COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Diego State had 12 players make the Mountain West 25th Season Team, the league announced Tuesday ahead of the MW Tournament this week in Boise, Idaho. The 12 selections were easily the most in the league for the nine-time MW regular-season champions.
In all, the Aztecs had 12 of the 35 overall players on the 25th Season Team, including seven of the 25 offensive players and five of the 10 pitchers. SDSU's 12 selections are seven more than Brigham Young, Fresno State and UNLV, all of which had five apiece. Colorado State and Utah each had two on the team, while Boise State, Nevada, New Mexico and San Jose State had one apiece. Utah State was the only program (past or current) not to have a player represented on the MW 25th Season Team.
The seven offensive players include Mac Barbara (2022-current), Lorena Bauer (2011-13, 2015), Erin Floros (2006-09), Patrice Jackson (2010, 2012-14), Brittany Knudsen (2007-10), Hayley Miles (2011-12, 2014-15) and Jenavee Peres (2015-17), while the five pitchers are Maggie Balint (2020-22), Samantha Beasley (2008-11), Bre DeSanta (2002-03), Sandra Durazo (1998-01, only a member of the MW for 2000-01) and Christina Ross (2006-08).
Barbara, one of just two active players on the 25th Season Team, was the 2022 MW Player of the Year and a two-time first-team all-MW selection so far in her career (the 2024 all-conference teams comes out Wednesday). A 2022 NFCA Third-Team All-American, Barbara is a two-time all-MW first-team pick (2022-23) and four-time MW Player of the Week, including last week as San Diego State clinched the MW regular-season title over the weekend at UNLV. Barbara currently has program records with a .484 on-base percentage and a 1.216 OPS percentage, while ranking second in batting average (.375) and RBIs (148), third in home runs (40) and slugging percentage (.732), fourth in walks (98) and extra-base hits (76), and fifth in total bases (334).
Bauer, meanwhile, was the 2015 MW Player of the Year and two-time all-MW selection (2013 and 2015). A two-time all-NFCA West Region pick (2013 and 2015) and five-time MW Player of the Week, Bauer has Aztec all-time records in home runs (60), RBIs (200), doubles (51), extra-base hits (114) and total bases (452), while also ranking second in slugging percentage (.737), third in OPS percentage (1.148), fourth in batting average (.351), fifth in hits (215), and eighth in on-base percentage (.411).
A three-time all-MW selection (2006, 2008-09) and the 2006 MW Freshman of the Year, Floros became SDSU's first All-American in program history as a freshman in 2006 when she garnered third-team NFCA honors. Floros, who was recently inducted into San Diego State's Athletic Hall of Fame, was also a two-time MW Player of the Week. Among the Aztec all-time greats, Floros is 10th in on-base percentage (.408).
One of the most feared sluggers in league history, Jackson was the 2013 MW Player of the Year and made three all-MW teams (2012-14). A two-time first-team all-NFCA West Region selection (2013-14), Jackson ranks second all-time at SDSU in home runs (46) and walks (103), tied for second in sacrifice flies (9), third in RBIs (138) and extra-base hits (81), fourth in slugging percentage (.641), OPS percentage (1.067) and total bases (351), and seventh in on-base percentage (.426).
Knudsen was a three-time all-MW pick (2007, 2009-10) and a two-time NFCA All-West Region selection (2007 and 2010). She also made the second-team CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team in 2010 and was a three-time MW Player of the Week. Knudsen ranks third all-time at San Diego State in walks (99), tied for third in runs (134), fourth in hits (226), on-base percentage (.433) and singles (172), tied for fifth in games started (218) and triples (8), sixth in at-bats (658), tied for sixth in doubles (36), tied for seventh in games played (220), eighth in batting average (.343), stolen bases (45) and total bases (308), tied for ninth in extra-base hits (54), 10th in OPS percentage (.900) and tied for 10th in sacrifice bunts (29).
The 2012 MW Co-Player of the Year and 2012 NFCA Second-Team All-American, Miles was a two-time all-MW selection (2011-12) and the 2011 MW Freshman of the Year. Miles, a three-time MW Player of the Week and a national player of the week (April 24, 2012 by both Louisville Slugger and USA Softball), also was a first-team all-NFCA West Region pick and a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 selection, both in 2012. Miles has a school-record 120 career walks, and also ranks second in runs (157), doubles (46), total bases (381) and extra-base hits (90), third in on-base percentage (.442), fourth in home runs (37) and games started (222), fifth in RBIs (130), slugging percentage (.598), OPS percentage (1.040) and games played (223), seventh in hits (210), tied for eighth in times hit by pitch (11) and tied for 10th in triples (7).
Peres, the only second-team NFCA All-American (2017) in program history, was the 2017 MW Player of the Year and the 2015 MW Freshman of the Year. She twice made the NFCA All-West Region team and the all-MW squad in 2015 and 2017 after missing most of 2016 with an injury. A four-time MW Player of the Week, Peres has program records of a .409 batting average (No. 2 is .375) and .743 slugging percentage, while ranking second in on-base percentage (.466) and OPS percentage (1.209), tied for second in sacrifice flies (9), fourth in RBIs (131), fifth in home runs (34), tied for sixth in times hit by pitch (12), seventh in runs (112) and extra-base hits (63), and 10th in total bases (298).
