San Diego Toreros (11-12, 0-0 WCC)  • Idaho State Bengals (16-10, 0-0 Big Sky)
Reggie Smith Softball Complex (386)  •  San Diego, California
Live Streaming • ESPN+ (Keith Demolder)  |  Live Statistics • StatBroadcast
Social  •  Twitter.com/USDSoftball  •  Instagram.com/USDSoftball

SAN DIEGO — Closing out the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament on a high note with a dominant win over Princeton, the Toreros return to action this week at the Reggie Smith Softball Complex, welcoming Idaho State (16-10, 0-0 Big Sky) for a three-game series.

San Diego will open the series with a doubleheader on Friday, with first pitch set for 4:00 PM and game two to follow at 6:30 PM. The Toreros and Bengals will then close out the series on Saturday at 12:00 PM.

All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Keith Demolder on the call, as well as live statistics available for all games on USDToreros.com.

ALL TIME SERIES AGAINST IDAHO STATE
• San Diego and Idaho State enter this week's series with an all-time record tied at 3-3.
• The Bengals took the most recent meeting, topping the Toreros 10-2 in six innings on February 22, 2025, in St. George, Utah.
• USD holds a 2-1 advantage in games played at home, with the two most recent home meetings coming at the USD Softball Complex — a doubleheader sweep on February 17, 2020, in which the Toreros won 4-0 and 8-3.
• San Diego and Idaho State's first meeting came on March 7, 2014, in Riverside, California, when the Bengals defeated the Toreros 5-2. The two teams met again the following day, with San Diego earning a 3-2 victory to split the series.

LAST TIME OUT — USD/SDSU CO-HOST TOURNAMENT
The Toreros hosted the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament at the Reggie Smith Softball Complex last week, taking on Notre Dame, #20/23 Grand Canyon, and Princeton across Friday and Saturday before closing out the tournament with a Princeton rematch on Monday.

3/6 VS. NOTRE DAME: San Diego dropped the tournament opener to the Fighting Irish 10-2 at the Reggie Smith Softball Complex. Notre Dame jumped on the Toreros early, scoring in each of the first three innings and adding four more in the sixth to pull away. Charlie Johnson started and allowed two runs in 1.0 inning, with Kelsey Tadlock and Alex Riggs combining to allow eight more in relief. Offensively, Mallory Axline and Kaylee Oh each went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Michelle Delgado added a double and a hit-by-pitch.
3/6 VS. #20/23 GRAND CANYON: San Diego put up a fight against the undefeated and nationally-ranked Antelopes before eventually falling 5-2. The Toreros took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning before Grand Canyon rallied for four runs in the sixth to pull away. Kaitlyn Bartlow gutted out a complete game, striking out four in seven innings. Mallory Axline went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Michelle Delgado added two hits and scored a run, and Taylor Johnson and Abrielle Diaz each had two hits as well.
3/7 VS. PRINCETON: In one of the most memorable games of the season, San Diego fell just short in an 11-10 thriller despite a season-high 18 hits. The Toreros trailed 11-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh before erupting for six runs in a comeback bid that had the Reggie Smith Softball Complex buzzing — but came up one run short. Michelle Delgado led the way going 4-for-5, Kaitlyn Wynia went 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Carly Ruiz added three hits.
3/9 VS. PRINCETON: San Diego closed out the tournament with a dominant 6-1 win over the Tigers in the rematch on Monday. Charlie Johnson earned the win, tossing 4.2 innings and allowing just one earned run, with Kaitlyn Bartlow closing it out with 2.1 scoreless innings. Shawnese Hogue-Lacy delivered one of the best individual performances of the season, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, and three RBIs.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
#1 Kaitlyn Wynia | OF | Junior | Torrance, CA | Torrance High School
The Torrance, California native leads the team in batting average (.389), hits (28), and doubles (7), batting 28-for-72 with 11 RBI, 12 runs scored, and a .907 OPS through 23 games. She has just four strikeouts in 72 at-bats, making her the most disciplined contact hitter in the USD lineup.

Wynia announced herself immediately, going 2-for-2 in the season opener at UC Davis (Feb. 6) and following with a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI vs. Colorado State (Feb. 7). She doubled and drove in a run vs. Weber State (Feb. 12) and posted her best game of the non-conference schedule vs. Kansas City (Feb. 28), going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. She carried that production into the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament, going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in an 11-10 thriller against Princeton (Mar. 7) — nearly engineering a comeback from seven runs down with an RBI single in the seventh.

