LA JOLLA, Calif. — The Big West Conference announced Monday its latest Softball Freshman of the Week, naming UC San Diego Tritons pitcher Bella Settembro as the Freshman of the Week. The award is selected weekly by the conference's head coaches.

Settembro played a pivotal role in UC San Diego's series sweep over CSU Bakersfield, helping the Tritons secure a berth in the Big West Championship. She delivered two key relief appearances over the weekend, providing stability in high-pressure situations out of the bullpen.

In the series opener, Settembro tossed 1.0 inning in relief, allowing one hit and one run while striking out one. She followed that with a standout performance in the series finale, entering the game with the Tritons trailing by three runs. Settembro shut down the Roadrunners' offense the rest of the way, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing just one run on six hits while striking out two to earn the win and clinch the postseason spot.

UC SAN DIEGO'S BIG WEST WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Bella Settembro, Freshman (May 4, 2026)
Tori Hinostro, Freshman (April 6, 2026)
Maalia Cherry, Field (Feb. 16, 2026)
Bella Settembro, Freshman (Feb. 9, 2026)
Zara Wasserman, Field (April 21, 2025)
India Caldwell, Pitcher (March 24, 2025)
India Caldwell, Pitcher (March 11, 2024)
Brooklyn Lee, Freshman (March 11, 2024)
Hailey Mulligan, Field (March 4, 2024)
Lexi O'Gorman, Freshman (Feb. 12, 2024)
Hailey Mulligan, Freshman (April 24, 2023)
Jada Cecil, Freshman (April 4, 2022)
Jada Cecil, Freshman (March 28, 2022)
Jada Cecil, Freshman (March 14, 2022)
Deena Pederson, Freshman (May 17, 2021)
Bobbi Aguirre, Field (May 10, 2021)
Deena Pederson, Freshman (March 29, 2021)
Clarissa Reynoso, Field (Feb. 22, 2021)
Robyn Wampler, Pitcher (Feb. 22, 2021)

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.