Feb. 15, 2005
Complete Release and Season Statistice in PDF Format
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THIS WEEK
* SDSU will host Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium prior to leaving for the North Carolina State on the first of three straight weekend road trips. * The weekend series at North Carolina State begins on Friday (Feb. 18) with a single game at 3:00 p.m. (EST) at Doak Field. Action continues the next two afternoons with games on Saturday (Feb. 19) and Sunday (Feb. 20) at 2:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively. * This is the 67th season of Aztec baseball since the sport was elevated to major status in 1936. The school did not field varsity teams from 1943 to 1945.
SERIES RECORDS
* SDSU's all-time record against Cal State Northridge stands at 38-36 in a series that began in 1960. The teams met annually while both were members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Aztecs and Matadors were also members of the Western Athletic Conference together from 1993 to 1996. Last season, the teams split a pair of games with each side winning on its home field. * SDSU holds a slim 2-1 advantage over North Carolina State after the teams met for the first time ever at Tony Gwynn Stadium for a three-game series last season. The Wolfpack took the inaugural meeting by a 3-1 count with the Aztecs winning the final two games of that series by scores of 7-4 and 8-6.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
* CSU Northridge enters the week with a record of 2-3-1 after dropping a pair of games with UCLA. The Matadors opened their season with a 3-3 tie at University of San Diego, then took two of three games at UNLV. * CSN is led by Erik Hagstrom (.333, 2B), Drew Aguailiar (.333, 4 runs, 3 RBI) and Raymond Ravago (.320, 2 RBI). Top pitchers include starters Jimmy Brettl (0-1, 3.29) and Craig Baker (1-0, 3.09) plus reliever Peter Eberhardt (1-0, 1.23). As a team, the Matadors are hitting .258 and have posted a team earned run average of 4.22. * North Carolina State comes into the weekend series with a record of 4-1 having swept Delaware State three in three games at home and splitting home-and-home games with Campbell. The Wolfpack received votes in this week's ESPN/Sports Weekly national poll. NC State is hitting .345 as a team with a 2.86 earned run average. * Offensive leaders for the Wolfpack include shortstop Jonathan Diaz (.556, 5 RBI), outfielder Brian Aragon (.500, HR, 6 RBI) and third baseman Matt Devine (.500, 2b, 3b, 4 RBI). Top pitchers are senior Phillip Davidson (1-1, 0.92) and sophomore Jeff Stallings (2-0, 1.00) plus reliever Joey Devine (2 saves, 0.00).
HEAD COACH Tony Gwynn
* Tony Gwynn enters his third season as San Diego State's head coach after being named to the position in Sept. 2001. * In 2002, he served as a volunteer coach for the Aztecs under Jim Dietz, who retired at the end of that season. * Last year, Gwynn led his squad to the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and was named the MWC coach of the year. * A former Aztec who played baseball at San Diego State from 1979 to 1981, Gwynn concluded a 20-year major league career with the San Diego Padres in 2001. With a career batting average of .338, he won eight National League batting titles, five Gold Gloves, and made 15 appearances in the annual All-Star Game.
PITCHING ROTATION
* Either Anthony Eqsuibel (freshman RHP) or James Scott (freshman LHP) will get the start on the mound on Tuesday vs. Cal State Northridge. (Both will likely see action.) * Bruce Billings will start the Friday game of the series at North Carolina State. * Following Billings in SDSU's pitching rotation, the Aztecs expect to continue with junior left-hander Alex Hinshaw and freshman Andres Esquibel on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
WOLFPACK ROTATION
* North Carolina State's starting pitchers this weekend are expected to be:
Fri - Phillip Davidson (RHP, 1-1, 0.82)
Sat - Gib Hobson (RHP, 1-0, 5.62)
Sun - Jeff Stallings (RHP, 2-0, 1.00)
OFFENSE AWAKENS
* After scoring just eight runs in its first four games, the SDSU offense came alive to score eight in the win over Santa Clara last Sunday. * Third baseman Lance Zawadzki and left fielder Curt Mendoza had three hits apiece as SDSU scored seven times over the third and fourth innings. * Both the run and hit (14) totals in the game are season highs for SDSU.
BILLINGS SHINES
* Sophomore right-hander Bruce Billings has taken up where he left off a year ago when he won his final five decisions of the season. * He went five innings in last Sunday's first game to record the win as he improved to 1-0 on the year. He pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts. * The leadoff home he gave up in the fifth inning was the first he has allowed as an Aztec. Prior to that, he had pitched 61 innings (50 last year, 11 this year) without giving up a homer. * Although not involved in the decision in the opener vs. top-tanked Texas, Billings turned in a noteworthy performance, allowing one earned run over his seven innings of work. * He gave up just five hits and struck out five while walking none. He left the contest after seven innings with the score tied 3-3.
O'BRIEN SLUGGING
* First baseman Tim O'Brien, who has been the starter at the position since the second game of the season, hit his second homer of the season in Sunday's first game against Santa Clara. * The junior from Fresno City College is hitting .412 and leads the team in runs scored (4) and slugging percentage (.824) in addition to home runs. * O'Brien has had multiple-hit games in three of San Diego State's first six contests.