Last season (2025): Hit .328 with 9 RBI in 38 games; led USD in batting average; on-base percentage of .391 ranked 23rd across the WCC.

#5 Michelle Delgado | INF | Junior | Santa Ana, CA | Segerstrom High School
The Santa Ana, California native has been USD's most dynamic offensive weapon, batting .388 (26-for-67) with six doubles, one triple, one home run, a team-high 14 runs scored, and a team-best .967 OPS through 21 games. Her six extra-base hits rank second on the roster.

Delgado hit safely in six consecutive games from Feb. 8 through Feb. 19 — the longest hit streak by any Torero this season — going 9-for-18 (.500) with four extra-base hits during that stretch, including a double and a triple vs. Weber State (Feb. 12) and a home run vs. Colorado State (Feb. 13) that was the decisive blow in a 4-3 USD win. She posted a 3-for-4 performance vs. Montana (Feb. 21) and continued her productivity into the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament, going 7-for-11 (.636) across three games against Notre Dame, #20/23 Grand Canyon, and Princeton — including a game-best 4-for-5 outing in the 11-10 loss to the Tigers on March 7.

Last season (2025): Posted a .318/.396/.409 slash line in 45 games; led USD in assists (84) with a .976 fielding percentage at third base.

#14 Taylor Johnson | UT | Senior | Seal Beach, CA | Los Alamitos High School
The 2024 WCC Batting Champion ranks among the team leaders in RBI (11), home runs (2), and OPS (.928), batting .310 (18-for-58) with six doubles and a .517 slugging percentage through 22 games. She has been hit by pitch six times, pushing her on-base percentage to .411 and making her one of the most difficult outs in the lineup.

Johnson doubled and drove in two runs in the Colorado State win (Feb. 7), then back-to-back home runs highlighted the Weber State-Southern Utah stretch — a solo shot vs. Weber State (Feb. 12) and a two-run blast vs. Southern Utah (Feb. 13) as part of a 2-for-3, three-RBI performance. She delivered again in the Purple Classic, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI against North Florida (Feb. 21) and adding an RBI at Cal Baptist (Feb. 24).

Last season (2025): Posted a .321/.400/.575 slash line with nine home runs and a team-leading 37 RBI; 2024 WCC Batting Champion; 2024 WCC First Team selection.

#20 Mallory Axline | INF | Sophomore | San Diego, CA | Cathedral Catholic High School
The sophomore has emerged as one of USD's most reliable run producers, batting .340 (18-for-53) with two triples, 10 RBI, and eight runs scored through 18 games. She has driven in runs in nine of her 18 appearances and recorded a hit in 13 of 18 games.

Axline was at her best during the Reggie Smith Invitational, delivering a three-RBI triple vs. Cal Poly (Feb. 28) and closing the tournament with a triple and an RBI vs. CSUN (Mar. 1). She carried that production into the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament, going 2-for-3 with an RBI against Notre Dame (Mar. 6) and 2-for-4 with two RBI against #20/23 Grand Canyon — showing a consistent ability to come through in big spots throughout the non-conference schedule.

#21 Charlie Johnson | RHP | Senior | San Diego, CA | Del Norte High School / Sonoma State
The San Diego native and Sonoma State transfer leads the staff in appearances (15), starts (9), wins (6), and innings pitched (59.2) with a 6-3 record and 2.58 ERA through 15 appearances — the unquestioned anchor of the USD rotation.

Johnson opened the season with a complete-game effort at UC Davis (Feb. 6, 7.0 IP, 1 ER) and has consistently delivered in high-leverage outings, posting a complete-game win vs. Colorado State (Feb. 13, 7.0 IP, 3 ER) and earning the win with 6.0 innings of one-run ball vs. North Florida (Feb. 21). She was outstanding in the Reggie Smith Invitational, going 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA across four outings — allowing just one earned run in 17.0 innings — and closed the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament with a 4.2-inning win over Princeton (Mar. 9, 1 ER) to improve to 6-3 on the season.

Transfer background (Sonoma State, 2022–25): 37-23 career record in 94 appearances with a 1.86 ERA in 388.2 innings; five CCAA Pitcher of the Week awards; 2025 First Team All-Region and All-Conference; 23 complete games in 29 starts in her junior season.

