March 6, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU Continues 11-Game Road Trip; Travels to City-Rival San Diego, Stanford Invitational
The San Diego State softball team continues its 11-game road trip with six contests this week. The Aztecs (11-8) make the short drive across town to face San Diego on Wednesday (6 p.m.), before traveling to compete in the Stanford Invitational this weekend.
In Palo Alto, the Aztecs will meet UC Santa Barbara (10 a.m.) and Loyola-Chicago (noon) on Friday and Sacramento State (10 a.m.) and No. 12 Stanford (2 p.m.) on Saturday. The top four teams from the round-robin format will advance to play another game on Sunday based on their respective seed. The third-seed vs. fourth seed will meet at 10 a.m., while the top-seed and second-seed will play at noon.
The Aztecs last participated in the Stanford Invitational in the 2005 season when they went 3-1, with wins over Kentucky (4-3), DePaul (4-0) and Long Beach State (4-1).
Aztec Quick Hits
- After losing four of its first five games, SDSU has won 10 of its last 14 contests, including a 3-0 win at No. 10 Texas (Feb. 8).
- San Diego State is 2-3 against top-10 teams this season with its wins coming against No. 6 Oregon State (1-0) and at No. 10 Texas (3-0).
- The Aztecs are 7-3 in road/neutral games this season and have at least five away from Montezuma Mesa this weekend.
- SDSU has started a remarkable 18 different lineups in its 19 games.
- San Diego State is leading the Mountain West Conference in earned run average (1.37), well ahead of second-place Utah (2.33). Junior Christina Ross, the 2006 MWC Pitcher of the Year, leads the league at 0.94.
Last Weekend With the Aztecs
San Diego State went 3-2 at the highly competitive Worth Invitational in Fullerton, Calif., over the weekend ... Two of its three wins were against teams who came in with an impressive winning record (Def. Minnesota (7-3), 1-0, and def. Cal Poly (12-4), which is receiving votes in the latest ESPN.com/USA Today Poll, 8-3) ... SDSU fell to No. 8 Northwestern, 2-1, and Texas Tech, 7-0 ... LHP Christina Ross went 3-0 with a 1.02 ERA over 27 1/3 innings. She appeared in all five games, struck out 22 and allowed just two walks ... OF Dani Sidoti earned three starts over the weekend and batted a team-best .500 (4-for-8), including a two-run single against Cal Poly.
Noting San Diego
San Diego is 7-9 after losing five games in a row at its own tournament last weekend. Three of the Toreros' seven wins - 9-2 over Siena, 5-3 over North Dakota State and 8-4 over Long Beach State, came at the Aztec Invitational at SDSU Softball Stadium two weekends ago.
SDSU has dominated the overall series, winning 41 of the 42 previous meetings, including twice last season.
A Look at UC Santa Barbara
The Gauchos are off to a hot start with a 13-5 record, including victories over No. 2 Arizona State (8-7) and No. 23 Massachusetts (8-6). UCSB also defeated the Aztecs, 1-0, in eight innings at the Campbell-Cartier earlier this season, as SDSU left 10 runners on base.
Tisha Duran leads the team offensively with a .353 batting average (18-for-51), .529 slugging percentage, .393 on-base percentage, six doubles and 11 RBI. Christine Ramos (.349) is also batting over .300 for the Gauchos and has a team-leading six stolen bases. Jennifer Davis (2-4, 0.78 ERA), Lindsey Correa (4-1, 1.70 ERA) and MeLinda Matsumoto (6-0, 2.12 ERA) pace a UCSB pitching staff who boasts a 1.37 collective ERA.
The Aztecs lead the all-time series, 26-24.
A Glance at Loyola-Chicago
Loyola-Chicago is off to a 1-5 start after not playing its first game until it split a doubleheader at UC Riverside on March 2. The Ramblers then went 0-4 in a tough field at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at UCLA.
