 slugging percentage, as
the Dorados finished with a 35-1 record. One of her two home runs was a two-run shot
in the state championship game. Noland was an honorable-mention all-state selection in
Class 4A and a second-team All-Southern Arizona selection as a junior. She also earned
her team’s defensive player-of-the-year award.
In her sophomore season, Noland helped lead Canyon del Oro to an 18-6 record and
an appearance in the state semifinals. During her freshman season in 2009, the Dorados
finished 30-2 and won the state championship.
Noland joins Husker junior Mattie Fowler as Canyon del Oro graduates on Nebraska’s
2014 roster. Together, Fowler and Noland teamed up to win state titles for Canyon del Oro
in 2009 and 2011. Both of those teams were coached by Mattie Fowler’s mother, Kelly,
who coached Noland during her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons.
Noland played her club ball for the AZ Desert Thunder, which is coached by Lance
and Kelly Fowler. Noland helped the Desert Thunder place in the top 25 at the ASA Gold
National Championship every year from 2006 to 2010, including two top-10 finishes.
One of three Desert Thunder players to join a Division I program in 2013, Noland capped
her career by helping the Desert Thunder win the ASA Gold National Championship
career statistics
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF-SH SB/ATT FLD%
2013
.000 14-0 6 2 0 0
0
0 0 0 .000 0 0 4 .000 0-0 0/0 1.000
25