May 18, 2017
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -
A school-record six San Diego State softball players have been named to the all-NFCA West Region teams, the NFCA announced Thursday. The six selections easily broke the Aztecs' previous best of four (2013 and 2015) as only six teams in the country had more players on their all-region team than SDSU this year.
Junior catcher Jenavee Peres (Garden Grove, Calif.), who yesterday was named the Mountain West Player of the Year, landed on the first team for the first time of her career (was a second-team pick in 2015), while sophomore second baseman Katie Byrd (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS), sophomore third baseman Molly Sturdivant (Santa Ana, Calif.), junior outfielder Zaria Meshack (Vallejo, Calif.) and junior designated player Taylor Stewart (Bellflower, Calif.) all made the their first all-region team as second-team selections. Senior first baseman Sydnee Cable (Huntington Beach, Calif.) also was a third-team all-region selection for the second time of her career (also 2014).
Peres batted .454 on the season with 56 runs, 74 hits, 16 home runs and 60 RBIs, while posting a .840 slugging percentage and a .492 on-base percentage. Among the national leaders, Peres ranks fifth in runs per game (1.17), seventh in batting average, RBIs per game (1.25) and total bases (137), 12th in slugging percentage, 13th in home runs per game (0.33), 14th in sacrifice flies (5), 20th in hits and 56th in on-base percentage. Peres shattered the previous school record of a .429 batting average with her .454 and tied a SDSU best with five sac flies. She also ranked second in school single-season history in slugging percentage, RBIs and OPS percentage (1.332), third in runs and total bases, fourth in on-base percentage, tied for fourth in extra-base hits (29), fifth in hits and home runs, and tied for seventh in times hit by pitch (5).
Byrd, meanwhile, batted .361 with three home runs, 35 RBIs, 42 runs, 16 doubles, a .519 slugging percentage and a .428 on-base percentage. She currently ranks ninth in the country in doubles per game (0.35) and 49th in runs per game (0.91). In SDSU single-season history, Byrd finished her second year fourth in both runs and doubles. Yesterday, she was named a second-team all-MW selection.
Sturdivant, a first-team all-MW pick, batted .381 on the season with eight home runs, 45 RBIs, 25 runs, 14 doubles and 30 walks, while registering a .664 slugging percentage and a .482 on-base mark. Among the NCAA leaders, Sturdivant is 14th in sac flies (5), 32nd in RBIs per game (1.00), 38th in doubles per game (0.31), 47th in walks per game (0.67), 78th in on-base percentage and 81st in slugging percentage. Among the Aztec single-season leaders, Sturdivant ranked tied for first in sac flies, fifth in walks, tied for sixth in doubles, seventh in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage and OPS percentage (1.146), ninth in RBIs and tied for ninth in extra-base hits (22).
Meshack finished the 2017 campaign with a .415 average, 34 runs, 61 hits, a .459 on-base percentage and seven stolen bases. Meshack, who yesterday made the all-MW first team, currently ranks 40th in the nation in batting average. Her .415 batting average was also the third best in San Diego State single-season history, while her 59 hits ranked fourth.
Stewart batted .340 with two homers, 14 RBIs, 12 runs, seven doubles and 19 walks, whole posting a .462 slugging percentage and a .430 on-base mark, despite missing five games late with an illness.
Cable batted .371 with six homers, 43 RBIs, 23 runs, eight doubles and nine walks. Among the NCAA leaders, Cable ranks 48th in sac flies (4) and 59th in RBIs per game (0.91). Her 43 RBIs were the 10th most in SDSU single-season history, while her four sac flies tied for fifth. Yesterday, she was named a first-team all-MW pick.
San Diego State finished the 2017 campaign with a 31-18 overall record - its 12th consecutive 30-win season - and a 15-9 mark and runner-up finish in Mountain West play. The Aztecs, who finished with seven school records, including batting average (.356), on-base percentage (.418), slugging percentage (.516), hits (497), RBIs (295), sacrifice flies (23) and runs (324, tied), did not receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, despite finishing second in the sixth-best conference in the nation (as of May 8) (out of 32 leagues), the 29th-toughest non-conference schedule (as of May 8) and a No. 42 RPI (three teams with worse RPIs were selected in No. 45 Wisconsin, No. 46 Oregon State and No. 47 Fresno State, and every team lower than SDSU got in).
All-NFCA West Region (SDSU selections only)
First Team
C - Jenavee Peres
Second Team
2B - Katie Byrd
3B - Molly Sturdivant
OF - Zaria Meshack
DP - Taylor Stewart
Third Team
1B - Sydnee Cable