March 22, 2005
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
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THIS WEEK
* San Diego State makes its first Mountain West Conference road trip of the season this weekend as it travels to Colorado Springs for a three-game league series against the Air Force Academy.
* The first meeting between the Falcons and Aztecs is scheduled for Thursday, Mar. 24, at 2:00 p.m. (MST) with game two slated for Friday (Mar. 25) at the same time.
* The time for the final game of the series on Saturday (Mar. 20) is set for 1:00 p.m. (MST). The series is being played Thursday through Saturday due to the Easter holiday.
* 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
* The Aztecs record against Air Force stands at 52-15 in the series that began during the 1961 season. The teams met nine times from that year through 1964 until matching up on a regular basis while both were members of the Western Athletic Conference.
* Since joining the MWC, SDSU's record against the Falcons is 22-8. That ledger includes a 19-8 record in regular-season play and 3-0 in conference tournament action.
* San Diego State's record on the Falcons' home field is 19-8. The Aztecs are 30-7 in contests played in San Diego and 3-0 at neutral site fields.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
* Air Force enters the weekend with a record of 4-16 and is coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of UNLV last weekend. The Falcons have lost seven in a row and 11 of their last 12. They have only played four home games and are 2-2 in those contests.
* The Air Force offense is led by first baseman Karl Bolt (.371, 6 HR, 17 RBI), second baseman Geno Salazar (.352, 5 2B, 10 RBI) and center fielder Reid Lamson (.347, 4 2B, 19 runs scored). As a team, the Falcons are hitting .279 and are averaging almost a home run per game (18 HR in 20 contests).
* Among the teams top hurlers are relievers Jeff Tetrault (0-0, 5.40) and Sam Rosener (1-0, 5.65, 1 save). The team's number-one starter is right-hander Travis Fugler (2-3, 8.55). Air Force's team earned run average stands at 9.55.
HEAD COACH Tony Gwynn
* Tony Gwynn is in his third season as San Diego State's head coach after being named to the position in Sept. 2001. He spent the 2002 campaign as a volunteer assistant coach at SDSU 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.
* He was also an all-conference basketball player for the Aztecs and still holds the SDSU single-game, season and career assist records.
WEEKEND PITCHING ROTATIONS
* The probable starting pitchers for each team in this weekend's series are as follows:
San Diego State Air ForceFriday.....Bruce Billings (RHP, 2-2, 3.53)...Travis Fugler (RHP, 2-3, 8.55)Saturday...Alex Hinshaw (LHP, 1-5, 5.97).....Paul Pratt (RHP, 1-5, 9.08)Sunday.....Ben Coon (LHP, 1-1, 4.55).........Paul Vignola (RHP, 0-3, 12.84)
BILLINGS BACK ON TRACK
* After suffering the loss in the series opener at USD two weeks ago, sophomore right-hander Bruce Billings bounced back to post a win over Utah last Friday.
* In that contest, he went seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out eight to even his record at 2-2.
* Over his last four starts (28 innings), he has posted a 2.25 earned run average with 34 strikeouts and only six walks allowed.
* His last two starts (13 innings) have produced 18 strikeouts and two walks.
GUERRERO GET OFFENSIVE
* Second baseman James Guerrero had his 12-game hitting streak snapped in the game against Utah last Saturday. During that streak, he went 22-for-51 (.431) with five doubles and 10 runs batted in.
* The 12-game streak is second-longest on the club this season, one behind Quintin Berry's current 13-game streak. Lance Zawadzki has also had a 12-game hitting streak earlier this season.
* Guerrero's nine walks are second on the squad and he is first in RBI with 14.
* Guerrero had a season-high three RBI in the contest at USD on Mar. 12.
THE PERRYS
* Twin brothers Kasey and Kevin made their first starts of the season in the final two games of the series against the University of San Diego (Mar. 12-13). Kasey started both contests in left field while Kevin was at second base.
* Kevin Perry remained as the starter at second base during last weekend's series vs. Utah and responded by going 3-for-7 with an RBI, two runs scored, a walk, hit by pitch and sacrifice bunt. He has hit safely in each of SDSU's last five games, batting .500 (7-for-14) in those contests.
* Kasey Perry appeared in all three contests against Utah off the bench. In his one at bat in those games, he had an RBI single and scored a run.
AZTEC BROTHERS
* Prior to Kasey and Kevin Perry, the last set of brothers to start the same game at SDSU was right fielder Bob Parry and third baseman John Parry, who played for the Aztecs during the 1987 season.
* The last set of brothers on the SDSU baseball team was Jacob and Jon Minter (2000 and 2001). Jacob was a catcher-DH while Jon was a relief pitcher. Although they never started the same game, they did make one appearance as a battery on Feb. 10, 2001, when Jon came on in relief and Jacob was the catcher.
COON SOLID STARTER
* Junior Ben Coon made his third start of the season in the Utah series finale, going seven innings to record his first win of the season.
* In his three starts this season, he has thrown a total of 19.1 innings and posted a 3.72 earned run average with three walks and 12 strikeouts. He has walked only one batter in his last 15.1 innings pitched.
* Prior to moving into the starting rotation, Coon had recorded only four strikeouts in 8.1 innings (seven relief appearances) with a 6.48 ERA.
BERRY STREAKING
* Sophomore center fielder Quentin Berry is on a 13-game hitting streak during which he is batting .357 (20-for-56) with nine runs scored and six runs batted in.
