Kathy Van Wyk Head Coach 22nd Season 716-473-1(.602) as Head Coach at SDSU |  |
One doesn't have to look hard to see what head coach Kathy Van Wyk has accomplished in her21-year tenure with San Diego State.
Over the first 20 years of Division I softball, the Aztecs posted two .500 or better seasons and did not make an NCAA tournament. Since Van Wykwas named head coach in 1997 (21 years), SDSU has 19, .500 or better seasons, 17 winning campaigns and have advanced to11 NCAA tournaments. Consider her accolades below: * Five-time Mountain West Coach of the Year (2002, 2006, 2008,2013, 2014) * 11 NCAA tournament appearances (2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010,2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) * Seven MW regular season championships (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008,2012, 2013, 2014) * Eight All-America selections * 39 NFCA all-West Region selections * 77 all-conference honorees (75 in MW) * Nine MW Pitcher of the Year awards * Nine Freshman of the Year awards * Four MW Player of the Year awards * 132 Player of the Week winners (125 in MW) Coming off a 2017 season that saw the Aztecs post their 12thconsecutive 30-win campaign, there is no doubt that SDSU softball isconsidered a national power.
In 18 of its previous 20 years. SDSU boasted just a .413 winning percentage up to that point with a 400-569-5 record. Since Van Wyk's arrival, the Aztecs have compiled a .600 or higher winning percentage in13 of the last 17 campaigns. In addition, SDSU has been .500 or better in 19 of Van Wyk's21 years.Van Wyk is also the first Aztec softball coach to achieve a top-25 ranking,four 40-win seasons and is the fastest to both 100 and 200 career wins in the history of the program.
San Diego State is coming off a 31-18 overall record in 2017 - its 12th consecutive 30-win season - and a 15-9 mark and runner-up finish in MW play. The Aztecs, however, did not receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, despite finishing second in the sixth-best conference in the nation (out of 32 leagues).
SDSU led the country last year with a .356 average, shattering their previous best of .310. In all, San Diego State set seven school records, including batting average, on-base percentage (.418), slugging percentage (.516), hits (497), RBIs (295), sacrifice flies (23) and runs (324, tied).
Jenavee Peres led the way last year for San Diego State, easily breaking the previous school record batting average 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).
Peres was named a NFCA Second-Team All-American for her efforts, the first time San Diego State has ever had a player on the second team (Aztecs' previous three NFCA All-America selections were third-team picks). She was also a first-team all-NFCA West Region honoree, the Mountain West Player of the Year and a first-team all-MW selection.
Joining Peres on the all-conference first team last year was Sydnee Cable, Zaria Meshack, Molly Sturdivant and Shelby Thompson, who was also the MW Freshman of the Year, while Katie Byrd earned second-team all-MW accolades. Byrd, Meshack, Sturdivant and Taylor Stewart also earned second-team all-NFCA West Region accolades, while Cable was a third-team selection.
SDSU's six all-region selections were a program record.
Byrd batted .361 with three home runs, 35 RBIs, 42 runs, 16 doubles, a .519 slugging percentage and a .428 on-base percentage, and Sturdivant 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. Meshack finished the 2017 campaign with a .415 average, 34 runs, 61 hits, a .459 on-base percentage and seven stolen bases, while Stewart batted .340 with two homers, 14 RBIs, 12 runs, seven doubles and 19 walks, while posting a .462 slugging percentage and a .430 on-base mark. Thompson hit .333 with seven home runs, 31 RBIs, 26 runs, five doubles, two triples, 20 walks and six stolen bases, while posting a .556 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage, and Cable batted .371 with six homers, 43 RBIs, 23 runs, eight doubles and nine walks.
In 2016, San Diego State missed the NCAA tournament for the firsttime since 2007, despite posting a 30-22 record.
Samantha Camello led the way with a .359 average to go along with 13doubles, two triples, two homers, 25 RBIs, 32 run, 12 walks, fivestolen bases, a .486 slugging percentage and a .400 on-basepercentage. For her efforts, she was chosen as a first-team all-MWselection and also became the first Aztec softball player ever to benamed a CoSIDA Academic All-America pick after earning second-teamhonors. She was also a CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 first-teampick, posting a 3.98 cumulative GPA.