Ashley Mitchel leads the team with an impressive .533 (8-for-15) batting average. Ellen Kresl (.375) is also batting above .300. Amy Solava is the team's top pitcher with a 1-2 record and 3.44 ERA.
Friday will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Scouting Sacramento State
Sacramento State is 4-9 heading into the Stanford Invitational. The Hornets have played a tough schedule, though, including games against No. 11 Washington (L, 0-4), No. 12 Stanford (L, 2-13), No. 6 Northwestern (L, 2-3) and No. 1 Tennessee (L, 2-9).
Jamie Schloredt is batting .526 (20-for-38) with three homers and 11 RBI to lead Sacramento State's offense. She also leads the team in runs (8), hits (20), doubles (4), triples (1), slugging percentage (.921) and on-base percentage (.550). Kaylea Meeks (.333) is also batting over .300. Cassie Cervantes leads the pitching staff with a 1-2 record and 3.05 ERA.
A Look at No. 12 Stanford
Stanford struggled last weekend at the Worth Invitational, going 2-3, but still come into its own tournament with the No. 12 national ranking and 16-5 record. None of the 16 wins, however, have been against a team currently ranked or receiving votes in the latest national poll (SDSU has beaten three teams currently ranked or receiving votes).
Jackie Rinehart and Alissa Haber are each batting .362 to lead the Cardinal offense, which is batting an impressive .306 coming into the tournament. Maddey Coon (.345), Rosey Neill (.333), Michelle Smith (.306) and Tricia Aggabao (.302) are also batting over .300. Missy Pena (11-2, 1.36 ERA, 82 1/3 IP) and Becky McCullough (5-3, 2.94 ERA, 52 1/3 IP) lead a solid Stanford pitching staff.
The Aztecs lead the all-times series, 10-7. The two teams split their last meeting during the 2003 campaign.
Knudsen Kicking the Season Off Right
Freshman Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) is off to a fine start in her first season on Montezuma Mesa.
Through 19 games and 17 starts, Knudsen leads the team in total bases (26) and slugging percentage (.531), and is tied for the lead in many other categories. Knudsen is tied for first on the squad in batting average (.388), runs (9), hits (9), home runs (2), walks (5), on-base percentage (.444) and stolen bases (5).
Despite being a true freshman, Knudsen is ranked among the Mountain West Conference leaders in fielding percentage (T-1st, 1.000), stolen bases (T-3rd, 5), batting average (T-4th, .388) and on-base percentage (T-8th, .444).
Knudsen batted .462 (6-for-13) two weekends ago at the Aztec Invitational after leading SDSU with a .500 batting average (7-for-14) the weekend before at the Texas Invitational. She has been stellar in the field as well with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on 11 chances. Knudsen also has two assists from center field this season, one at home plate and one at second.
Knudsen wasted no time making her mark in collegiate softball as she hit a homer over the right field fence in her first official at-bat in the Aztecs' 1-0 win over No. 6 Oregon State on Feb. 8. It was the second straight season a freshman homered in their first career at bat (Erin Floros, 2006).
Jack of All Trades; Masterful Melissa Owens
Sophomore Melissa Owens (San Diego/Christian HS) is having one of the best overall seasons, not only in school history, but in Mountain West Conference history as well.
Owens, who earlier this season played four positions - first base, shortstop, pitcher and designated player - in one game, is ranked third in the league in ERA (1.94) and is tied for fourth with teammate Brittany Knudsen in batting average (.388). No Aztec has ever been ranked among the conference top-10 in both categories. In addition, Owens is third in strikeouts (51), tied for third in wins (5), fifth in opposing batting average (.240) and seventh in innings pitched (47). At the plate, Owens is tied for eighth with a .444 on-base percentage and tied for 10th with four doubles.
Owens, who has batted leadoff, cleanup and in the No. 6 spot this year, batted .333 (3-for-9) last weekend at the Worth Invitational, and a team-high .545 (6-for-11) the week before at the Aztec Invitational. She also added five runs, six hits and boasted a .545 on-base percentage at the invitational. In addition, Owens had a career-long 10-game hitting streak from Feb. 16-March 2 where she batted .519 (14-for-27). The 10-game streak is also the longest in the MWC this season.
