Fairfield University Athletics

2021: Sam Merino picked up a hit in 19 games during the season, highlighted with three-hit games against Marist and Saint Peter’s. She finished with a .265 batting average, earning time in 34 games. Merino has seven extra base hits with six doubles and one home run which she hit at Canisius on March 27. She leads the team with 15 stolen bases which nearly doubled her 2020 eight bases. Merino scored a run in six straight games between April 23 and April 28, crossing home plate nine times during that stretch. The outfielder found a way to score runs all season, tying for the team lead with 24 runs scored which tied her career-best 24 runs scored in 2018. She picked a team-leading 12 walks to date which gives  her a .364 on-base percentage.

2020: Merino ended the 2020 season with a .381 batting average which was also strong enough to place 13^th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). She picked up at least one hit in eight of her 13 appearances, highlighted by a four-hit day with two RBI against Purdue. In the first three games of the season, Merino recorded eight hits in 11 at-bats including a two-hit effort at North Carolina in the season opener. She was the team’s co-leader with seven walks which helped build a team-leading .490 on-base percentage. Merino registered two or more hits five times which turned into a team-high 16 hits. Merino was an effective base runner with a team-leading eight stolen bases (nine attempts) and co-leading eight runs scored.

2019: Merino tied for the team lead with four home runs this season, hitting two in her last four MAAC games (Saint Peter’s and Monmouth). The outfielder placed fourth among her teammates with 16 RBI, nine of which came in non-conference play. She excelled against non-MAAC opponents by hitting .313 (25 for 80) with two doubles and two home runs. Conversely, Merino owned a .191 mark against the MAAC (9 of 47) with two doubles and two home runs. Merino ended the regular season with a hit in five of the last nine games, adding five RBI to her ledger during that time frame as well. She was the team’s leader with 12 stolen bases in a team-high 16 attempts. Merino put together a 13-game hitting streak from March 9-26 that resulted in a .452 batting average (19 for 42). 

2018: Merino ended the regular season with a seven-game hitting streak, and added two more games with a hit in the first two MAAC tournament games to extend her career-best string to nine games. The outfielder is batting .551 during the run (16 for 29) with four doubles and a home run. She has registered an RBI in each of the last five regular season games as well, collecting eight total in that stretch. She earned the MAAC Rookie of the Week on May 8 after hitting .500 (6 for 12) with seven RBI in a four-game upstate New York sweep of Niagara and Canisius. Her .391 on-base percentage is best among the Stags’ freshmen, a number buoyed by her seven walks. Her 20 runs scored are best on the team among those who have started 30 games or less this year. She did not get her first hit as a Stag until March 16 when she went 2 for 3 against Colgate. After starting her career 0 for 10 she  posted 28 hits in 74 at-bats to end the season (.378 batting average). Merino hit .390 against MAAC opponents in her 19 appearances (15 starts) with three doubles , a homer, and nine RBI. 

Before Fairfield: Merino was a two-sport athlete at The Mary Louis Academy in New York, joining the softball and swim teams. On the diamond, Merino was the team' captain as a senior, a season in which she batted .600 with three home runs, 20 RBI and 25 stolen bases. In the pool, Merino set the the league record in the 50 yard freestyle and established school standards for the 50-yard and 100-yard free as well as in the 200 free relay. She was named the team's Rookie of the Year and followed up with the team MVP award as a junior and as a senior.