Aztecs Head North for MW Series at San Jose State

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opens a busy stretch of five games in six days, starting this week when it travels north to the Bay Area to face San José State in a key Mountain West series, April 17-19, at Excite Ballpark in San Jose, California.

Both encounters on Thursday and Friday are slated to begin at 6:05 p.m. PT, while Saturday’s finale is scheduled for a 12:05 p.m. start.

Along with live stats, all three games will air live on the Mountain West Network, with links to both platforms available on GoAztecs.com. Fans can also catch the action on their TVs or smartphones by downloading the MW app.

SDSU (11-26, 7-8) completed the first half of its Mountain West schedule in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference standings with Washington State and Air Force after dropping two of three games to league leader Fresno State, April 11-13, when it fell short by scores of 7-0 and 10-2, sandwiched around a 6-4 triumph.

Conversely, SJSU (20-17, 8-7) is tied for second in the MW with Nevada and New Mexico after winning two of three against the Wolf Pack in Reno last weekend, emerging victorious by scores of 10-5 and 7-5 before dropping a 12-2 decision in the finale.

Both the Aztecs and Spartans were handed defeats in their respective midweek games at home on Tuesday night. SDSU was victimized by five home runs in a 14-3 seven-inning loss to UC San Diego, while Saint Mary’s pulled away for a 13-5 victory in Silicon Valley.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Thursday, April 17, SDSU: Garvey Rumary, LHP (1-4) vs. SJSU: Kyle Calzadiaz, RHP (0-1)

Friday, April 18, SDSU: Marko Sipila, RHP (3-3) vs. SJSU: David Thomas, RHP (1-1)

Saturday, April 19, SDSU: Omar Serrano, RHP (3-4) vs. SJSU: TBA

Garvey Rumary is pegged for his seventh consecutive start, his first of the year in a series opener and ninth of the season, while Marko Sipila and Omar Serrano are expected to make their 10th straight starts on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Serrano tossed his second career complete game against the Spartans in the opener of a doubleheader at Tony Gwynn Stadium on March 15, when he allowed just one run on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts, as the Scarlet and Black rolled to a 16-1 run-rule victory in seven innings.

In addition, Sipila collected his first win as an Aztec in the nightcap of that twin-bill when he fanned eight batters in eight-plus innings, yielding four runs on eight hits and one walk, helping SDSU secure a 6-4 decision.

In five career appearances against SJSU, Serrano has made three starts, compiling a 1-3 overall record with a 7.50 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18.0 innings.

The last time Rumary faced the Spartans on March 16, he fanned a career-high seven batters in 5 2/3 innings but was charged with the tough loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) on just two hits and a pair of walks, as SJSU ultimately pulled away for a 10-2 triumph.

Rumary also made one relief appearance against the Spartans as a freshman on April 7, 2024, when he struck out two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings without a walk or hit.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
As of April 16, the Aztec staff leads the Mountain West innings pitched (320.0) and is tied for the top spot in strikeouts (308) while ranking fifth in opposing batting average (.303) and sixth in ERA (7.43).

Individually, Peyton Rodgers and Evan Miranda are tied for second in the conference with 18 games pitched while Chris Canavan and Xavier Cardenas III are tied for fourth with 15 appearances each.

In addition, Cardenas is tied for fourth in the league with four saves, while Rodgers shares the sixth spot with three in that statistic.

Elsewhere, Marko Sipila leads the league in innings pitched (53.1) while ranking fourth in strikeouts (54) and ninth in opposing batting average (.280).

Garvey Rumary also finds himself among the MW leaders, tying for fifth in fewest hits allowed (42), while Omar Serrano shares the sixth position in strikeouts (44).

Offensively, SDSU tops the conference with 16 triples and is slotted third with 145 walks while tying for fourth with 70 doubles. In addition, the Scarlet and Black occupies the sixth position in hits (336) and batting average (.272).  

Evan Sipe (8) and Drew Rutter (6) own the top two places in sacrifice hits, with the latter sharing the second spot in triples (4) alongside Jake Jackson.

Jackson and Jonathan Smith have already tied the program record with two triples in a game this year. Jackson accomplished the feat in the season opener vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 14, followed by Smith’s performance at Air Force on April 7.

Additionally, Nevan Noonan is tied for third in the MW with 13 doubles and shares the sixth spot with 48 hits.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
Over the past 10 games, Nevan Noonan (.463), Jonathan Smith (.421) and Jake Jackson (.406) have posted batting averages over .400, with Finley Bates (.382) not far behind.

