SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State softball head coach Kathy Van Wyk has announced that former Oregon standout Maggie Balint has signed a Grant-In-Aid to join the Aztec program.
Balint, a 2017 first-team NFCA All-Pacific Region selection, first-team all-Pac-12 pick and a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, can play immediately and will have two years of eligibility left, beginning in the 2020 season.
Over her two years with the Ducks (2017-18), Balint went a remarkable 28-4 in the circle with a 1.51 ERA. In 185 2/3 innings, the right-hander finished with 13 complete games, five shutouts and three saves, striking out 214 with just 53 walks, while limiting the opposition to a .189 average.
As a freshman in 2017, Balint helped Oregon reach the semifinals of the Women's College World Series and finish with a 54-8 record. For the season, she was 21-3 with a 1.22 ERA and three saves in 126 innings, striking out 152 batters and holding her opponents to a .174 average. In addition to her first-team all-region and all-Pac-12 honors, and being a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award, Balint was one of 34 finalists (and the only freshman) for the USA Softball Player of the Year award. She was also on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and earned a spot on the NCAA All-Eugene Regional team, while earning Pac-12 Pitcher-of-the-Week accolades on April 4, going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 17 strikeouts in four appearances.
In 2018 as a sophomore, where she entered the season on the USA Softball Player of the Year watch list, she overcame injuries to go 7-1 with a 2.11 ERA in 18 games (10 starts), striking out 62 and walking just 16 in 59 2/3 innings. The Ducks finished 53-10 on the season, falling to eventual national champion Florida State in the WCWS.
Balint went to Oregon as the No. 4 recruit in the nation by FloSoftball.com out of Avon Grove High School in West Grove, Pa. A three-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, Balint struck out 1,322 batters for her career, the second most in Pennsylvania history. As a senior, she was 24-4 with a 0.50 ERA, one perfect game and five no-hitters, recording 371 strikeouts in 195 innings. As a junior, Balint was 19-4 with a 0.35 ERA with 294 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings, while hitting .493 with three homers at the plate.
In addition to Balint, San Diego State will return its top-two hitters from a year ago, eight of its top 10 and all three pitchers.
Aztec Softball Adds Maggie Balint to the Program
