Oct. 29, 2014
2015 SDSU SOFTBALL SCHEDULE | PDF VERSION
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State softball head coach Kathy Van Wyk has announced a 55-game schedule for the 2015 spring season, highlighted by five contests against 2014 Women's College World Series opponents, including each of the past two NCAA champions in Florida (2014) and Oklahoma (2013).
The Aztecs, who won their third straight Mountain West title last season and seventh in the 15-year history of the league, will once again play host to three tournaments, including the 25th annual Campbell/Cartier Classic. SDSU also advanced to its school-record seventh consecutive NCAA tournament and eighth in nine seasons in 2014.
Altogether, San Diego State will play five of the eight teams that advanced to the WCWS (Baylor, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Oregon), nine of the 16 that played in the Super Regionals (also Arizona, Michigan, Nebraska and UCLA) and 15 games against 14 teams that made the NCAA tournament (also Brigham Young, Long Beach State (twice), LSU, North Dakota State and Texas A&M).
Additionally, the Aztecs will play 20 percent of their games (11) against teams that finished in the top 25 in the NCAA RPI last year and a whopping 42 percent (23) against teams in the top 100.
SDSU begins its season on the road for the eighth straight year when it makes the short drive north for the SoCal Collegiate Classic in Fullerton, Calif. (Feb. 6), and Los Angeles (Feb. 7-8). Two of San Diego State's five games in the tournament will be against 2014 NCAA tourney teams, including Texas A&M (Feb. 7) and co-host UCLA (Feb. 8). The Aztecs also play Purdue twice (Feb. 6-7) and Idaho State (Feb. 6).
SDSU opens its home portion of the schedule the following weekend with the 25th edition of the Campbell/Cartier Classic. San Diego State is slated to meet NCAA tournament team North Dakota State on Feb. 12, Oregon State and Seton Hall the following day, and Central Michigan on Feb. 14.
The Aztecs then take their talents to the always competitive Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (formerly the Cathedral City Classic) near Palm Springs, Calif., from Feb. 19-22. The task at the MNCC will be daunting to say the least as they will take on Oklahoma and LSU on Feb. 19, Nebraska the following day, Kentucky on Feb. 20 and Stanford on Feb. 21. As mentioned before, Oklahoma won the NCAA title in 2013 and was joined in last year's WCWS by Kentucky, Nebraska was a Super Regional qualifier and LSU made the NCAA tournament once again. Stanford, meanwhile, made it to 16 consecutive NCAA tournaments before being left out of the 64 last year.
SDSU returns to America's Finest City the following weekend (Feb. 27-March 1) for the San Diego Classic I, which it co-hosts with San Diego. On the docket for San Diego State is St. John's and Cal Poly on the opening day, Iowa State on Feb. 28 and defending national champion Florida on March 1.
The Aztecs travel back to Fullerton, Calif., for the Judi Garman Classic from March 6-8, where they will face Pacific on March 6, Michigan (2014 NCAA Super Regionals qualifier, which beat SDSU twice at the NCAA Tempe Regional last year) and Iowa on March 7, Long Beach State (2014 NCAA participant) and host Cal State Fullerton on March 8.
San Diego State then plays host to the massive San Diego Classic II from March 12-15 (Aztecs only play from March 12-14) at SDSU Softball Stadium and the Sportsplex USA Santee (three fields). The tournament, which will feature 16 teams and 39 games, will have SDSU playing all four of its games against NCAA tournament qualifiers, including Brigham Young and Long Beach State on the opening day at SDSU Softball Stadium, and Baylor (March 13) and Oregon (March 14) in Santee, Calif.
San Diego State continues its stay in San Diego with a pair of mid-week home games, beginning with a March 17 contest with UConn and a meeting with perennial national power and Super Regional participant Arizona the following day.
The Aztecs kick off their quest for a fourth straight MW title with a three-game home series against UNLV from March 20-22, followed by a road series against Boise State from March 27-29.
SDSU then hosts 2014 runner-up Fresno State from April 2-4, before beginning a stretch of six games in six days with a three-game series at Nevada. San Diego State will play the Wolf Pack in a doubleheader on April 7 and in a solo contest a day later. The Aztecs then return to The Mesa to welcome San Josè State in a weekend series from April 10-12.
SDSU ends its conference slate with a road series at Colorado State (April 17-19), a home series vs. New Mexico from April 24-26 and a three-game set at Utah State (May 1-3).
While the other eight teams wrap up league play the following weekend, San Diego State plays host to Oregon State in a pair of non-league games on May 8-9.
The Aztecs finished with a 40-19 record in 2014 to advance to their seventh straight NCAA tournament. The seven straight NCAA tourney appearances is the third-longest streak among non-Power 5 Conference programs and the 20th-longest overall. SDSU's 40 victories were the fourth most in program history and most since winning a school-record 44 times in 2008. San Diego State also finished the 2014 campaign with seven school records, including batting average (.301), on-base percentage (.397), runs (301), hits (467), RBIs (270), walks (226) and times hit by pitch (30).