PCC Softball's Samantha Diaz Earns Scholarship To Marymount

Samantha Diaz, the Pasadena City College softball team's third baseman in 2019 and 2020, has accepted a playing scholarship to attend NAIA Marymount California University in Palos Verdes. Diaz was an All-South Coast Conference First Team selection as a freshman and had her second Lancers season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019 as the team's leadoff hitter, Diaz batted .358, leading the Lancers in hits (45), runs scored (37), stolen bases (28) and doubles (13). She played on a PCC team that finished 26-16 and advanced to the SoCal Regional Playoffs under head coach Monica Tantlinger.

Although she hit .270 in 20 games during the '20 season, Diaz was getting hot right before the pandemic ended the season prematurely in March. Pasadena was 11-9 while Diaz batted 8-for-her-last-22 at bats (.364). She had a team-high five doubles and was second on that squad in walks (12), stolen bases (12) and runs scored (19). 

In her Lancers career, Diaz averaged a hit per game (62 in 62 contests), batted .328, and scored 56 runs.

"Sam is one of the best all-around athletes to come through PCC," Tantlinger said. "Her speed and ability to play anywhere makes her an asset to any program, but it is Sam's character that really makes her so special as she is just a great young woman and all of us coaches and her teammates were lucky to have her."

Diaz is working on reaching an educational goal of earning a degree in biology. 

Former Lancers infielder Karina Moreno, both an All-SCC player for PCC (2016-2017 Lancers) and an All-California Pacific Conference selection at Marymount, was serving on the MCU staff as an assistant coach.