Noonan leads the Aztecs with 19 hits and 11 RBIs in that span, raising his season batting average from .282 to .333, while Smith has contributed one home run, three doubles, two triples and nine RBIs.

Not to be outdone, Jackson has five doubles and one triple to his credit.

In a doubleheader at Air Force on April 6, Jackson recorded eight consecutive hits across two contests and tied a single-game school record with four doubles in the opener, helping the Scarlet and Black to a big 16-4 victory.

Bates has reached base safely in his last 12 starts, posting teams highs of 13 walks and a .527 on-base percentage while raising his season batting average from .233 to .276.

For the season, Noonan leads the Aztecs with multiple hits in 14 games, followed by Daniel Arambula with 11. Noonan and Arambula are the only two players to start all 37 games for the Scarlet and Black this season.

In SDSU’s 6-4 victory over Fresno State on April 12, In Saturday’s triumph, Noonan belted his first two home runs in an Aztec uniform, including a two-run shot in the first inning before adding a solo blast in the fourth.

With his effort, Noonan completed San Diego State’s first game with multiple home runs since Shaun Montoya hit a pair at Nevada on May 17, 2024.

In addition, Arambula is lone Aztec to start every contest at one position (third base), while Bates (leadoff) leads the team with 35 games played in the same spot in the batting order.

Last month, Arambula garnered Mountain West Freshman of the Week accolades after leading the Scarlet and Black to a doubleheader sweep of San José State on March 15, when he batted a combined .571 (4-for-7) with two homers, eight RBIs and four runs scored.

All 17 of San Diego State’s freshmen have seen action this season, including pitcher Aaron Kniffin, who returned from an injury to make his collegiate debut against California Baptist on April 8. The Scottsdale, Arizona, native allowed one unearned run vs. the Lancers on one walk in 1 2/3 innings.

Against Nebraska on Feb. 16, the Aztecs employed 21 players on the night, including five true freshmen who were making their first career appearances (Evan Escobar, Cody Liscio, Dillon Marrisett, Alito McBean, Hank Tripaldi). Tripaldi singled in his first collegiate at-bat with a grounder through the right side in the eighth.

Escobar has started 16 of 22 games at shortstop, belting his first collegiate home run vs. Fresno State on April 12, while Tripaldi made his first career start at Washington State on March 22.  Previously, McBean earned his initial career start on the mound in the Aztecs’ home opener against Seattle on Feb. 20.

In addition, catcher Xavier Farnum made his first collegiate start at USC on April 1, finishing with one hit, one walk and a run scored, while Keynen Gomez earned his first career start at second base vs. California Baptist on April 8.

Farnum has started four of the last six games for the Scarlet Black, collecting six hits in 15 at-bats (.400) with one double, one triple, six RBIs and three runs scored.

Against UCSD on April 15, SDSU welcomed back the services of another freshman CJ Moran, who had been sidelined the previous 15 games with an injury. As a designated hitter vs. the Tritons, the Murrieta, California, native had his nine-game hitting streak snapped, going 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk.

Prior to his setback, Moran was batting .365 with a .456 on-base percentage. He is still tied for third on the squad with multiple RBIs in five games alongside Smith and Bates.

The Aztecs are 10-0 this season when leading after seven innings and 9-2 when outhitting the opposition. SDSU is also 9-1 this year when limiting opponents to five runs or fewer.

San Diego State has emerged victorious in 83 of its last 130 games dating back to 2019 when hitting a home run, including a 5-3 mark this year, a 14-13 ledger during the 2024 campaign and a 14-12 record in 2023.

Since 2019, the Aztecs are 77-63 in their last 140 games when striking out 10 or more batters. SDSU pitchers fanned 17 hitters in its season opener against Seton Hall at the MLB Desert Invitational.

The Aztecs are 176-68 over the last seven-plus seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a stellar 38-6 record during the 2017 campaign.

SERIES RECORD VS. SAN JOSÉ STATE
After winning two of three games against the Spartans in March, San Diego State raised its record to 88-46 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1938.

The Aztecs’ 42-game advantage vs. San José State ranks as the fourth-largest spread against a single opponent in program history behind Air Force (122-44), Utah (104-39) and UC Santa Barbara (84-30-1).

SDSU is 49-18 against the Spartans in San Diego and 34-28 on the road. In addition, the Aztecs have won all five meetings vs. SJSU on a neutral diamond.

Since San José State joined the Mountain West during the 2013-14 academic year, San Diego State is 36-20 vs. the Spartans, capturing 13 of 17 series played between the two teams and winning three conference tournament games.

