May 2, 2005
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
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THIS WEEK
* San Diego State hits the road for four games this week and will play seven of their next eight away from Tony Gwynn Stadium.
* The Aztecs will begin the week with a contest at top-ranked Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. (PDT). That game will be televised live nationally on ESPN2.
* SDSU returns to Mountain West Conference action later in the week as it travels to Salt Lake City for a three-game league series with Utah beginning Friday (May 6) at Franklin Covey Field at 6:00 p.m. (MDT).
* The series will continue with single games on Saturday (May 7) and Sunday (May 8), both at 1:00 p.m. (MDT).
* 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. SDSU's all-time record over that time (including this season) stands at 2049-1261-37 for a won-loss percentage of .618.
SERIES RECORDS
* SDSU trails Cal State Fullerton 18-34-1 since the teams first met back in 1964. The Aztecs and Titans met annually during the 1960s and in the 1970's when both were members of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. SDSU's last win over CSF came at the NCAA Regional in Fresno in 1984. The teams have met only nine times since that contest, with the Titans winning each time.
* When the teams met earlier this season (Mar. 1) in San Diego, the Titans scored seven runs in the first inning and led 10-1 after adding three in the third, only to see SDSU close to within 10-8 after five innings. However, CSF scored eight in the top of the sixth to put the game away, winning by the score of 18-10.
* The Aztecs record against Utah stands at 80-19 in the series that began during the 1964 season. The teams met every year in San Diego during the 1970s and then were members of the Western Athletic Conference from 1980 through 1999 before joining the Mountain West Conference.
* Since joining the MWC, SDSU's record against the Utes is 24-12. That ledger includes a 21-12 record in regular-season play and 3-0 in conference tournament action.
* San Diego State's record on its home field against Utah is 55-12. The Aztecs are 17-7 in contests played in Salt Lake City and 8-0 at neutral site fields.
WEEKEND PITCHING ROTATIONS
* Starting pitchers for Tuesday's game at Cal State Fullerton have not yet been determined.
* The probable starting pitchers for each team in this weekend's series are as follows:
San Diego State UtahFriday.....Alex Hinshaw (LHP, 5-6, 4.76).....Josh Cooper (RHP, 3-0, 3.11)Saturday...Bruce Billings (RHP, 5-3, 3.53)...Matt Crockett (LHP, 4-7, 5.97)Sunday.....Ben Coon (LHP, 2-2, 7.29).........Jason Price (LHP, 3-7, 6.83)
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.
* Gwynn is only the fourth head baseball coach in the history of the program since it was elevated to "major" sport status in 1936.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
* Cal State Fullerton, ranked number-one in the nation in Baseball America's poll, enters the week with a record of 33-11 overall and 11-1 in the Big West Conference. The Titans have won seven in a row.
* CSUF is led offensively by right fielder Sergio Pedroza (.367, 11 HR, 42 RBI), first baseman Brett Pill (.366, 8 HR, 40 RBI) and shortstop Blake Davis (.343, 7 2B, 31 RBI). The Titans are hitting .321 as a team with 45 home runs in 44 games. Top hurlers likely to face the Aztecs include Jared Clark (0-1, 4.86) and Lauren Gagnier (3-0, 3.75). Fullerton's team ERA is 3.50.
* Utah (17-24 overall; 9-12 MWC) moved into a tie for fourth place in the Mountain West Conference after taking three games from New Mexico in Albuquerque last weekend. The Utes will host Utah Valley State on Tuesday (May 1) prior to SDSU's visit later in the week.
* Utah's top hitters include second baseman Doug Beck (.400, 12 2B, 46 RBI), third baseman Jay Brossman (.385, 17 2B, 42 RBI) and shortstop Ryan Khoury (.325, 12 2B, 30 RBI). The Ute pitchers to watch include Josh Cooper (3-0, 3 saves, 3.11), who moved into the starting rotation last weekend, and reliever Brian Lane (5-3, 3 saves, 5.67). Utah's team batting average stands at .322 and the team ERA is 6.58.
HINSHAW PITCHER OF THE WEEK
* Junior lefty Alex Hinshaw was named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time in three weeks after his performance vs. UNLV last Friday.
* In that contest, he allowed just three runs (two earned) on four hits over seven innings to pick up the win in the Aztecs' 7-4 victory over league-leading UNLV.
* Along the way Hinshaw struck out a SDSU career-high 14 batters while walking only one.
* Hinshaw's first award came on April 18 when was named the Pitcher of the Week for his performance in his outing vs. Brigham Young (on April 15). In that outing, he tossed a complete game victory while striking out a career-high (at the time) 12 batters, scattering six hits and walking three.
OTHER 2005 MWC HONOREES
* San Diego State sophomore right-hander Bruce Billings was named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week last week for his performance in contests vs. UCLA and Air Force during the period of April 18-24. It was the second time this season that he captured the league honor. In three appearances that week, Billings picked up two wins and struck out 17, while giving up no runs and holding opponents to a batting average of .097 in 10.0 innings on the mound. Billings was the league Pitcher of the Week on March 9 after throwing seven innings at South Alabama, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out six.
* SDSU's other honoree was outfielder Garrick Evans, the MWC Player of the Week on Feb. 21 after he went 7-for-17 (.412) with a home run, double, three RBI and four runs scored over four games (one vs. CSU Northridge and three at North Carolina State).
GUERRERO TIES RECORD
* Second baseman James Guerrero tied the SDSU record for hits in a game with six against UNLV last Sunday. That feat has been accomplished by three other Aztecs, most recently by Brian Kooiman vs. Sacramento State (April 23, 1995).
* Guerrero has hit safely in eight of the last nine games. Over that span, he is 18-for-32 (.594) with 13 runs scored and 15 runs batted in.
* He has driven in at least one run in each of the Aztecs' last nine contests.
* Guerrero leads the team in triples (5), RBI (38), slugging percentage (.565), walks (25), hit by pitch (8), and on-base percentage (.478).
* He was a single shy of hitting for the cycle at BYU on April 15 when he had a double, triple and home run.
BERRY KEEPS ON HITTING
* Sophomore center fielder Quentin Berry saw his 27-game hitting streak come to an end in last Tuesday's game at Cal State Northridge when he went 0-for-4.
* His hitting streak was the second-longest streak in school history, just one shy of the Aztec record 28-game streaks of Derek Vinyard (1991) and Steve Dietz (1992).
* During his streak, Berry batted .398 (49-for-115) with 37 runs scored, 12 doubles and 16 runs batted in.
* He began a new streak by hitting safely in all three contests vs. UNLV last weekend. In those three games vs. UNLV, he went 9-for-15 with five runs scored, three RBI, a triple and a homer.
* His home run last Sunday was the first of his Aztec career. In that same contest, he recorded a personal best five hits including three singles, a triple and home run.
* Over SDSU's last 10 games, Berry is batting .517 with five doubles and 20 runs scored.
* His season average now stands at .417, best on the squad this week. He is hitting .506 in Mountain West Conference play.
* The last Aztec to finish the season hitting .400 or better was Steve Dietz (.404) in 1992.
BILLINGS LEADS MOUND STAFF
* Bruce Billings has allowed just three earned runs in his last five appearances (two starts, three in relief), a span of 18.2 innings. His earned run average over that period is 1.45.
* In the process, he has lowered his season earned run average to 3.53. In league play he is 4-1 with a 3.45 ERA.
* Over his last eight starts (60.1 innings), he has posted a 3.28 earned run average with 61 strikeouts.
* In his two seasons, Billings has allowed just four home runs in 131.2 innings pitched.
* Opponents are hitting just .224 against him. He is currently averaging just over a strikeout per inning (85 K's in 81.2 IP) and has a strikeout to walk ratio of better than three-to-one (85 K's-27 BB's).
* Billings leads the conference (all-game stats) in strikeouts, and his opponent batting average is also the best in the MWC.
HINSHAW TOUGH TO BEAT
* Since becoming SDSU's Friday night starter four weeks ago, pitcher Alex Hinshaw has been impressive.
* Prior to his first weekend-opening start vs. New Mexico on April 8, he had posted a record of 1-6 with a 6.75 earned run average.
* In his four starts since, he is 4-0 with a 2.43 earned run average. He also made a one-inning relief appearance in the win over UCLA last week, finishing the contest to record his first save.
