Oct. 17, 2003
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San Diego - Head coach Tony Gwynn and his San Diego State baseball team will christen the San Diego Padres' new ballpark when they host the Aztec Invitational at PETCO Park, March 11-14, 2004.
The eight-team event will kick off on Thursday, March 11, when the Aztecs host the University of Houston at 7:00 p.m. Other Division I schools participating include Long Beach State, Nebraska, UCLA, and University of San Diego. In addition, local schools UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene will play each other in the first game on Friday, March 12, at noon. Long Beach State (9), Nebraska (13) and Houston (16) were all nationally ranked in the final polls for the 2003 season.
The Aztec Invitational at PETCO Park will be a signature event of SDSU Month. Celebrated each March, SDSU Month recognizes the special relationship that exists between the 106-year old university and the San Diego community. SDSU is developing special ticket incentives for alumni and students to help maximize their attendance at this event.
In the opener, the Aztecs and Cougars will be looking to break the all-time attendance record for a collegiate contest set in 2002 when 27,673 fans saw Louisiana State defeat Tulane in the Superdome in New Orleans.
Invitational passes covering all 10 contests are priced at $50 for adults and $30 for students. In addition, a limited number of VIP tickets are available at a cost of $200. All seats for Thursday night's opener are reserved with all other games sold as general admission. Padres season ticket holders will receive ticket applications for Invitational passes over the next several weeks.
All-session tickets can be reserved now at the Aztec Ticket Office (Gate G, Qualcomm Stadium) or by calling (619) 283-7378. Ticket order forms can be found on the baseball page at SDSU's web site (www.goaztecs.com). Single-day tickets are expected to be made available in January. Proceeds from this event will directly benefit the San Diego State baseball program.
"I'd like to thank John Moores and the Padres for their continued support and this chance for us to stage this first event in their new ballpark," said Gwynn. "It's a great facility and provides an unbelievable opportunity to showcase some of the finest college baseball teams in the country. It's also important to us as we continue to build our program at San Diego State."
The San Diego Padres will open their 2004 major league season in PETCO Park when they host the San Francisco Giants on April 8.
2004 Aztec Invitational ScheduleThursday, March 11 Houston vs. San Diego State........... 7:00 pmFriday, March 12 Pt. Loma Nazarene vs. UC San Diego........Noon Long Beach State vs. UCLA..............3:30 pm Nebraska vs. U. of San Diego...........7:00 pmSaturday, March 13 Houston vs. U. of San Diego...............Noon Nebraska vs. UCLA......................3:30 pm Long Beach State vs. San Diego State...7:00 pmSunday, March 14 Houston vs. UCLA..........................Noon Long Beach State vs. U. of San Diego...3:30 pm Nebraska vs. San Diego State...........7:00 pm