Balint made the team after being named the 2022 MW Pitcher of the Year and making the all-MW team in all three seasons she was an Aztec (2020-22). Balint, who also made three all-NFCA West Region selections over those three years, was an 11-time MW Pitcher of the Week, including nine times in the 2022 campaign. Balint ranks second all-time at SDSU in strikeouts per seven innings (8.14) and opponent average (.199), fourth in winning percentage (.694), fifth in WHIP (0.999) and hits allowed per seven innings (5.06), tied for fifth in saves (10), sixth in strikeouts (504) and solo shutouts (since 1999) (13), seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.20), ninth in wins (43) and tied for ninth in total shutouts (17).
Beasley garnered NFCA Third-Team All-American honors in 2010, and was also the MW Pitcher of the Year and a first-team all-NFCA West Region selection. A two-time all-MW pick (2009-10), Beasley was a 14-time MW Pitcher of the Week, including nine times in the 2010 campaign. Beasley owns San Diego State career records in strikeouts (799), strikeouts per seven innings (8.74), total shutouts (36) and solo shutouts (since 1999) (23, tied), while ranking third in opponent average (.207), tied for third in saves (11), fourth in wins (61) and appearances (139), tied for fifth in games started (92), sixth in innings pitched (639.2), eighth in fewest hits allowed per seven innings (5.36), ninth in winning percentage (.642) and complete games (45), and 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.86).
DeSanta made the most of her two seasons with the Aztecs, being named the MW Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in 2022, and earning all-MW honors both in 2022 and 2023. A two-time all-NFCA Region selection, DeSanta was the MW Pitcher of the Week eight times. DeSanta ranks first at SDSU in opponent average (.191), second in winning percentage (.717) and hits allowed per seven innings (4.66), fourth in strikeouts per seven innings (6.39), fifth in ERA (1.26), seventh in saves (7) and solo shutouts (since 1999) (12), eighth in WHIP (1.034), and ninth in strikeouts (354).
Durazo, meanwhile, landed on the team with only two years of playing in the league (2000-01). She was the 2001 MW Pitcher of the Year and a first-team all-NFCA West Region pick, leading San Diego State to the NCAA tournament for the first time as the Aztecs came up a win shy of making the Women's College World Series. Durazo was a seven-time MW Pitcher of the Week (and two-time WAC Player of the Week), and has her number retired in the outfield at SDSU Softball Stadium and is in the San Diego State Athletics Hall of Fame. Durazo has school records in wins (87), complete games (95), appearances (165), games started (116) and innings pitched (879.0), and is tied for second in total shutouts (28), fourth in strikeouts (543) and solo shutouts (since 1999) (19), and ninth in opponent average (.240).
Ross is the 12th and final Aztec to make the MW 25th Season Team. A two-time MW Pitcher of the Year (2006 and 2008), three-time all-MW selection (2006-08) and two-time all-NFCA West Region honoree (2006 and 2008), Ross was named the MW Pitcher of the Week 12 times in her three years at SDSU, including nine times as a senior in 2008. Ross ranks in a tie for first all-time at San Diego State since 1999 in solo shutouts (23), second in wins (70), complete games (72), strikeouts (612) and innings pitched (691.1), tied for second on total shutouts (28), third in games started (96), fifth in winning percentage (.660) and opponent average (.218), sixth in strikeouts per seven innings (6.20), seventh in ERA (1.50), eighth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.97), tied for eighth in saves (6) and appearances (129), and ninth in WHIP (1.041).
SDSU (28-18) enters the 2024 MW tournament as the top seed and will face either fourth-seeded Fresno State or fifth-seeded Boise State at 6:30 p.m. MT (5:30 p.m. PT) Thursday in Boise, Idaho.
Mountain West All-25-Year Softball Team
Players
Tara Glover, Boise State
Oli Keohohou, BYU
Ianeta Le'I, BYU
Jodi Norton, BYU
Jessica Purcell-Fitu, BYU
Jennifer Whiteley, BYU
Amber Nelson, Colorado State
Jessica Strickland, Colorado State
Keahilele Mattson, Fresno State
Brenna Moss, Fresno State
Kierra Willis, Fresno State
Chelie Senini, Nevada
Andrea Howard, New Mexico
Jenavee Peres, San Diego State
Mac Barbara, San Diego State
Lorena Bauer, San Diego State
Erin Floros, San Diego State
Patrice Jackson, San Diego State
Brittany Knudsen, San Diego State
Hayley Miles, San Diego State
Racheal Goodpaster, UNLV
Marissa Nichols, UNLV
Geney Orris, UNLV
Diana Phillips, Utah
Jackie Wong, Utah
Pitchers
Jill Compton, Fresno State
Hailey Dolcini, Fresno State
Maggie Balint, San Diego State
Samantha Beasley, San Diego State
Bre DeSanta, San Diego State
Sandra Durazo, San Diego State
Christina Ross, San Diego State
Jenessa Ullegue, San José State
Jenny Bressler, UNLV
Jacque Kerrigan, UNLV