May 3, 2005
-
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
SDSU Enters Final Weekend
The San Diego State softball team (23-27, 1-15 MWC) host a pair of Mountain West Conference foes to close out the 2005 regular season, beginning with a Friday night doubleheader with the University of New Mexico (14-29, 4-12 MWC). The first pitch against the Lobos is scheduled for 5 p.m.
On Sunday afternoon, the Aztecs play host to Colorado State University (29-16, 8-4 MWC) in the final conference series of the year. Senior day against the Rams will be televised nationally by College Sports Television, the first time any MWC softball team has been broadcast on national television.
Aztecs Vs. The Lobos
SDSU and New Mexico have faced each other 62 times, with the Aztecs holding a 39-23 edge in the all-time series. Earlier this season, the Lobos took two from the visiting Aztecs, winning 2-1 and 4-1 in Albuquerque. Head coach Kathy Van Wyk is 22-10 against UNM, while Lobos coach Kim Newbern is 3-9 against the Aztecs.
The New Mexico bats are led by Kristi Schmallen (.339, 5 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI) and Cassie Chavez (.292, 12 2B, 4 HR, 19 RBI). The Lobo pitching staff is anchored by Katie Gregg (7-4, 2.89 ERA, 29 K) and Caley Peterson (3-13, 4.20 ERA, 36 K).
Aztecs Vs. The Rams
SDSU and Colorado State have faced each other 53 times, with the Aztecs holding a slim 28-25 edge in the all-time series. The Rams took two from the Aztecs in Fort Collins, winning 2-0 and 6-2. Head coach Kathy Van Wyk is 21-12 against UNLV, while CSU coach Mary Yori is 6-12 against the Aztecs.
The Rams are led at the plate by Jessica Strickland (.396, 19 2B, 4 HR, 35 RBI) and Brittany Huerta (.374, 7 2B, 2 HR, 17 RBI). Top pitchers for CSU are the dual-threat Strickland (11-6, 1.89 ERA, 79 K), and Genevieve Kelly (14-8, 2.52 ERA, 105 K).
National TV For Softball
The San Diego State vs. Colorado State softball doubleheader on May 8 will be televised live nationally on CSTV. This game marks the first national television appearance for any MWC softball team in the league's history.
Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, with the second game set to begin at 3:30 p.m. Beth Mowins will handle the play-by-play duties, while Ann Schatz will handle the analyst duties and Stacey Nuveman will be the sideline reporter for the two-game set.
CSTV is available in the San Diego area on Time Warner Cable and DirectTV.
SDSU Senior Day Sunday
Senior day is this weekend, as San Diego State says goodbye to four Aztecs Sunday afternoon against Colorado State. Playing in their final game of the season are Lacey Craft, Cori Janelli, Erin Mahoney and Danielle Touhey.
Entering the weekend, Craft has played in 104 games since transferring from Palomar Junior College, earning 86 starts. With a .975 career fielding percentage, she is among the best defenders at first base in SDSU history.
Janelli came to the Aztecs from the College of the Sequoias in 2004 and immediately became one of the top pitcher's in the Mountain West. She has 20 career victories in 46 starts, and has posted a 1.57 career ERA. This season she has become a strikeout machine, notching 141 K's in 135.2 innings, good for fifth on the single season charts. Janelli and Celena Velasquez have been a dangerous one-two punch in their time together, notching 45 wins between the two, with a combined 1.44 ERA in 555.2 innings of work.
Mahoney started out at the University of Texas, where she was first-team all-Big 12, before coming to the Mesa. The speedy Westchester, Calif., native has since become a valuable member of the Aztec program, stealing 30 bases and scoring 67 runs. She is a member of SDSU's 100-hit club, and her 35 career sacrifice hits are fifth in the all-time Aztec record books. So far this season, Mahoney has set new career-high's in doubles (5), triples (2) and slugging percentage (.353) and her nine steals lead SDSU.
