The San Diego State Aztec Softball team kicked off their 2025 campaign with a 3-2 record during the first weekend.

One of their losses came against the second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, whom SDSU took to extras, ultimately losing 11-6.

The final score and the record do not indicate how good this Aztec Softball team is.

The Aztecs now head to Clearwater, Florida, for the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield. Where they will be playing five games, all against different opponents.

SDSU opens the invitational on Friday with games against No. 14/12 Alabama at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) and Wichita State at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT). The action continues with two more games on Saturday against No. 16/16 Missouri at 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT) and Virginia at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT).

San Diego State will wrap up the weekend with a contest against Charlotte on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).

San Diego State is in a very strong field and holds a tie for the second-worst record out of the five teams participating in the invitational. Alabama and Missouri both respectfully hold a 4-1 record so far to start the season. Wichita State has a very impressive 5-0 record heading into the weekend. While SDSU and Virginia both hold a 3-2 record. Both teams can and will steal a win from one of the three top-record teams in the invitational. Charlotte rounds out the field with a 2-3 record. All games except the Alabama game will be found on ESPN+. The Alabama game can be found on the SEC Network.

Going into the weekend, I fully expect Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz to lean on a pitching staff that has a nice mix of a youth and veteran presence.

Seniors Dee Dee Hernandez and Grace Uribe lead a staff that can bode problems for opposing hitters. Hernandez has struggled early on in the season, posting a 12.00 ERA with only 4.2 innings pitched, but she is fully expected to get back on track this weekend.

The two newcomers on the pitching staff have simply been fantastic.

Texas A&M transfer Grace Uribe has thrown 12.1 innings of work, posting an outstanding 1.70 ERA with 12 strikeouts. While true freshman Ava Schaffel stole the show this past weekend,d pitching a complete game shutout against Southern University in a 9-0 Aztec win. Coach Deniz has always been a great mind when it comes to how to call a game back to her legendary playing career as a UCLA Bruin and US Olympian.

It is expected that SDSU will spread the innings out over the weekend to all four pitchers, including MW Preseason Pitcher of the Year Cece Cellura.

This invitational comes a little bittersweet for one of the Aztecs’ key players. Catcher Cali Decker is returning to the Sunshine State for the first time, in a softball uniform, since she transferred from the big-time SEC Program Florida Gators to San Diego State in the offseason of 2022. The Lake Mary, Florida native is hitting .333 with a .389 OBP and a .533 SLG%; she is the primary catcher for the Aztecs and has been the trusted starter behind the plate since she came to The Mesa as a Sophomore. Coach Deniz could not be any happier with her output from her lead backstop.

For the Aztecs to leave Clearwater with a positive dent in their record, SDSU is going to need to be connected in all facets of the game.

If it hadn’t been for two crucial errors against Oklahoma, the Aztecs would likely have come out of that game with a massive upset win and would have been a huge building block on a potential regional hosting bid.

Along with the two errors, they struggled to hit with RISP, hitting 2-for-13 in that regard vs. Oklahoma. The Aztecs will have to play clean, fundamental softball in the field, with a goal of hitting at least .300 with RISP over the weekend to come up with big wins against some elite competition.

Following the Clearwater Invitational, the Aztecs return to California, traveling to Cathedral City, California, just about two hours away from campus, for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic February 21-23

They return home to face off against CBU on February 25 at 6 p.m. PST at SDSU Softball Stadium.

Bryant Thursby

Assistant Coach at Heritage High School. A big time SDSU fanatic and Padres fan.