Cable and Alex Formby also earned postseason recognition asall-MW second-team selections. Cable hit .366 in league play with 11RBIs, 11 runs, four doubles and nine walks, while Formby was 5-6with a 3.50 ERA and three saves in 70 innings.
Peres also had a solid overall season, batting .451 withnine homers, 23 RBIs, 26 runs, four doubles and a triple, logging a.915 slugging percentage and a .535 on-base mark. However, Peresmissed 25 games with a concussion, sprained ankle and a fracturedfibula.
In 2015, San Diego State set 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 finished 38-20, including a 18-6 mark in MW play forsecond place, before advancing to a NCAA Regional final for thethird time since 2011 and fifth time in 11 tournament trips beforefalling to eventual Women's College World Series opponent UCLA.
SDSU had four players earn all-NFCA WestRegion honors, including Erica Romero (36-17, 3.29 ERA) on the firstteam, Kayla Jordan (.414, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 63 R) and Peres(.347, 9 HR, 48 RBI) on the second team, and Lorena Bauer (.415, 19HR, 67 RBI, 15 2B) on the third team.
Romero set four single-season school records and led the nation inwins (36), appearances (56), games started (47) and innings pitched(318.2), while Jordan (63 runs) and Bauer (67 RBIs) each setrespective season records as well. Bauer and Peres were named the MW Player and Freshman of the Year,respectively, and were joined on the first team by Jordan andRomero.
In 2014, San Diego State set seven school records, including battingaverage (.301), on-base percentage (.397), runs (301), hits (467),RBIs (270), walks (226) and times hit by pitch (30). The Aztecs went onto to finish 40-19, winning their third straight MW championship at 16-8. SDSU had three players named all-NFCA West Region, including Patrice Jackson (.338, 17 HR, 49 RBI) on the first team,Danielle O'Toole (31-10, 1.91 ERA) on second team and Cable(.356, 1 HR, 32 RBI) on the third team. Jackson set three schoolrecords, including on-base percentage (.523), RBIs (49, tied) andwalks (59), while Cable was hit by a pitch a program-best 14 timesand O'Toole had a school-record 31 wins. O'Toole was named the MW Pitcher of the Year, going 13-5 inleague play with a 2.15 ERA, and was joined by Jaylene Ignacio andJackson on the MW first-team in the first year that the league had a first and second team, while Dominique Dinnerand Katie Mathis each garnered second-team accolades.
SDSU was eliminated by No. 13 Michigan in the NCAA Tempe Regional. In 2013, San Diego State finished 36-20 overall and 13-5 in MW play,clinching its second straight league title and sixth overall. TheAztecs tied a school record with 13 straight wins from March12-April 6 and went 1-2 at the NCAA Tempe Regional.
Juniors Bauer and Jackson each were named EastonAll-Americans for their play. Bauer, a first-team pick, hit ateam-high .401 with 13 homers and 49 RBIs. Bauer was also afirst-team all-NFCA West Region pick and an all-MW selection.Jackson, who was a second-team pick, hit .366 with a team-high 18home runs and 48 RBIs. Jackson joined Bauer as a first-team all-NFCAWest Region selection as well as being named the MW Player of theYear.
Seniors Rebecca Arbino (21-13, 2.08 ERA) and Kamerin May (.305, 3HR, 24 RBI) each earned second-team all-NFCA West Region honors,giving SDSU a then school-record four picks.
