Italian Women's Softball National Team former star pitcher and Olympian Leslie Malerich was inducted into the Florida State University Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2023 includes Pedro Grifol, the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) manager, and ESPN announcer Eduardo Perez.
"I am focused on team success over individual awards. But when coach Graf called me regarding this, I was in disbelief. A mix of emotions were expressed through tears that I couldn't stop," commented Malerich on Facebook.
Malerich, 33, played for the Florida State Seminoles from 1999 to 2002, when she participated in the Women's College World Series. She posted a career 107-40 record, pitching 988.2 innings in 107 games with 751 strikeouts and a 1.28 earned run average (ERA).
She played in the Italian Softball League from 2002 to 2010, appearing in 151 games and starting 121 as a pitcher. She posted a career 0.74 ERA and a 71-19 record, striking out 785 over 645.1 innings.
Malerich represented Italy 68 times, including the Athens 2004 Olympics.
After softball, she pursued a career as a police officer.
