Aztecs set for No. 15/17 Virginia Tech at LA Regional

The San Diego State softball team returns to the No. 6/6 UCLA campus to take on No. 15/17 Virginia Tech in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional this weekend at Easton Stadium.

The Aztecs (31-18) earned third place in the double-elimination regional competition after winning a second straight Mountain West tournament, hosted last weekend at Boise State. SDSU faces the Hokies (39-12-1) at 3 p.m. PT Friday on ESPUN. The host Bruins (37-10), the tournament’s No. 6 seed, will meet Grand Canyon (48-11) in the other game at 5:30 p.m. PT. The NCAA Los Angeles Regional is the toughest in the country based on average RPI (31.50).

SDSU is appearing in its 14th NCAA Tournament and third in a row under third-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, 2015, 2022 and 2023, is 22-26 all-time. time in the NCAA championship, has progressed. to seven NCAA Regionals and one NCAA Super Regional, and has won at least one game in the double-elimination region in 12 of its previous 13 appearances.

The Aztecs are playing in Los Angeles for the sixth time in their 14 appearances in NCAA regional competition (also 2001, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2023), owning a 13-10 record at Easton Stadium. Last season, SDSU went 3-0 in the Los Angles Regional, which also included UCLA and Grand Canyon, and lost a best-of-three series to Utah, 2-1, for the right to play in the Women’s College World Series.

Regional winners will advance to a super regional competition for a best-of-three series May 23-26 at eight campus sites.

Mountain West Co-Player of the Year and reigning MW Tournament MVP MacBarbara leads San Diego State in a multitude of offensive categories, including average (.383), hits (51), home runs (14), RBIs (48), walks (33), slugging percentage (.774) and on-base percentage (.503). Former Bruin Alyssa Garcia (.325, 2 HR, 24 RBI) and Cali Decker (.305, 2 HR, 23 RBI) are also hitting over .300 for the Aztecs, who are hitting .285 as a team.

Dee Dee Hernandez (10-4, 3 SV, 2.53 ERA, 72.0 IP), Cece Cellura (8-5, 4 SV, 2.60 ERA, 102.1 IP) and Allie Light (12-7, 2 SV, 2.62 ERA, 120.0 IP) made the bulk of the pitches for SDSU, which combined for a 2.52 ERA in 333 innings.