Feb. 13, 2002
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The San Diego softball team will look to rebound after a disappointing 1-3 finish at last weekend's Aztec Invitational when they host the 2002 Campbell/Cartier Classic.
This weekend's Campbell/Cartier is the 11-year anniversary of the SDSU event. San Diego State will face some tough competition at the tournament. The Aztecs have started the season with an 0-2 record against Top 25 teams and will face three more at the Campbell/Cartier, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 16 Fresno State and No. 19 Pacific.
Other teams that State will face in the three-day event include Florida International, Northwestern and UC Santa Barbara.
Teams competing in this year's tournament include Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Florida International, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Michigan, New Mexico, Northwestern, Pacific, Pittsburgh, Sacramento State, San Diego State, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara and Utah State.
The tournament will begin on Friday at 10 a.m. with the last game starting at 8:30 p.m. Games will run concurrently on three fields throughout the day. Saturday will run by the same schedule and Sunday's last games will begin at 2:30 p.m. The Campbell Cartier will take place at the Sportsplex USA in Poway.
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, including: * First 40-win season * First NCAA berth * First Sweet Sixteen appearance * First top 25 showing
Meet The Opponents
Fri., Feb. 15th
UC Santa Barbara 3:30 p.m. * The Aztecs and the Gauchos have a long history. The Aztecs lead the series 22-20, but haven't faced the Santa Barbara since 1999. UCSB swept the series that year with 4-3 and 10-7 wins. * The last win by State came by way of a doubleheader sweep on April 20, 1997. The Aztecs won 9-2 and 3-0. * The last win at home against the Gauchos was May 12, 1990, when State was still a member of the Big West.
Fresno State (16) 6 p.m. * Fresno State enters the Campbell/Cartier Classic at No. 16 in the preseason rankings. The Aztecs are 0-2 against ranked teams this season losing to No. 2 UCLA and No. 9 Washington. * The Bulldogs dominate the series, 44-5 against the Aztecs, but that won't discourage State. The Aztecs upset the No. 2 Dogs, 1-0, on March 14, 1997. * The last loss to Fresno State was a 1-0 defeat on March 20, 1999, at the KIA Klassic at Cal State Fullerton.
Sat., Feb. 16th
Florida International 1 p.m. * Florida International is one of two teams that the Aztecs will face for the first time in 2002. * The Aztecs faced fellow Floridians Florida State last season at the SDSU Field. State lost to the 'Noles, 2-1. * Florida International marks the third team that SDSU has faced from the Sunshine State.
Stanford (3) 6 p.m. * San Diego State leads the series against Stanford 9-5. Stanford is the fourth nationally-ranked team that the Aztecs will face this year, the second in the tournament. * The last time that the Aztecs and the Cardinal met was on Feb. 27, 1998. Stanford beat SDSU in an 8-1 contest. The Cardinal have won four straight games against State, including a 3-2 win in 1997 at the Campbell/Cartier Classic. * The last victory by the Aztecs was a 7-0 shutout on March 28, 1996. * Stanford has played in the Campbell/Cartier Classic six times.
Sun., Feb. 17th
Northwestern 9:30 a.m. * The last win by the Aztecs was a 2-1 victory on March 6, 1992. * The Wildcats played in last year's tournament. * The Aztecs are 27-30 against teams in the Big Ten Conference.
Pacific (19) 2:30 p.m. * The Aztecs hold a 15-13 lead over the Pacific, but haven't played the Tigers since the 2000 Campbell/Cartier Classic when they beat them 7-5. * San Diego State is 99-174 against Big West opponents. * Pacific will be one of three teams in the top 25 that the Aztecs will face in the tournament.
Stop, Thief!
Two Aztecs are sneaking their way into the record books. Senior Sarah Hershman needs seven more steals to move her to third on the career stolen-bases lists. Sophomore Janna Kovensky has added four 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 has three hits in 18 at-bats. She has scored three runs and stole a team-high four bases. Joann Figueroa returns at shortstop with a .304 batting average and ties for second with two stolen bases. Kelcy Murphy comes back at third 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. 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 January 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.