Feb. 7, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The San Diego State softball team will host former WAC foe Hawai'i and the Tigers of Mizzou in the Aztecs Invitational, Feb. 8-9. The round-robin tournament will take place at SDSU field with games scheduled at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2 p.m. each day.
The Aztecs return home after a 3-2 start at the Early Bird Softball Classic last weekend. The three-day tourney was split between UCLA and CS Northridge. The Aztecs walked away with wins against CS Northridge, San Jose State and Long Beach State. Despite holding No. 2 UCLA and No. 9 Washington from scoring early in each game, the Aztecs lost to the Bruins 8-0 and to the Huskies, 6-0.
Aztec InvitationalFebruary 8-9, 2002San Diego, Calif.Host: San Diego State
Hawai'i
* The Rainbow Wahine are no strangers toSan Diego State. The Wahine hold a 26-11 recordover the Aztecs, including a 5-2 win in Hawai'ilast season.
* The last win for the Aztecs was a 1-0 victoryon April 10, 1999. San Diego State was still amember of the WAC at the time.
* The last loss for the Rainbow Wahine in SanDiego was a 0-1 defeat on April 19, 1998.
Missouri
* The Aztecs have met the Tigers on one previousoccassion.
* State has played well against members of the Big12 with a 10-12 record against the mighty dozen.
* San Diego State will play one other member of the Big 12 at the Compass Bank Invitational in Waco,Texas. The Aztecs will play the Bears of Baylor inthe tournament closer on Feb. 24.
Aztecs Earn First-Ever Preseason Ranking
The San Diego softball team will start the 2002 season in new territory - as a top 25 team. The Aztecs, who came within one game of the Women's College World Series a year ago in their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, are No. 23, according to the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason poll. The ranking marks the first ever for San Diego State in the preseason.
Mountain West Coaches Pick State Third
Returning 11 letterwinners, including seven starters, didn't seem to matter among Mountain West Conference coaches as the San Diego State softball team was picked to finish third in the conference. Utah took top honors with 21 points followed closely by BYU with 20 points.
2001: A Year Of Firsts
San Diego State celebrated a number of firsts during the 2001 season.
* First 40-win season * First NCAA berth * First Sweet Sixteen appearance * First top 25 showingAztecs Earn League Honors
Three Aztecs were named to the Mountain West Conference team for their performances in the 2001 season. SDSU lost pitcher-of-the-year Sandra Durazo, but return her fellow honorees second baseman Sarah Hershman and outfielder Kellie Nordhagen. Hershman finished her junior campaign with a .297 average along with 24 RBI and a team-leading 15 stolen bases. Nordhagen finished 2001 with a team-leading .344 average that included a 10-game hitting streak and a seven-game hitting streak. She totaled 23 multiple-hit games and eight doubles.
Stop, Thief!
Sophomore Janna Kovensky is well on her way to breaking into the Aztec career record books. Kovensky has added four stolen bases to her freshman total of nine. With an average of one base per game, Kovensky will find her way onto the career list by the end of the season.
New To The Team
Head Coach Kathy Van Wyk and her assistants have been hard at work recruiting and it has paid off. Newcomers include transfers Amber Grahlman a catcher from Cal State Northridge, and Jessi Green a pitcher that spent her first year at the University of Minnesota. Freshmen include Bre DeSanta an all-star pitcher from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Danielle Touhey, a catcher from last year's number one team at Bullard High in Fresno, Calif. Jennifer Funk of Lakewood, Brittany Green of San Clemente.
Sophomore Standouts
Last year's phenom freshmen has matured into this year's superb sophs. Janna Kovensky leads the pack with a .285 average in her freshman campaign with a team-leading four home runs. Joann Figueroa returns at shortstop with two doubles and 11 RBI in 2001. Kelcy Murphy comes back at first base along with Jeni Tornquist on the mound and Shauna Fisher behind the plate.
Coach Van Wyk Breaking Records Of Her Own
Kathy Van Wyk has been breaking records since her first season as head coach in 1997. Coach Van Wyk is the only coach in Aztec history to have four or more seasons at or over .500 and the fastest to 100 wins. Her coaching led the 2001 team into its first-ever NCAA berth and first appearance as a sweet sixteen team. Van Wyk came to San Diego State from Cal State Fullerton, where she spent 10 seasons as a player and an assistant coach. She was an assistant coach from 1983-87, helping the Titans to the 1986 NCAA national title. After leaving Fullerton, she became a pitching instructor at the Rod Carew Baseball School in Anaheim, from 1987-89. In 1989, she moved to Azzano Decimo, Italy, where she was the head coach and pitcher for the Azzanase club. She guided a team which had recorded just one win the previous season to its first playoff berth. From Jan. to March 1990, she was the pitching coach for the Walkerville Softball Club in Adelaide, Australia. Throughout her career, she has won numerous awards, including AIAW and NCAA All-America honors and the Broderick Award, which is given annually to the top collegiate player in the nation. She was also named the WCAA Player of the Year, Orange County Athlete of the Month and won an NCAA postgraduate scholarship with a 3.43 GPA. Van Wyk was also a member of the U.S. softball team in 1985 and 1989 and was a five-time Amateur Softball Association All-American. A 1983 graduate of Cal State Fullerton, with a bachelor's degree in physical education, Van Wyk completed her master's degree in physical education in 1993 at Azusa Pacific.