SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State hits the road for the final time in its Mountain West this weekend in a series at Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo. The Aztecs (25-13, 10-8 MW) and Rams (12-18, 6-9 MW) will play a doubleheader Saturday at noon MT and a single game at noon MT Sunday.
SDSU is coming off a fourth straight series victory after sweeping New Mexico at home. San Diego State picked up a pair of wins on Saturday (3-0 and 11-4) before edging the Lobos, 1-0, on Sunday.
The Aztecs have won 11 of the last 13 games entering this weekend's series, outscoring the opposition, 80-37, over that stretch.
SDSU is up to .280 as a team and had four players hitting over .300 (min. 38 plate appearances). Jewliana Perez lead San Diego State with a .389 average (14-for-36) to go along with six RBIs and five runs in 39 plate appearances. The middle infield of shortstop Jillian Celis and second baseman Shelby Thompson has also produced. Celis is batting .333 (40-for-120) with two home runs, 24 RBIs, 19 runs and a team-high 11 doubles. Thompson, meanwhile, is hitting .331 (41-for-124) with eight homers, team highs of 27 RBIs and 30 runs, seven doubles, 11 walks, a team-best nine times hit by a pitch and eight stolen bases. Together, Celis and Thompson have committed just seven errors in 284 chances for a .975 fielding percentage. Taylor Adams is also batting over .300 at .305 (32-for-105) with two homers, 16 RBIs, 18 runs and 15 walks. Alexa Schultz (.294) leads San Diego State in both home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.637), while adding six doubles and 26 RBIs.
The Aztec pitching staff as combined for a 3.10 ERA with 11 shutouts in its 25 wins. Maggie Balint (15-6, 2 SV, 2.08 ERA, 141.2 IP, 126 K, 38 BB, .206 opp. avg.) has seven shutouts by herself and has combined on another one, and is coming off a weekend where she was 2-0 with a save and a 0.00 ERA in 16 innings en route to being named the MW Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. Marris Moreno (5-4, 3.81 ERA, 60.2 IP, 27 K, 33 BB) also has pitched enough innings (38) to qualify for the SDSU leaders.
CSU has won three of its last four games, including a series victory at Boise State (3-4, 5-1, 10-2) last weekend.
Colorado State, which is hitting .264 as a team, is led by Tara Shadowen (.343, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 16 R, 6 2B) and Ashley Michelena (.307, 8 RBI, 16 R). Julia Cabral (4-5, 2.64 ERA, 53.0 IP) and Jessica Jarecki (3-8, 4.28 ERA, 73.2 IP) have done the bulk of the pitching for the Rams, who have posted a 3.77 ERA.
Against common opponents this season, both teams are 6-6. San Diego State leads the all-time series with CSU, 62-39.
Following the three games with Colorado State, the Aztecs play host to Fresno State in the final regular-season series, May 14-15 at SDSU Softball Stadium.