The reigning Mountain West Champions are preparing to take the field on Thursday. The Aztecs closed out their 2024 campaign with a 31-20 record, securing their second straight MW tournament title and their second conference championship in three years.

“We are just ready to play. We’re tired of playing each other and we’re scrimmaging. We’re ready for another look from someone else in the other dugout. I am just excited to go to battle with this group,” said head coach Stacy Nuveman Deniz.

The 2025 Aztecs will rely heavily on a strong core of returners, including several players eyeing their third or fourth championship ring.

“We’ve got an awesome group of returners. Deedee Hernandez, Bella Espinoza, Cali Decker, Lala Macario are our captains. They’ve got great leadership and obviously performance speaks for itself,” Nuveman Deniz said.

Pitching is where softball starts, and the Aztecs are well-equipped in the circle. They’ll rely on the powerful arm of Deedee Hernandez, who was named MW Preseason All-Conference and earned MW First Team honors last year. She posted a 2.53 earned run average (ERA), struck out 40 hitters in 29 appearances, and finished with a 10-4 record. Cece Cellura, also named MW Preseason Pitcher of the Year, had similar stats with a 2.60 ERA, 25 strikeouts in 29 appearances, with just 8 walks, and four saves. The Aztecs also added the strong arm of Grace Uribe, a transfer from Texas A&M, who appeared in 60 games including two shutouts, and struck out 91 hitters.

At the plate, the Aztecs bring both power and speed this year. Bella Espinoza, a slap hitting speedster, has a career batting average of .347 and holds honors of MW First Team in 2022 and Second Team in 2023. Junior Angie Yellen has also stood out, batting .260 with two home runs, 17 runs batted in (RBIs), and 18 runs scored. Catcher Cali Decker is a playmaker at the dish and behind. She batted .304 with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 23 RBIs, while also throwing out 38.5% of base runners attempting to steal (minimum 20 attempts). Lastly, Lala Macario is a force on the bases, leading the team with 20 stolen bases in 21 attempts last year. She batted .312 with three doubles, a home run, eight RBIs, and a team-leading 40 runs scored.

The Aztecs have also added fresh talent that is already making an impact, bringing new energy and skill to the lineup.

“We’ve got some great newcomers,” Nuveman Deniz said. “Grace Uribe is going to be a big piece for us in the circle. Freshman Quinn Waiki will likely be our shortstop. We’ve just brought in some additional pieces that are really going to complement what we do.”

The team’s chemistry stands out to both the coaching staff and the players, creating a dynamic and cohesive unit.

“Tribe is our family and the continuation of building relationships, trust, connections so that when we get out onto the field and there’s that pressure, we feel like we can lean on each other,” Nuveman Deniz stated. “We are in a really good place. A lot of confidence, a lot of good energy, and positivity about the season, and people getting excited for the season. Obviously we have a really tough schedule so we know we will get challenged, early and often. Day one we play the defending national champions. But I think that the cohesiveness and team chemistry we have right now is exceptional and will definitely pay off.”

Catcher Cali Decker emphasized this, saying, “I feel like we are all so high energy. We all bring a lot to the table and I think we’re a fast team this year. SDSU hasn’t had that as much – little pockets of it – but I think we’re going to play fast, play with a lot of life, fun, and energy.”

SDSU looks to start their season strong with a doubleheader, defending their home turf against a hungry CSUN team and competing against the defending national champions, Oklahoma.

The Aztecs will participate in the Shriners Children’s ClearWater Invitational where they’ll face Alabama, Missouri, and others, as well as the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The ClearWater Classic will take place in ClearWater Florida from February 14-16, while the Mary Nutter Classic will take place in Cathedral City from February 21-23.

SDSU will also participate in the Judi Garman Classic, which will take place in Fullerton California. The Aztecs will be tasked with a five-game series against the likes of Notre Dame, Arizona, and Utah from February 28 through March 2.

To wrap-up a rigorous non-conference schedule, the Aztecs host a doubleheader against LMU on March 7 followed by another doubleheader against Sacramento State and national powerhouse UCLA on March 8.

Pre-conference play serves as a crucial time for the team to fine-tune their game and address any obstacles before the start of conference competition.

“Everything we do, from even how we design our pitchers’ workouts and training programs, is not building up to February 6th, that’s opening day. It’s building up to conference play and that’s March 14th. Our goal is to be at our best at that point. That’s when we want to shine,” said head coach Nuveman Deniz.

The Aztecs kick off Mountain West play with a three-game road series against the Utah State Aggies from March 14-16. In last year’s matchup, SDSU dominated offensively, outscoring the Aggies 20-5 across three games and securing two wins.

Following the trip to Logan, SDSU will host a non-conference game against the USD Toreros. The homestand continues as the Aztecs welcome the New Mexico Lobos, who are without their All-Mountain West First Team infielder Rachel Hathoot (transferred to Oklahoma State).

To round out SDSU’s March schedule, the Scarlet and Black will make the trek to Reno for a three-game set versus the Nevada Wolf Pack. This series will be a great test for the Aztecs as the Wolf Pack led the Mountain West in many statistical categories like team batting average (.335), runs scored (366), home-runs (79) and stolen bases (119).

In April, the Fresno State Bulldogs will visit the Mesa for a doubleheader on April 2. The Aztecs will then travel to Colorado State for a doubleheader against the Rams. These series should be a kind handshake, easing SDSU into the month of April as Fresno State heavily struggled with pitching in 2024 and Colorado State allowed the most hits in the conference.

Concluding the Aztecs’ April conference schedule is a series at home against the UNLV Rebels and on the road at Boise State, who led the Mountain West in pitching strikeouts (294) last season.

April 23-26 consists of games versus the UCSD Tritons and Arizona Wildcats (both non-conference).

The final Mountain West regular season series for the Aztecs is at home against a polished San Jose State team May 1-3.

“The overall goal is to win and work as a team together, doing whatever it takes to achieve that. We obviously want to repeat Mountain West champs… It means everything (to attain another championship title). I came here to compete for championships and we’ve done everything of that so I think it is just an awesome opportunity to show that we are the Aztecs and we still can compete with the best of the best,” stated Decker.

Beginning May 7, SDSU Softball Stadium will field every qualifying Mountain West team for the conference championship. Coming into the 2025 season, the Aztecs were selected to finish atop their conference. The ability to prove the voting committee right and raise a third conference and tournament championship trophy is well in reach for the Scarlet and Black.