May 9, 2000
Third-Seeded Aztecs Head to Salt Lake City for MWC Championships
The San Diego State softball team (35-25, 13-7 Mountain West Conference) will face sixth-seeded UNLV Wed., May 10, at 9:00 a.m. (MST), in first-round action of the MWC Championships hosted by the University of Utah.
The Field and Format
The 2000 MWC Softball Championship is a double-elimination tournament featuring the six MWC schools who sponsor softball.
The seeding for the tournament: 1-Utah, 2-New Mexico, 3-San Diego State, 4-Colorado State, 5-Brigham Young, and 6-UNLV.
Top-seeds Utah and New Mexico received first-round byes.
The winner of the SDSU-UNLV game will meet Utah in the second round while the loser will face the loser of the Colorado State/Brigham Young contest.
San Diego State at a Glance
The Aztecs enter the MWC Championship 35-25 record overall. Of those 35 victories, three were vs. ranked opponents.
San Diego State completed league play with a 13-7 mark. The 13 victories in conference was the third-most for SDSU in conference play. The 20 conference contests that SDSU played this season is the least an Aztec team has played since 1992. The school record for conference wins is 16 which was set by the 1999 squad which went 16-8.
The Aztecs have won 18 of their last 24 contests.
SDSU is just two games short of tying the school record for wins in a season. The 1985 team went 37-34.
The 2000 Aztecs are on pace to have the highest ever overall winning percentage in school history at .583. The also have the second-highest ever conference winning percentage at .650.
Aztecs in Postseason Play
SDSU is 2-6 all-time in conference tournament action. The Aztecs have made three conference championship appearances prior to this season: 1991, 1992 and 1999.
The Aztecs are 1-4 all-time in conference tournaments vs. MWC members.
Aztecs and Rebels
The Scarlet and Black are 4-0 against UNLV this season and 18-21 all-time vs. the Rebels.
In the four games in which UNLV and SDSU have faced off this season, the bats have been alive for both teams. Although the Aztecs shut out the Rebels in both games in San Diego (3-0, 6-0), UNLV managed 12 hits on the day but failed to get runners across home plate. The story was different in Las Vegas as the home team connected for 20 hits which led to 13 runs. SDSU pulled out with 8-4, 11-9 victories.
2000 Squad Sets Records
The 2000 SDSU softball team has already set four school records. The new records include most runs (210), doubles (69), RBI (173) and total bases (543).
The Aztecs 13 victories in conference this season is the third -highest total for an SDSU squad. San Diego State's .650 winning percentage in conference is the second highest winning percentage ever. The best record in conference was when the 1991 team went 7-3 for a .700 winning percentage.
No Runs for You
The San Diego State pitching staff has combined for 11 shut outs this season, including three against conference opponents.
Depth Is Not a Problem
San Diego State has 14 players who have seen action in 21 or more games and 14 players who have started 13 or more games this year.
Center of Attention
Sophomore center fielder Kellie Nordhagen leads the Aztecs in almost every offensive category including hits, runs, doubles, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. She also leads the Mountain West Conference in batting average and hits.
"Nordie" has already set or tied three single-season records at SDSU including runs, hits, and total bases. She currently has the record for batting average, but that is subject to change pending her performance in conference championships.
The Valencia, Calif., native is third in career batting average, second in runs and on-base percentage and third in doubles and slugging percentage.
She was named the MWC player of the week on Feb. 22 after a solid performance at the Campbell/Cartier Classic. At SDSU's spring tourney, Nordhagen batted .650 while scoring five runs and driving in three more en route to all-tournament honors.
Nordie is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak into the MWC Championship. In those last nine games she has batted .528 (19-36). This is the second nine-game hitting streak she has had this year. She has also hit safely in 47 of the 60 games she has played.
Nordie is the only Aztec to have played in every game this season and has the most starts of any player (59).
Hershman Is Cleaning Up
Sophomore second baseman Sarah Hershman has been the Aztecs' go-to player when it comes to driving runs home. She leads the team with 30 RBI and is tied for tops on the team with four home runs. The San Diego native is batting .339, good enough for second on the team.
After one unsuccesful base-stealing attempt as a freshman, her 16 stolen bases is the most on this year's squad.