#4 Kaitlyn Bartlow | SP/RP | Junior | Westlake Village, CA | Westlake High School
Bartlow has been one of the most efficient arms on the staff, posting a 2.75 ERA across 11 appearances and four starts with two saves, allowing just 17 earned runs in 43.1 innings. She has delivered consistently in her biggest outings — tossing a complete-game shutout vs. Montana (Feb. 21, 7.0 IP, 4 K) to snap a four-game losing streak, earning the win with 6.1 innings of one-run ball vs. Kansas City (Feb. 28), and gutting out a complete game against the undefeated and nationally-ranked #20/23 Grand Canyon Antelopes (Mar. 6, 7.0 IP, 4 K) — one of the most potent lineups in the country. Most recently, she closed out the USD/SDSU Co-Host Tournament with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in the 6-1 win over Princeton (Mar. 9), earning her second save of the season.

USD PICKED SIXTH IN 2025 WCC PRESEASON POLL
• San Diego was picked sixth in the WCC Coaches Preseason Poll the West Coast Conference announced on Wednesday afternoon as part of its 2026 Softball Preseason Honors.
• USD took home the sixth spot in the league's 2026 poll with 11 points, putting it four points ahead of Portland, which was picked seventh. San Diego placed fifth in the poll in 2025 and was tied for second in 2024.

2026 WCC SOFTBALL COACHES PRESEASON POLL
1. Santa Clara - 36 points (6)
2. Saint Mary's - 31 points (1)
3. Oregon State – 22 points
4. LMU – 21 points
5. Seattle U – 19 points
6. San Diego – 11 points
7. Pacific – 7 points

2026 WCC SOFTBALL PRESEASON TEAM (POSITION PLAYERS)
• Amanda Bricker, Pacific
• Sam Buckley, Saint Mary's
• Taryn Clements, Santa Clara
• Cairah Curran, Santa Clara
• Taylor Fitch, Seattle U
• Hazyl Gray, Santa Clara
• Izzy Jamgotchian, LMU                            
• Justine Lambert, LMU
• Jada Lewis, Oregon State
• Mikee Morris, Seattle U
• Olivia Silvestre, Pacific
• Karen Spadafora, Seattle U
 
2026 WCC SOFTBALL PRESEASON TEAM (PITCHERS)
• Cari Ferguson, Santa Clara
• Mia Nishikawa, Saint Mary's
• Berkley Vance, Seattle U
• Odhi Vasquez, Saint Mary's

PROVEN RETURNERS
#1 Kaitlyn Wynia | OF | JR | Torrance, CA | Torrance High School 
• Appeared and started in 38 of her team's games in 2025 as a sophomore
• Hit for a slash line of .328/.391/.379 with 9 RBI; led USD in batting average
• Totaled 11 multi-hit games last season, notching three in one game on three occasions 
• With more walks (11) than strikeouts on the season, her on-base percentage of .391 was third on the team and 23rd across the WCC

#14 Taylor Johnson | UT | SR | Seal Beach, CA | Los Alamitos High School 
• Appeared in 47 games and started in 45 as the team's primary first baseman in 2025
• Posted a slash line of .321/.400/.575, and led the team in slugging with a percentage of .575, aided by her seven doubles and team-leading nine home runs and 37 RBI
• Was the 2024 WCC Batting Champion and a 2024 WCC First Team selection as a sophomore in 2024

#5 Michelle Delgado | INF | JR | Santa Ana, CA | Segerstrom High School 
• Appeared and started in 45 games as the team's primary third baseman in 2025
• Posted a slash line of .318/.396/.409, and her .805 OPS was second best on the team, along with her SLG at third best and OBP at second best
• Led the team in assists with 84 and had a fielding percentage of .976 at the hot corner

#10 Shawnese Hogue-Lacy  | C/UT | SR | Fairfield, CA | Vanden High School 
• Appeared in 36 games and started in 33 as the team's primary catcher in 2025
• Broke out by posting a slash line of .313/.340/.434, boosted by six total extra base hits on the season, hitting two doubles, two triples, and two home runs, along with six RBI
• Had a fielding percentage of .975, making only four errors in 160 chances and threw out six runners attempting to steal a base 

#6 Kelsey Tadlock | LHP | SR | San Marcos, CA | San Marcos High School 
• Pitched in 33 games and started in 13 in 2025
• Threw a team leading four complete games amassing 105 innings pitched
• Struck out a team-high 87 batters while accumulating a 3.47 ERA

WORKING THE PORTAL
• San Diego picked up a pair of transfers in the portal this season from Miami (OH), and Sonoma State. 

