SAN DIEGO -- Winners in 10 of its last 11 games, the San Diego State softball team continues Mountain West play this weekend with a two-game series at Nevada. The Aztecs (26-13, 10-4 MW), who are currently tied atop the league standings with Boise State (21-12, 8-2 MW), will meet the Wolf Pack (25-10, 6-5 MW) for single games at 2 p.m. PT Saturday and noon PT Sunday.
Over the last 11 games, SDSU is outscoring the opposition, 70-29, with a 9-1 record against league foes.
Overall, San Diego State is batting .300 as a team, led by the 1-2-3 combo of Bella Espinoza, Jillian Celis and Mac Barbara. Espinoza tops the Aztecs in average (.390), runs (41), hits (48) and stolen bases (22). Celis is right behind Espinoza with a .375 average and paces SDSU in doubles (10) and triples (3), while ranking second on the team in average, runs (27), hits (45), home runs (3, tied), RBIs (29), total bases (.70) and slugging percentage (.583). Barbara, meanwhile, is batting .365 with team highs in home runs (10), RBIs (37) and slugging percentage (.731), to go along with No. 2 marks in walks (19) and on-base percentage (.465). Cali Decker (.337, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 22 R) leads San Diego State with a .467 on-base mark, while Macey Keester (.303, 18 RBI, 16 R, 10 SB) are also hitting over .300 for the Aztecs.
Allie Light, who was named the MW Pitcher of the Week for a third straight time on Tuesday, leads a SDSU pitching staff that has seven shutouts and 12 saves. The right-hander is 8-4 with a 1.48 ERA and five saves in 80 1/3 innings, striking out 75 and limiting the opposition to a .203 average. Sarah Lehman (9-3, 2.25 ERA, 3 SV, 62.1 IP) is coming off a complete-game two-hit shutout over UNLV in the first game of a Wednesday doubleheader with a career-high-tying 11 strikeouts, and leads San Diego State with 75 strikeouts and a .171 average against. Dani Martinez (3-2, 3.05 ERA, 39.0 IP) and Dee Dee Hernandez (4-2, 3.60 ERA, 4 SV, 48.2 IP) have also pitched at least 39 innings for the Aztecs.
SDSU leads the all-time series with Nevada, 30-11, including a home series sweep last year. The last seven meetings in the series have been decided by a total of 11 runs with San Diego State going 5-2 in those games.
The Wolf Pack is hitting .289 as a team, led by Chelie Senini. Senini paces Nevada in average (.343), runs (31), hits (35) and stolen bases (36). Four others are hitting over. 300 for the Wolf Pack in Maile Olsen (.333, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 21 R), Haylee Engelbrecht (.323, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 12 R), Charli Hawkins (.323, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 15 R) and Madison Clark (.310, 16 R, 18 SB).
The Wolf Pack pitching staff has been especially impressive, owning a 2.28 ERA with 11 shutouts. The bulk of the pitching has been done by Tyra Clary (7-1, 0.67 ERA, 52.0 IP), Black Craft (7-2, 2.73 ERA, 69.1 IP) and Carley Brown (9-7, 3.11 ERA, 87.2 IP) with Brooklyn Trujillo-Quintana (2-0, 0.91 ERA, 15.1 IP) also pitching effectively when called upon.
Both games this weekend will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.