Hershman has scored the game-winning run in four one-run Aztec victories including San Jose State, a 1-0 win over USD, a 1-0 victory over then 16th-ranked CSU Fullerton and in a 8-7 win over Colorado State. She has also knocked in the winning-run on two occasions including a 6-5 win over then-ranked #22 Illinois-Chicago and the April 29 1-0 victory over San Diego.
At one point this season, Hershman hit in eight straight games. She batted 12-26 (.462) in those eight games.
Hershman has hit safely in 41 of the 58 games in which she has played this year.
She's All That
Aztec hurler Sandra Durazo has had one of the best season's ever by a pitcher at SDSU. The junior set the school record for career wins on April 16, when she picked up her 46th career victory as the Aztecs defeated Colorado State, 3-2, at SDSU Field. Durazo has 57 career victories going into the MWC Tournament.This season the Granada Hills, Calif., native also set the record for wins in a season (she currently has 25) when she surpassed her own mark of 18 victories from 1999.
Durazo also took over the top spot for appearances in a single season with 44 this year.
MDurazo's finest performance this year came when she tossed a one-hitter vs. Southern Utah. In that game, she struck out nine batters while walking only one. It was the second one-hitter of her career with the first coming against Long Beach State on Feb. 21, 1999.
Durazo was named the MWC pitcher of the week on three different occasions this season.
Labor of Love
Outfielder Kellie Labor has established herself as a team player this year for the Aztecs. Labor leads the team in sacrifice hits with 11 and is third on the team with 18 RBI.
The senior has four home runs on the year which ties for the lead on this year's squad.
Labor was named the MWC player of the week on March 28th after batting .563 (9-16) in six games vs. top-ranked Washington, Michigan State and San Diego. During that week she scored four runs, doubled and hit a home run.
Labor's name is also listed among SDSU's all-time greats. Her 27 runs in 2000 are third all-time in a single season. She is listed third in on-base percentage and fourth all-time in batting average, home runs and slugging percentage.
The Tougher Side of Sears
Senior first baseman Christy Sears is tied for second on this year's team with 21 RBI and leads the Aztecs with 19 walks. Her on-base percentage of .404 is third for SDSU and she is tied for second with sacrifice hits.
Sears was named the MWC player of the week on Feb. 29 after going 5-6 with three RBI, a double, a triple and a sacrifice fly at the Easton Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.
Sears batted in the game-winning run in the 3-2 win over Colorado State and scored the game winner in the 3-2 victory at Brigham Young.
Nothing's More Valuable Than Alexis
Outfielder Alexis Gutierrez led all Aztecs in hitting during conference play with a .432 batting average. The sophomore, who played in 14 of SDSU's 20 conference contests, scored five runs, batted in five more and stole three bases in MWC action.
Gutierrez' 34 hits this season is the fourth most by an Aztec while seven stolen bases rank third.
Vanessa V. Part I
Vanessa Villegas has been a consistent infielder for SDSU this season, starting 50 games at shortstop. But it wasn't until late in the year that she produced offensively for the Aztecs. Villegas, who batted .208 in non-conference action, stepped up her offensive output by batting .314 in conference play, driving home seven of her 11 RBI vs. league opposition.
Vanessa V. Part II
Vanessa Valenzuela is one of SDSU's clutch performers. She has brought home the winning run on two different occasions - in the 4-3 win over Southern Utah and the 1-0 win over then 16th-ranked CSU Fullerton. Valenzuela started the year at first base but has made most of her contributions as a pinch hitter or designated player.
The Agui?aga Saga
Tashie Agui?aga came to SDSU as a shortstop but finds herself at third base as the 2000 season comes to a close. The junior got the nod at third base when Summer Ehrsam, who had played most of the season at third, was too sick to play before the March 25 game vs. San Diego. Agui?aga hasn't looked back, starting every game at third since.
All-Around Aztec
Tiffany Goudy has worn several hats for the Aztecs this season. Her contributions have included pitching in 13 contests, playing left field and batting as the designated player. The sophomore is currently hitting .299 with 16 runs and 11 RBI. Her pitching numbers include a 3.92 ERA, two victories and one complete game shut out.