Megan Faraimo

Personal: Faraimo's personal life includes being the daughter of Marcie and Bill Faraimo and one of four children in her family. Her brother, Matthew, was a member of USC men’s volleyball team from 2017-20. She majored in communications at UCLA and lists Shemar Moore as her favorite actor and Etta James as her favorite singer. Her hobbies include going to the gym, reading, writing, watching Netflix, and spending time with friends and family. Faraimo likes to eat Eggo waffles with syrup and whipped cream and lists Serena Williams as the athlete she admires the most. Her favorite movie is “V for Vendetta,” and she has a dog named Mojo. Faraimo lists her travel coach, Marty Tyson, as a person who has made a difference in her life. She was involved in church choir as a child along with playing basketball and volleyball. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked as a package handler at FedEx. Her walk-up song is “Fire” by Ohio Players.

2023 AUX Season: Faraimo performed exceptionally well, earning 824 leaderboard points and securing the 19th place on the final leaderboard in her inaugural professional season. She accumulated 570 win points and 154 stat points. Faraimo was one of only six players to receive 100 or more MVP points. She was selected as the Game MVP twice, including an MVP 1 distinction on June 19 after Team Leach's 13-3 victory over Team Filler. Throughout Series Two, Faraimo amassed 466 leaderboard points. She made seven appearances in the circle, starting two games. Faraimo achieved a 2-1 record with a save and a 4.41 earned run average over 27.0 innings. Her 27 strikeouts ranked her second in the league. Faraimo claimed her first professional win on June 12 against Team Garcia, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts and two hits. She also earned a win over Team Filler on June 19, conceding two runs with seven hits over 6.1 innings. Faraimo showcased her pitching skills with six strikeouts in three appearances, including consecutive outings against Team Filler (June 21) and Team Garcia (June 24). Faraimo was one of the 14 players selected in the Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft.

International Experience: Faraimo led Team USA to a Gold medal at the 2022 World Games. She also helped the United States to a Gold medal at the 2022 Pan American Championship after posting a 4-0 record with a 2.69 earned run average and 12 strikeouts in 13.0 innings. Faraimo was a member of the Team USA roster for the 2022 Japan All-Star Series and garnered a 2.52 earned run average with seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings. She led Team USA to the 2022 Canada Cup title with a 2.33 earned run average and two strikeouts along with a save and guided Team USA to a Bronze medal at the 2019 USA Softball International Cup, collecting a 3-1 record with a 0.71 earned run average and 24 strikeouts over 19.2 innings. Faraimo was also a member of the 2019 WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup champion squad and posted a 3-0 record with 43 strikeouts and a 0.32 earned run average in 21.2 innings. She also led Team USA to a first-place finish at the 2023 WBSC World Cup Group A event in Dublin, Ireland, where she posted a 1-0 record with a 0.00 earned run average and a team-high 15 strikeouts over 10.0 innings.

Other Professional Experience: Faraimo was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2023 Women’s Professional Fastpitch Draft by USSSA Pride. She also played for Toyota Red Terriers in the Japan Diamond League alongside fellow Athletes Unlimited player Bubba Nickles during the 2023 season, where she posted 22 strikeouts over 21.0 innings with a 0.00 earned run average.

At UCLA: Faraimo was a five-year letter winner at UCLA, appearing in 156 games in the circle from 2019-23. She authored a remarkable 101-16 career record for the Bruins with a 1.44 earned run average. Faraimo is one of four pitchers in school history to win 100 or more games in a career and ranks third in program history with 1,000 strikeouts over 707.2 innings. Notably, she posted two seasons with 200 or more strikeouts, including a career-best 292 strikeouts in 2022. Faraimo also owns four career perfect games, including three solo efforts. As a testament to her skill and dedication, she was one of four finalists for the 2023 Honda Award for Softball. Faraimo was also the recipient of the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Tom Hansen Medal. Throughout her college career, she earned numerous accolades such as being a three-time selection as USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, including a Top 10 distinction in 2023, honored as Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in each of her final two seasons, and receiving NFCA All-America accolades three times. Additionally, Faraimo was named to the NFCA All-West Region and All-Pac-12 First Team multiple times. Not only did she excel in athletics, but she also shone academically, being named the 2023 Pac-12 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and making it to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team. In her final year as a redshirt senior, Faraimo had a phenomenal 1.42 earned run average with a 29-3 record. Her achievements also included garnering a save against Kentucky and Howard, tallying 232 strikeouts with six games of 10 or more strikeouts. In her senior year, Faraimo boasted a 24-5 record with a 1.98 earned run average and established a UCLA single-season record with seven saves, leading NCAA Division I. She was even named to the 2022 NCAA Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team. Throughout her junior and sophomore years, Faraimo consistently demonstrated her exceptional talent, leading the Bruins with impressive records and statistics while earning multiple accolades and distinctions. Notably, she was also recognized as the Softball America Pitcher of the Year in 2020 and received Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in her debut season.