SAN DIEGO – San Diego State head softball coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz has announced that three transfers will join the program this fall. Cali Decker, Sarah Lehman, and Taylor Okada will all be bringing their talents to The Mesa.
Cali Decker joins the Aztecs from Florida, where she played for one season. The Lake Mary, Florida native posted a .375 batting average over 21 games, including seven starts for the Gators during the 2022 season. Playing primarily at catcher, Decker helped the Gators post a 49-14 record in 2022 and earn a NFCA end-of-season ranking of No. 5 in the country. She also helped Florida make it to the 2022 Women's College World Series where she had a pinch-hit RBI single in a 7-1 win over Oregon State. Decker is also a decorated high school athlete. During her time at Lake Mary High School in Florida, she was a 2021 PGF All-American Southeast selection, a 2021 7A FHSAA All-State selection, made the All-Seminole Athletic Conference First Team in 2020, was a 2020 Florida Athletic Coaches Association 7A All-State Team member and a 2019 All-Seminole Athletic Conference First Team selection.
"We are very excited to add Cali Decker to our program," head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz said. "Cali comes to The Mesa with phenomenal pedigree and experience, including a trip to the Women's College World Series. She adds a left-handed power bat to our lineup and has excellent defensive skills behind the plate. We anticipate Cali having a significant impact on our program immediately."
Sarah Lehman heads to San Diego State from DePaul, where she played for one season. At DePaul, she threw 144 innings over the course of the 2022 season, posted a 2.82 ERA, struck out 125, and recorded a 14-6 record on the year. Lehman went the distance in nine different starts during the 2022 season and earned second-team All-Big East honors for her efforts in the circle. Prior to her time at DePaul, Lehman spent three years at the University of Iowa. During her career as a Hawkeye, she appeared in 38 games, including 25 starts, and posted a 3.95 ERA over the span of 172 career innings. In 2021 she made 19 appearances and 13 starts and threw 10 complete games while maintaining a 2.82 ERA. She pitched a complete game eight inning shutout against Penn State and threw a season-high seven strikeouts against Michigan State. She made one appearance during the abbreviated 2020 season. Lehman saw action in 18 games and made 11 starts in the circle in 2019. She made her first career appearance against Morgan State, surrendering just one hit in 1.2 innings pitched and pitched a complete game against Rutgers on April 21, notching a shutout to earn her first career win.
"Sarah Lehman will join our program as a grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining," Nuveman Deniz said. "She has excellent collegiate experience and has proven to be successful and reliable throughout her career. Sarah will add depth to our pitching staff, and we expect her to be an integral contributor for us in the circle. We are excited to have her as a part of our program."
Taylor Okada returns to the west coast after three seasons at the University of Maryland. Over three full seasons, the Fullerton, California product hit .356 with a .429 OBP, and started in all 123 games she played in. As a senior she started in all 52 games, primarily at second base, recorded a .329 average (highest on the team), was fifth in runs with 20, tallied 53 hits, which was tops on the team, and ended the season fifth on the team in total bases with 58. As a junior she started all 44 games, primarily at second base. She was named second team All-Big Ten, had an impressive .338 batting average which was the highest on the team and seventh in the Big Ten. Okada tallied 8 RBIs, five doubles, two triples and 53 total bases on the season in 2021. As a freshman she made 26 starts at second base before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. During her freshman season she led the team in batting average, hitting a staggering .426. Her batting average of .426 marks a single-season Maryland record (minimum 40 at-bats).
"We are thrilled to add graduate transfer Taylor Okada to our roster for the upcoming season," Nuveman Deniz said. "Taylor is a seasoned veteran, with loads of experience and success at the collegiate level. Taylor is a scrappy competitor with a high softball IQ and adds depth for us in the middle infield. We anticipate Taylor making an immediate impact for us on and off the field."
San Diego State softball enters the 2023 season fresh off a return to postseason play and their 12th NCAA regional appearance in 2022. The Aztecs finished the 2022 season with a 39-16 record (.709), the second-best record in program history, before falling to No. 8/5 Arizona State, 8-4, in the NCAA Tempe Regional final. San Diego State also captured its league-record eighth MW title with a 20-4 conference record in 2022.