Aztecs Face No. 15 Utah in NCAA Super Regional Final

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State softball team looks to punch its ticket to the Women's College World Series when it takes on No. 15 overall seed Utah at noon MT (11 1.m. PT) Sunday at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
 
The Aztecs (39-16) beat the Utes (41-14), 4-3, on Friday but fell, 10-1, in five innings on Saturday.
 
SDSU needs a victory to advance to the Women's College World Series (WCWS), which will be held June 1-9 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The WCWS is an eight-team, double-elimination tournament with the championship final being a best-of-three series.
 
San Diego State went 3-0 at the first Mountain West tournament held since 2006 for its second straight MW title and league-record ninth overall. The Aztecs then went 3-0 in the NCAA's toughest regional (RPI average of 32.00) last weekend at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles before splitting with the Pac-12 Tournament champion Utah in in front of record-setting crowds on back-to-back days.
 
SDSU is playing in its 13th NCAA tournament and second straight under second-year head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz. San Diego State, which also made the tournament in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2022, is 22-24 all-time in the NCAA championship.
 
Four players are hitting over .300 for the Aztecs, including Bella Espinoza (.396, 57 R, 30 SB), Cali Decker (.376, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 29 R), Mac Barbara (.365, 13 HR, 45 RBI, 34 R) and Jillian Celis (.345, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 42 R). SDSU slugged five home runs at the NCAA Los Angeles Regional and have eight in eight postseason games after having 27 in its 47 regular-season contests.
 
The MW Pitcher of the Year Allie Light leads the San Diego State pitching staff with a 15-6 record, school-record seven saves and a 1.85 ERA in 128.1 innings, while Sarah Lehman (11-5, 3 SV, 2.62 ERA, 91.0 IP) and Dee Dee Hernandez (8-3, 6 SV, 3.12 ERA. 80.2 IP) were also a part of a streak of four consecutive shutouts this postseason. The four straight shutouts were the most in a row for the Aztecs since 2010.