2022 Softball Roster
Roster
Faapito, Matalasi
UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballUTL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC/INF
/ SoftballP/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC/UTL
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
Jersey Number 34
Matalasi Faapito
- Position:
- Pitcher/Infield
- Bats/Throws:
- R/R
- Class:
- Junior
- Height:
- 5-11
- Hometown:
- Temecula, Calif.
- High School:
- Great Oak HS / New Mexico State
Bio
Honors / Awards
2021 NFCA/Schutt Sports Freshman of the Year Finalist2021 NFCA All-Pacific Region First Team Â
2021 WAC Freshman of the Year
2021 All-WAC First Team
2021 WAC Pitcher of the Week – Apr. 19
2020 WAC Hitter of the Week – Feb. 10
2024Â | Fifth Year
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2023Â | Senior
Played in 43 games, making 32 starts between designated player and pitcher ... made 21 appearances in the circle ... batted .151 (11-for-73) on the year ... has hit 41 career home runs, which ranked 50th among active players nationally ... pitched to a 3.13 ERA, which was second on the team, and struck out 62 batters, which ranked fourth ... started her first game in the circle vs. Loyola Chicago (2/10) and went 2.1 innings ... helped her cause and secured the win for State with a game-winning solo homer in the fifth ... has now homered four times in her MSU career in games she pitched in (19 appearances) ... drove in three runs, including one on a sacrifice fly, vs. Bethune-Cookman (2/10) ... collected two RBIs vs. Indiana (2/17) ... went 2-for-3 with a double vs. No. 25 Michigan (2/18) for her first multi-hit game of the season … started the year reaching base in the first nine games ... drove in a run vs. No. 20 UCF (2/19) ... threw 7.0 innings in relief vs. Furman (2/25), allowing just three hits and striking out a career-high nine to earn the win in extra innings ... hit a sacrifice fly against MVSU (2/28) before throwing a scoreless inning in the circle ... hit a solo game-winning home run to help her cause while pitching against Abilene Christian (3/3) ... earned her second win in the circle after going 4.0 innings against the Wildcats … has hit homers in five games she has pitched in while at MSU (23 appearances) … struck out six in 4.0 innings against Murray State (3/5) ... threw 3.0 scoreless innings against No. 1 Oklahoma (3/11), while striking out the side in the sixth and allowed one hit ... threw 5.2 innings against North Dakota St. (3/14) and struck out a career-high 10 ... earned the win in the series finale with South Carolina (3/19) while striking out four across 3.0 innings ... started and went 5.0 innings at ULM (3/29), earning the win with four strikeouts ... started and tossed 3.1 innings against No. 10 Arkansas (3/31), striking out four ... homered in a 2-for-3 day against the Razorbacks (4/2) with two RBIs ... was hit by a pitch at No. 24 Texas A&M (4/8) ... threw her first complete game while at MSU against the Aggies (4/9) and her sixth in her career while allowing fewer than two runs ... earned two saves in the series with No. 20 Kentucky (4/28-30) ... hit a two-run homer against the Wildcats (4/29) ... drew a pinch-hit walk vs. Missouri (5/9) at the SEC Tournament.Â
2022 | Junior
Played in 62 games, starting in 56 as the designated player or pitcher ... batted .243 (37-for-152) on the year ... second on the team in slugging percentage (.546) ... third in RBIs (40) and walks (24) ... fourth in on-base percentage (.350) and total bases (83) ... second on the team in home runs (14) ... four sacrifice flies were tied for fifth in the SEC and No. 41 nationally ... won four games as a pitcher and homered in three of those games to help her cause ... hit a two-run homer in her first MSU at-bat vs. Loyola Marymount (2/11) ... allowed one run on one hit in a relief inning vs. No. 1 Oklahoma (2/11) ... entered in relief and tossed 3.0 innings of one-hit ball to earn the save against Alabama State (2/16) ... batted .500 with a 1.375 slugging percentage in the Bulldog Kickoff Classic (2/18-20) ... pinch hit and drew a walk against Southern Illinois (2/18) ... went 2-for-3 with a career-high five RBIs on a double and home run against Central Arkansas (2/18) ... walked and hit