Touhey is the lone four-year senior for the Aztecs, and she is also the most experienced player on the squad. In her career, she has played in 177 games, earning 157 starts. Touhey has notched 87 hits, with 13 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 33 RBI, but her main talent is her defense and leadership. She has committed only six errors in her 157 starts as a catcher, good for a .991 career fielding percentage, while grabbing 51 assists, which is amazing from the catching position.
The four will graduate having been part of at least 142 wins, marking one of the greatest four year stretches in the SDSU softball history. The stretch includes two Mountain West championships, three trips to the MWC Tournament championship game, and the 2003 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Breaking The Records
SDSU is already surpassing the 2004 softball edition in numerous statistics, and doing it just 48 games into the season. Aztec pitchers had 251 strikeouts last season, but the 2005 bullpen, led by Celena Velasquez and Cori Janelli, already have 348. The 348 strikeouts also set a new team record, eclipsing the 266 the 2001 team tossed. Velasquez (183) and Janelli (141) have also topped their strikeout totals from last season of 101 and 85 respectively and now rank third and fifth respectively in the Aztec single-season record book. Last season Velasquez had five saves, a feat she has already matched this season, and with 10 in her career, she is just a save away from the NCAA career record books.
Freshman Megan McDonald is closing in on the 2004 team as well with four home runs, tying Kelcy Murphy's mark last season.
Burlingame Has Got Game
When SDSU recruited teammates Kristen Carranza and Allison Smith from Burlingame High School in Burlingame, Calif., the Aztecs felt that they could be everyday starters and top hitters for the team, but they did not know it would happen in their freshman year.
Smith leads the team with a .296 average, mostly at third base and second base. She is third on the team with 13 RBI, and has seven doubles, a triple, a home run and eight runs scored. Smith is third on the team in slugging (.400) and second in on base percentage (.344). She is also the Aztec leader in MWC play with a .313 average.
Carranza is second on the Aztec team with a .295 batting average, including a .244 average in MWC play, splitting time in right field, first base and as a designated player. She is the team leader with 20 RBI and three triples, and is tied for the team lead with 16 runs scored and seven doubles. She has a team-high .364 on base average and is second with a .419 slugging percentage.
The pair's 26 hits are nearly a third of the team's 80 in MWC play, and they have scored four of the team's 13 runs as well as driving in four of 11 RBI.
Pitching Staff Among The Best In Nation
Two-time Mountain West Pitcher of the Year Celena Velasquez and senior Cori Janelli are back to lead an excellent Aztec pitching staff. Velasquez, a junior, has an 11-12 record with five saves and a 1.30 ERA. She leads the team in appearances (35), strikeouts (183), and opponent batting average (.178), in 156.2 innings of work. She currently ranks first in the MWC in earned run average, opponent batting average, strikeouts, and saves, while she is second in innings pitched and fifth in wins. Janelli has posted a 1.81 overall ERA this season, including a 9-13 record with 141 strikeouts and 35 earned runs in 135.2 innings pitched. She ranks fifth in the conference in ERA and is fifth in opposing batting average. Janelli also places fifth in the league in innings pitched and she is third in strikeouts. Sophomore Katie Cochran is also in the mix with a 3-2 record and a 3.27 ERA. She has 24 strikeouts in 40.2 innings.
Mahoney Joins Century Club
Senior outfielder Erin Mahoney recently became one of the newest members of the 100-hit club, with a single in her final at-bat against Southern Utah March 5, to cap off a 3-for-4 afternoon. Mahoney also recently reached 35 sacrifice bunts, moving her into fifth in the all-time Aztec record books.
Other Aztecs approaching the 100-hit mark include senior Danielle Touhey (87 hits) and junior Meagan Hartung (96 hits).
Aztecs Tough At Home
Last season the Aztecs were 22-9 at home, including two-game sweeps of No. 21 Oklahoma State and Mississippi State, plus conference opponents Colorado State, New Mexico, and UNLV. SDSU was also 7-3 in San Diego during MWC play. The last two seasons combined, the Aztecs were 46-15, a .754 winning percentage, the most home wins by any team in the MWC.
So far this season the Aztecs are 11-9 at home allowing only 50 runs in 20 games (31 of which came in five contests). Over the past three seasons the Aztecs are 57-25 at home, a .695 winning percentage.
