Aztecs Set for Rematch vs. California Baptist

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State returns to The Mesa for five straight home games, starting Tuesday, April 8, when it battles California Baptist in a non-conference clash at Tony Gwynn Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT.

The Aztecs (10-22) dropped two of three games at Mountain West rival Air Force, April 6-7, while the Lancers (17-15) were dealt a home sweep at the hands of Grand Canyon in Western Athletic Conference play this past weekend.

Against the Falcons, SDSU rolled to a 16-4 triumph in game one of a Sunday doubleheader, banging out a season-high 27 hits, which was two short of the school record. However, the Aztecs experienced a reversal of fortune for the rest of the series, dropping an 18-8 run-rule decision in the nightcap of their twin-bill before suffering a hard-luck 12-10 defeat in the finale on Monday.

Individually, San Diego State was paced by outfielder Jake Jackson, who hit .769 for the series (10-for-15) with five doubles, one triple, six RBIs and five runs scored. The Aztec sophomore tied a school record with four doubles in game one vs. Air Force, finishing with a career-high six hits and five RBIs.

SDSU will be looking to avenge a 13-3 defeat against California Baptist on March 18 in Riverside.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
The Aztecs are projected to start sophomore Chris Canavan (1-1) on Tuesday, while the Lancers are expected to counter with fellow left-hander Cameron Teper (2-3).

Canavan is slotted fourth in the Mountain West with 14 pitching appearances, trailing fellow teammates Evan Miranda (T-1st, 16) and Peyton Rodgers (3rd, 15). The Hermosa Beach, California, native has compiled a 1-1 record and a 9.20 ERA thus far, posting 18 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.

Canavan pitched in the previous meeting against California Baptist, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in one inning of work but did not factor in the decision.

In 2024 Canavan made two starts on the road as a freshman at UC Riverside and Long Beach State.

Conversely, Teper was credited with the victory against SDSU last month when he fanned three batters in 1 2/3 innings, yielding one run on two hits without a walk.

For the season, Teper has amassed a 2-3 record with a 6.35 ERA in 16 appearances, notching 15 strikeouts in 17.0 innings.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
As of April 7, Aztec pitchers lead the Mountain West innings pitched (277.0) while ranking second in strikeouts (269), fifth in opposing batting average (.301) and sixth in ERA (7.18).

Offensively, SDSU tops the conference with 14 triples and ranks third with 65 doubles. In addition, the Scarlet and Black occupies the sixth position in batting average (.280), hits (303), RBIs (171) and on-base percentage (.370) while ranking seventh in runs scored (185).

Nevan Noonan is tied for MW lead with 13 doubles and is slotted sixth with 43 hits, while Evan Sipe (8) and Drew Rutter (6) own the top two places in sacrifice hits. Rutter also shares the second spot with four triples, along with Jake Jackson.

Jackson and Jonathan Smith have tied the program record with two triples in a game this season. 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.

Elsewhere, Xavier Cardenas III is tied for third in the league with four saves, while Peyton Rodgers shares the sixth spot with three.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
Over the past 10 games, San Diego State boasts three players with batting averages over .400 in Nevan Noonan (.463), Jake Jackson (.438) and Jonathan Smith (.429).

Noonan leads the Aztecs with 19 hits and 14 RBIs in that span, raising his season batting average from .284 to .344, while Finley Bates has hit .353 in that stretch with a team-high 11 walks and 10 runs scored.

For the season, Noonan leads the Aztecs with multiple hits in 13 games, followed by Daniel Arambula with 10. Noonan and Arambula are the only two players to start all 32 games for the Scarlet and Black this season.

In addition, Arambula is lone Aztec to start every contest at one position (third base), while Bates (leadoff) leads the team with 30 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 SJSU on March 15, when he batted a combined .571 (4-for-7) with two homers, eight RBIs and four runs scored.

The Aztecs are 9-0 this season when leading after seven innings and 9-2 when outhitting the opposition. SDSU is also 8-1 this year when limiting opponents to five runs or fewer.

San Diego State has emerged victorious in 82 of its last 128 games dating back to 2019 when hitting a home run, including a 4-2 mark this year, a 14-13 ledger during the 2024 campaign and a 14-12 record in 2023.

Since 2019, the Aztecs are 77-62 in their last 139 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 175-68 over the last seven-plus seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a stellar 38-6 record during the 2017 campaign.

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.

In all, 16 of SDSU’s 17 true freshmen have seen action this season.

Escobar has started 12 games at shortstop, notching his first two collegiate RBIs on March 25 against UC Riverside, 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, Xavier Farnum made his first collegiate start at USC on April 1, finishing with one hit, one walk and a run scored.

SERIES RECORD VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
he Lancers hold a 3-2 lead in the all-time series after posting a 13-3 triumph over the Aztecs on March 18 in Riverside.

In that contest, Ben Castelli (6 RBIs) clubbed three home runs, while Nicholas Dumesnil (5 RBIs) went yard on two occasions.

California Baptist also emerged with a 5-2 victory over SDSU on March 26, 2019, the last time the two squads met at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

SDSU has faced two other Western Athletic Conference teams this season, dropping a narrow 6-5 contest to Grand Canyon at the MLB Desert Invitational on Feb. 15 in Mesa, Arizona, before rebounding with a 5-4 victory over Seattle in 10 innings on Feb. 20 in the Aztecs’ home opener..

LANCERS AT A GLANCE
Since defeating the Aztecs on March 18, California Baptist is 6-5 in its last 11 games, falling short in all three games of a home series vs. Grand Canyon, April 4-6.

Collectively, the Lancers occupy the second position in the WAC in batting average (.299), on-base percentage (.414) and slugging percentage (.475) while ranking fourth in hits (314) and runs scored (226).

On the mound, CBU pitchers are slotted third in the league in ERA (5.01) and strikeouts (276) while ranking fourth in opponent batting average (.272).

Individually, Chris Ramirez (.343), Ben Castelli (.330) and Nicholas Dumesnil (.328) find themselves among the WAC leaders entering Tuesday’s contest.

Castelli ranks third on-base percentage (.475) and fourth in slugging percentage (.649) and runs scored (32), while Dumesnil is slotted fifth in hits (43) and shares the eighth spot in home runs (7). In addition, Ramirez occupies the seventh position in batting average.

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 Tuesday’s showdown, San Diego State jumps back into conference play this weekend when it welcomes Fresno State to Tony Gwynn Stadium, April 11-13.