The Aztecs also swept the Mountain West awards, becoming the firstteam in the league's history to win all four awards. Jackson wasnamed the MW Player of the Year, Arbino was the MW Pitcher of theYear, O'Toole was chosen as the MW Freshman of the Year andVan Wyk was named the MW Coach of the Year. In 2012, San Diego State went 32-24, including a 9-3 recordin the Mountain West, which was good enough for the conferencetitle. The Aztecs defeated three nationally ranked teams, includingNo. 20/20 Florida State twice at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. l. SDSUmade it all the way to the regional championship for the secondstraight year before falling to Hofstra. San Diego State ended up setting then single-season program records inslugging percentage (.466), doubles (79), home runs (58), RBIs (237)and total bases (692), while receiving votes in both national polls. Sophomore Hayley Miles was named a third-team NFCA All-American after shattering 11 single-season school recordsand setting five career records after just two seasons. Some of the records weren't even close, such as batting average(.429, previous best was .389), on-base percentage (.519, previousbest was .467), slugging percentage (.909, previous best was .633),OPS percentage (1.428, previous best was 1.053), runs (62, previousbest was 41), extra-base hits (42, previous best was 25), doubles(20, previous best was 14), home runs (20, previous best was 15),RBIs (49, previous best was 48), total bases (159, previous best was102) and walks (34, previous best was 28). She ended up alsobecoming a second-team Easton All-American, the Mountain WestCo-Player of the Year, a second-team NFCA All-West Region pick andto the Capital One Academic All-District Team. Miles was joined on the all-conference team by Arbino,Jackson, Jordan (the Mountain West Freshman of theYear), Justeen Maeva and Bailey Micetich.In 2011, San Diego State was 34-21 before falling to eventualnational champion Arizona State in the Tempe Regional final. TheAztecs set six program records at the time, including sluggingpercentage (.440), runs (266), doubles (74), home runs (42), RBIs(236) and total bases (630).0). Miles was named the league's freshman of the year and was joinedon the all-conference team by Micetich and Miles. In 2010, San Diego State went 34-16, including an 11-4 record in the Mountain West. SDSU defeated three nationally ranked teams before falling to No. 5 UCLA and Fresno State in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. Junior Samantha Beasley was named a third-team NFCA All-American after going 29-11 with a 1.20 ERA in 240 innings, while striking out a school-record 354 batters (79 more than the previous record). She added 14 shutouts (11 solo) and limited her opponents to a .173 batting average. Beasley set or tied SDSU single-season records in strikeouts (354), strikeouts per seven innings (10.33), opponents batting average (.173), solo shutouts (since 1999) (11) and total shutouts (tied, 14), and ranked in the top-five in six other categories. Beasley was joined on the NFCA All-Far West Region squad by Brittany Knudsen (.384, 34 R, 27 RBI) and Maeva (.362, 4 HR, 36 RBI). Beasley earned first-team honors, while Knudsen and Maeva were picked as second-team selections. In addition, all three players earned all-conference honors. In 2009, San Diego State went 33-20 to be picked as an at-large selection to the NCAA tournament. Despite losing both of its games in the NCAA Tempe Regional, the season had to be deemed a success. Nine of the Aztecs' 20 losses came against nationally ranked schools, including six against top-10 and Pac-10 teams, and four against 2008 Women's College World Series foes. Of those nine losses, four were against All-American pitchers. Micetich was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year and was joined on the all-league team by Beasley, Erin Floros, Tonye McCorkle and Knudsen. In 2008, the Aztecs set or tied school records in 11 categories, including wins (44) and win percentage (.721, 44-17).The 44-17 mark was even more remarkable considering the team played a schedule that featured games against seven of the eight WCWS teams from the year before, seven of the top-10 RPI teams and 12 of the top-25 and 23 of the top-50.San Diego State, which was ranked as high as No. 17 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball national poll, went on to pick up 10 victories against nationally ranked teams, including a 5-2 mark against its seven 2007 WCWS opponents. Other records set or tied by SDSU in 2008 (at the time) includes fewest home losses (5), best home winning percentage (.821), fewest road losses (4), best road winning percentage (.692), most MWC wins (15), most runs (243), most walks (169), most pitching strikeouts (394) and fewest triples allowed (4). Four players landed on the all-conference team, including the MW Pitcher of the Year Christina Ross, Floros, Megan McDonald and Tamani Wells. Ross, who wrapped up her stellar