Posted: Jun 05, 2023
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Another day and another award for Florida SouthWestern star pitcher Belle Sardja on Monday as the Bucs ace was named the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA National Pitcher of the Year following her spectacular sophomore season for the Purple and Aqua.
Sardja led FSW to their third straight NJCAA Division I National Championship in 2023, pitching in 36 games and logging 175 innings on the year. She was 25-2 in the circle, good for a .926 winning percentage which ranked 4th in the country while posting a 0.88 ERA on the year which was 3rd best of all NJCAA hurlers. As she was during her freshman year in 2022, Sardja was once again a workhorse for the Bucs during the postseason this season, throwing in seven of eight FSW games and starting all five games at the NJCAA World Series in which she was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher. She fired eight complete game shutouts for the Bucs this season including back to back efforts against #5 Grayson and #1 Odessa in the World Series quarter and semifinals.
Sardja finishes her FSW career 41-5 with a program record 9 saves, logging 287 innings and posting a 1.05 career ERA which is best in program history.
Sardja becomes the second FSW pitcher in program history to earn NFCA National Pitcher of the Year honors, joining Alyssa O'Donnell who took home that title after the Bucs first National Title in 2021.