April 16, 2003
SAN DIEGO - Play Ball!
The defending Mountain West Conference regular-season champion San Diego State softball team (30-14) plays host to Brigham Young University and Utah this week.
The contests against BYU and Utah are the first this season for the Aztecs, as the April 4-6 Utah road trip was canceled due to snow in the greater Salt Lake region.
The Aztecs face the Cougars at SDSU Field for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Thursday, then square-off against the Utes, in a rematch of last year's conference tournament championship game, for a pair of games starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Last Time Out
The San Diego State softball team (30-14) picked up two more wins last Sunday at SDSU Field, defeating Centenary College of Louisiana, 5-3, 2-0, in the Aztecs' final two non-conference games of the 2003 campaign. With the wins, SDSU extended its winning streak to 10 games.
Weekend Wrapup
The Aztecs remained unbeaten in Mountain West Conference action (6-0) as it defeated the UNLV Rebels (1-0, 3-2) in a pair of extra-inning games at SDSU Field on Saturday.
Aztec pitcher Celena Velasquez (10-4) threw 10 scoreless innings in the first game of the doubleheader. The freshman scattered four hits and tied a career-best by striking out nine batters en route to a 1-0 win over the Rebels.
A Clean Sweep
With the wins over the Rebels, the Aztecs posted their sixth straight victory over Mountain West Conference opponents this season, sweeping New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV in their home series with the conference foes.
The Aztecs have not lost a conference game since losing to Utah in the championship game of the 2002 MWC tournament.
San Diego State currently leads the league in the standings as they look for a repeat title in 2003.
On A Roll
SDSU has put together a season-high 10-game winning streak, dating back to its 3-0 upset victory over then-No. 22 Oregon State on March 26.
The ten consecutive wins are the most by a San Diego State softball team since the 1991 squad won 11 in a row.
On Deck
Following the games against BYU and Utah, the Aztecs will take their first conference road trip of the 2003 campaign when they travel to Las Vegas for a doubleheader with UNLV on April 26.
Velasquez Named MWC Pitcher of the Week
For the second time in three weeks, San Diego State freshman Celena Velasquez was named the Mountain West Conference pitcher of the week. The honor comes following SDSU's sweep of conference foe UNLV and Centenary College.
Velasquez posted a 0.00 ERA over the weekend, earning the start in two of the Aztecs' four contests.
The Tucson, Ariz., native went 2-0 in her two appearances and tallied the fourth complete-game shutout of her career.
Against the Rebels, Velasquez had career-highs in innings pitched (10.0) and strikeouts (9) and gave up just four hits in leading the Aztecs to a 1-0 victory.
In Sunday's game versus Centenary College, she matched her career-high effort in strikeouts, fanning nine and allowing only three hits, as the Aztecs defeated the Ladies, 5-3.
In Mountain West Conference games, Velasquez owns a league-leading 0.77 ERA to go along with a conference-best .147 opposing batting average. On the season, she is 10-4 with a 1.81 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 100.1 innings.
Velasquez's honor marks the seventh time this year that an Aztec softball player has received the award, the most of any MWC school.
Facts and Figures
SDSU is riding a season-high 10-game winning streak dating back to its pair of wins over Oregon State on March 26...San Diego State is 19-4 at home...San Diego State has finished above .500 overall and in conference play each year since joining the MWC in 2000...The Aztecs have won 14 games by way of shutout...SDSU is 4-3 against ranked opponents...San Diego State is 22-0 this year when leading in the sixth inning...SDSU set a season high for most runs scored with nine against Eastern Kentucky on March 15...San Diego State has only been swept once in a series this year (March 23 doubleheader vs. Fresno State).
Time is On Their Side
After a season-long 12-day break from action, San Diego State returned to the diamond and picked up right where it left off, winning four games in a row. The Aztecs bring a 10-game winning streak into their doubleheader with BYU on Thursday.
SDSU posted a pair of extra-inning victories against UNLV last Saturday.
The Aztecs are 7-3 in extra-inning games this season.
Head Coach Kathy Van Wyk
Head coach Kathy Van Wyk, the Mountain West Conference's 2002 coach of the year, has easily experienced more success than any previous coach at San Diego State. In just six seasons at the helm, Van Wyk has elevated the SDSU softball program to the ranks of conference champion and NCAA regional tournament finalist.
Under Van Wyk's leadership, the Aztecs have completed the season above .500 the past four seasons and have finished among the top-three in the Mountain West Conference three years running.
She is also the first coach to achieve a top-25 ranking, two 40-win seasons and is the fastest to 100 wins in the history of the program.
Scouting BYU
The Cougars (27-10, 5-3 MWC) are most recently coming off a split at Colorado State in which BYU defeated the Rams, 3-1, before dropping a 4-3 decision.
BYU also split the series at New Mexico, losing, 4-2, before posting a 5-2 win in Albuquerque.
Two-time first-team All-American junior Oli Keohohou paces the Cougar offense, boasting a conference-best .454 batting average, 46 runs scored, 17 home runs, 40 RBI, 1.124 slugging percentage and .606 on-base percentage.
Sophomore Lauren Watson and senior Brooke Cadiente, who are batting .393 and .343, respectively, also rank in the top-10 in the league for batting average, on-base percentage, RBI and runs scored.
San Diego State has a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series with BYU.
Last year, the Aztecs swept the Cougars at home (5-4, 2-0), with SDSU pitcher Bre DeSanta picking up her ninth win of the year in the shutout. San Diego State split with BYU in Provo (W, 10-2; L, 6-3).
