“If you build it, they will come,” is one of many phrases that apply to San Diego State softball since the turn of the century. The Aztecs have finished atop the Mountain West at the end of every season for the last four seasons, and this season’s squad has every intention of making it five straight.
“Knowing that we are the number one team in the conference to beat is [motivating] for us,” said Quinn Waiki, last season’s Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. “We have [had] a target on our back for the last four years, so we definitely have one on [our back] this year. We need to continue to work and not take our foot off the gas.”
A persistent work ethic will be needed by the Aztecs, especially at the beginning of the season. They will host the SDSU Season Kickoff at SDSU Softball Stadium, featuring notable opponents such as the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Kentucky Wildcats. All four of SDSU’s opening games take place this Friday and Saturday.
Sometimes, teams get off to a sluggish start offensively in the early part of their season. For the Aztecs, notable bats like Grace Uribe, Cali Decker and Bella Espinoza will be absent from this year’s lineup. Because of this gap in the lineup, SDSU will look to lean on its more experienced hitters, like senior Angie Yellen, who is ready for an increased role.
“This being my fifth year in college softball, [I] definitely take on a good amount of responsibility,” Yellen commented. “I always feel like, ‘Next one up.’ [I am] definitely always pushing to be better. I think we have a lot of talent across the board that will help fill the gaps.”
The other question mark in the Aztecs’ lineup is the revamped pitching staff. Dee Dee Hernandez and Cece Cellura vacated the Mesa after last season, leaving Ava Schaffel as the only key returner in the circle.
However, the Scarlet and Black snagged two transfer pitchers with prior Mountain West experience: junior Faith Jordan and senior Key-annah Pu’a.
“They are both unique,” head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz explained. “Key-annah is heavy down [in the zone], Faith is a little more drop-rise, [she] mixes it up [and] has a really good changeup. They are mature, they have been there [and] done that.”
Furthermore, a gap needed to be filled in SDSU’s coaching staff. Former Aztecs assistant coach Kendall Fearn took the head coaching position at Long Beach State, leaving some shoes to be filled.
In response to Fearn’s absence, coach Nuveman Deniz added Madilyn “Bubba” Nickels-Camarena and Grace French. Both well-respected players in their own right, Nickels-Camarena and French bring a sense of relatability to this year’s team.
“They are a great addition to this team,” Waiki said. “I think we are even more ready [for] this year than last year. I think they understand where we come from [both] mentally and physically.”
Someone coming back from an absence is senior Lala Macario, who was sidelined last season due to a knee injury. Prior to her injury, Macario was a key bat at the front end of the Aztecs’ lineup, reaching base in 15 of 16 games last season and notching six multi-hit games.
“She is 100%,” said a joyous Nuveman Deniz. “The doctor won’t let her play without [her knee brace], but we are back in business. She is at full go and ready to lead us, as she did last year. I am really excited to have her back, for sure.”
Having Macario back and reloading in the circle should pay dividends for SDSU as they follow the SDSU Season Kickoff with a four-tournament gauntlet: Campbell/Cartier Classic, Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Torero Classic and San Diego Classic. Within those four tournaments, the Aztecs face the likes of Baylor, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 1 Texas Tech, No. 25 Washington and Notre Dame.
Last season, the Aztecs fell to both Oklahoma and Notre Dame. As a new season brings similar challenges, SDSU will need to tweak a few things to get into the win column against these familiar foes. To coach Nuveman Deniz’s credit, she added a plethora of freshmen to eventually use as key future pieces, but also use strategically off the bench and out of the bullpen.
Uniquely, the Aztecs’ skipper likes using her new recruits to push her returning players.
“I never want anyone to feel comfortable,” Nuveman Deniz emphasized. “There are new people, young people that want [a] spot. I think healthy competition is good for every team. I do not want [my players] to be nervous and stressed about competition, but I want them to recognize that if you can’t get the job done, there is someone waiting to take your spot.”
If coach Nuveman Deniz can keep her players’ competitive edge as sharp as possible for as long as possible, SDSU should be able to ride some momentum into Mountain West play.
On March 13, the typical Mountain West marathon begins. SDSU will face altitude, colder weather and even a new conference foe in preseason-favorite Grand Canyon.
“At the end of the day, a connected team that has good team chemistry is going to do better than one that just has a lot of talent,” Yellen said.
Because college athletes spend so much time together, specifically throughout the course of their season, their expectations for one another are high. As for expectations from the coaching staff, some messages may fall on deaf ears. Therefore, coach Nuveman Deniz also made her message for the team this season clear, drawing some inspiration from SDSU football head coach Sean Lewis.
“He gave us a really cool message about this idea of leaving the past behind: honoring it, learning from it, but not dwelling on it or longing for it,” Nuveman Deniz said. “If you are worried about playing time, about opponents, about performance, generally, it does not work out too well for you. [Instead], be in the moment, be a good teammate, be invested in the moment of today.”
