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Eight Bruins Named NFCA All-West Region

May 20, 2021
Sophomore Megan Faraimo

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the first time in program history, all eight Bruins nominated for an NFCA All-Region award were recognized, as senior Rachel Garcia, juniors Aaliyah Jordan, Briana Perez, Kinsley Washington and Delanie Wisz, sophomore Megan Faraimo and freshman Maya Brady were honored on the First Team, while sophomore Kelli Godin earned Second Team accolades. The seven First Team selections are also a school record.

Garcia becomes the 13th Bruin to receive four All-Region awards and the fifth to earn First Team every season (Tracy Compton, Debbie Doom, Lisa Fernandez, Natasha Watley). Jordan picked up her third All-Region award after being named First Team as a freshman and Second Team as a sophomore. Perez also received her third after earning Second Team accolades her first two seasons. Faraimo went back-to-back First Team, while Godin went back-to-back Second Team. It was the first All-Region award for Washington, Wisz and Brady. All players are now eligible for All-American status, which will be announced during the Women's College World Series.

Garcia, the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year and a Top 3 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, leads the nation with a 0.60 earned run average to go with a 14-0 record, two saves and 124 strikeouts in 94 innings. She has appeared in 22 games, making 12 starts, posting nine complete games and five solo shutouts. At the plate, Garcia has a team-best .766 slugging percentage, is second with 25 walks and a .496 on base percentage, tied for second with 11 home runs, third with a .362 batting average and fourth with 30 runs batted in, adding 20 runs scored and five doubles. A three-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week and two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week, Garcia has allowed zero or one earned run in all 22 of her appearances, reaching double-figure strikeouts four times. She pitched the second no-hitter of her career on April 16 at Oregon State. At the plate, she has hits in 29 of her 36 games.

Jordan is the team leader in walks with 32, which also ties for 27th nationally, and also leads the team with an on base percentage at .497. She is second with 30 runs scored and third with nine doubles, adding a .345 batting average, seven home runs and 29 runs batted in. She hit home runs in each of the last six conference weekends. Jordan, an All-Pac-12 First Team honoree, is tied for second on the team with 10 multiple-hit games, adding seven multi-RBI contests. She ranks second among Pac-12 players in walks and fifth in on base percentage.

Perez, an All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team selection, leads the Bruins in runs scored (47), triples (5), total bases (103), multiple-hit games (14) and multi-RBI contests (11), ranking second with a .366 average, 36 runs batted in and a .725 slugging, tied for second with 11 home runs and third with 12 stolen bases. She is tied for second among Pac-12 players in triples, fourth in total bases, tied for fourth in runs and fifth in slugging, while also ranking tied for 16th nationally in triples and tied for 35th in runs scored. Perez has hits in 37 of 45 games, posting hitting streaks of seven, eight, five and 12 this season. She has scored a run in 33 of 45 games, including multiples 13 times.

Faraimo, an All-Pac-12 First Team winner, is the national leader in strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.60), also ranking in the Top 20 in walks allowed per seven innings, hits allowed per seven innings and earned run average (1.19). She is 17-3 with 156 strikeouts in 117 2/3 innings, having gone the distance in 11 of her 16 starts. Faraimo is first among Pac-12 pitchers in opposing batting average (.146), second in ERA, fourth in strikeouts and fifth in wins. The sophomore has six double-figure strikeout games and has allowed zero or one earned run in 18 of her 24 appearances. Faraimo pitched the 19th perfect game in UCLA history and her third-career no-hitter on Feb. 24 against San Diego State.

All-Pac-12 First Teamer Brady is tied for second with 11 home runs, third with 32 runs batted in and 27 runs scored, tied for third with 17 walks, adding a .352 batting average, six stolen bases and eight multiple-RBI contests. She is ninth among Pac-12 players in on base percentage (.462) and hit by pitches (5). Brady, who was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week to end the regular season, opened Pac-12 play with a bang, earning conference Player and Freshman of the Week honors on March 23 following the Bruins' four-game sweep of Arizona State. She has hits in 29 of her 40 games, including an 11-game hitting streak from March 3-April 9.

Wisz, an All-Pac-12 Second Team honoree, leads the Bruins with 12 home runs, 11 doubles and 40 runs batted in, is second with 10 multiple-RBI games and tied for second with 10 multi-hit contests, adding a .323 batting average, a .677 slugging, 17 walks and 21 runs scored. Wisz has hits in 31 of 45 games. She has played at three different positions this season, first base, third base and her first-career contests at catcher, where she has thrown out three of seven would-be base stealers. Wisz has a .979 fielding percentage with only five errors in 234 chances.

Washington, an All-Pac-12 Third Team and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team selection, leads the Bruins with 15 stolen bases and is second with 10 doubles, adding a .313 batting average, 26 runs scored and 14 walks. She has eight multiple-hit games and five multi-RBI contests. Splitting time between first and second base this season, Washington has just two errors in 172 chances for a .988 fielding percentage.

Godin is second on the team with 14 stolen bases, adding a .351 batting average, 20 runs scored and six runs batted in. She has hits in 10 of her last 16 games entering the postseason, producing hits in 28 of 45 games this year.

The Bruins open up the postseason at Easton Stadium on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Long Beach State. The game will be televised on ESPN2.