SDSU beat BYU, 10-4, to advance to the championship game of the 2002 Mountain West Conference tournament.
Tracking Utah
The Utes (14-19, 3-3 MWC) opened conference play splitting the series at BYU. Utah went on to get swept at Colorado State before taking two from New Mexico.
Utah has had to cancel 13 games due to inclement weather, including two contests with San Diego State.
Senior Niki Hayhurst leads the Ute offense, batting a team-best .347 to go along with a .466 on-base percentage, the third best on-base percentage in the league.
Pitcher Jen Pursell owns a 2.31 ERA and has struck out 75 batters in 112.1 innings pitched.
Pursell earned the win in the Utes' 8-1 championship game victory over SDSU at the 2002 MWC tournament on May 11.
Utah leads the Aztecs in the all-time series, 35-16.
Premium Pitchers
The Aztec pitching staff, consisting of sophomore Bre DeSanta and freshmen Deanna Richards and Celena Velasquez, have combined for conference-bests in ERA (1.65), wins (30) batters struck out (271), opposing batting average (.212) and innings pitched (313.0).
Individually, all three hurlers are among the top-10 in the conference in ERA, wins, opposing batting average and innings pitched.
DeSanta (14-4), the 2002 MWC Pitcher of the Year, seems to be outdoing herself in the 2003 campaign, as she has pitched two no-hitters this year (vs. St. John's and Nevada) and set a new career record for strikeouts in a single game with 13 against Centenary College last Sunday.
The sophomore is 3-0 in league games this year. In 2002, she went a perfect 11-0 in conference contests.
A Scottsdale, Ariz., native, DeSanta leads the league in ERA (1.04), opposing batting average (.170) and wins (14). Her 147 strikeouts are second best in the conference.
Velasquez (10-4) has pitched nine games in which she has not walked a single batter, including the 3-0 win over No. 22 Oregon State.
This week's conference pitcher of the week, Velasquez has picked up five wins in her last five decisions.
In conference games, Velasquez has a league-best 0.77 ERA, .147 opposing batting average and is tied for most wins with three.
The freshman is also ranked among the top-five in conference games for innings pitched (27.1, 3rd), strikeouts (22, T3rd) and fewest runs allowed (3, T2nd).
Richards owns a 6-5 mark, earning wins over then-No. 4 Michigan and Kansas, which was receiving votes in the poll at the time of the game and was ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top-25 poll for three weeks this season.
Stellar Second Baseman
Joann Figueroa's .317 batting average is tenth-best among MWC players. Figueroa is also listed in the top-10 for her 44 hits (T4th).
The Phoenix, Ariz., native drove in the game-winning run on a two-out single in the Aztecs' 10-inning, 1-0 win over UNLV
She notched two multiple-hit games last week, hitting safely in all four games.
Her RBI triple, the first of her career, in the second game against Centenary College ignited the Aztecs' fifth-inning rally, in which SDSU went on to score a second run as Figueroa crossed home plate to put San Diego State up for good, 2-0.
She is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak
First-Rate First Baseman
Junior first baseman Jacque Vaca continues to lead the team with a .336 batting average, 24 RBI, a .368 on-base percentage and seven doubles.
She drove in what proved to be the game-winning run in the Aztecs' 2-1 victory over Colorado State in the bottom of the sixth inning and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak.
Vaca ranks among the top-10 in the league in hits (43, 6th), batting average (.336, 8th), RBI (24, 4th) and putouts (300, 1st).
Super Center Fielder
Junior center fielder Janna Kovensky ranks among the top 10 in the conference in hits (41, T7th), runs (22, T6th) and stolen bases (11, 3rd).
She has notched hits in ten of the Aztecs' last 11 games and has put together a four-game hitting streak.
Kovensky is batting .318 and leads the team with a .465 slugging percentage.
Mighty Mahoney
Left fielder Erin Mahoney ranks among the league leaders in hits (38, T9th), runs (22, T6th) and stolen bases (7, T7th).
The sophomore is batting .299 and has hit safely in nine of SDSU's last 10 games, including going a perfect 3-for-3 in the Aztecs' 2-1 win over Colorado State on Sunday.
Mahoney's numbers have improved in conference play, as she currently ranks among the top-10 in league games in batting average (.444, 3rd) and on-base percentage (.500, 7th).
Aztec Hot Shots
Freshman Bianca Cruz went 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored in the first game against Centenary College on Sunday...In that same game, catcher Amber Grahlman was 2-for-3 from the plate with one RBI...Also against the Ladies, Kovensky was a perfect 3-for-3 with one run scored...In game two of the doubleheader versus UNLV, catcher Danielle Touhey notched the game-winning RBI single.
SDSU in the MWC
The Aztecs currently rank first in the conference in stolen bases (39), sac bunts (65), batters struck out (271), ERA (1.65), wins (30) and opposing batting average (.212).
SDSU is second among fellow MWC teams in hits (290), triples (7) and fielding percentage (.971).
San Diego State softball was unanimously selected to finish first in the 2003 Mountain West Conference race in a vote of the league's six head coaches (head coaches cannot vote for their own teams).
Because San Diego State won the 2002 MWC regular-season title, the Aztecs will host the 2003 conference tournament, May 8-10 at SDSU Field.
All six conference teams will compete in the double-elimination tournament. Seedings will be decided by regular-season results in conference games.
"It is an honor to have earned the opportunity to host this year's tournament," said head coach Kathy Van Wyk. "It will be an exciting chance to show the San Diego community how competitive our conference is."