Along with Daniel Arambula’s aforementioned success against SJSU in March, CJ Moran hit .500 in that the series at Tony Gwynn Stadium, finishing with three RBIs and five runs score, while Nevan Noonan (2B, 3B) and Zane Kelly both batted .300.

SPARTANS AT A GLANCE
After winning two of three games vs. Nevada this past weekend, San José State fell to Saint Mary’s by a 13-5 count on Tuesday night, slipping to 14-6 at home this season while maintaining a 6-11 mark on the road.

The Spartans have been led by outfielder Alex Fernandes, a Memphis transfer and San Marcos High alumnus who finds himself among the Mountain West leaders in several categories this season, including stolen bases (3rd, 11), walks (3rd, 25), runs scored (T-3rd, 34), on-base percentage (4th, .472), batting average (7th, .367) and hits (T-8th, 47).

SJSU sports two additional players who are hitting over .300 in infielder Zach Chamizo (.315) and outfielder Jake McCoy (.311).

Elsewhere, fellow outfielder Jeriah Lewis (.258) is tied for the conference lead with 13 stolen bases and shares the eighth position with seven home while topping the squad with 27 RBIs.

Collectively, the Spartan pitching staff leads the MW in team ERA (5.22) while ranking second in opposing batting average (.261) and fewest hits allowed (313) and sixth in strikeouts (265).

Friday’s projected starter David Thomas is currently the lone holdover from the previous SDSU series where he was tagged with the loss in the nightcap of a doubleheader on March 15 after allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, as the Scarlet and Black held on for a 6-4 triumph.  

Conversely, SJSU sits among the bottom half of the conference in several offensive categories, including hits (7th, 332), runs scored (7th, 205), RBIs (7th, 188), slugging percentage (7th, .397), on-base percentage (8th, .350) and batting average (8th, .270).

Former Aztec infielder Drew Giannini joined the Spartans this season after spending the 2024 season at San Joaquin Delta College. A native of Tracy, California, Gianni played 27 games for SDSU as a freshman in 2023, batting .153 (9-59) with one homer, three doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored. He is currently hitting .255 with one homer, six doubles and 15 runs scored.

Along with Fernandes, catcher Jacob Campagna also prepped in San Diego, graduating from Francis Parker High School, where he was a teammate of Aztec infielder Nevan Noonan.

AZTECS IN MLB DRAFT
Since 1965, San Diego State has had 227 student-athletes chosen in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, including 31 selections since 2015.

Former Aztec center fielder Cole Carrigg was taken by the Colorado Rockies as a catcher in the Competitive Balance "B" Round with the 65th overall pick of the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft; pitcher TJ Fondtain was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 14th round (423rd overall), while fellow hurler Kelena Sauer went to the Toronto Blue Jays shortly thereafter in the 15th round (454th overall).

With its selections, SDSU has had multiple players picked in six of the last eight years and nine of the last 12.

In 2022, former Aztec right-hander Troy Melton was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round with the 117th selection overall.

The previous year, in 2021, SDSU had five individuals drafted by MLB organizations: Mike Jarvis and Wyatt Hendrie (Pirates), Matt Rudick (Mets), Jaden Fein (Nationals) and Michael Paredes (Twins).

LOCAL HEROES
San Diego State sports eight players on its current roster who are alumni of San Diego County high schools, including Xavier Farnum (Christian), Trevor Fox (St. Augustine); Jake Jackson (Madison); Nevan Noonan (Francis Parker); Peyton Rodgers (Torrey Pines); Eli Selga (Cathedral Catholic); Connor Shaw (Westview); and Evan Sipe (San Marcos).

MW TO HOST 2025 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP IN MESA, ARIZONA
The Mountain West, in partnership with the Arizona Sport and Entertainment Commission, will host the Credit 1 Baseball Championship, May 21-24 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The agreement marks the first time the MW baseball tournament will be held on a neutral field and in the state of Arizona.

“Hosting the baseball championship in a first-class venue like Sloan Park is a tremendous opportunity for the Mountain West, our baseball student-athletes and our fan base,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez.

The six-team double elimination format begins on Wednesday, May 21, with the No. 3 seed facing the No. 6 seed. The second game will feature the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

On Thursday, May 22, the top two seeded teams square off with the winners from Wednesday. The winners of Thursday’s first two contests advance to Friday, while the losing teams battle in elimination games. The MW champion will be crowned on Saturday, May 24, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Ticket information for the 2025 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Baseball Championship will be available later this month.

UP NEXT
Following their Silicon Valley excursion, the Aztecs will return to “America’s Finest City” for a single game at the University of San Diego on Monday, April 21, before playing host to Cal State Fullerton the next night on April 22. Both games are set to begin at 6 p.m. PT.