Feb. 7, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Aztec Softball Opens Season Friday at Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs
The San Diego State softball team begins its 31st season of competitive play this weekend when it travels to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Cathedral City Classic. SDSU's first three opponents are each receiving votes in either the USA Today/NFCA or ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason national poll. It is the first time since 2004 the Aztecs have commenced the season away from The Mesa.
San Diego State opens the 2008 campaign against Cal Poly on Friday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m and then meets California at 8:30 p.m. SDSU plays two more games on Saturday, Feb. 9 - vs. Mississippi State (3:30 p.m.) and UC Davis (6 p.m.) - before wrapping up the weekend with a solo contest against Portland State on Sunday, Feb. 10 (11:30 a.m.).
The Aztecs have had great success in season-opening games, including an impressive 10-1 (.909) mark in lid lifters under 12th-year head coach Kathy Van Wyk. San Diego State has won seven straight season-opening contests with their last loss coming against Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 5 of the 2000 campaign. Included in the streak is a 9-4 win over Friday's opponent Cal Poly to begin the 2006 campaign. Since records were first kept in 1980, SDSU is 19-9 (.655) in its opening games.
Cathedral City Classic Info
The Cathedral City Classic annually brings together many of the top teams in the country and the 2008 edition of the kickoff classic is no exception. Of the 16 teams in the event, eight made the NCAA tournament a year ago including Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Mississippi State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, California and host Oregon State.
Each of the teams will play a number of games (five for the Aztecs) across four different fields - Wrigley, Yankee, Fenway and Des Moines. SDSU will begin its play in the tournament on Des Moines Field against Cal Poly at 6 p.m. Friday followed by an 8:30 p.m. showdown with California on Fenway Field. On Saturday, San Diego State will play back-to-back games on Yankee Field where it will meet Mississippi State (3:30 p.m.) and UC Davis (6 p.m.). The Aztecs will wrap up competition Sunday with an 11:30 a.m. meeting with Portland State on Fenway Field.
Click on GoAztecs.com to follow the games live via Gametracker. For more information on the Cathedral City Classic, click on http://www.cathedralcitykickoff.com/?&DB_OEM_ID=4700.
A Brief Look at the Aztecs
It was a year of ups and downs for the San Diego State softball team in 2007. Just one year after winning the Mountain West Conference regular season title and finishing with its best record (34-15) in school history, the Aztecs ended up fifth with a disappointing 8-12 league mark, just their second losing conference season since 1998.
Despite finishing 32-24 overall for its seventh 30-win season in eight years and defeating two top-10 teams in No. 6 Oregon State and No. 10 Texas, SDSU was held out of the NCAA tournament, something 12th-year head coach Kathy Van Wyk says will motivate this year's squad.
"Last year's season was disappointing," Van Wyk said. "We felt good going into last year and things didn't go the way we planned. (Last season) left a bitter taste in our mouths."
San Diego State returns eight starters, including all-MWC performers Christina Ross, Brittany Knudsen and Lindsey Marquez, from last year's squad and a healthy 2006 All-American in Erin Floros. Throw in Syracuse transfer Tonye McCorkle and five impact freshmen and San Diego State is poised to get back to the top of the ranks in the MWC.
SDSU boasts a roster that consists of seven outfielders, highlighted by Knudsen (.386, 39 R, 4 HR) and senior Tamani Wells (.333, 30 R, 14 SB) and 11 infielders, led by Marquez (.328, 22 R, 21 RBI) and redshirt junior Dani Sidoti (.296, 19 R, 10 RBI). Ross (23-12, 1.90 ERA) leads the pitching staff with freshmen Samantha Beasley and Brooke Petty expected to log important innings. Playing the backstop for San Diego State will be Floros (.274, 20 H, 10 RBI) and senior Megan McDonald (.238, 10 2B, 23 RBI).
The Aztecs defeated two top-10 teams in 2007 in No. 6 Oregon State and No. 10 Texas en route to a 32-24 record, their seventh winning season over the last eight years. SDSU set school records in highest batting average (.296), and most runs (238) and total bases (593).
SDSU Softball Picked Second in Preseason Mountain West Conference Poll
The San Diego State softball team has been picked to finish second in the 2008 Mountain West Conference in the preseason poll voted on by the league's coaches.
