May 17, 2010

LOS ANGELES - Sophomore Sam Fischer was one of eight LMU players to earn postseason honors after being named the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Coastal Division co-Player of the Year, it was announced Monday. Fischer was joined on the First Team by junior Jennifer Nayudu while four players gained places on the Second Team and two more were awarded Honorable Mention status. Fischer is the fifth LMU player in the conference's eight-year history to be named Player of the Year.

Fischer

Fischer (Simi Valley, Calif.) shared the Coastal Division Player of the Year honor with Jenna Smith of Saint Mary's after setting the LMU and PCSC single-season home run record. Her 16 round-trippers led the league and topped the previous record of 15, set in 2004 by former Lion and current LMU assistant coach Danielle Kaminaka. In addition to leading the league in homers, Fischer also was tops in slugging percentage (.809) and placed in the conference's top-10 in eight offensive categories. In just her second season of collegiate ball, Fischer's career year placed herself on no fewer than seven of LMU's single-season top-10 lists. She hit .376 (10th), with 13 doubles (t-9th), 16 home runs (1st), 38 runs scored (10th), 26 walks (t-8th), a .809 slugging percentage (2nd), and a .479 on-base percentage (3rd). She also added a career-high 38 runs batted in.

After winning Coastal Division Player of the Week honors three times in 2010, Fischer becomes the fifth LMU player to earn PCSC Player of the Year honors and the first since Christine Foley did it in 2007. She joins Sami Strinz (2003), Kaminaka (2004), Margo Pineda (2005), and Foley (2007) as the Lions to have won the award. During conference play, Fischer hit .404 with 10 home runs, six doubles, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored, and 16 walks. She slugged 1.035 and had an on-base percentage of .541. Fischer was a Second Team selection last season.

Joining Fischer on the First Team was Nayudu (Carlsbad, Calif.), who posted a career year as the Lions' designated player. A career .233 hitter with just 16 starts over her first two seasons at LMU, Nayudu started 40 games in 2010, hitting .345 on the season and .361 during PCSC play. On the year, she added eight doubles, a home run, and 19 RBI while tying Fischer for the team lead with four three-hit games. On April 26, Nayudu received the LMU Most Improved Female Athlete of the Year award and she was also a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

Nayudu

Four LMU players received places on the Second Team, led by senior J.J. Hartung, who was also a First Team selection in 2008. A rightfielder, Hartung (La Quinta, Calif.) came alive during the 2010 PCSC season, hitting .333 and swiping four bases. On the year, Hartung hit .279 with six doubles and 14 RBI.

Making the Second Team for the second straight years were junior Amy Charpentier (Bakersfield, Calif.) and sophomore first baseman Kelly Sarginson (Walnut Creek, Calif.). Charpentier hit .294 overall and .279 in conference play while turning in one of the greatest defensive performances in school history, committing just one error in 174 chances all season and none in 81 chances in the PCSC. Sarginson came on strong during the conference schedule, hitting .302 with four home runs in just 16 starts. Her 15 RBI and .585 slugging percentage were both second-highest on the team during PCSC play. Sarginson finished the year hitting .287 with five homers, 23 RBI, and a slugging percentage of .465.

Freshman Danielle Smith (Escondido, Calif.) gained her first career PCSC postseason honor with a Second Team selection. As the Lions' starting centerfielder, Smith hit .288 on the year with 11 walks (second on the team), 15 RBI, and seven RBI. She also tied Hartung for the team lead with five stolen bases.

A pair of seniors rounded out the All-Conference selections by earning Honorable Mention status. Senior Melissa Dykema (Bellflower, Calif.) capped her career as one of the best pitchers in PCSC history, finishing second in games started (108), third in wins (64), appearances (136), complete games (67), and innings pitched (698.1), fourth in strikeouts (469), and fifth in shutouts (16). In 2010, Dykema went 12-15 with a 3.93 ERA and 12 complete games, including a pair of shutouts. The PCSC Coastal Division Pitcher of the Week for March 22, she struck out 88 in 158.2 innings to lead the Lion staff. This is Dykema's third all-conference selection after being the PCSC co-Freshman of the Year in 2007 and earning a place on the Honorable Mention list in 2008.

Fifth-year senior Darcy Pagnini (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) gains her second career All-PCSC honor after being named to the Second Team in 2008. Pagnini ended her collegiate career with her finest all-around season, hitting .352 with nine doubles, eight home runs, 26 RBI, and a .593 slugging percentage, all second on the Lions in 2010. She also led the team with 16 multi-hit games, including a pair of three-hit outings. In 20 PCSC games at catcher and third base, Pagnini hit .344 while adding three homers and 12 RBI. She was the PCSC Coastal Division Player of the Week for March 29.

LMU finished the 2010 season with a 22-26 record and placed fourth in the PCSC Coastal Division with a 9-11 mark.

Hartung	Charpentier	Sarginson	Smith	Dykema	Pagnini