safely against Georgia Tech (2/19) ... hit a two-run home run against Central Arkansas (2/19) ... drew a career-high three walks against Longwood (2/25) … went 2-for-3 against Belmont (2/25) with a double ... drove in two runs with sacrifice flies against Belmont (2/26) ... homered against South Alabama (2/27) ... started in the circle against MVSU (3/2) and struck out six over 5.0 innings to earn the win ... also hit a two-run homer against the Devilettes ... led the team with a .500 batting average and an 1.100 slugging percentage in the Bulldog Invitational (3/4-6) ... walked three times in one day against Furman (3/4) and Alcorn State (3/4) ... also homered against the Braves ... threw 2.0 innings in relief and struck out three against the Paladins ... delivered a solo home run against Jacksonville State (3/5) while going 2-for-3 ... earned her second win of the year in the circle against Alcorn State (3/6) while 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a walk ... went 2-for-4 in her SEC debut at No. 4 Florida (3/12) with an RBI ... singled in State's win against the Gators (3/13) ... homered and picked up the win while pitching 4.0 scoreless innings in relief against Ole Miss (3/19) ... drove in two runs in the series finale against the Rebels (3/20) ... started in the circle and earned the win while hitting a three-run homer at Memphis (3/23) ... started in the circle at Middle Tennessee (3/30) and threw 2.0 innings, allowing one run ... homered for the fourth time in a dozen pitching appearances at No. 13 Tennessee (4/1) ... went 1-for-1 and threw 2.0 innings in the series finale against No. 24 Missouri (4/10) ... hit her first career triple against ULM (4/19) ... picked up her second save of the year vs. UT Martin (4/20) ... tied the game against Southern Miss (4/27) with a three-run homer ... hit a solo homer and singled home a run in a 2-for-4 day at No. 11 Kentucky (4/30) ... threw 3.0 scoreless innings in relief, striking out a relief-outing career-best five, against No. 19 LSU (5/7) ... singled as a pinch hitter in the win against No. 19 LSU (5/8) ... singled in a pinch-hitting appearance vs. No. 20 LSU (5/11) in the SEC Tournament ... hit a solo home run for her first career postseason RBI vs. South Florida (5/21), going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and being intentionally walked ... drove in a run with a sacrifice fly at No. 2 Florida State (5/22) ... hit a solo homer against Arizona (5/27) in the Super Regional and added a single and walk.Â
2021 | Sophomore (At New Mexico State)
Started all 52 games and posted a .399 batting average and 1.264 OPS, both of which led the team … posted eight complete games and 67 strikeouts in the circle … was the only player in the nation to hit 16 home runs and strikeout 60 or more batters ... named WAC Freshman of the Year and was one of 15 finalists for the NFCA/Schutt Sports Freshman of the Year award … also earned First Team All-WAC honors … led the WAC in slugging percentage (.791), hits (63), home runs (16) and total bases (125) ... slugging percentage ranked sixth in New Mexico State single-season history and home runs were seventh ... went 2-for-3 with a double vs. Liberty (2/15) … picked up her first win of the year in a complete game vs. FIU (2/26) … homered for the first time on the year vs. Stetson (2/28) … threw a complete game vs. Central Michigan (3/5) to pick up the win while allowing just one run … struck out a career-high nine in 9.0 innings vs. FGCU (3/6) … drove in three runs vs. Middle Tennessee (3/6) while going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run … surrendered just one run in an extra-innings loss at South Florida (3/10) while also going 3-for-4 with a home run and two walks at the plate … homered in three straight games at South Florida (3/10) and vs. Idaho State (3/19) … went 3-for-6 with four RBIs and six total bases vs. Idaho State (3/19) … drove in a career-high five runs vs. Idaho State (3/20) while going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks … game started a second three-game homer streak vs. Idaho State (3/20-21) and at Portland State (3/23) … went 3-for-3 with a homer and a walk in the series opener against Grand Canyon (4/2) … threw the Aggies first no-hitter since 2011 in a five-strikeout effort against Tarleton State (4/16) … also went 2-for-3 at the plate in that game … homered in both games of the doubleheader with Utah Valley (4/30) and was 4-for-8 on the day with four combined RBIs … tossed 3.0 shutout frames to earn the win vs. Utah Valley (5/14) in the WAC Tournament.Â
