Aztecs Set for UCSD in Final Non-Conference Game

Aztecs Set for UC San Diego in Final Non-Conference Game of 2022
The San Diego State softball team wraps up its non-conference portion of the schedule with a single game at UC San Diego at 5 p.m. PT Wednesday. The Aztecs (29-12, 13-2 MW), who are 23rd in the latest D1Softball rankings, and Tritons (20-20, 8-7 BW) are meeting for the first time since 1989.

Wednesday's game at Triton Field on UCSD's campus will be broadcast on ESPN3 and Watch ESPN (https://es.pn/3rxAqpN).

SDSU is coming off another series win over Boise State last weekend, coming back from a 6-2 setback on Thursday with back-to-back 3-2 victories on Friday and Saturday, respectively, including a 13-inning triumph on Friday. San Diego State has  won five consecutive MW series for the first time since 2014-15 (last three series of 2014, first two of 2015). It is the first time that the Aztecs have won five straight MW series in the same season since the league went to the three-game format in 2012.

SDSU (29-12) already has one more win than last year when it finished 28-16 with 10 regular-season games to play, not including postseason. San Diego State (13-2) has also equaled its conference win total from last year when it finished 13-11 in league play.

Mac Barbara leads the Aztecs in most offensive categories, including batting average (.405, T-73rd in NCAA), hits (51, T-41st in NCAA), doubles (10), home runs (13, T-33rd in NCAA), RBIs (49, T-7th in NCAA), total bases (102, T-16th in NCAA), slugging percentage (.810, T-34th in NCAA), walks (27, T-33rd in NCAA) and on-base percentage (.506, 45th in NCAA). Barbara has reached base in 35 consecutive games, the longest streak in the country this year (overall or active).

Bella Espinoza (.382, 30 R, 50 H, 7 RBI, 11 SB) and Jillian Celis (.338, 21 RBI, 26 R, 7 2B, 4 3B, 6 SB) are also hitting over .300 for SDSU.

Maggie Balint (13-5, 1.56 ERA, 5 SV, .175 opp. avg.) has won seven of a possible 10 MW Pitcher-of-the-Week awards, and is tied for third in the country in saves (5), ninth in strikeouts (211), 16th in strikeouts per seven innings (10.63), 17th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.28), 36th in ERA (1.56) and 38th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.43).

Dee Dee Hernandez (8-3, 1.81 ERA, 3 SV) and Dani Martinez (4-3, 3.59 ERA) rank among the nation's best in walks allowed per seven innings (14th (0.86) and 13th (0.85)) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (29th (6.11) and 40th (5.60)), respectively.