SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State softball team returns home to play host to Colorado State this weekend at SDSU Softball Stadium. Because of incoming rain on Saturday, the Aztecs (17-13, 4-2 MW) and Rams (18-12, 1-4 MW) will now play a doubleheader on Thursday, beginning at 4 p.m. PT, with a single game closing out the series at 6 p.m. PT Friday.
SDSU has won eight of its last 10 games, including each of its Mountain West series this season (March 15-17 vs. Utah State and March 22/24 at Fresno State).
Out of San Diego State's 24 non-conference games this season, 17 have come against teams that made the 2023 NCAA tournament (the Aztecs are 7-10 in those games), including three against Women's College World Series programs, and nine have been against nationally ranked squads (SDSU is 2-7).
UCF transfer Lala Macario leads San Diego State in batting average (.329), runs (24), on-base percentage (.431) and stolen bases (13). Mac Barbara (.304) has continued to provide pop with six of the Aztecs' 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, while slugging .557 with a .424 on-base mark. Barbara is the Mountain West preseason player of the year. Macey Keester (.311, 23-for-74) and Jade Ignacio (.310, 9-for-29) are also over .300 for SDSU.
The San Diego State pitching staff has shined so far this season, combining for a 2.39 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 208 innings against just 34 walks. Dee Dee Hernandez, who was named the MW Pitcher of the Week on Monday, leads the staff with a 6-2 record, one save and 1.80 ERA in 42 2/3 innings, striking out 25 with eight walks, limiting the opposition to a .229 average. Cece Cellura has come on strong in her first season on The Mesa, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.43 ERA in 63 1/3 innings, striking out 27 against four walks. Defending MW Pitcher of the Year and the preseason pitcher of the year Allie Light is 6-7 with two saves and a 2.60 ERA in 78 innings, striking out 43 with 19 walks. Cassidy West has also come along nicely, going 1-2 with two saves and a 2.62 ERA in 24 innings.
Thursday's doubleheader will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
Aztecs Welcome Colorado State for Weekend Series
