Softball’s Quinn Waiki named MW Defensive Player of the Year
Waiki wins Defensive Player of the Year; five Aztecs selected to all-MW teams.
San Diego State softball’s Quinn Waiki has been named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday. In addition to Waiki earning Defensive Player of the Year, Cece Cellura and Bella Espinoza were named to the all-conference first team while Julie Holcomb, Jade Ignacio and Grace Uribe landed on the All-Mountain West Second Team.
The postseason awards are voted on by the league’s nine head coaches and take into account Mountain West games only.
Waiki becomes just the second player in program history to bring home Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining another shortstop, Shelby Thompson, who did so in 2018 and 2021. Waiki is also the first freshman in Mountain West history to garner Defensive Player of the Year, an award that was introduced for the 2014 season.
Starting all 22 conference games at shortstop for the Aztecs, Waiki finished with 61 assists and 38 putouts on 101 total chances for a .980 fielding percentage. She was a part of ten double plays of the league-leading 15 total turned by the Aztecs during Mountain West play. Waiki entered the final weekend of the conference season without an error. Among Mountain West fielders, the freshman paced the conference in assists, tied for second in fielding double plays and ranked ninth in total chances.
Cellura was stellar in the circle during conference play for San Diego State, going 9-1 with a 1.77 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP and a 3.80 K:BB ratio across 55.1 innings. Cellura struck out 38 hitters, throwing one complete game and picking up a save while being a part of all three of the Aztecs’ combined shutouts. She appeared in 14 games, starting on six occasions and holding opposing hitters to a .228 batting average. Among conference pitchers, Cellura ranked first in ERA, second in wins, fifth in batting average against, seventh in strikeouts and eighth in innings pitched. She shut down the opposition, allowing the fewest runs and earned runs, second fewest home runs, fourth fewest walks and ninth fewest hits in the Mountain West.
SDSU’s leader in batting average during conference play, Espinoza started all 22 games in left field, hitting .387 with a .425 on-base percentage, 29 hits, 16 runs scored, six stolen bases, five RBIs and five walks. In the conference, she placed fourth in stolen bases, sixth in hits, 12th in batting average and runs scored and 20th in on-base percentage. Espinoza is making her third appearance on an All-Mountain West Team as she was on the First Team in 2022 and the Second Team in 2023.
The next best hitter by average on the Aztecs, Holcomb also started all 22 games, patrolling center field for San Diego State. She hit .382 with a .412 slugging percentage, 26 hits, 13 runs scored, 10 RBIs, four stolen bases and one triple. Holcomb finished seventh in stolen bases, 11th in hits and 13th in batting average in Mountain West play.
A regular at designated player for SDSU, Ignacio started in 19 of her 20 appearances. She hit .370 with a .404 on-base percentage and a .556 slugging percentage for a .960 OPS. The junior tallied 20 hits, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, five doubles, a triple, a home run and three walks. Her doubles were tied for the 11th most in the league.
A two-way player, Uribe shined in her first season with the Aztecs after transferring from Texas A&M. She started all 22 games, hitting .224 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .551 slugging percentage for a .932 OPS. The senior totaled 13 walks, 12 RBIs, 11 hits, seven runs scored, four home runs, four doubles and two stolen bases. In the circle, she posted a 4-1 record, 3.94 ERA and 1.46 K:BB ratio in 42.2 innings. She started in eight of her 13 pitching appearances, striking out 22 hitters, tossing three complete games including one complete game shutout, earned a save and appeared in a combined shutout.
Among hitters, Uribe ranked sixth in walks and tenth in homers in the conference. She ranked highly in even more categories in the circle, finishing ninth in wins and batting average against, tenth in ERA and 11th in strikeouts while placing sixth in walks allowed, seventh in hits and runs allowed and tenth in earned runs allowed.
This week, San Diego State is hosting the Mountain West Tournament at SDSU Softball Stadium. The event runs from Wednesday-Saturday, and, after a bye, the second-seeded Aztecs will open against the winner of third-seeded Fresno State and sixth-seeded San Jose State at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday. The entire tournament will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
2025 Mountain West Awards
Player of the Year: Aaliyah Jenkins, Nevada
Pitcher of the Year: Serayah Neiss, Fresno State
Defensive Player of the Year: Quinn Waiki, San Diego State
Freshman of the Year: Makenzie Butt, Boise State
Coach of the Year: Victoria Hayward, Nevada
First Team:
Makenzie Butt, Boise State
Sophia Knight, Boise State
Serayah Neiss, Fresno State
Maddie Clark, Nevada
Aaliyah Jenkins, Nevada
Hailey McLean, Nevada
Ashley Archuleta, New Mexico
Cece Cellura, San Diego State
Bella Espinoza, San Diego State
Ahmiya Noriega, San Jose State
Mia Reynolds, San Jose State
Ariana Martinez, UNLV
Kya Pratt, Utah State
Tatum Silva, Utah State
Grace Matej, Utah State
Second Team:
Mykenzie Hanna, Boise State
Leah McAnally, Boise State
Brooke Bohlender, Colorado State
Kaylynn English, Colorado State
Kennedy Bunker, Fresno State
Natalie Elias, Fresno State
Tess Bumiller, Nevada
Haylee Engelbrecht, Nevada
McKenna Guest, New Mexico
Julie Holcomb, San Diego State
Jade Ignacio, San Diego State
Grace Uribe, San Diego State
Jesse Farrell, UNLV
Ariel Fifita, Utah State
Giselle Gonzalez, Utah State
Claudia Medina, Utah State
Honorable Mention:
Megan Lake, Boise State
Brooklyn Pettis, Boise State
Reagan Wick, Colorado State
Lauren Almeida, Fresno State
Allie Williams, New Mexico
Lacie Ham, San Jose State
Aubrie Thomas, San Jose State
Karmyna Becerra, UNLV
Yanina Sherwood, UNLV
Olivia Marble, Utah State
