Jan. 10, 2012
SAN DIEGO -
2012 CollegeSportsMadness.com PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM
San Diego State senior Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) was named the preseason Mountain West Pitcher of the Year by the website CollegeSportsMadness.com, the site announced yesterday (Jan. 9).
Micetich also was picked as a first-team all-conference selection by the website and was joined by sophomore Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif.). Additionally, the Aztecs had three on the second team, including senior Justeen Maeva (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS), sophomore Lorena Klopp (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) and sophomore Katie Mathis (Grass Valley, Calif.).
A two-time all-MW selection, Micetich went 20-12 last season with a 1.85 ERA over 174 1/3 innings. She struck out 164 against 36 walks, while limiting the opposition to a .243 average. Micetich was named the MW Pitcher of the Week three times and was chosen as an Easton NCAA Division I All-America third-team pick. Micetich ranked among the SDSU single-season bests in six categories, including wins (tied for sixth), appearances (tied for seventh) and strikeouts (ninth).
In three seasons on The Mesa, Micetich is 41-24 with a 2.06 ERA over 435 innings. She has 413 strikeouts and just 84 walks, while holding the opponents to a .251 batting average. Micetich ranks among the all-time leaders at San Diego State in 13 categories, including top-five marks in strikeouts per seven innings (second, 6.65), strikeout-to-walk ratio (third, 4.92), winning percentage (fifth, .631) and strikeouts (fifth).
A centerfielder, Miles was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2011 after batting .344 with five home runs and 29 RBIs. One of only two players to start all 55 games last year, Miles led the Aztecs in hits (54, tied), doubles (11, tied), walks (22), times hit by a pitch (5), on-base percentage (.440) and stolen bases (nine). Miles ranked among the school's single-season top 10 leaders in nine categories with top-five marks in slugging percentage (fourth, .548), extra-base hits (fourth, 19), OPS percentage (OBP+SLG) (tied-fourth, .988), and times hit by a pitch (tied-fifth, 5).
Klopp, who played most of the season in left field, smashed four school records in her first season, including slugging percentage (.633), extra-base hits (25), RBIs (48) and home runs (15). The 15 homers in one season are just two shy of the school's career record of 17 set by Erryn Gutjahr (1996-99) and tied by Megan McDonald (2005-08). Klopp, who batted .259, added 10 doubles and 93 total bases, the fourth most in single-season history.
A first baseman, Maeva led the team with a .348 average last season to go along with seven homers and 39 RBIs en route to being named a second-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-West Region selection. Maeva's 54 hits tied Miles for the most on the team, and she was second in homers, RBIs, and on-base percentage (.420).
Despite only playing two seasons at SDSU (Maeva played at Cal State Bakersfield in 2009), Maeva already ranks among the all-time best at San Diego State in seven categories, including top-five marks in batting average (second, .355), slugging percentage (second, .536), OPS percentage (second, .953) and on-base percentage (third, .417).
Mathis, meanwhile, batted .400 (8-for-20) in a season that was limited due to injuries (31 games, five games started). She also drew three walks for a .478 on-base percentage. Mathis added 14 runs, two stolen bases and was perfect in the field in 16 chances.
The Aztecs begin their season on the road for the fifth straight year when they travel to Tempe, Ariz., to compete in Arizona State's Kajikawa Classic from Feb. 9-12. Five of SDSU's six games at the Classic will be against 2011 NCAA tournament teams, including Texas Tech (Feb. 9), Portland State (Feb. 10), Tennessee (Feb. 11), Georgia Tech (Feb. 11) and Oregon (Feb. 12). Former MW opponent and new Pac-12 team Utah (Feb. 10) is the other game for San Diego State in Tempe.