Aztecs Head to San Jose State for Weekend Series

Aztecs at San Jose State This Weekend
The San Diego State softball team returns to Mountain West play this weekend with a series at San Jose State. The Aztecs (30-12, 13-2 MW), who are 24th in the latest D1Softball rankings, and Spartans (20-23, 6-12 MW) will play at 6 p.m. PT Friday, 3 p.m. PT Saturday and noon PT Sunday.

All three games will be broadcast on Mountain West Network (links will be available on GoAztecs.com).

SDSU is coming off a 4-3 win at UC San Diego last Wednesday (April 20) in its final non-conference game of the season. Prior to that game, San Diego State claimed a series against Boise State. The Aztecs have won five consecutive MW series for the first time since 2014-15 (last three series of 2014, first two of 2015). It is the first time that SDSU has won five straight MW series in the same season since the league went to the three-game format in 2012.

San Diego State has reached 30 wins in a season for the first time since 2017 after recording 12 consecutive 30-win campaigns prior from 2006-17. 

Mac Barbara leads the Aztecs in most offensive categories, including batting average (.403, T-69th in NCAA), hits (52, T-79th in NCAA), doubles (11), home runs (13, T-42nd in NCAA), RBIs (49, T-13th in NCAA), total bases (104, T-29th in NCAA), slugging percentage (.806, 30th in NCAA), walks (28, T-46th in NCAA) and on-base percentage (.506, 45th in NCAA). Barbara has reached base in 36 consecutive games, the longest streak in the country this year (overall or active).

Bella Espinoza (.382, 30 R, 50 H, 7 RBI, 11 SB), Jillian Celis (.329, 21 RBI, 26 R, 7 2B, 4 3B, 6 SB) and Jessica Cordola (.306, 2 HR, 16 RBI) are also hitting over .300 for SDSU.

Maggie Balint (13-5, 1.55 ERA, .176 opp. avg.) has won seven of a possible 11 MW Pitcher-of-the-Week awards, and is tied for second in the country in saves (6), 14th in strikeouts per seven innings (10.72), 17th in strikeouts (215) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.17), 31st in ERA (1.55) and 33rd in hits allowed per seven innings (4.44).

Dee Dee Hernandez (8-3, 1.81 ERA, 3 SV) and Dani Martinez (4-2, 3.34 ERA) rank among the nation's best in walks allowed per seven innings (14th (0.86) and 10th (0.80)) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (24th (6.11) and 29th (5.80)), respectively.