SDSU collected 19 points, including one first-place vote, to finish second behind Brigham Young's 25 points.
The Cougars, who had the other five first-place votes, were followed by the Aztecs, UNLV (15), Colorado State and New Mexico, which tied for fourth with 13 points, and Utah (5).
San Diego State, which only lost two starters from a year ago, returns nine players who started at least 25 games in 2007, including all-MWC performers senior Christina Ross (Santa Clarita, Calif./Univ. of Kansas), and sophomores Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) and Lindsey Marquez (Tustin, Calif./Lutheran HS). Junior Erin Floros (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS), a 2006 All-American, also returns for SDSU after missing most of 2007 with a knee injury.
The Aztecs defeated two top-10 teams in 2007 in No. 6 Oregon State and No. 10 Texas en route to a 32-24 record, their seventh winning season over the last eight years. SDSU set school records in highest batting average (.296), and most runs (238) and total bases (593).
Scouting Cal Poly
The Mustangs, who come into the 2008 season receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, return five all-Big West selections and 11 letterwinners from last year's 39-17 squad that reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Cal Poly was picked to win the competitive Big West with 56 points, edging conference runner-up Cal State Fullerton (55) and Long Beach State (52), all teams the Aztecs defeated a year ago. The Mustangs will most likely be led by Melissa Pura, who was named to the USA Softball Watch List last month. A season ago, Pura set a school record with 48 RBI, while adding 18 doubles, 10 homers and an impressive .924 slugging percentage. Helen Pena (5-4, 1.75 ERA) and Robyn Kontra (12-7, 2.28 ERA) are the team's top returning pitchers.
SDSU is 14-6 all-time against Cal Poly, including victories (8-3 on March 3, 2007 and 9-4 on Feb. 9, 2006) in each of the past two seasons.
A Look at California
The Bears return six position starters plust two starting pitchers from the 2007 squad which went 34-32, earning their 22nd straight trip to the NCAA tournament. California, which is receiving votes in both preseason national poll, was picked to finish sixth of eight teams in the Pac-10 late last month. Erika Rackin (39 R, 18 SB) and Gina Leomiti (.354, 5 HR, 30 RBI) should lead the offense, while Marissa Drewrey (11-8, 3 SV) and Brittany LaRosa (5-8, 2 SO) will pace the pitching.
SDSU is just 1-9 all-time against the Bears with its only victory coming in a 2-0 triumph on March 22, 1983.
A Glance at Mississippi State
The Bulldogs, the Aztecs' third consecutive opponent who is receiving votes in a preseason national poll, returns 11 letterwinners, including six position starters and a pitcher, from last year's squad that finished 35-27 and advanced to an NCAA Regional for the sixth time, and fourth in the last five seasons. Mississippi State's offense will be led by SEC Freshman of the Year and Louisville Slugger/NFCA First Team All-American Chelsea Bramlett (.386, 56 R, 46 SB) along with all-SEC selections Courtney Bures (.354, 56 RBI, 13 2B) and Hayle Guess (.324, 44 R, 35 RBI). Kelsey Nurnberg (7-6, 3.07 ERA) is the team's top returning pitcher.
SDSU is 2-0 all-time against the Bulldogs.
A Preview of UC Davis
The Aggies, who are coming off a 31-27-1 record in 2007, enter their first season of Division I softball this weekend, after competing in Division II for the past four seasons. Deanna Menapace should lead the way at the plate after pacing the team last year in batting average (.315), runs (28), doubles (10), home runs (10) and slugging percentage (.562). Jessica Hancock (16-12, 1.98 ERA) returns as the top performer in the circle.
SDSU has one the only meeting between the two schools, a 8-0 decision on Feb. 4, 2005.
Scouting Portland State
Portland State is heading into opening weekend after going 23-24 a year ago. The Vikings return nine letterwinners, including five position starters, from last year's squad. Brandi Scoggins earned second-team NFCA all-Pacific Region honors after posting a .336 batting average with 13 doubles, 27 RBI and a .422 on-base average. Mandy Hill is the other top returner for the Vikings after going 20-19 with a 2.27 ERA in the circle and .273 with 11 homers and 40 RBI in the batter's box.
The series is tied, 1-1, with SDSU winning 4-1 in the last meeting on March 2, 2002. Portland State won the previous game, 2-0, on March 4, 2000.