13  Sam Marder
Catcher
Jr., Bats: R - Throws: R
Calabasas, Calif., Calabasas H.S.
Valley Breeze Gold
History

Kalafatis on Marder: “Sam had a tremendous season last year, but we weren’t able to protect her in the line-up which is why she led the country in walks and on-base percentage. This year will be different, she’ll have a bunch of opportunities to help her team score runs and no one has ever gotten rid of the ball as quick as Sam Marder does from behind the plate. She can be one of the top players in the conference and in the country if she stays focused on getting better each day.”

At a glance: Named to 20008 third team All-America squad ... is third all-time in Ohio State record books with 24 career home runs ... also third with 104 walks ... is a pure hitter and the Buckeyes’ biggest threat at the plate ... has a powerful swing and a strong arm behind the plate defensively ... can drive the ball into the gap and out of the park against any pitcher ... teamed with OSU junior pitcher Megan Miller to comprise a talented battery for Valley Breeze Gold.

2008 (Sophomore Season): Third-team All-American ... finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year award ... named first-team All-Big Ten and All-Great Lakes Region ... led the league and nation in on base pct. (.635) and walks (60). ... second in the Big Ten in batting avg. (.478) and slugging pct. (.848). ... third in the Big Ten in home runs (14) and total bases (117). ... hit a conference-best .457 in 35 official at bats, walked 37 times ... had a league high .740 on base pct. ... set OSU record of 60 walks and stands in second for single-season batting average (.475) ... started in all 56 games ... Big Ten Player of the Week Feb 11 and March 18 ... hit eventual game-winning 2-run home run in the top of the 6th inning at Indiana March 11  ... hit the game-tying home runs in win over Iowa March 28 and loss to Michigan State April 4 ... finished season with a .982 fielding percentage ... batted .475 with 14 home runs and 54 runs batted in... led the team in doubles (9), total bases (117), walks (60), sac flies (4), RBI (54), home runs (14) and hit by pitch (7) ... had 50 assists ... finished the season with a .842 slugging percentage ... OSU’s best 2-out hitter (.475, 21 RBI) ... went 4-8 in last Big Ten weekend ... went 3-3 vs. Colorado State Feb. 16 (1HR, 3RBI) ... went 4-5 at FIU Feb. 16 (4R, 2B, 1HR).

2007 (Freshman Season): Named first-team All-Big Ten and all-region ... batted .359 with 10 home runs and 49 runs batted in ... was the first freshman ever to be named Ohio State’s Offensive Player of Year (also named team’s Rookie of Year) ... named to All-Big Ten Tournament team ... set team record for walks (44) and walks in a game (five) ... set OSU freshman RBI record (third-most overall in season) and tied the home run record (tied-third-most in season overall) ... led Big Ten in walks and on base percentage (.520) ... also led team in overall average, avg. with runners on base (.417), avg. with runners in scoring position (.403), RBI, total bases (99), home runs, doubles (12), on-base pct., slugging pct. (.647), two-out RBI (17), hit by pitch (7) and multiple-RBI games (13) ... batted third in line-up and started all 58 games (36 at catcher, 21 at DP, one at third base) ... had overall average up to season-high .394 May 1 ... batted .367 in Big Ten games with three homers and 15 RBI ... hit .367 (22-60) at Buckeye Field (fifth on the team) and led team in average in road games (.342) ... Big Ten Player of the Week March 13 ... featured in a Q&A on the Big Ten web site March 14 ... batted .423 in night games (11 games, 11-26, second on team) ... had career-best 10 game hitting streak through April 22 ... first seven home runs came in first 48 at bats of the season, last three homers came in 29 at bat stretch from April 14-28 ... walked school-record five times vs. Hofstra March 9 ... UAB Magic City All-Tournament Team March 4 ... two HR vs. No. 9 Oklahoma Feb. 25 in Palm Springs ... first OSU freshman to hit grand slam in first collegiate game (4-3 win vs. New Mexico Feb. 9) ... OSU Scholar-Athlete.

Prior to Ohio State: 2006 First-Team All-California ... named to the all-tournament team of the 2006 18-U Gold National Championships (.435, 2 HR) ... batted .570 as a senior with seven home runs ... hit .489 as a junior with a .715 slugging percentage ... first-team All-Maramonte League selection three straight years and the league’s MVP in 2006 ... three times named L.A. Daily News first-team all-area ... L.A. Times all-area in 2006 ... team captain ... named the national female athlete of the year by National Jewish Sports and a NJS Hall of Fame inductee ... on the honor roll from 2003-06 ... won the Presidential Scholar Award her senior year.

Personal: Daughter of David and Ricki Marder ... siblings include Jack (18) and Billi (13) ... Jack has committed to the University of Oregon baseball team for the 2009-10 season ... would like to be a softball coach and/or a sport psychologist someday ... enjoys going to L.A. Dodgers games, especially with her dad and brother ... also enjoys hanging out with friends and traveling with her mother ... grandfather LeRoy Vinyand played minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh organization and her uncle Neal Marder played baseball at UCLA ... two greatest sports thrills came at nationals when she hit the game-winning home run with a broken hand and tagged out the tying run at the plate to beat the defending national champs.