BERRY ENJOYS GOOD WEEK
* Sophomore outfielder Quintin Berry had a good week at the plate in the team's last three games. * He collected his first hit as an Aztec when he singled as a pinch hitter in the contest at USC last Tuesday. * In Sunday's doubleheader vs. Santa Clara, he went 4-for-7 with a double, three runs scored and a pair of runs batted in. * He also had a pair of stolen bases in the nightcap and was flawless in center field over the three games.
HINSHAW THROWING STRIKES
* Alex Hinshaw, who arrived just prior to opening day of the season, made his first start in game two of last Sunday's doubleheader. * Although he took the loss, he struck out six batters in his 3.1 innings of work. * He has recorded nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings thus far in 2005, an average of 12.79 K's per nine innings. * Hinshaw led the Foothill Conference in strikeout average each of his two seasons there. * For bio info on Hinshaw, see p. 4 of this release
MCLINTOCK HEATS UP
* After going 0-for-4 in the season opener against top-ranked Texas, senior right fielder Jake McLintock has hit safely in each of the team's last five games. * Over those contests, he has gone 7-for-19 (.368) with a double a two runs scored. * McLintock finished 2004 with a 15-game hitting streak before his season was ended prematurely due to illness, causing him to miss the Aztecs' final 10 games.
BURKLE ALLOWS NOTHING
* Junior right-hander Shaun Burkle has proven to be one of the team's most effective hurlers out of the bullpen in the early going. * He has made three appearances, throwing a total of six innings, allowing no runs on five hits and two walks along with two strikeouts. All five hits he has given up have been singles. * In those three outings, opponents are hitting .217 against him.
GUERRERO GETS ON
* Prior to going hitless in the second game of last Sunday's twin bill, second baseman James Guerrero had gone 8-for-15 (.553) in the Aztecs previous four contests. * In the process, he has upped his average to .381, third-best on the squad. * Guerrero has also drawn four walks for an on-base percentage of .462. * He has recorded multiple-hit efforts in three of the Aztecs' six games.
SEE THE BALL, HIT THE BALL
* Four Aztecs who are in their first year of Division I baseball at San Diego State have recorded base hits in their first collegiate at bats this season. * That foursome includes:
Garrick Evans, OF - 2B vs. Texas 2/4
Tim O'Brien, 1B - 1B vs. Texas 2/5
Chris Anderson, C - 1B vs. Texas 2/5
James Scott, PH - 1B vs. Santa Clara 2/13
ATTENDANCE RECORD
* The Aztecs drew their largest crowds ever to Tony Gwynn Stadium during last weekend's series vs. Texas. * The only larger crowd to visit the facility was a gathering of 3,158 fans who witnessed the Aztecs played the New York Yankees during the 1998 campaign. * On Friday (Feb. 4), the teams drew 2,857 fans, the biggest crowd ever to see a collegiate game at the stadium. * Saturday's crowd of 2,353 was the second-largest in stadium history.
AZTEC TO PLAY PADRES AT PETCO PARK
* San Diego State will face the San Diego Padres in an exhibition contest at PETCO Park on Wednesday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m. * It will be the first meeting between the teams since the 1998 season and will also be the Padres' first preseason appearance in San Diego prior to the start of their 2005 campaign. * Tickets for the Aztec-Padre game will go on sale to the general public on Feb. 19. Further information is available by calling (619) 283-SDSU or visiting the SDSU Aztec web site (www.goaztecs.com).
AZTEC NOTES
* With 86 walks in two-plus seasons, James Guerrero needs five more bases on ball to crack the Aztec career top 10 list in that category. Flavio Alfaro (1983-84) is currently 10th with 91 walks. * Catcher Jordan Swaydan has thrown out three of the four base runners attempting to steal on him. * SDSU has a pair of twin brothers on its roster in infielder Kevin Perry and outfielder Kasey Perry. Both came to SDSU from Fresno City CC and are the first set of twins to play baseball for the Aztecs. * First baseman Tim O'Brien was a member of the Fresno City College team with the Perry brothers in 2004. * O'Brien is the lone Aztec to hit a home run this season. He has hit two on the year, vs. Texas and vs. Santa Clara. * Lance Zawadzki snapped out of his early-season slump by going 4-for-6 in the doubleheader against Santa Clara with a double and three runs scored. * Kasey Perry picked up his first collegiate hit when he singled as a pinch hitter in the second game against Santa Clara. It was his second plate appearance of the season. * Aztec pitchers and outfielders have not committed an error through the team's first six contests. * Aztec batters have struck out 72 times in the first 53 innings of the 2005 season. A total of 20 different players have come to the plate for San Diego State, and all but one (James Scott) has struck out at least once.
ON DECK
* Following the North Carolina State series, San Diego State will continue a run of seven straight away games when it visits Cal State Northridge next Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 2:00 p.m. * The Aztecs will then travel to Long Beach State for a three-game series with the 49ers beginning Friday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at Blair Field. * The SDSU-LBSU series continues with games on Saturday (Feb. 26) and Sunday (Feb. 27) at 2:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively.