Name Lisa Fernandez Role Olympic athlete | Height 1.68 m Spouse Michael Lujan (m. 2002) | |
Born February 22, 1971 (age 53) ( 1971-02-22 ) New York City, New York Profiles | ||
Lisa fernandez interviewed by gary leland
Lisa Maria Fernandez (born February 22, 1971) is an American softball coach and former pitcher who is currently an assistant coach at UCLA. Fernandez established an Olympic record in softball with 21 strikeouts in a game and was as a member of the United States Women's team.
Contents
- Lisa fernandez interviewed by gary leland
- Opposite field hitting lisa fernandez
- Early years
- College career
- US Womens Olympic Softball Team
- Honors
- Later years
- References
Opposite field hitting lisa fernandez
Early years
Fernandez was born and raised in Lakewood, California. Her father emigrated from Cuba, where he played baseball, and her mother was of Puerto Rican descent. Fernandez's mother played, with her brother (Lisa's uncle) stickball, a street game similar to baseball played with a broom stick and a rubber ball. Fernandez began playing softball at the age of eight. When she was twelve, she played in a local children's league. She tried out as a pitcher, however, her coach told her that she would never make it because she didn't have the right size and build. At St. Joseph High School, Fernandez joined her school's girls' softball team and together with her teammates won the CIF Championship.
College career
Upon graduating from high school, she was accepted to UCLA, where she played softball and earned a degree in psychology. Fernandez played at UCLA from 1990 to 1993. She was a three-time winner of the sport's Honda Award, Fernandez became the first softball player to win the Honda-Broderick Cup in 1993, given to the outstanding collegiate female athlete in all sports. A four-time, first-team All-American, Fernandez led UCLA to two national championships (1990 & 1992) and two runner-up finishes (1991 & 1993).
U.S. Women's Olympic Softball Team
In 1990, Fernandez won a gold medal at the ISF (International Softball Federation) World Championship. Among her accomplishments are:
Honors
On April 24, 2001, the Lakewood City Council recognized Fernandez as one of the most remarkable athletes ever to come from the playgrounds and ball diamonds of Lakewood. The city council named the ball field at Mayfair Park in her honor, as the Lakewood Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the Year.
Later years
She married Michael Lujan in 2002 and gave birth to their son Antonio in 2005. Fernandez and her family reside in Long Beach, California. Fernandez is currently an assistant coach for the women's softball team at UCLA. On June 3, 2017 she was ejected from a WCWS game, after the ejection she made physical contact with the umpire, which she claims was unintentional. She was suspended for two games.