ORLANDO, Fla. – Going into the season, Paige Rauch was named the 50^th best player, according to Softball America's Top 100 College Players for the 2020 season. On Feb. 15 against Florida Atlantic, Rauch justified her ranking and may have shown why it was too low.
 
Against the Owls, Rauch recorded her first career no hitter, going a full seven innings and striking out 13 batters. She becomes the 10^th player in Villanova history to accomplish the feat, and the first to do so since 2016. More importantly, the Wildcats came away with a 5-0 victory.
 
However, it was not just the work she did on the mound that made Rauch stand out. The junior only had one hit against FAU, but made she made the most of it. After getting walked in the first inning, Rauch broke the game open in the third inning with a solo home run to left field, her fifth of the year.
 
On the season, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year is a perfect 5-0 on the mound. She has gone five innings in every game, two of them being complete games. Rauch has pitched 30 innings, allowed just 16 hits and 7 runs while striking out 30 batters. She currently boasts an ERA of 1.17.
 
When batting she is just as lethal, hitting .458 with a 1.083 slugging percentage. In 24 at bats, Rauch has 11 hits and has been walked five times. She leads the team with nine RBI.