The San Diego State softball team is looking to continue its winning streak as it begins a three-game weekend series head-to-head against Boise State at 6 p.m. on Friday at the SDSU Softball Stadium.
Although the two teams have never played each other before, winning the series could mean earning the Mountain West Conference title the Aztecs have been striving for all season.
This past week, SDSU (26-19, 6-0 Mountain West) has been meticulously preparing for what could be one of the most important series that it will play in this season.
“Practices have been going very smoothly,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said.
If the Aztecs win two of their three games against Boise State (32-16, 6-3 MW), the worst they can do is tie for first in the MW with Colorado State.
In the tiebreaker, the title will automatically go to SDSU because it swept its series against Colorado State. Claiming the title will give the Aztecs an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
When asked about what her team’s main focus is in securing these victories, Van Wyk responded she believes her team’s performance will be far better served by taking the game as it unfolds.
“It’s important that we look at one pitch at a time. We can’t lose focus on what we need to be doing,” Van Wyk said.
Because it will be the first time in school history these two teams will face each other, SDSU will be exposed to new pitchers and an unfamiliar offensive lineup. Luckily for the Aztecs, they do have some advantages.
“We had one advantage of seeing them play against UNLV. We have video of the game, so we will be reviewing that,” Van Wyk said. “But ultimately, we just have to play the same game we’ve been playing.”
Boise State, which is currently in second place behind SDSU, will be one of the Aztecs’ toughest matchups this season.
“Offensively, we are pretty even at the plate. We are very similar clubs and going head-to-head will tell us everything,” Van Wyk said.
Van Wyk said her team will be focused on preparing for the three-game weekend showcase against Boise State.
