Fisher's Thayer, Mazierski Among Division III's Elite After Being Named to NFCA Players to Watch List
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With the start of the softball season less than one month away, two members of the nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College Cardinals have an added reason to smile as both
Lindsey Thayer and
Katie Mazierski were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association/Schutt Sports Division III 50 Players to Watch List.
The list, which is compiled annually, contains the 50 best players from across Division III. As the season progresses, the list will be whittled down with one student-athlete eventually being named the Division III Player of the Year.
Now entering her senior season, Thayer was named a First-Team All-American for the second straight season in 2017 after going 31-7 in the circle for the Cardinals. Thayer, who was named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Championship, had a junior campaign for the ages as the Winthrop native led the nation in strikeouts (456) and strikeouts per seven innings (13.5). She also ranked second in the country in earned run average at 0.62 and shutouts with 14.
In 235.2 innings of work last season, Thayer tossed a conference-leading 27 complete games and allowed just 92 hits in all. She surrendered just 55 walks and held opposing batters to a .115 batting average, which was among the national leaders. As a junior, Thayer, at times, was unhittable. She threw three no-hitters this season in all including a perfect game. During a five-day stretch, the junior hurled a no-hitter against Keuka with 18 strikeouts and tied an NCAA Division III record with 21 strikeouts in a seven-inning game. She would go on to toss a perfect game and recorded her 1,000th career strikeout against Alfred. Furthermore, she was at her best when the lights were brightest as she recorded another no-hitter in the opening game of the Division III Championship in a win over Williams College.
Thayer, who has been named All-American in each of her three seasons in a Fisher uniform, earned her fair share of praise in 2017 after being named the Pitcher of the Year by both the Empire 8 and the Eastern College Athletic Conference. She was named First-Team All-Conference and would later be selected as First-Team All-Region for the third straight season. Additionally, Thayer was named the Most Outstanding Player in both the NCAA Regional and Super Regional rounds in 2017.
Beyond the accolades, Thayer, who was named the National Pitcher of the Week twice last year, recorded 12 games with 15 strikeouts or more and pitched 25 games without surrendering an earned run. Her 456 strikeouts and 235.2 innings ranks second all-time in Fisher history – Thayer holds both records – while her 31 wins tied her own mark set in 2016.
A Second-Team All-American in 2017 after a breakout junior season, Mazierski hit a team-leading .445 over 48 games played. Mazierski, who was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year in 2017, led the team with 65 hits and 41 runs scored while her 14 stolen bases tied for the team lead.
The junior infielder produced 17 multi-hit games that year including six games with at least three hits. A three-time All-Region honoree including two First-Team selections, Mazierski finished the 2017 season with a .500 on-base percentage and a .507 slugging percentage after coming away with three doubles and three triples overall.
The duo will look to get off on the right foot beginning March 2nd when they No. 2 Cardinals travel to Tucson, Ariz. For the NFCA Leadoff Classic.