Kelena Sauer Season 2023

HONORS
2023 First-Team All-Mountain West Selection
2023 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List
2021 Mountain West All-Academic Team

2022 SEASON (As A Sophomore): Ranked third on the Aztecs with 20 appearances, making seven starts to begin the year … Posted a 2-6 record with a 5.23 ERA … Led the team with five saves, which was tied for fourth in the Mountain West … Finished fifth on the squad with 45 strikeouts in 43.0 innings of work … Earned his first victory of the season after striking out six batters over five innings in SDSU’s 4-3 triumph over Houston at the MLB4 Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona (2-19-22) … Fanned seven hitters over five innings vs. Utah at the Tony Gwynn Legacy but did not factor in the decision (2-26-22) … Pitched a career-long 6.1 innings in the Aztecs’ narrow 6-4 setback at home to Arizona State (3-5-22) … Set a collegiate best with nine strikeouts in just five innings in the second game of a home series against UNLV (3-12-22) … Collected his first career save in his initial relief appearance of the year after preserving SDSU’s 14-13 victory at New Mexico despite yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits in 2.1 innings (4-15-22) … Allowed two hits or less in his final 12 outings and had nine scoreless stints, including four straight to end the season … Did not issue a walk in eight of his final 12 games out of the bullpen either … Notched saves in three consecutive appearances vs. Long Beach State (4-26-22) and Fresno State (4-29 & 5-1-22) … Picked up a win in relief after striking out four batters in two innings, as the Aztecs rallied for a 7-6 thriller over Air Force in 12 innings (5-6-22) … Saved SDSU’s final victory of the 2022 campaign after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout, as the Scarlet and Black prevailed over regular-season conference champion UNLV, 6-3, in the second game of a road series (5-20-22).

2021 SEASON (As A Freshman): Pitched 13 games as a reliever to go with one start in his first season on The Mesa … Posted a 1-0 record with a 4.20 ERA and 19 strikeouts … Gave up 14 hits and 10 runs (seven earned) in 15.0 innings of work … Held opponents scoreless in his first four appearances and eight for the season … Did not allow a hit in five of his games played … Recorded the final two outs in SDSU’s season-opening 14-7 victory vs. San Diego, fanning the first batter he faced in his Aztec debut (2-19-21) … Set season highs with five strikeouts and 2.2 innings vs. UC San Diego (2-27-21) … Also struck out four batters in 2.0 innings against Fresno State (3-6-21) … Received his first career start in the series finale vs. Air Force (3-21-21) … Was credited with his first collegiate victory in the first game of a road series at Fresno State  despite yielding two unearned runs in 0.2 innings, as the Scarlet and Black rallied for a 12-11 triumph (4-17-21) … Contributed to SDSU’s 8-7 comeback win vs. Dixie State by recording two strikeouts and inducing an inning-ended double play in the seventh (4-24-21) … Earned a spot on the Mountain West all-academic team.

PRIOR TO COLLEGE: Graduated in 2020 from Kamehameha High School where he was a two-year varsity competitor for head coach Daryl Kitagawa … Earned all-state honors in 2019 after helping the Warriors reach the quarterfinals of the Hawai’i High School Athletic Association tournament … Earned a save in the opening round matchup vs. Castle High by tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks … Team finished with a No. 6 state ranking in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Baseball Top 10 that year … Was rated the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in Hawai’i for the 2020 high school graduating class by Perfect Game and 124th nationally at his position … Also received a scout grade of 9 by the website and was ranked as the third-best incoming freshman in the Mountain West for 2021 … Garnered first-team preseason All-America accolades for the West Region in 2020 by Perfect Game before his senior campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic … Played for the Brewers squad at the prestigious Area Code Games in August 2019 after competing at the PG National Showcase earlier that summer in Phoenix, Arizona.