The San Diego State softball team begins its quest for the Women’s College World Series this weekend when it travels to the campus of UCLA to compete in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. The Aztecs (33-14) earned the No. 2 seed in the double-elimination regional and will face third-seeded Fresno State (39-19) at 3 p.m. PT Friday. Regional host and No. 5 overall seed UCLA (40-11) and Saint Mary’s (30-21) will meet in the 5:30 p.m. PT contest.
SDSU earned its sixth trip to the NCAA tournament in 10 seasons by being picked as an at-large selection on Sunday. It is the first time in program history that San Diego State has been selected to three consecutive NCAA tournaments. The Aztecs, who join league champion Brigham Young as participants from the six-team Mountain West Conference, enter the tournament as winners in 25 of their last 31 contests.
This year’s national tournament features 64 teams, with four teams participating at 16 regional sites in a double-elimination tournament. The regional winners will advance to super regional competition for a best-of-three series from May 28-29 at eight campus sites. The remaining eight teams will advance to the Women’s College World Series (WCWS), an eight-team, double-elimination tournament with the championship final being a best-of-three series. The WCWS will be conducted June 3-9 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Editor’s note: Longtime fastball, former Vista Bomber and Long Beach Nitehawk Steve Miner is an assistant coach for the San Diego State women.
San Diego State junior Samantha Beasley (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) has been named a 2010 first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA all-West Region selection, the NFCA announced Thursday.
Beasley, the 2010 Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year, became the fifth Aztec to be named to the first team and the first since Erin Floros in 2006. A right-hander, Beasley is 28-9 this season with a 0.96 ERA over 226 1/3 innings. Beasley, who won the MWC Pitcher-of-the-Week award nine times this season, currently owns San Diego State single-season records in strikeouts (345), strikeouts per seven innings (10.67), opposing batting average (.168), solo shutouts (since 1999) (11) and total shutouts (tied, 14). Among the national rankings, Beasley is second in ERA, ninth in strikeouts, 11th in strikeouts per seven innings, tied for 14th in solo shutouts, tied for 16th in victories, 17th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.21) and 39th in walks allowed per seven innings (1.45).
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