Cielo Meza, #50, Pitcher for Arizona State University Sun Devils.
Did you know Fillmore has three successful female athletes, Cielo Meza (Softball), Valerie Tobias (Soccer), and Jessie Fontes, who are playing Soccer and Softball at the Division 1 Pac12 level?
This week we will feature Fillmore’s Cielo Meza who is currently a Freshman Pitcher for the Arizona State University Sun Devils, a Division 1 NCAA Pac12 Softball team. Below is her player profile.
Somebody's Hero, Once the glove is tucked away, Cielo Meza plans to follow her hero's footsteps and become a first responder” - just like her Dad/09/08/2020
Redshirt Senior (2020 at ASU):
• Led the Sun Devils in the circle with 10 wins and a 1.93 ERA on the season
• Her 17 appearances and 14 strikeouts were also a team-high
• Started 13 games of the abbreviated season, throwing 91 strikeouts in 74.1 innings pitched
• Ranked third in the Pac-12 with three shutouts and ten for total victories
• Claimed three complete shutouts of the team's nation-leading 13 shutouts to land on the nation’s top-20 list
• Threw her first no-hitter as a Sun Devil on Feb. 9 against Seattle University, the first no-hitter thrown by a Sun Devil since 2018
• Recorded a season-high 14 strikeouts in no-hitter against Seattle to land in the top-10 of ASU's all-time strikeouts by a pitcher in seven innings
• Showed out in critical moments, allowing only 15 hits with two outs in 88 at-bats
• One of four Sun Devils in Softball America’s Top 100 at No. 66
Redshirt Junior (2019 at ASU):
• Made strides through her first year as a Sun Devil, pitching a team-leading 98 innings, finishing the season with a 7-3 record while also adding a save on the year.
• Made her first start in the maroon and gold in ASU's hard fought loss to Missouri in the second half of an opening day doubleheader.
• Pitched a season-high seven innings in an ASU win over Cal on May 3.
• Struck out a season-high 11 in a win over Utah State on Feb. 17
• Secured the Sun Devil's opening round win at the 2019 Tuscaloosa regional, holding the Bison to just four hits in her first postseason appearance for ASU.
• Tallied 78 strikeouts on the season, including 45 strikeouts in Pac-12 play.
Redshirt Sophomore (2018 at Long Beach State University):
• Enjoyed a phenomenal season, posting a 22-4 overall record with a 1.48 ERA and 217 strikeouts, leading the Big West in all three triple crown categories
• For her efforts, Meza was honored as the Big West Pitcher of the Year, and also earned first-team All-Big West honors
• Meza pitched a pair of no-hitters, including one against No. 21 Minnesota, and broke the Long Beach State single-game record with 17 strikeouts against Hawai’i
• The sophomore becomes the ninth different player from Long Beach State to be named Pitcher of the Year
• Started the season with a dominant performance, striking out 12 with two hits allowed in a complete game win over Louisiana Tech
• Tied her carer high with 15 strikeouts in a complete game win over Iowa State
• Earned the win with another complete game against No. 12 Auburn, striking out 12
• Threw the second no-hitter of her career against #21 Minnesota, striking out 11 in a 1-0 LBSU victory
• Pitched her sixth complete game shutout of the season at LMU, allowing two hits and striking out seven in the road victory
• Saw her last action of the season in the Beach’s opening game of the 2018 Tempe Regional.
Redshirt Freshman (2017 at Long Beach State University):
• Named the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-Big West selection despite missing nearly all of non-conference play.
• Also named to the Big West All-Freshman team
• Ranked 20th in the nation with a 1.26 ERA
• Returned to action on March 28 and threw 24.1 scoreless innings before allowing a run
• Struck out 56 batters in 13 appearances, totaling 66.2 innings pitched on the season
• Started 12 games, throwing five shutouts
• Pitched a no-hitter in the finale at UC Riverside, striking out seven batters in the seven inning victory
Freshman (2016 at Long Beach State University):
• Qualified for a medical redshirt after a season-ending injury in early March
• Pitched extremely well in her limited appearances, striking out 85 batters in 14 appearances
• Went 6-6 with a 2.59 ERA while finishing the season with 67.2 innings pitched
• Ranked in the nation's Top 20 in strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 8.8
• Made her collegiate debut against Syracuse, pitching a complete game with 13 strikeouts and allowing three hits and one unearned run in a 1-0 loss
Prior to Long Beach State University...
Meza was a dominant pitcher for St. Bonaventure, earning two-time MaxPreps First-Team All-American honors, Cal-Hi Sports First Team All-State Selection and CIF Division Player of the Year selection from Agoura High School. She was also named to the Mexico junior national team before she stepped foot on a college campus. Cielo led St. Bonaventure to back-to-back league and CIF Southern Section championships where she was named the league MVP for two straight years. Went 21-5 in the circle as a senior, posting a 0.57 ERA with 348 strikeouts while also hitting .348 for the Seraphs as a senior. In her junior season, Meza posted a 15-2 record, striking out 228 with a 0.65 ERA while also hitting at a .362 clip.
Player profile courtesy the team website https://thesundevils.com/sports/softball/roster/cielo-meza/11650
