Personal: Faraimo's personal life includes being the daughter of Marcie and Bill Faraimo and one of four children in her family. Her brother, Matthew, was a member of USC men’s volleyball team from 2017-20. She majored in communications at UCLA and lists Shemar Moore as her favorite actor and Etta James as her favorite singer. Her hobbies include going to the gym, reading, writing, watching Netflix, and spending time with friends and family. Faraimo likes to eat Eggo waffles with syrup and whipped cream and lists Serena Williams as the athlete she admires the most. Her favorite movie is “V for Vendetta,” and she has a dog named Mojo. Faraimo lists her travel coach, Marty Tyson, as a person who has made a difference in her life. She was involved in church choir as a child along with playing basketball and volleyball. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked as a package handler at FedEx. Her walk-up song is “Fire” by Ohio Players.
2024 Championship Season: Faraimo totaled a career-high 1,314 leaderboard points, including 790 win points, and finished second in the 61-player field with 384 stat points. She also collected 140 MVP points, earning a share of seventh place in the league. Faraimo received four Game MVP awards and served as a team captain during Week Four. She tied for the league lead with 13 appearances, including five starts, and posted a 3-4 record with a 2.88 earned run average. Faraimo ranked second in the league with 35 strikeouts and 48.2 innings pitched. She earned MVP 1 honors on August 4 against Team Lorenz after pitching 4.1 innings, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts. Faraimo also received MVP 3 recognition for a complete game effort against Team Palacios in Week Four. She earned MVP 2 accolades on August 11 for throwing 3.2 innings of relief in a victory over Team McQuillin, and later claimed MVP 3 honors for a victory over Team Lorenz in Week Four after allowing just one run on two hits over 4.0 innings with three strikeouts. Faraimo posted eight games with 100 or more leaderboard points.
2023 Championship Season: Faraimo was honored as the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Rookie of the Year after securing 24th place on the final leaderboard with 1,214 points. She was also one of only three rookies named to the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball All-Defensive Team. Faraimo ranked second in the league with 424 stat points and tied for sixth in MVP points, earning 160 MVP points and three Game MVP awards. She tallied 200 or more leaderboard points in three of her first four outings in the circle. Serving as a team captain during Weeks Two and Three, Faraimo posted a 2-4 record with a 2.87 earned run average across 12 appearances. She led the league with two complete games and authored a 3-3 record with 46 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched, holding opponents to a .240 batting average. Faraimo retired the side in order 15 times, which tied her with Rachel Garcia for the most instances in the league. During a standout performance, Faraimo won three consecutive appearances from July 30 to August 6, allowing just three earned runs over 20.0 innings, striking out 20 batters and allowing only nine hits. On August 6, she became the second pitcher in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball history to throw a no-hitter against Team Zerkle. In that game, Faraimo allowed just one walk and recorded six strikeouts in a 1-0 victory, earning MVP 1 honors and 264 leaderboard points. Her season also included her first MVP 1 honor, which she secured after a relief victory over Team Rhodes on July 30, where she conceded two runs on four hits in 6.0 innings with five strikeouts. Additionally, she opened Week Two with a complete-game victory over Team Garcia, scattering one run on five hits while posting a season-high nine strikeouts, which earned her MVP 2 recognition.
2023 AUX Season: Faraimo performed exceptionally well, earning 824 leaderboard points and securing 19th place on the final leaderboard in her inaugural professional season. She accumulated 570 win points and 154 stat points. Faraimo was one of only six players to receive 100 or more MVP points. She was selected as the Game MVP twice, including an MVP 1 distinction on June 19 after Team Leach's 13-3 victory over Team Filler. Throughout Series Two, Faraimo amassed 466 leaderboard points. She made seven appearances in the circle, starting two games. Faraimo achieved a 2-1 record with a save and a 4.41 earned run average over 27.0 innings. Her 27 strikeouts ranked her second in the league. Faraimo claimed her first professional win on June 12 against Team Garcia, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts and two hits. She also earned a win over Team Filler on June 19, conceding two runs with seven hits over 6.1 innings. Faraimo showcased her pitching skills with six strikeouts in three appearances, including consecutive outings against Team Filler (June 21) and Team Garcia (June 24). Faraimo was one of the 14 players selected in the Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft.
