The Legacy of Lisa Fernandez

I grew to loving softball by watching others play. Lisa is a great example of what, in my opinion, is an amazing player with some major accomplishments. 

Lisa Fernandez is of a Hispanic Heritage. Her father emigrated from Cuba, where he played baseball, and her mother was of Puerto Rican descent. 

Lisa played on the U.S. softball team as a pitcher and as a third baseman. She’s had some amazing accomplishments. Here is a list of different levels of play that she participated in and some of her highlights:

OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE:

Her first gold medal was in 1996, had a record of 1-1 and 0.33 earned run average (ERA). Her second gold medal was in 2000 where she established an Olympic single-game strikeout record with 25 in a round-robin game and set the ERA record at 0.47. Her final gold medal was in 2004, where she set Olympic record of highest batting average of .545. 

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE:

Not only was Lisa a three-time Olympic medalist, but she was also a four-time world champion. Her first World Championship gold medal was in 1990, where she had a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA. Her second World Championship was in 1994, where she recorded a 4-0 record including a perfect game and a NO HITTER. (Which is freaking awesome!!!!) She then went to win another one in 1998, with a 5-1 record with yet another 0.00 ERA. Her final one was in 2002. 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Some of her career highlights include:

• 1991 Pan American Games Gold Medalist
• 1999 Pan American Games Gold Medalist – 3-0 record and 0.00 ERA
• Finalist for Women’s Sports Foundation’s ‘Sportswoman of the Year’& AAU Sullivan Award in 2000
• Finalist for Women’s Sports Foundation’s Flo Hyman Memorial Award in 2001
• 2003 Pan American Games Gold Medalist

COLLEGIATE HIGHLIGHTS:

In college, she had several achievements which consist of:

• Being the first softball player to win the Honda-Broderick Cup in 1993
• Three-time Honda Award winner for softball
• Led UCLA to two NCAA WCWS Titles (1990, 1992)
• Four-time First-team NFCA All-American
• Three-time Pac-10 Player of the Year
• NCAA Top VI Award, presented to the top six senior student athletes in all divisions

Personally, I believe that Lisa is an inspiration to all women around the world. From leading her team at UCLA to two NCAA WCWS Titles to being a three-time Olympic champion, she truly does show that if you put your all into something, then anything is possible. She has the highlights to show that women are truly amazing!

Sources:

“Lisa Fernandez.” USA Softball, 18 July 2023, www.usasoftball.com/roster/lisa-fernandez/#:~:text=Lisa%20Fernandez%20is%20a%20three,three%2Dtime%20Honda%20Award%20recipient. 

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