Feb. 2, 2007
SAN DIEGO - How does one team rebound from its first losing campaign in six seasons and a last-place finish in the Mountain West Conference? Easy. You win the conference for the third time in five seasons, advance to the NCAA tournament for the third time in six years and finish with the best record in school history.
That's exactly what the San Diego State softball team did in 2006, finishing 34-15, including a 15-3 record in MWC play. It also advanced to the NCAA Region 1 championship game before falling to eventual NCAA Women's College World Series participant UCLA on the Bruins' home field.
The Aztecs won't rest on their laurels, though, and are looking for bigger and better things in 2007.
"We were very pleased with our season last year," said 11th-year head coach Kathy Van Wyk of SDSU, which set 18 school records and saw Erin Floros become the program's first All-American, "We won't accept anything less than last year. Before we wanted to just get to NCAAs and we'd be happy. Now it's get to NCAA Super Regionals and on to the Women's College World Series. I really think it's in (the players') grasps."
San Diego State returns six starters from last season, led by sophomore All-American Erin Floros and junior MWC Pitcher of the Year Christina Ross. Throw in sophomore all-MWC selection Monica Alnes and one can see why the sky is the limit for the 2007 Aztecs.
Pitchers
The pitching staff should once again be the focal point of this year's squad thanks to Ross and a pair of sophomores who logged plenty of innings in the fall.
"The pitchers will be as strong as ever this season," Van Wyk said. "We've got three really strong pitchers who can go deep into the game and I think that is a real advantage for us, especially late in the season."
Ross, a lefthander who will be in her second year at SDSU after transferring from the University of Kansas, will most likely be the ace of this year's staff after her remarkable year in 2006.
In 2006, Ross went 17-10 with a league-low 1.82 ERA en route to winning conference's pitcher of the year honors, the fifth time in the last six seasons an Aztec has won the award. Ross also earned NFCA all-West Region second-team honors and was an all-league selection and MWC all-tournament pick.
"Christina will have the weight of the team on her shoulders, and I think that is something she will embrace," Van Wyk said. "She is a bulldog and is a real competitor. I expect everything she gave us last season and more. I'm excited to see how she does."
What might be the most intriguing storyline of the 2007 Aztecs is how sophomores Melissa Owens and Monica Alnes adjust to the increased workload in the circle now that four-time all-MWC selection Celena Velasquez has graduated.
"It will be interesting to see how (Melissa and Monica) do," Van Wyk said. "We counted on (Christina) Ross and Celena for most of the pitching duties in pressure situations. Now that Celena is gone, somebody is going to have to step up and I think either (Melissa or Monica) will do a fine job when given a chance."
Owens saw action in nine games in 2006, going 3-0 with a team-low 1.75 ERA. She struck out 37 batters and walked only five for an impressive 7.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. She showed flashes of brilliance including a complete game, one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts over San Diego on March 1.
"Mel has unlimited potential," Van Wyk said. "She did a great job pitching for us in the fall and gained a lot of confidence. Once we get her to settle down and really focus, she is going to be a force for us."
Alnes appeared in five contests for the Aztecs last year and was 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA. In 12 1/3 innings, she allowed only two extra base hits, while striking out seven and walking two.
"Monica had a good fall as well," Van Wyk said. "Her ability to keep batters off-balance with a lot of off-speed stuff will add another dimension to the pitching staff."
Junior Tamani Wells could also see some time in the circle for San Diego State.
Catchers
The catching position will be one of the strengths for the Aztecs in 2006, led by Floros and junior power hitter Megan McDonald.
Floros returns for her sophomore season after a year that might arguably be the best all-around in school history. Floros set school records in slugging percentage (.558) and on-base percentage (.467) as a freshman, and was among the all-time SDSU top 10 in batting average (second, .388), doubles (tied for fourth, 13), home runs (tied for seventh, four) and in total bases (tied for eighth, 82).
She was rewarded at the end of the season with numerous accolades, including first-team Easton-Bell Sports All-American, Louisville Slugger/NFCA third-team All-American, NFCA all-West Region first team, MWC Freshman of the Year and all-MWC.
"Erin is a low-key, hard worker who leads by example," Van Wyk said. "I don't think she is the type who will succumb to any type of pressure of trying to outdo what she did last year. She will be just fine."
McDonald should also see playing time in front of the backstop, but will see the majority of action as the team's designated player. McDonald battled injuries last season and struggled down the stretch, yet still slugged six home runs, second-most in a single season, trailing only Erryn Gutjahr's seven homers in 1999. In fact, McDonald needs seven home runs to tie Gutjahr's career-leading 17.
"Megan struggled with injuries all of last year," Van Wyk said, "A lot of people don't know how serious her back injury really was. She is feeling much stronger now and looks fantastic in practice."
Sydney Fleming could also see playing time for SDSU after redshirting her first year on The Mesa, while freshman Lindsey Marquez has seen some playing time there in high school and could be used in a pinch.
Infielders
Last season, the infielders were young and fairly inexperienced. And although the Aztecs lost both of its middle infielders in the offseason, there is reason to be excited about the returnees. Nothing is set in stone, however, and Van Wyk will use the non-conference schedule to sort all the positions out.
Owens and fellow sophomore Kasey Mytinger will do the bulk of the playing time at first base in 2007.
Owens batted .283 as a freshman and possessed an on-base percentage of .410, which would have been the ninth-highest in school history if she had one more at-bat to qualify. A patient, but powerful hitter, Owens tied for the team lead with 21 walks and had two home runs and 16 RBI.
"Mel did a great job hitting for us in the fall," Van Wyk said. "I don't think she even realizes how good she can be. She has worked harder this year and I expect great things from her."