Other Professional Experience: Faraimo was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2023 Women’s Professional Fastpitch Draft by the USSSA Pride. She played for the Toyota Red Terriers in Japan's Diamond League during the 2023 season, alongside fellow Athletes Unlimited player Bubba Nickles. Faraimo recorded 22 strikeouts over 21.0 innings with a 0.00 earned run average.
International Experience: Faraimo helped Team USA win a Gold medal at the 2022 World Games and another Gold at the 2022 Pan American Championship, posting a 4-0 record with a 2.69 earned run average and 12 strikeouts in 13.0 innings. She was also part of Team USA for the 2022 Japan All-Star Series, finishing with a 2.52 earned run average and seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings. Faraimo led Team USA to the 2022 Canada Cup title with a 2.33 earned run average, two strikeouts, and a save. She was instrumental in Team USA’s success at the 2019 USA Softball International Cup, where they earned a Bronze medal with Faraimo posting a 3-1 record, a 0.71 earned run average, and 24 strikeouts over 19.2 innings. Faraimo also helped lead Team USA to the 2019 WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup championship, posting a 3-0 record with 43 strikeouts and a 0.32 earned run average in 21.2 innings. Faraimo guided Team USA to a first-place finish at the 2023 WBSC World Cup Group A event in Dublin, Ireland, with a 1-0 record, a 0.00 earned run average, and a team-high 15 strikeouts over 10.0 innings. She also played a key role in helping Team USA secure a Silver medal at the 2024 WBSC World Cup Finals, with a 2-0 record and a 2.05 earned run average across three appearances. Faraimo led the team with 18 strikeouts and 13.2 innings pitched, throwing two complete-game shutouts, including an eight-strikeout performance to blank Japan while allowing just three hits, and a nine-strikeout, five-inning shutout against Italy.
At UCLA: Faraimo was a five-year letter winner at UCLA, appearing in 156 games in the circle from 2019-23. She authored a remarkable 101-16 career record for the Bruins with a 1.44 earned run average. Faraimo is one of four pitchers in school history to win 100 or more games in a career and ranks third in program history with 1,000 strikeouts over 707.2 innings. Notably, she posted two seasons with 200 or more strikeouts, including a career-best 292 strikeouts in 2022. Faraimo also owns four career perfect games, including three solo efforts. As a testament to her skill and dedication, she was one of four finalists for the 2023 Honda Award for Softball. Faraimo was also the recipient of the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Tom Hansen Medal. Throughout her college career, she earned numerous accolades such as being a three-time selection as USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, including a Top 10 distinction in 2023, honored as Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in each of her final two seasons, and receiving NFCA All-America accolades three times. Additionally, Faraimo was named to the NFCA All-West Region and All-Pac-12 First Team multiple times. Not only did she excel in athletics, but she also shone academically, being named the 2023 Pac-12 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and making it to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Second Team. In her final year as a redshirt senior, Faraimo had a phenomenal 1.42 earned run average with a 29-3 record. Her achievements also included garnering a save against Kentucky and Howard, tallying 232 strikeouts with six games of 10 or more strikeouts. In her senior year, Faraimo boasted a 24-5 record with a 1.98 earned run average and established a UCLA single-season record with seven saves, leading NCAA Division I. She was even named to the 2022 NCAA Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team. Throughout her junior and sophomore years, Faraimo consistently demonstrated her exceptional talent, leading the Bruins with impressive records and statistics while earning multiple accolades and distinctions. Notably, she was also recognized as the Softball America Pitcher of the Year in 2020 and received Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in her debut season.
