Biography
2020 (Junior) - Started all 26 games in the Covid-19 Pandemic shortened season, marking a third straight year she made everry start at shortstop ... Recorded 40 putouts, 62 assists and four errors ... HIt .269 at the plate with a .363 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage ... Was second ont he team with four home runs, added 15 runs scored, 17 RBI, six doubles and seven walks ... In a 10-1 win over CSUN on Feb. 8 went 2-for-3 with a season-high three RBI with one home run ... In a 10-1 win over Saint Louis on Feb. 22, went 3-for-4 with two RBI, a double and one run scored ... Scored a season-high three runs twice, an 8-0 six-inning win over UTEP on March 1 and a 7-1 win over Grand Canyon on March 6 ... Recorded a double in four straight games to end the season.
2019 (Sophomore) - Started every game at shortstop for a second straight season ... Earned Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, becoming the first Rebel to receive the award since it was introduced in 2014 ... Collected 94 putouts, 188 assists and nine errors for a .959 fielding percentage, all career bests ... Turned 11 of UNLV's 26 double plays on the season to help the Rebels rank in the top-10 in the country in double plays per game (.53) in 2019 ... Made a significant jump at the plate from her freshman to sophomore seasons, hitting .311 with 46 hits, 31 RBI and seven home runs, setting new career highs in each category ... Also set new career highs in slugging percentage (.507) and on-base percentage (.346) ... Her 46 hits ranked fourth on the team, her seven home runs were second, her eight doubles were tied for second and her 31 RBI were third ... Recorded nine multi-RBI games, including a season-high three RBI on a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run in a 6-0 win over Cal Baptist on April 26 ... Registered four games with at least three hits (3-for-4 with a double vs Austin Peay on March 1; 3-for-3 with a double, home run and two RBI at Coastal Carolina on March 2; 3-for-3 with two RBI at Utah State on March 23; 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI vs Fresno State on April 7).
2018 (Freshman) - One of two freshman infielders to earn starting roles going into their first collegiate campaigns ... Started all 53 games at shortstop ... Recorded 37 hits, with her 10 doubles ranking tied for second on the team ... Added 20 RBIs, four home runs and 17 runs scored ... Earned first career Mountain West Player of the Week honor on Feb. 21 after helping UNLV go 4-1 at the Marucci Desert Classic after going 5-of-15 (.333) with five RBI, five runs scored, one double and the first two home runs of her collegiate career ... Sparked a furious late come-back in an eventual 6-5 extra inning win over Buffalo, with UNLV trailing the Bulls 5-2 with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Diaz stepped to the plate with two on and sent a towering shot to left field to even the score at five before Rebels went on to win in a walk-off ... The following night, crushed a two-run homer to bring UNLV within one of UTEP in the last frame in an eventual 8-8 loss ... Recorded a .923 fielding percentage.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2014 graduate of Rancho Cucamonga High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California ... Lettered and started all four years as Shortstop, and led her team as captain her senior year...Earned Rookie of the Year in 2014, and Best Defensive Player in 2015 and 2016... Named second team all-league in 2016 and 2017.
PERSONAL: Samantha (Sami) Diaz was born in Pomona, CA...She is the daughter of Cindy and Will Diaz...Her Grandfather, Salvador Diaz, played professional baseball in Cuba.