Van Wyk Is Winningest Coach In SDSU History
Kathy Van Wyk is the winningest coach in SDSU history with a 294-234-1 record. She broke Linda Spradley's (1984-94) win total of 253 on March 21, 2004, when the Aztecs topped Buffalo, 6-0. The two served as co-head coaches from 1995-96 and compiled a 48-69 mark. Under Van Wyk's leadership, SDSU has advanced to its only two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2001 and 2003. The 2001 squad went 3-2 and advanced to the regional championship against host UCLA, while the 2003 team was 1-2 in tourney action.
Aztec Noteables
Amanda Beasley
.286 average in conference play is second on the team. Has started in more games this season (9) than she played in all of last season (7).
Last Week: 0-4, .000 avg
Bree Boyer
Tied for fourth on the team with .276 average. .257 average in conference play is good for third.
Last Week: 2-5, 1 run, 1 BB, .400 avg
Jamie Burton
Third for the Aztecs in hitting with a .286 average. Has more than tripled her previous at-bats (6) this season (21). Leads team with .429 slugging percentage.
Last Week: 0-0, .000 avg
Kristen Carranza
Second in batting average (.295) for the Aztecs. Tied for the team lead in doubles (7), and leads team in triples (3), RBI (20) and onbase percentage (.364). Leads SDSU with 47 starts.
Last Week: 1-6, 1 RBI, .167 avg
Taryin Casillas
MWC Player of the Week in week one. Missed ten games season with a back injury. .222 average in MWC play is fifth on the team.
Last Week: 1-3, 1 RBI, .333 avg
Katie Cochran
Has started six games this season, and made 17 total appearances. Has one complete-game this year (vs. SMC).
Last Week: 0-0, 0.00 era, 1 IP, 2 K
Lacey Craft
Second on the team in fielding percentage (.984). Game-winning double vs. Utah notched lone MWC win this season.
Last Week: 0-2, 1 BB, .000 avg
Meagan Hartung
Struggles continue this season, as she is hitting 140 points lower (.224) than last season (.364). Tied for team lead in runs scored (16)
Last Week: 0-3, .000 avg
Cori Janelli
Second for SDSU in ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (141). Strikeout total is fifth in the Aztec single season record books.
Last Week: 0-0, 2.62 era, 2.2 IP, 4 K
Erin Mahoney
Only member of 100-hit club on 2005 Aztec squad. Tied for fourth in season batting average (.276). Leads SDSU in stolen bases (9) and sacrifice hits (10) and is second in runs scored (14).
Last Week: 0-2, .000 avg
Chrissie Markham
One of two Aztecs (Smith) to start all 16 MWC games. Third on the team in defensive assists (56).
Last Week: 0-7, .000 avg
Megan McDonald
Leads team in home runs (4), walks (15) and hit-by-pitches (5). Second for SDSU with 19 RBI. Has not had an RBI in last 15 games played (last - vs. Longwood).
Last Week: 0-1, 2 BB, .000 avg
Dani Sidoti
Played in 34 games, earning 22 starts this season. Strongest arm of the SDSU outfield corps threw out tying run against LMU.
Last Week: 1-2, .500 avg
Allison Smith
Team leader in batting with a .296 average, including a team-best .313 in MWC play. One of two Aztecs (Markham) to start all 16 conference games.
Last Week: 0-6, .000 avg
Danielle Touhey
Broke up Jacque Kerrigan's perfect game in the first game last week. Team leader in career games started (157). Second on the team with a .995 fielding percentage.
Last Week: 1-4, .250 avg
Celena Velasquez
Strikeout total (183) is third in the team's all-time single-season record books, and is just 14 shy of second place (199) and 19 shy of first (203). MWC Pitcher of the Week three times this season, nine in her career. Two-time MWC Pitcher of the Year.
Last Week: 0-2, 1.35 era, 10-1 IP, 11 K
Tamani Wells
Tied for second on the team with three steals. Used primarily in a pinch-running role, and has scored 13 runs, third for SDSU.
Last Week: 0-4, 1 run, .000 avg