Those players are:
#9 Kaylee Oh | OF | JR | Miami (OH) | Oregon State 
• Oh, a Murrieta, California native, heads to USD after spending her Sophomore year at Miami (OH), and her freshman season at Oregon State. 
• Oh excelled during the 2025 season competing for Miami (OH) as she started in all 61 of her team's games and was selected to the MAC All-Tournament team. 
• Providing a great spark at the top of the lineup, she posted a .307 batting average to go along with six home runs and 32 RBIs while also showcasing her speed with 17 stolen bases.
• Her time with the RedHawks featured numerous highlights including her first collegiate home run against Georgia State, 15 multi-hit games, a three-hit performance against Ball State in the MAC Tournament and a pair of hits in a victory over North Carolina in the 2025 NCAA Regionals.  

#21 Charlie Johnson | RHP | SR | Sonoma State 
• Johnson, a San Diego native who attended nearby Del Norte High School, comes to the Toreros after spending the last three seasons competing for Division II Sonoma State in the Bay Area,  where she made 94 career appearances, posting a 37-23 overall record to go along with a microscopic 1.86 ERA in 388.2 innings.
• During her time at Sonoma State she earned five CCAA Pitcher of the Week awards and was a First Team All-Region and All-Conference honoree during the 2025 season.
• Not afraid to pitch deep into games, Johnson threw 23 complete games in 29 starts during her junior season at Sonoma State. Pitching in relief in her final appearance this last season, Johnson kept her team in the game by throwing 5.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run against Concordia. 

RISING TOREROS
• Head coach MJ Knighten brought in six first-year players as part of USD's 2025 freshman class.

Those players are:
#7 Liliana Esparza | UT | Las Vegas, NV | Green Valley High School 
• Played for head coach AJ Coleman and Green Valley High School and for Ken Briggs on the BSC Bengals 18U club team
• Two-time Nevada 5A state champion (2021 and 2022)
• Also played basketball, soccer, volleyball and flag football

#12 Seleny Chavez | UT | Nipomo, CA | St. Joseph High School
• Played for head coach Anthony Razo at St. Joseph High School and for Rob Weil on the Wildcats Fastpitch club team
• 2024 All CSO First Team selection, 2024 CIF Central Section champions
• Grew up in a small farming community and was raised and shaped by the legacy of her parents and grandparents as strawberry farmers 

#22 Adiah Fountain | C/UT | Northridge, CA | Notre Dame High School
• Played for head coach Justin Siegel at Notre Dame High School and for Ray Gurule at the BSC Bengals Gurule club team
• Clubbed 34 home runs during her high school career and posted a 1.75 catcher pop time

#23 Analesse "Peanut" Garcia | RHP | Chula Vista, CA | Mater Dei HS
• Played for head coach Liz Centrullo at Mater Dei High School and for Bobby Labs on the Breakers Lab 18U Gold Bobby club team
• Her last two years of high school she posted a 14-3 record a 1.58 ERA and 99 strikeouts
• Is related to San Diego Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla

#25 Ava Rojas | OF | Benicia, CA | Benicia High School
• Played for head coach Kristen Grubbs at Benicia HS and for the Lady Magic club team under head coach Steve Walling
• Four year varsity player at Benicia HS and has played for her travel ball team since she was seven years old
• Has two older cousins, Madison and Aysle Rojas who played softball at UC Davis

#26 Abrielle Diaz | INF | Riverside, CA | Grand Terrace High School 
• Competed at Grand Terrace High School and for the California Lite 18U club team
• Four year varsity softball player and served as team captain her senior year
• Posted a .431 batting average her junior season

HOMETOWN HEROES
• Eight players on the 2026 USD roster hail from the San Diego area and attended local high schools.

Those players are:
• INF Hailey Mulligan | San Diego, CA | El Capitan High School
• LHP Kelsey Tadlock | San Marcos, CA | San Marcos High School
• LHP Alex Riggs | San Diego, CA | Academy of Our Lady of Peace
• OF Dalia Powell | San Diego, CA | University City High School
• UT Mallory Axline | San Diego, CA | Cathedral Catholic High School
• RHP Charlie Johnson | San Diego, CA | Del Norte High School
• RHP Analesse "Peanut" Garcia | Chula Vista, CA | Mater Dei High School
• P/UT Emma Giaime | San Diego, CA | Del Norte High School

2026 SCHEDULE NOTES:
• 51 games
• 28 home games
• 22 away games
• 18 WCC games
• 33 non-conference games
• 9 home WCC games
• 9 away WCC games
• 19 home non-conference games
• 6 away non-conference games
• 8 neutral-site games
• 43 games in California
• 28 games in San Diego 
• 5 games in Arizona
• 3 games in Oregon