Nov. 16, 2015
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State softball head coach Kathy Van Wyk has announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The three California products - Marissa Moreno (Torrance, Calif./Torrance High), Megan Smith (Valencia, Calif./West Ranch High) and Shelby Thompson (Benicia, Calif./Benicia High) - join a program that has won three of the past four Mountain West championships and seven in the 16-year history of the league.
"I'm excited about the three players that we are bringing in," Van Wyk said. "Marissa will be a game changer for us in the circle, while Megan and Shelby will fill huge holes up the middle. I look forward to watching them develop as student-athletes and help our program as we look to compete for another conference championship and NCAA berth."
Moreno's prowess in the circle for Torrance High resulted in 2015 CIF Division 4 and Pioneer League championships, as she produced a 1.34 ERA with 264 strikeouts and two no-hitters. She was rewarded generously with all-CIF Division 4 and Cal-Hi Sports all-state softball first-team underclassmen selections, Daily Breeze and Pioneer League Most-Valuable-Player honors, a Cal-Hi Sports all-state second-team nod and a spot on MaxPreps Medium Schools all-state team. Also a threat at the plate, Moreno, who plays summer ball for the Ohana Tigers, batted .448 with seven homers, 36 RBIs and 12 doubles.
Smith, a center fielder, was an all-Foothill League first-team selection in 2015 after batting .415, scoring 25 runs and driving in 16 runs. During her three-year career, she has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, leading her team in stolen bases and runs scored during that time. The 2013-14 scholar-athlete award winner helped propel West Ranch to consecutive undefeated league championships and a CIF Division 1 runner-up spot in 2015. She plays club ball for the SoCal Choppers and plans to major in criminology.
A three-time all-league selection, Thompson was the Solano County Athletic Conference MVP in 2015 after batting .597, yielding a 1.152 slugging percentage and earning 38 RBIs. Producing a staggering .727 batting average from April 16 to the end of the season, she helped guide Benicia to its second straight Sac-Joaquin Section II title last year. She plans to major in kinesiology and currently plays summer ball with KG Hitters, serving as the team captain.
SDSU is coming off a 38-20 season, advancing to the NCAA Regional final for the third time since 2011 and fifth time in 11 tournament trips before being eliminated by eventual Women's College World Series opponent UCLA. San Diego State, one of just 20 schools in the country to play in an NCAA tournament at least eight consecutive years, finished 2015 with seven school records, including batting average (.312), slugging percentage (.486), runs (324), home runs (63), RBIs (293), total bases (758) and hits (484).
The Aztecs kick off the 2016 season against Canisius and Cal State Fullerton at the Easton Tournament on Feb. 12 in Fullerton, Calif.