career with a 30-14 record and 1.00 ERA, also became the second All-America selection in school history when she was named to the Easton second team. Van Wyk was rewarded for the team's accomplishments when she was named the 2008 MW Coach of the Year for the third time in her career. She also earned the 2006 and 2002 award. In 2007, she led a young, and often injured Aztec squad to a 32-24 mark, the team's seventh 30-win season in eight years. Despite losing Floros, an All-American the previous year, 27 games into the season to a knee injury, all-MW selection Melissa Owens for six contests during the conference season, and 2006 all-MW pick Monica Alnes for five games, SDSU still managed to set school records(at the time) in batting average (.296), runs (238) and total bases (593). San Diego State also defeated six nationally ranked teams, including No. 6 Oregon State, 10th-ranked Texas and had a two-game sweep over No. 20 Georgia Tech. The inexperience and injuries, however, caught up to the Aztecs. SDSU committed an uncharacteristic 98 errors after making just 53 miscues the previous season. as the Aztecs used 50 different batting lineups in 56 games and 39 different defensive lineups. Four Aztecs - Ross, Owens, Knudsen and Lindsey Marquez - earned all-MW accolades. Under Van Wyk's guidance, the Aztecs had their then best season in school history in 2006 with a 34-15 record, culminating with a runner-up finish to host UCLA in the NCAA Regional. En route to its third MW regular season championship in six seasons, SDSU set or tied numerous team records including four that still stand: conference winning percentage (.833), road winning percentage (.692), most MW victories (15), and longest winning streak (13 games).In addition, despite playing only 49 games (SDSU typically plays around 60games), the Aztecs set many program records, including home runs(27), RBI (213), slugging percentage (.410) and on-base percentage(.379). Under Van Wyk's tutelage, Floros became the first All-American in Aztec history when she was named to the Easton-Bell Sports first team. She was also a third-team selection by Louisville Slugger/NFCA and earned MW Freshman-of-the-Year honors. Ross garnered MW Pitcher-of-the-Year accolades, and Floros and Ross were joined on the all-conference team by Alnes, Meagan Hartung and Celena Velasquez. In her 16 seasons on The Mesa, Van Wyk has coached 22 NFCA all-West Region selections,55 all-conference members (53 MW) and 16 (15 MW) all-conferencetournament performers (discontinued). In addition, she has had players earn pitcher or player of the week honors on101 occasions (94 MW).Van Wyk's players have been tabbed MW Pitcher-of-the-Year four consecutive years (2001-04) and again in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Aztecs were named MW Freshman of the Year two straight seasons (2002-03),in 2006 and 2009, and each of past two campaigns (2011-12). She won her 200th game in memorable fashion on Feb. 15, 2003, when catcher Amber Grahlman's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth scored first baseman Jacque Vaca, giving the Aztecs a 2-1 victory over No. 4 Michigan in the Campbell/Cartier Classic. When SDSU first baseman Lacey Craft finished off a ground-ball double play and the Buffalo Bulls for a 6-0 victory on March 21, 2004, Van Wyk won her 254th career game, more than any Aztec softball coach. In the 2006 Campbell-Cartier Classic, Ross, making her first start as an Aztec, pitched a complete game five-hit shutout, en route to five strikeouts and a 1-0 victory over Massachusetts, giving Van Wyk her 300th career coaching victory. On April 24, 2008, Ross broke two school records (career strikeouts and single-season strikeouts) to help SDSU manage a split at Brigham Young for Van Wyk's 400th career win. On April 8, 2011, Lorena Klopp and Jen Wisneski each homered,while Micetich tossed a complete game five-hit shutout to lift theAztecs to a 8-0 win at New Mexico, giving Van Wyk the magical winNo. 500. Prior to San Diego State, Van Wyk spent 10 seasons as a player and an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton. She was an assistant coach from 1983-87, helping the Titans to the 1986 NCAA national title. After leaving Fullerton, she became a pitching instructor at the Rod Carew Baseball School in Anaheim, Calif., from 1987-89. In 1989, she moved to Azzano Decimo, Italy, where she was the head coach and pitcher for the Azzanase club. She guided a team that had recorded just one win the previous season to its first playoff berth. From January to March 1990, she was the pitching coach for the Walkerville Softball Club in Adelaide, Australia. She then returned to CS Fullerton as an assistant for the 1991 season. In addition to coaching the Aztec softball team, she was the pitching coach for the Dutch national team leading up to and during the 1998 World Championships in Japan. As a player, Van Wyk established herself as one of the top pitchers in the history of collegiate softball, enjoying