* His streak is the longest for an Aztec this season, surpassing the 12-game streaks of teammates Lance Zawadzki and James Guerrero.
* His season average now stands at .349, best on the squad this week.
* He recorded a season-high three hits in a game in last Sunday's contest against Utah.
* He leads the team in stolen bases with eight (in nine attempts).
DOUGLAS EMERGES IN RELIEF
* Brett Douglas made his second consecutive solid relief stint last Saturday against Utah.
* He went the final 4.2 innings, allowing one run while striking out three.
* In his last two relief appearances, the sophomore right-hander has thrown a total of 7.2 innings, allowing two runs with six strikeouts for a 2.35 earned run average in those contests.
CAMPBELL CLOSES
* Junior Cody Campbell had his best relief outing of the season in the series finale against Utah last Sunday. He went the final two innings, striking out three of the seven batters he faced to pick up his first save of the year.
* In his last two appearances (3.2 innings), he has struck out five and walked none. In the seven appearances prior to that (seven innings), he had recorded 10 bases on balls.
MCLINOTCK ON THE RISE
* Right fielder Jake McLintock went 4-for-7 in the final two games vs. Utah (his only starts of the series), collecting two hits in each contest.
* He also scored a pair of runs and had two RBI along with a triple as he raised his average some 22 points.
* The triple was his second of the season, and he leads the Aztecs in that category.
ZAWADZKI STARTS NEW STREAK
* After having a 12-game hitting streak snapped two weeks ago, Lance Zawadzki started a new one by hitting safely in all three games vs. Utah last weekend.
* In those three contests, he went 5-for-11 with two doubles.
* In his last six games, he is 8-for-22 with three doubles and a home run.
O'BRIEN CONTINUES TO HIT
* First baseman Tim O'Brien hit his team-leading third home run of the season in last weekend's series opener against Utah.
* In his last eight games, he has gone 10-for-27 (.371) with four doubles, six RBI and six runs scored.
* He continues to lead the Aztecs in runs scored with 17 as well as in doubles with seven.
* The junior from Fresno City College is hitting a .323 and tops the squad in slugging percentage (.569).
AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS
* SDSU has a number of players ranked among the top five in various categories in the MWC stats for all games this week. (Conference-game only stats begin next week.)
* Pitcher Bruce Billings leads the league in strikeouts (47) and batters struck out looking (19). His 3.53 earned run average is fifth-best in the MWC.
* James Guerrero is third in hits (31) while teammate Quentin Berry ranks fifth (30). Berry is also first in stolen bases this week with eight and sac bunts with three.
* Brock Ungricht in tied for seventh in walks (11) while Tim O'Brien stands fourth with seven doubles.
* Andres Esquibel is tied for the league saves lead with two.
WALKING INTO THE TOP 10
* With a total of nine walks this season, junior James Guerrero has moved into the SDSU top 10 in career bases on balls.
* His total of 91 free passes ties for the number-10 spot in the list with Flavio Alfaro (1983-84).
* The number-nine position is occupied by Tommy Rinks (1956-58) with 92 walks.
* Despite moving into the top 10, Guerrero has not drawn a walk in any of SDSU's last 12 games, his longest stint without a base on balls as an Aztec.
ON THE DEFENSIVE
* The Aztecs have been errorless on defense in only one game this season (the 15-6 win over Cal State Northridge on Feb. 15). The team is averaging two errors per contest.
* In last weekend's league season-opening series, SDSU committed just four errors for a .964 fielding percentage over the three games.
* The team's overall fielding mark for the season stands at .947.
SEE THE BALL, HIT THE BALL
* Five 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 quintet 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
Kevin Howard, PH - 1B vs. CSUN, 2/15
HITTING IN A PINCH
* After seven games, Aztec pinch hitters have gone 8-for-18 for a .444 average.
* Seven different players have come through at the plate when coming off the bench.
* Freshman Joseph Scaperotta has a single and a double as a pinch hitter in four at bats.
* Last season, the Aztecs totaled six pinch hits all year, finishing with a .231 average (6-for-26) in that category.
PLUNKIN' THE OPPOSITION
* SDSU pitchers are averaging over one hit batter per game.
* With 27 HBP's in 24 games, the Aztec staff is hitting 1.13 batters per contest.
* That average projects to 65 hit batters over 58 games.
* The team record is 64 hit batters in season (66 games in 2002).
* Last Friday's game ended a string of 10 straight contests in which the Aztecs had hit at least one batter.
POWER SHORTAGE
* The Aztecs have hit only eight home runs through their first 24 games of the season.
* That figure projects to 19 home runs over 58 games.
* The last time SDSU hit 20 or fewer homers in a season was in 1991 when it had 13 in 64 games.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
* The Aztecs have re-scheduled the contest at Cal State Northridge that was rained out on Feb. 22. They have also added a game to replace one that was rained out vs. Santa Clara in early February as well.
* SDSU will host UCLA on Tuesday, April 19, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs will play at Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, April 26, at 3:00 p.m.
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 BASEBALL ON TV
* SDSU will make a pair of television appearances this season.
* The first will be the game at Brigham Young on Friday, April 14, at 7:00 p.m. (MDT), a game broadcast on BYU-TV (available on cable or on the Internet).
* The second televised contest will be carried by College Sports Television (CSTV) when the Aztecs meet UNLV on Sunday, May 1, at 1:30 p.m. (PDT) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.