May 20, 2010
STARKVILLE, Miss. - San Diego State junior Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) has been named a 2010 first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA all-West Region selection, the NFCA announced Thursday. Senior Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) and sophomore Justeen Maeva (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS/Cal State Bakersfield) earned second-team honors, giving SDSU its most all-region picks (three) since the 2006 season.
Beasley, the 2010 Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year, became the fifth Aztec to be named to the first team and the first since Erin Floros in 2006. A right-hander, Beasley is 28-9 this season with a 0.96 ERA over 226 1/3 innings. Beasley, who won the MWC Pitcher-of-the-Week award nine times this season, currently owns San Diego State single-season records in strikeouts (345), strikeouts per seven innings (10.67), opposing batting average (.168), solo shutouts (since 1999) (11) and total shutouts (tied, 14). Among the national rankings, Beasley is second in ERA, ninth in strikeouts, 11th in strikeouts per seven innings, tied for 14th in solo shutouts, tied for 16th in victories, 17th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.21) and 39th in walks allowed per seven innings (1.45).
Knudsen picked up her second career all-region award after also being named to the second team in 2007 as a freshman. A three-time all-MWC selection, Knudsen is batting .396 this year with 34 runs and 27 RBIs. Her .396 average is the highest mark in a season in school history, and she also ranks among the best in OPS percentage (fourth, .991), on-base percentage (fifth, .459) and slugging percentage (sixth, .532).
A transfer from Cal State Bakersfield, Maeva garnered second-team honors as a utility/designated player. Maeva, who joined Beasley and Knudsen on the all-MWC team, is batting .372 with a team-high 36 RBIs and a .558 slugging percentage. Among the program single-season leaders, Maeva ranks first in slugging percentage, fourth in RBIs and sacrifice flies (tied, 3), sixth in OPS percentage (.983), seventh in batting average and eighth (tied) in home runs (4).
SDSU (33-14) plays Fresno State (39-19) at 3 p.m. PT Friday in the first game of the four-team, double-elimination Los Angeles Regional. UCLA (40-11), the host and No. 5 overall seed, and Saint Mary's (30-21) will meet in the 3:30 p.m. PT nightcap.
2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-West Region
First Team
P Samantha Beasley San Diego StateP Kenzie Fowler ArizonaC Stacie Chambers Arizona1B Hoku Nohara New Mexico State2B GiOnna DiSalvatore UCLA3B Melissa Gonzalez Hawai'iSS Katelyn Boyd Arizona StateUT/P Megan Langenfeld UCLAUT/DP Jenna Rodriguez Hawai'iOF Alissa Haber StanfordOF Brittany Lastrapes ArizonaOF Kelly Majam Hawai'i
Second Team
P Teagan Gerhart StanfordP Stephanie Ricketts Hawai'iC Taylor Hensley San Diego1B Ryane Petersen Cal State Bakersfield2B Ashley Hansen Stanford3B Brigette DelPonte ArizonaSS Klee Arredondo ArizonaSS Jessica Iwata Hawai'iUT/P Michelle Moses Fresno StateUT/DP Anna Cahn Cal PolyUT/DP Justeen Maeva San Diego StateOF Andrea Harrison UCLAOF Brittany Knudsen San Diego StateOF Lauren Schutzler Arizona