Feb. 16, 2004
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State center fielder Janna Kovensky (San Diego, Calif.) was named the Mountain West Conference co-player of the week on Monday along with New Mexico second baseman Stephanie Kennedy. Aztec pitcher Celena Velasquez (Tucson, Ariz.) earned MWC pitcher of the week honors.
At the Aztec Invitational last weekend, Kovensky went 6-for-14 (.429) from the plate with a double, four RBI, four runs and three stolen bases, helping lead San Diego State (7-5) to the tournament title with a 4-1 record.
In the home opener on Friday, Kovensky was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored as the Aztecs beat previously undefeated Mississippi State, 5-3. She ended the game when she nailed a runner at third attempting to advance from first on a single with two outs in the seventh.
Against UC Santa Barbara (a 1-0, 8-inning SDSU loss), she was the lone Aztec who had no trouble reaching base, succeeding in all three plate appearances with a single, double and walk. The only other Aztec to reach was first baseman Lacey Craft on a bloop double.
On the season, Kovensky is hitting .387 with five RBI and a .484 slugging percentage. Ironically, Kovensky earned MWC player of the week honors this week last year (announced Feb. 18, 2003).
Velasquez went 2-0 with a couple dominating performances over the weekend. She threw a two-hitter on Friday versus Oklahoma State, coming within two outs of her first career no-hitter and retiring 17 batters in a row at one point.
Against Mississippi State on Sunday, she got into an immediate jam by allowing the first four Bulldogs to reach and allowing a run, but she responded nicely by retiring the next 10 batters. She would also retire the last 12 batters in the 2-1, 8-inning Aztec victory. In the eighth, the Bulldogs attempted to bunt their international-tiebreaker placed runner to third, but the Aztecs threw the runner out and an ensuing ground-out double play completed Velasquez and SDSU's successful weekend.
On the season, Velasquez is 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Kovensky, Velasquez and the Aztecs continue the 2004 campaign with the Campbell/Cartier Classic this weekend at the Sportsplex USA in Poway. Their games on Friday are at 5:30 p.m. versus Iowa State and 8 p.m. against No. 5 Washington.