If those stats aren't impressive enough, look what she did in the circle two weekends ago. At the Aztec Invitational, Owens went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings. She struck out 15, walked one, and held her opponents to a .098 batting average and five hits, all singles. For her pitching efforts, Owens was named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time in her career.
In Ross We Trust
Junior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif.) is making a case to repeat as the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year, a feat only former Aztec Celena Velasquez (2003 and 2004) has accomplished. Through 19 Aztec games, Ross is 6-3 with a league-low 0.94 ERA. She has 43 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched and has limited her opponents to a .234 batting average. In addition, she had seven complete games and four shutouts. Among the MWC leaders, Ross is first in innings pitched (67.0), second in wins (6), tied for second in appearances (13), tied for third in games started (9), fourth in opposing batting average (.234) and fifth in strikeouts (43).
Two weeks ago, Ross was named the MWC Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 with two complete game shutouts and a 0.00 ERA in three appearances to lead SDSU to a 4-1 record and runner-up finish at the Texas Invitational. Ross tossed a combined 16.0 innings and allowed 11 hits and three walks, while striking out seven batters.
Ross might have had an even better performance at the Worth Invitational in Fullerton last weekend when she went 3-0 with a 1.02 ERA as the Aztecs went 3-2. She appeared in all five games and logged 27 1/3 innings, striking out 22 with just two walks for a 11-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. She threw a complete game two-hitter and struck out a season-high six in SDSU's 1-0 win over Minnesota on Friday. Ross also had complete game victories against Cal Poly on Saturday and Nevada on Sunday.
In her two-year career (she played at Kansas her freshman year), Ross is third in winning percentage (.639), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.73), fourth in solo shutouts (9), fifth in opposing batting average (.227), seventh in saves (2), eighth in ERA (1.57), ninth in fewest walks per seven innings (1.42), 10th in wins (23), 10th in strikeouts (179) and 10th in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched).
SDSU Softball Picked to Repeat as MWC Champions
The San Diego State softball team has been picked to win the Mountain West Conference by the league's coaches in a preseason poll released by the conference. Last season, the Aztecs won their third MWC regular season title in the last five years with a 15-3 record in league play and a 34-15 overall mark, their best winning percentage in school history.
SDSU, who returns six starters, including sophomore All-American Erin Floros and junior MWC Pitcher of the Year Christina Ross, collected 25 points to capture the top spot in the poll, including five of the possible six first-place votes. Brigham Young received the other first-place vote. The Aztecs were followed by UNLV (19 points), Brigham Young (17 points), Utah (14), Colorado State (10) and New Mexico (5)
11th-Year Head Coach Kathy Van Wyk
Under 11th-year head coach Kathy Van Wyk's leadership, the Aztecs have won three of the last six (2002, 2003, 2006) Mountain West Conference regular-season titles, advanced to the NCAA tournament three times in the past six seasons, including regional runner-up finishes in 2001 and 2006, and compiled a .600 or higher winning percentage in five of the last six campaigns. SDSU has improved its winning percentage in six of the last eight seasons and have been .500 or better in eight of Van Wyk's 10 years.
Under Van Wyk's guidance, the Aztecs had their best season in school history in 2006 with a 34-15 record, culminating with a runner-up finish to host UCLA in the NCAA Regional. En route to its third MWC regular season championship in the last six seasons, SDSU set numerous team records including winning percentage (.694), conference winning percentage (.833), home winning percentage (.769), road winning percentage (.692) and most MWC victories (15).
In addition, despite playing only 49 games (SDSU typically plays around 60 games), the Aztecs set program records in batting average (.293), runs (234), home runs (27), RBI (213), slugging percentage (.410), walks (161) and on-base percentage (.379).
Her accomplishments were rewarded when she was named the 2006 MWC Coach of the Year for the second time in her career (2002 was the other time).