Mytinger will most likely see time at first base when Owens is pitching. Although she appeared in only 14 games with six starts, Mytinger is instant offense. She batted .389 with a home run and six RBI in only 18 at-bats in 2006. Her average of .389 would have been the highest on the team to tie Kellie Nordhagen's 2000 school record if she had enough at-bats.
"Kasey made some huge improvements hitting wise even throughout last year," Van Wyk said. "It was just hard to find a place for her defensively. That's one of the reasons we moved her to first base. She's got power and has learned to stay inside the ball and use the entire field."
The middle infield is still up in the air as SDSU gets ready to start play, but will most likely land in the hands of Alnes and a much-improved Amanda Beasley.
Alnes, who played first base last season after never playing in the infield in high school, has performed nicely at her new position and has to be the slight favorite because of her offensive skills. In her freshman season, Alnes had a season to remember, ranking among the Aztec single-season top 10 in slugging percentage (third, .557), batting average (third, .379), on-base percentage (fifth, .447), doubles (tied-sixth, six), RBI (seventh, 32) and runs (eighth, 33). She received all-MWC accolades and was named to the MWC all-tournament team.
"Monica looked great (at shortstop) considering she never played there before," Van Wyk said. "She is the type of individual who will work hard to learn anything. We need to keep her bat in the lineup, whether that is at second base, shortstop and pitcher."
Beasley was one of the surprises of the fall and has a good chance to earn the starting job at second if she gains some confidence in her play, a year after driving in five runs in 17 at-bats.
"If I'd have to choose the most improved player from last year, it would be Amanda Beasley," Van Wyk said. "She has been her own worst enemy up to now, but is really starting to swing the bat well. If she can settle down and really get her nerves under control, she could become a very good second baseman for us."
Marquez improved as the fall went on and could see significant playing time in the infield as well.
Junior Taryin Casillas seems to be the favorite for third base after increasing her batting average 31 percentage points to .285 last season. She earned MWC all-tournament honors after batting .556 with a homer and eight RBI in leading the Aztecs to the championship game.
"Taryin plays the game hard and that's what we need at third (base)," Van Wyk said. "She plays the game with confidence and I think that rubs off on the team. We need her bat in the lineup."
Sophomore Iowa State transfer Christine Kulick, and freshman Janae Portugal will add depth to the infield.
Outfielders
The only thing for sure about the outfielders is that they are going to be young after losing starters Bree Boyer and two-time all-MWC selection Meagan Hartung to graduation. Defensively, however, the 2007 Aztec outfield could be the most exciting in a long time.
Junior Tamani Wells makes the switch to center after starting most of the year in left last season. She showed drastic improvement in her second season on The Mesa, improving in almost every offensive category, including batting average, runs, hits, sacrifice hits, stolen bases and fielding percentage. In fact, Wells was the 16th-hardest to strikeout in the nation last season, fanning only six times or once every 20.2 at-bats.
"Tamani made great progress last year and I expect more of the same this season," Van Wyk said. "She is always a threat to steal when she gets on base and her defensive skills have improved tremendously."
Joining Wells in the outfield will most likely be freshmen Brittany Knudsen and Marquez, which could be the fastest outfield trio on the entire West Coast.
"Brittany is a great athlete who will wear opponents down with her speed," Van Wyk said. "She is a smart player and doesn't play like a freshman. Lindsey is a good contact hitter who can play a variety of positions for us, something every team needs."
Sophomore Dani Sidoti returns after redshirting last season because of a knee injury. She started 22 times in 2005 and batted .200.
Other Aztecs who could log some valuable innings in the outfield include Mytinger, and freshmen Katy Erickson and Stephanie Frasca.
Utility
Senior Christy Hollinghead will add some power off the bench for the Aztecs. In 2006, she would have been third on the team in batting with a .385 average if she had enough at-bats to qualify. In addition, had she had enough at-bats, her .615 slugging percentage would have been tops on the team and the highest in a season in school history.
"Christy swings the bat very well," Van Wyk said. "She will be a nice weapon off the bench to pinch-hit."
Freshman Stefanie Quichocho-Rosario will see some time as a pinch-runner.
Schedule
The saying goes to be the best, you've got to beat the best. That's how San Diego State is going to have to approach its 2007 schedule. The Aztecs will face 15 opponents who made the 2006 NCAA tournament, including NCAA runner-up Northwestern and two other teams - Oregon State and Texas - who advanced to the Women's College World Series.
"We have a top-notch schedule again," said Van Wyk. "Our first six games (Oregon State, UC Santa Barbara, California, Kansas, Massachusetts and Oregon State) in the Campbell-Cartier are all against teams who made (the NCAA tournament) last year. It will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against some of the best teams in the country early in the season. Hopefully, we'll find out what we need to work on and we'll grow as a team."
SDSU also plays host to two other tournaments - the Aztec Invitational (Feb. 23-25) and the Aztec Classic (March 16-18) - as well as non-conference opponents Fairfield (March 13), 2006 NCAA participant Georgia Tech (March 21), Brown (March 28) and city-rival San Diego (April 18).
The Aztecs will get their fair share on the road, with trips around the country to participate in the Texas Invitational (Feb. 16-18), the CS Fullerton Worth Invitational (March 2-4) and the Stanford Invitational (March 9-11).
SDSU will look to defend its conference title when it begins the MWC season at home with two games against Brigham Young (April 5) and Utah (April 6-7), respectively.
"This year is probably going to be the Mountain West Conference's toughest yet," Van Wyk said. "Three conference teams received NCAA bids last year. It's a dog fight every time you go out there."