Softball

Aztecs Ready for Final Home Series vs. Utah State

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Aztec Softball Hosts Utah State this Weekend
San Diego State wraps up its home portion of the schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Utah State at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (33-12, 16-2 MW) and Aggies (25-24, 10-8 MW) will play at 6 p.m. PT Friday, 4 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).
 
Following Sunday's game will be a ceremony honoring SDSU's six departing seniors - Taylor Adams, Maggie Balint, Jessica Cordola, Alexa Schultz, Danielle Romanello and Nicole Siess.
 
San Diego State has won all six of its Mountain West series this season with four sweeps and is in first place in the league standings at 16-2, three games ahead of Boise State (13-5) and UNLV (13-5). The Aztecs have already won series against Boise State and UNLV and can clinch the league's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament with a sweep at home against USU this weekend regardless of what happens with the Broncos and Rebels. SDSU ends its regular season with a series at New Mexico from May 12-14.
 
Mac Barbara leads San Diego State in most offensive categories, including batting average (.413, 40th in NCAA), hits (57, T-62nd in NCAA), doubles (13, T-55th), home runs (14, T-45th in NCAA), RBIs (52, T-16th in NCAA), total bases (114, T-21st in NCAA), slugging percentage (.826, 24th in NCAA), walks (31, T-38th in NCAA) and on-base percentage (.518, 29th in NCAA). Barbara has reached base in 39 consecutive games, the longest streak in the country this year (overall or active).
 
Bella Espinoza (.390, 32 R, 55 H, 8 RBI, 12 SB), Taylor Adams (.319, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R), Jillian Celis (.314, 22 RBI, 29 R, 7 2B, 10 BB), Jessica Cordola (.303, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 7 R, 5 2B) and AJ Murphy (.302, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 14 R, 2 2B) are also hitting over .300 for the Aztecs, who are hitting .302 overall.
 
Maggie Balint (15-5, 1.48 ERA, .176 opp. avg.) has won eight of a possible 12 MW Pitcher-of-the-Week awards, and is tied for second in saves (6), 14th in strikeouts (232) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.03), 15th in strikeouts per seven innings (10.73), tied for 22nd in ERA (1.48) and 35th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.44).
 
Dee Dee Hernandez (8-3, 1.93 ERA, 3 SV, 76.1 IP), Dani Martinez (5-2, 3.35 ERA, 48.0 IP) and Allie Light (5-2, 4.03 ERA, 1 SV, 40.0 IP) have also logged innings in the circle for SDSU.