2020 | Freshman (At New Mexico State)
Played in 22 games, making 21 starts in the shortened season ... batted .403 on the year, which ranked third on the ... recorded an .823 slugging percentage and a .457 on-base percentage ... led the team with 23 RBIs on 25 hits, which ranked second on the squad ... tied for second on the team with seven home runs … started 10 games in the circle and struck out 43 batters in 15 total appearances … made her debut in the circle against Nebraska (2/6), earning the win in 3.1 innings while also picking up her first career hit and RBI at the plate … went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs against Bradley (2/7) in her second career game ... was 2-for-2 against No. 24/20 Arkansas (2/8) with a home run and a walk … named the WAC Hitter of the Week (2/10) after going 8-for-10 with eight RBIs and four homers in her first week of college softball … picked up a 3.0 inning save against Omaha (2/14) … collected four RBIs vs. Houston (3/1) … went 2-for-3 with a double at No. 17/15 Arizona State (3/6) … tossed a perfect inning vs. Oregon State (3/7) to earn her second save … threw a complete game vs. Nebraska (3/8) allowing one run on three hits and striking out six … also went 2-for-3 at the plate against the Cornhuskers … followed that performance with a complete-game victory against rival New Mexico (3/11).Â
High School
Attended Great Oak High School where she was a four-year letterwinner … earned First Team All-Southwestern League honors for the 2016 and 2017 seasons … received First Team All-Inland Empire honors and was named to the CIF First Team … named the league MVP during her junior season… named a Second Team All-American as a senior after hitting .441 with 12 homers and 41 RBI … played travel ball with Athletics Mercado/Smith and won two national titles.Â
Personal
Born Matalasi Anastacia Tafa-Iva Faapito on April 5, 2001 in Anaheim, California … daughter of Nuuvali and Gertrude Faapito ... has a brother, Nuuvali Jr., played football at Colorado State … cousin, Selina Ta’amilo, played softball at UCLA … cousin, Sapule Ta’milo, played football at Eastern New Mexico... cousin, Juliano Falaniko, plays football at USC … majoring in sociology.Â
MSU Season Records (Through 2024)
T-4th – Sacrifice Flies (4, 2022)Â
MSU Single-Game Records (Through 2024)
T-1st – Sacrifice Flies (2 vs. Belmont, 2/26/2022)Â
MSU NCAA Tournament Career Records (Through 2023)
T-2nd – Home Runs (2)T-2nd – Walks (7)
3rd – Slugging Percentage (.737)
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Career Highs (Through 2024)
At-Bats: 6, vs. Idaho State (3/19/21)Hits: 3, twice, last, Utah Valley (4/30/21)
Runs Scored: 3, Bradley (2/7/20)
Runs Batted In: 5, twice, last, Central Arkansas (2/18/22)
Doubles: 1, 24x, last, vs. Cal State Fullerton (5/18/24)
Triples: 1, ULM (4/19/22)
Home Runs: 2, Bradley (2/7/20)
Walks: 3, twice, last, vs. Cal State Fullerton (5/18/24)
Stolen Bases: 1, at Portland State (3/23/21)
Putouts: 1, 9x, last, Abilene Christian (3/3/23)
Assists: 3, 4x, last, vs. Furman (2/25/23)
Hitting Streak: 14 games (3/20/21, vs. Idaho State to 4/16/21, Tarleton State)
Innings: 9.0, vs. Florida Gulf Coast (3/6/21)
Longest Start: 9.0, vs. Florida Gulf Coast (3/6/21)
Shortest Start: 1.0, at South Florida (3/10/21)
Longest Relief: 7.2, at South Florida (3/10/21)
Strikeouts: 10, North Dakota State (3/14/23)
Walks: 5, vs. Seattle (5/15/21)
Hits Allowed: 13, vs. Idaho State (3/19/21)
Runs Allowed: 9, twice, last, vs. Idaho State (3/19/21)
Earned Runs Allowed: 7, twice, last, at Arizona (4/9/21)
Pitch Count: 118, Grand Canyon (4/2/21)
SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. Washington
Saturday, May 17
SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. Texas Tech
Saturday, May 17
SOFTBALL | Raelin Chaffin ESPN2 Postgame Interview
Saturday, May 17
SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. Washington
Friday, May 16
