PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

Over  the  weekend, USD  hosted a tournament in conjunction with UCSD  at  the Reggie Smith Softball complex, across  from  Manchester Field. All  of the games took place at USD, but some matches  did not involve the Toreros directly. There were a total of 15 games played in the tournament  with USD competing in four. The  games marked the second tournament of the USD’s spring softball seasons. The competing  teams  were  Weber State,  Omaha,   Utah Tech, Southern Utah, Colorado  State, Boise  State, FDU  and UC San Diego. USD only  played  games against Weber State (0-5, 0-0 Big Sky), Southern Utah (2-5, 0-0 WAC) and  Colorado State (3-2, 0-0 MW). 

On Thursday, Feb. 12, USD won the first game over Weber State 4-3, then proceeded to lose the second 5-9. 

USD  senior and pitcher Charlie Johnson needed just one run of support to seal the victory, closing out the game with a one-two-three seventh inning, which occurs when a pitcher retires the first three batters they face without any of them reaching base. Johnson wrapped up a strong outing surrendering only four hits and recording two strikeouts. As a San Diego native and Del Norte High School graduate, Johnson joined the Toreros after three standout seasons at Division II Sonoma State in the Bay Area.

While at Sonoma State, she collected five CCAA Pitcher of the Week honors and earned both First Team All-Region and All-Conference recognition during the 2025 season.

Johnson commented on the team’s performance this past weekend and what she hopes to accomplish with her final season of collegiate softball. 

“ I think that it definitely set the tone of what kind of team we want to be this year,” Johnson said. “We want to be the team that wins and gets the 30 wins that we’ve been looking for. And that, we’re just ready to, you know, kind of represent what our team is now and how it’s different from what we were in the past.”

“I just want to have fun,” Johnson said. “I love softball very  much and being able to be here at home is really awesome. So I think just having fun and being able to see my family as much as possible and have them watch me for my last season would be cool.”

In   the  second game, San Diego fell to Weber State, who pulled away with runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings to secure the victory over the Toreros. The Toreros then lost the third game to Southern Utah State. 

Despite the losses, San Diego managed to come back and win their  last  game of the tournament. San Diego struck first with a bunt to take an early lead, but Southern Utah  responded  by  capitalizing on walks, singles and a wild pitch to move  in  front. The Southern Utah State Thunderbirds continued to apply  pressure offensively, building an 8–4 advantage despite a mid-game home run and defensive plays that helped the Toreros limit further damage. San Diego mounted a late rally at the top of the  seventh inning with timely hits and aggressive baserunning, but the comeback effort ultimately fell short in an 8–5 defeat.

San Diego Toreros softball earned a  4–3 victory over Colorado State Rams softball in their final match of the tournament, leaning on aggressive base running and timely small ball to generate offense.  USD  junior and outfielder Kaylee Oh legged out an infield single with the bases loaded to open the scoring, and USD first-year Abrielle Diaz added her first collegiate RBI (runs batted in) later in the game to help build a 3–1 lead. USD junior infielder Michelle Delgado also provided a key insurance run with an inside-the-park home run in  the fifth. Charlie Johnson tossed a complete game, holding off a late Rams rally to secure the win.

USD senior and utility Taylor Johnson shared her thoughts on the home campaign and how it will set the team up for the rest of the season. 

““Overall, it was a good weekend,” Johnson said. “We had a few tough battles, but I was proud of our response and how we were able to finish the weekend on a high note. It’s still early in the season, so we’re continuing to learn, work through things, and figure out what’s going to work best for us.”

“ I wouldn’t change anything from the weekend because it’s all part of our process and growth as a team. This is the best start we’ve had in my four years here, which is exciting because it shows what we’re capable of as we continue to build. Going into the GCU tournament next week, we’re prepared to compete and put our best foot forward.”

Johnson appeared in 47 games and started in 45 as the team’s primary first baseman in 2025 and was the 2024 WCC Batting Champion and a 2024 WCC First Team selection as a sophomore in 2024. 

Starting Thursday Feb. 19, USD will be competing in a second tournament of the season hosted by Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Arizona. Throughout the semester, the team will play a 51-game schedule, including 28 home contests and 22 games on the road. The slate features 18 WCC matchups and 33 non-conference games.                                                                                                      

San Diego was also picked sixth in the WCC Coaches Preseason Poll the West Coast Conference for the 2026 Softball Preseason Honors and looks to rise in the ranks as the season unfolds. 

USD womens softball gets ready to play the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.Photo courtesy of @usdsoftball/Instagram