WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue's all-time career strikeout leader Lilly Fecho added another title to her resume Thursday: three-time NFCA All-Region honoree. Fecho, a first team honoree in 2015 and third team selection in 2014, garnered first team All-Midwest Region honors for her senior season.
The Carol Stream, Illinois, native ended her Boilermaker career by ranking among the national Top 50 in strikeouts (17th, 219), ERA (65th, 2.05) and strikeouts per seven innings (72nd, 7.0) as a senior. All told in 2016, she appeared in 39 games, starting 32, while posting an 18-14 record with 24 complete games, five shutouts and three saves. The lefty boasted a 2.05 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 218.1 innings of work, while striking out five or batters in 22 games, including 10 or more five times. Through the regular season and Big Ten Tournament play, she ranked first in the Big Ten in innings pitched, second in looking strikeouts (61), third in ERA and strikeouts, fourth in wins and seventh in opponent batting average (.233) and saves (3). During conference action, she ranked first in inning pitched and looking strikeouts (61), second in saves (3), looking strikeouts (28) and innings pitched (103.2), fourth in ERA (2.30), fourth in strikeouts (82) and 10th in wins (5).
The three-time All-Big Ten selection, including first team acclaim this season, was ranked among Top 10 players on Fastpitch News' 2016 Preseason Top 50 NCAA Softball Pitcher's list and named to College Sports Madness Preseason All-Big Ten first team. The three-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Week (March 7, March 21, April 25) also has been honored for work in the classroom, garnering Academic All-District V and Academic All-Big Ten honors this season.
All told as a Boilermaker, Fecho compiled a 67-63 record with a 2.43 ERA and 817 strikeouts in 840.1 innings, including two no-hitters and five one-hitters. She struck out five or batters in 80 contests, including 10 or more in 20 games. Purdue's career (817), season (295) and game (19) record holder for strikeouts etched her name among the career top five in four other categories: second in games started (125), third in wins, complete games (87) and inning pitched. In 2016, the five-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honoree also joined the season top five for strikeouts (second, 216) and saves (fourth, 3).
Fecho leaves the Boilermaker program with spots among the season top five: strikeouts (first, 295 in 2015; second, 216 in 2010; tied for fifth, 196 in 2014), complete games (fifth, 28 in 2014) and innings pitched (fifth, 242.2 in 2015).
The mathematics major graduated last weekend as a two Academic All-District and three Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She is eligible for Academic All-America accolades, which will be announced May 26.