SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State returns home for the final time this season when it plays host to Fresno State in a weekend series at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (27-14, 12-9 MW) and the Bulldogs (34-9, 18-3 MW) are set to play a Friday doubleheader at 2 p.m. PT and a Saturday single game at noon PT.
Following Saturday's game, there will be a postgame ceremony to honor SDSU's six departing seniors Jenna Holcomb, Sara Lillie, Marissa Moreno, Riley Thies, Shelby Thompson and Alizae Umi.
San Diego State is coming off a fifth consecutive series victory after taking the first two games at Colorado State - 7-4 and 5-2 - before falling in the series finale on Sunday by a 2-0 score.
The Aztecs enter their final series of the season as winners of 13 of their last 16 games, outscoring the opposition, 92-45, over that stretch.
SDSU is batting .276 as a team and has three players hitting over .300 (min. 41 plate appearances). Jeweliana Perez leads San Diego State with a .341 average (14-for-41) to go along with six RBIs and five runs in 46 plate appearances.
The middle infield of second baseman Shelby Thompson and shortstop Jillian Celis has also been impressive. Thompson, who on Wednesday was named the MW Defensive Player of the Year and became the league's first five-time softball all-conference selection, his batting .338 (46-for-136) with nine home runs, 31 RBIs, 31 runs, 11 walks and 11 times hit by pitch, owning a .425 on-base percentage and a .588 slugging mark. She also has just three errors in 163 chances for a .982 fielding percentage.
Celis, meanwhile, garnered second-team all-MW accolades and is hitting .328 (43-for-131) with two home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs, six walks and four stolen bases, while slugging .466 with a .353 on-base percentage. Celis has committed just four errors in 152 chances for a .974 fielding percentage.
Taylor Adams joined Celis on the all-conference second team and is batting .289 (33-for-114) with two homers, 16 RBIs, 20 runs, three doubles and 16 walks, while stealing eight bases in as many attempts. Adams also has a .386 on-base percentage and a .368 slugging percentage.
Alexa Schultz (.282) had added nine home runs and 26 RBIs for the Aztecs.
The SDSU pitching staff as combined for a 3.08 ERA with 11 shutouts in its 27 wins. Maggie Balint (16-7, 2 SV, 2.17 ERA, 154.2 IP, 129 K, 39 BB, .211 opp. avg.) has seven shutouts by herself and has combined on another one. She was named a first-team all-MW selection for a second straight season. Marissa Moreno (6-4, 3.62 ERA, 67.2 IP, 32 K, 39 BB) also has pitched enough innings (41) to qualify for the San Diego State leaders.
FS clinched the league title last weekend by sweeping Boise State at home (7-0, 5-3 and 3-1) while UNLV, which was first place at the time, lost all three at Nevada. The Bulldogs are hitting .297 as a team and have four players - Vanessa Hernandez (.373, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 20 R), Keahilele Mattson (.357, 11 HR, 36 RBI, 31 R), Kaitlyn Jennings (.352, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 47 R, 32 SB), Adrianne Noriega (.351, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R) - hitting over .350. Mattson was named the MW Player and MW Co-Freshman of the Year, while Noriega joined her on the MW first team with Jennings making the second team. The Fresno State pitching staff has been even more impressive, posting a 1.98 team ERA. Hailey Dolcini, who was named the MW Pitcher of the Year, leads the staff with a 20-3 record, two saves and microscopic 1.03 ERA. She has struck out 234 with just 25 walks in 156 innings, posting 13 shutouts. Danielle Lung (6-3, 3.07 ERA, 57.0 IP) and Dariana Orme (7-3, 3.34 ERA, 56.2 IPA) have also added to the staff.
Against common opponents this season, the Aztecs are 19-12, while the Bulldogs are 25-4. SDSU trails the all-time series with FS, 65-18, but swept the Bulldogs in the last series from May 3-5, 2019.