a phenomenal 1982 season with a 35-1 mark and a 0.18 ERA. The victories remain a school single-season record and her .972 winning percentage was an NCAA Division I record (30 or more decisions) until 2001 when Jennie Finch of Arizona went 32-0. Her ERA is still eighth-best in Division I history and her 33-game winning streak remains a record for consecutive victories. Her phenomenal season included four no-hitters, six one-hitters, back-to-back perfect games, 26 shutouts (ninth most in NCAA history in a single season) and 270 strikeouts. Throughout her career, she won numerous awards, including All-America honors and the Broderick Award, which is given annually to the nation's top collegiate player. She was also named the WCAA Player of the Year, Orange County Athlete of the Month and won an NCAA postgraduate scholarship with a 3.43 grade-point average. Van Wyk was a member of the U.S. softball team in 1985 and 1989 and is a five-time Amateur Softball Association All-American. Van Wyk began her collegiate playing career at Texas Women's University, where she garnered 1979 Texas AIAW Player of the Year accolades and was inducted into the TWU Hall of Fame. She transferred to CS Fullerton in 1981 after TWU dropped its softball program. A 1982 graduate of Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in physical education, Van Wyk completed her master's degree in education in 1993 at Azusa Pacific. | | The Van Wyk File | Hometown | Holland, Mich. | High School | Holland Christian, 1978 | Education | B.S., Physical Education, Cal StateFullerton, 1983 M.A., Education, Azusa Pacific, 1993 | Coaching History | 1997-2017 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 1996 | Dutch National Team | Pitching Coach | 1995-96 | San Diego State | Co-Head Coach | 1991-94 | CS Fullerton | Assistant Coach | 1990 | Walkerville Softball Club | Pitching Coach | 1989 | Azzanase Club | Head Coach/Player | 1987-89 | Rod Carew BB School | Pitching Instructor | 1983-87 | CS Fullerton | Assistant Coach | SDSU Coaching Ledger | Year | School | Title | Record | 2017 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 31-18 | 2016 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 30-22 | 2015 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 38-20 | 2014 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 40-19 | 2013 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 36-20 | 2012 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 32-24 | 2011 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 34-21 | 2010 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 34-16 | 2009 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 33-20 | 2008 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 44-17 | 2007 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 32-24 | 2006 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 34-15 | 2005 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 27-30 | 2004 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 37-23 | 2003 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 39-21 | 2002 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 41-22 | 2001 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 41-25 | 2000 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 35-27 | 1999 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 24-24 | 1998 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 24-35 | 1997 | San Diego State | Head Coach | 30-30 | Coaching Career Numbers | 5 | MW Coach of the Year honors (2002, 06, 08,13, 14) | 11 | NCAA tournament appearances (2001, 03, 06, 08-15) | 8 | All-Americans (Erin Floros 06, Christina Ross 08,Samantha Beasley 10, Bailey Micetich 11, Hayley Miles 12,Lorena Bauer 13, Patrice Jackson 13, Jenavee Peres 17) | 39 | NFCA all-West Region Selections | 77 | All-conference honorees (75 in MW) | 9 | MW Pitcher of the Year awards | 9 | MW Freshman of the Year awards | 4 | MW Player of the Year awards | 132 | Player of the Week winners (125 in MW) | Milestone Wins | First Win as Co-Head Coach: | vs. Saint Mary's (6-1) Feb. 12, 1995 | First Win as Head Coach: | vs. San Diego (6-0) Feb. 14, 1996 | First Conference Win: | at UNLV (1-10) March 7, 1997 | First NCAA Tourney Win: | vs. CS Northridge (2-0) May 17, 2001 | 100th Win: | vs. CS Fullerton (1-0) April 9, 2000 | 200th Win: | vs. Michigan (2-1) Feb. 15, 2003 | SDSU Record 254th Win: | vs. Buffalo (6-0) March 21, 2004 | 300th Win: | vs. Massachusetts (1-0) Feb. 12, 2006 | 400th Win: | vs.Brigham Young (4-0) April 24, 2008 | 500th Win: | at NewMexico (8-0) April 8, 2011 | 600th Win: | at NewMexico (11-9) March 21, 2014 | 700thWin: | vs.Longwood (5-1) March 11, 2017 | Playing History | 1981-83 | CS Fullerton | Pitcher | 1979-81 | Texas Women's | Pitcher | Playing CareerNumbers (1982 season) | .972 | Winning percentage (8th best all-time) | 33 | Winning streak (best all-time) | 4 | No-hitters | 6 | One-hitters | 27 | Shutouts (6th best all-time) | 270 | Strikeouts | 2 | Perfect games back-to-back |
|