Florida State University Athletics
Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2023
Leslie Malerich signed with Florida State after winning the state championship in Indiana and became one of FSU softball's all-time greatest pitchers.
Malerich was an immediate contributor as a freshman in 1999 posting an 11-8 record and 2.03 era with four shutouts and 145 innings pitched. She emerged as the ace on the staff as a sophomore and had a 35-15 record with a 1.21 ERA. She set the school record that still stands today with 58 appearances that season and was MVP of the ACC Championships after leading FSU to the title. She was also named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional.
Malerich's junior season was no less impressive and was highlighted by her selection as the 2001 ACC Player of the Year. She also earned second team All-America honors, was voted to the NCAA All-Region Team and All-ACC. She posted an impressive 26-3 record with a 0.72 ERA while only allowing 21 earned runs over 205.1 innings.
Her senior year, she led FSU to the 2002 Women's College World Series while becoming FSU's all-time leader in appearances with 179, innings pitched at 988.2 and wins 107 becoming just the 24th pitcher in NCAA history with more than 100 wins. Her appearances and innings pitched are still records today.
Malerich went on to play for the Italian national team from 2002-2009, highlighted by an appearance in the 2004 Olympics and three European titles.
