SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State softball team begins its defense of the Mountain West regular season title at Colorado State this weekend. The Aztecs (15-7) and Rams (14-7) are set to play 4 p.m. MT Friday, 1 p.m. MT Saturday and noon MT Sunday at Ram Field in Fort Collins, Colorado.
SDSU enters league action with a 15-7 record, having played 12 games against teams that made the 2023 NCAA tournament. San Diego State, which is receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, are 37th in the initial RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday. The Aztecs are followed by Boise State (49), Nevada (65), CSU (94), New Mexico (113), San Jose State (127), UNLV (163), Fresno State (208) and Utah State (242).
SDSU is hitting .303 as a team entering conference play and is led by Bella Espinoza and Jillian Celis. Espinoza leads San Diego State in batting average (.390), runs (20), hits (30) and stolen bases (12), while Celis (.389) paces the Aztecs in RBIs (17) and slugging percentage (.528). Macey Keester (.339, 9 R, 10 RBI, 6 SB), Cali Decker (.333, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .443 OB%), Taylor Okada (.310) and Mac Barbara (.304, 3 HR, 15 RBI) are also batting over .300 for SDSU.
Four San Diego State pitchers have logged at least 25 innings in the circle, and have combined for five shutouts and nine saves in its 15 wins. Sarah Lehman (6-1, 1.57 ERA, 35.2 IP, 1 SV), Allie Light (3-4, 2.05 ERA, 5 SV, 41.0 IP), Dani Martinez (3-2, 2.18 ERA, 25.2 IP) and Dee Dee Hernandez (2-0, 2.88 ERA, 3 SV, 34.0 IP) have done the bulk of the pitching for the Aztecs, who have a 2.16 ERA as a team.
SDSU is 64-40 all-time against Colorado State, including a series home sweep last year at SDSU Softball Stadium.
San Diego State returns to San Diego for a home series against Fresno State from March 24-26.