SDSU'S HAYLEY MILES NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

SDSU News Center

January 29, 2014 (San Diego)--San Diego State junior Hayley Miles (Antelope, Calif./Center HS) has been named to the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today. It is the second straight season that Miles made the initial 50-player list.  View: 2014 USA SOFTBALL COLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

Miles (2013-14), who redshirted last year, and Erin Floros (2007) are the only Aztecs to ever be named to the pre-season watch list.

Previous recipients of the award, the most prestigious individual honor in NCAA Division I softball, include UCLA catcher and current SDSU associate head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz (2002), Texas pitcher Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006), Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott (2007), Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010), Stanford shortstop Ashley Hansen (2011) and Keilani Ricketts (2012 and 2013), among others.

In 2012, Miles was named a second-team Easton All-American, third-team NFCA All-American, second-team NFCA All-West Region selection and the MW Co-Player of the Year after shattering 11 school single-season records, all from the leadoff spot. Those records included batting average (.429, previous best was .389), on-base percentage (.519, previous best was .467), slugging percentage (.909, previous best was .633), OPS percentage (1.428, previous best was 1.053), runs (62, previous best was 41), extra-base hits (42, previous best was 25), doubles (20, previous best was 14), home runs (20, previous best was 15), RBIs (49, previous best was 48), total bases (159, previous best was 102) and walks (34, previous best was 28).

Miles already owns four San Diego State career records after just two seasons, including batting average (.389), on-base percentage (.482), slugging percentage (.738) and OPS percentage (1.220). She's also second in extra-base hits (61), third in home runs (25), sixth in runs (95) and doubles (31), seventh in total bases (245) and ninth in walks (56).

Miles is the only MW athlete on the preseason watch list.

The top-25 finalists for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 9. While an athlete does not have to be on the watch list to be considered for the top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the top-25 finalists. The top-10 finalists will be announced May 7 with the final three coming on May 21. On May 27 prior to the start of the 2014 NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed.

The Aztecs are coming off a 36-20 season in 2013, advancing to the NCAA tournament for a school-record sixth consecutive year and capturing its sixth Mountain West title and second straight league championship. SDSU kicks off its 2014 campaign at Arizona State's Kajikawa Classic from Feb. 6-8, beginning with games against Appalachian State and Oregon State on Feb. 6. San Diego State will also face No. 22/20 Stanford the following day, and Cal Poly and Seattle on Feb. 8.