SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State softball team has signed a pair of student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, head coach Kathy Van Wyk announced today. The two athletes - AnneMarie Murphy and Loganne Stepp - join a program that has won a Mountain West-best seven regular-season championships in the 21-year history of the league.
Murphy comes to the Aztecs from Millennium High School in Goodyear, Ariz., where she has earned four letters so far as a shortstop. A multi-time all-league selection in both softball and soccer, Murphy is ranked as the 86th-best recruit in the country by Extra Innings. According to MaxPreps, Murphy has batted .440 (33-for-75) over her high school career with 25 runs, 28 RBIs, six doubles, two triples and four home runs, while owning a .511 on-base percentage and a .733 slugging percentage. A scholar-athlete at MHS, Murphy was named a first-team Sports 360 AZ All-Academic selection in 2020 after posting a 4.10 GPA. Murphy plays her club ball at Arizona Hotshots 18U Gold - Georges for coach Brian Georges.
Stepp, meanwhile, is also from Arizona, where she prepped at Hamilton High School in Chandler. Stepp, who pitched, played second base and outfield in high school, posted a 30-6 record over her career in the circle, according to MaxPreps, with a 1.56 ERA. She struck out 302 against just 33 walks, while limiting the opposition to a .195 average. At the plate, Stepp hit .340 (67-for-197) with 68 runs, 32 RBIs, 19 doubles, two triples and four home runs, posting a .463 on-base percentage and a .517 slugging percentage. Stepp plays her club ball for the Arizona Hot Shots 18U Gold - Davis/Downes for coaches Gary Davis and Brad Downes.
San Diego State finished 17-11 last season and was 37th (out of 298 schools) in the initial RPI, which is a mathematical calculation used to help determine each team's success, using a calculated strength of schedule and won-loss percentage. The Aztecs, who have won a Mountain West-best seven regular-season championships in the 20-year history of the league, were supposed to play host to defending league champion Colorado State the weekend of March 13-15 before the NCAA canceled the rest of spring competition on March 12.
This year SDSU added Power 5 transfers Jenna Holcomb (Tennessee), Alyssa Pinto (Oregon/Ole Miss), Danielle Romanello (Florida) and Nicole Seiss (Mt. SAC/Purdue), and incoming freshmen Makena Brocki, Jeweliana Perez and Eliana Reyes. Additionally, seniors Shelby Thompson (four-time all-MW selection) and Marissa Moreno (2019 second-team all-MW pick) are coming back for a fifth season in 2021.