Garcia Named ESPNW POY, Finalist for USA SB POY

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OKLAHOMA CITY - Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia was named the ESPNW National Player of the Year on Wednesday, and was also named a Top 4 finalist for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

Joining Garcia as finalists are Oklahoma senior pitcher Paige Parker, Florida junior pitcher Kelly Barnhill and Florida junior outfielder Amanda Lorenz. The winner will be announced next Tuesday, May 29 at the team banquet at the Women's College World Series.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award enters its 17th season and recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players across the country. Previous recipients of the award include the first honoree in 2002, UCLA's Stacey Nuveman. Four Bruins have been Top 3 finalists for the award (Nuveman, 2002; Natasha Watley, 2002-2003; Megan Langenfeld, 2010; Ally Carda, 2014). This season, redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan was a Top 10 finalist.

Garcia leads the Bruins' pitching staff with a 1.01 earned run average, a 25-3 record and 255 strikeouts in 173 innings, while adding a .357 batting average, 10 home runs and 51 runs batted in, the latter two categories ranking second on the team.

This season, Garcia has earned a plethora of awards: two-time NFCA National Pitcher of the Week (April 17 and 24), two-time USA Softball National Player of the Week (Feb. 27 and April 17), one-time NFCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 27), four-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (April 16, April 23, May 7 and May 14) and one-time Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 16).

Garcia has pitched 17 complete games and has been a part of 11 shutouts, including nine solo blankings, adding two saves and limiting opponents to a .130 batting average. At the plate, she is tied for third with 20 walks and first with six sacrifice flies.

Garcia pitched in all five Regional games last weekend, going 4-1 with a 0.69 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. She pitched all but four innings, giving up 15 hits and three earned runs, while throwing 501 pitches in three days. At the plate, Garcia went 6-for-16 (.375) with a homer and seven RBI, including a three-run homer in the Regional final over Cal State Fullerton.

The Bruins open the Los Angeles Super Regional on Thursday at Easton Stadium against Arizona. First pitch is at 6 p.m. and tickets are available here. The gates and ticket office will open at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. All remaining tickets not sold are on a first-come, first-served basis. Thursday's game will also air on ESPN.

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Garcia Named ESPNW POY, Finalist for USA SB POY

Players Mentioned

Rachel Garcia

Aaliyah Jordan

University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics

Garcia Named ESPNW POY, Finalist for USA SB POY

Players Mentioned

Rachel Garcia

Aaliyah Jordan

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