COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Diego State softball's Maggie Balint (West Grove, Pa.) and AJ Murphy (Goodyear, Ariz.) have each been named Mountain West Players of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. Balint was chosen as the MW Pitcher of the Week for the eighth time in 12 opportunities this season, while Murphy is MW Freshman of the Week for the second time.
San Diego State, which is No. 22 in the latest DISoftball.com rankings, has now won 16 of the 36 MW weekly awards this year, including eight pitchers of the week, seven freshmen and one player.
The duo led the Aztecs (33-12, 16-2 MW) to a series sweep at San Jose State by a combined 25-6 score. SDSU won, 7-1, on Friday, 10-2 in five innings on Saturday and 8-3 on Sunday.
Balint, who has now been named the MW Pitcher of the Week 10 times for her career, was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 11 innings, striking out 17 with three walks. Balint limited the Spartans to a .175 average with just one of the seven hits going for extra-bases. The right-hander picked up the win in the opener on Friday, allowing one unearned run on four hits and two walks over five innings, while striking out seven, exiting the game with San Diego State up, 7-1. Balint earned the victory once again on Sunday, yielding one run on three hits and a walk over six innings, striking out 10 batters, while leaving with an 8-1 Aztec advantage.
On the season, Balint is 15-5 with six saves and a 1.48 ERA, striking out 232 against 33 walks, while limiting her opponents to a .176 average. Among the SDSU single-season leaders, Balint ranks first in strikeouts per seven innings (10.73), tied for first in saves (6), third in strikeouts (232), tied for third in winning percentage (.750), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.03) and opponent average (.176), eighth in WHIP (0.85) and 10th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.44). Among the national leaders, Balint is tied for second in saves (6), 14th in strikeouts (232) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.03), 15th in strikeouts per seven innings (10.73), tied for 22nd in ERA (1.48) and 35th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.44).
Murphy, meanwhile, was 7-for-12 (.583) with five RBIs, a run, a double and two stolen bases, owning a .583 on-base percentage, while playing a perfect shortstop in three fielding chances. Murphy was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in SDSU's 7-1 win on Friday. She was then 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs and a double in San Diego State's 10-2, five-inning victory on Saturday. Murphy finished her weekend with a 3-for-4 outing with a run and a career-high two stolen bases in an Aztec 8-3 win on Sunday.
On the year, Murphy is batting .302 (35-for-116) with two home runs, 22 RBIs, 14 runs, four doubles and five walks, starting 42 of her 43 appearances.
San Diego State has won all six of its MW series this season and is in first place in the league standings at 16-2, three games ahead of Boise State and UNLV, which are each 13-5 in league play. The Aztecs have already won series against Boise State and UNLV and can clinch the division title with a sweep at home against Utah State this weekend regardless of what happens with the Broncos and Rebels. SDSU ends its regular season with a series at New Mexico from May 12-14.
San Diego State and the Aggies (25-24, 10-8 MW) will play 6 p.m. PT Friday, 4 p.m. PT Saturday and noon PT Sunday at SDSU Softball Stadium. Following the game Sunday will be a ceremony honoring the Aztecs' six departing seniors - Taylor Adams, Balint, Jessica Cordola, Alexa Schultz, Danielle Romanello and Nicole Siess.