May 24, 2001

Tallahassee, FL - For the 19th time in FSU softball history and the 13th time in the last 10 years, a member of the Seminole softball team has been named to the All-America team. Junior Leslie Malerich was named a third-team All-American after posting a 26-3 record and going 4-0 in the 2001 NCAA Tallahassee Regional last weekend. Malerich, from Merrillville, IN, led FSU in wins (26), innings pitched (205.1), games started (30), fewest losses (3), strikeouts (160), won/loss percentage (.897), appearances (34) and fewest home runs allowed (1).

"We are all very proud of Leslie," said head coach Dr. JoAnne Graf. "She had a wonderful season and deserves to recognized as one of the country's best pitchers. She was dominant in ACC play and had a fantastic regional."

Florida State's ace on the mound for the second season in a row, Malerich is the reigning ACC Player of the Year and went a perfect 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA in regular season ACC games. She led the team in complete games (4), shutouts (4), innings pitched (26.0), runs allowed (0), earned runs allowed (0) and opponent batting average (.180) in regular season conference play. Malerich currently has the nation's 10th best ERA (0.72) and was named to the All-ACC Tournament Team after going 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA in four appearances with two complete games, a shutout, 22 innings pitched, 16 strikeouts and seven walks while holding opposing batters to just a .189 batting average.

At the 2001 NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, Malerich posted a 4-0 record on her way to garnering All-Regional Tournament Team honors. She had a 0.80 ERA for the tournament, started four games, threw three complete games, had one shutout, 21 strikeouts and just five walks in 26.1 innings pitched.

The three-time ACC Pitcher of the Week garnered her first pitcher of the week honors Feb. 12 when she went 2-0 including a seven-inning complete game victory to give the Seminoles the Tomahawk Tournament title. She was named pitcher of the week for a second time Feb. 26 after going 3-1 with a 0.00 ERA and two solo shutouts and one combined shutout in 24 innings of work while striking out 22 batters and allowing only five walks. Malerich was named Most Valuable Pitcher at the FAU/Worth Invitational in Boca Raton, FL when she limited the 82 batters she faced to a .146 batting average, held opponents to just a .161 batting average with runners on base and averaged just 1.46 walks and 6.42 strikeouts per game. She was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the third time after pitching nine innings and not allowing a run while giving up just five hits, striking out six batters and holding opponents to just a .172 batting average.

Malerich also led the team in ERA (0.21), wins (5), complete games (5), shutouts (4), innings pitched (33.0), home runs allowed (0) and opponent's batting average (.197) in SASA competition. She pitched a one-hitter against FAMU Apr. 11 and pitched a season high 10 innings in a win against Jacksonville State (Apr. 14). Her 12 strikeouts against Boston College (Feb. 17) was a season high for the junior right-hander and she didn't issue a single walk in nine of her 30 appearances this season. She also had stretches of 17, 23 and 24 innings where she didn't allow an earned run.