* In his last four starts, he has struck out 45 over 29.2 innings. He set a personal high with 14 K's vs. UNLV last Friday. It marked the third time in his last four starts that he reached double figures in strikeouts. (He had nine in seven innings in his other start.)
UNGRICHT HEATS UP
* Brock Ungricht has hit safely in six straight games and 11 of SDSU's last 12. In those 12 games, he is 18-for-50 (.360) with 12 runs, 12 RBI, three doubles, two triples and seven walks. His on-base percentage in those contests was .439.
* Since April 1, he has raised his batting average from .212 to its current mark of .284. He is second on the squad in triples with four (with those all coming in league play).
* Ungricht is hitting .354 in conference play with a .429 on-base percentage.
* He has reached base either via a base hit, walk or hit by pitch in his last 30 games.
ZAWADZKI TAKES HOME RUN LEAD
* Third baseman Lance Zawadzki took over the team home runs lead when he hit a pair in the series finale vs. Air Force on April 24. His first home run in that contest tied the game in the final inning and his second won it for the Aztecs.
* He has a modest six-game hitting streak going during which he is 11-for-26 (.423) with eight RBI, four runs scored, two doubles and two home runs.
* Zawadzki has recorded 16 RBI and scored 11 runs in SDSU's last 10 contests.
* Four of his five home runs this season have come in the Aztecs' last seven games.
* He ranks first on the squad in doubles with 13 and is second in runs scored with 36.
MCLINTOCK SOLID AT THE PLATE
* Jake McLintock continues to hit everything thrown his way, going 22-for-45 (.489) in the last 12 games, hitting safely in 11 of those contests.
* In those 12 games, he has 15 RBI and nine runs scored.
* McLintock has not struck out in any of those last dozen contests. On the season, he is striking out just once in every 10 plate appearances. In conference play, he has struck out just four times in 78 plate appearances.
* He had his second five-RBI game of the season in the win over New Mexico on April 8. (The other was vs. Cal State Northridge on Feb. 15.) He is the lone Aztec to drive in five runs in a game this year.
* Since March 18, McLintock has raised his season batting average from .235 to its current season high of .364, and he is hitting .500 in conference games.
TRIPLE YOUR FUN
* After hitting six triples in the first 27 games of the season, the Aztecs have recorded 17 in their last 16 outings. They have a triple in seven of their last eight contests.
* SDSU recorded four triples in a game vs. New Mexico on April 9 and again at Brigham Young on April 15. * The four triples hit by SDSU in those games was one shy of the school record of five in a game set vs. Point Loma Nazarene in 1987 and vs. Western New Mexico in 1984.
* James Guerrero has accounted for four of those 17 recent triples and had two in the game vs. New Mexico (Apr. 8), tying the SDSU mark for three-baggers in a game. The last Aztec to accomplish the feat was Anthony Gwynn, who had a pair of triples vs. Brigham Young on May 22, 2003.
* In last week's NCAA national stats, SDSU's average of 0.49 triples per game ranked 11th-best in the nation. That average now stands at .52 per game, a mark that would tie for seventh in last week's rankings. (Stats are released each Tuesday.)
SWAYDAN SHOWS CONSISTENCY
* Catcher Jordan Swaydan saw a 12-game hitting streak come to an end this past Sunday against UNLV.
* During that streak he went 17-for-47 (.362), scoring 13 runs and driven in seven.
* He is fielding .990 behind the dish and has not committed an error over the past 28 games in which he has played (230 chances). He has not committed an error in league play (158 chances) while hitting .303 in MWC action.
DOUGLAS GOES LONG
* Sophomore right-hander Brett Douglas made the longest appearance of his Aztec career last Sunday against UNLV, going 5.1 innings of relief in the 14-inning loss to UNLV.
* He walked two and struck out four in that game, but was the victim of the team's inability to cash in on scoring opportunities as he was tagged with the loss.
* Douglas had a career-high eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work in his start vs. Air Force on April 24.
BATS COMING ALIVE
* San Diego State's team batting average of .316 entering the week is the highest it has been this season. Since April 1, the average has moved steadily upward from .279 to its current number.
* Over their last 12 games, the Aztecs are hitting .376 as a team, averaging 10.6 runs and 14.1 hits per contest.
* During that span, SDSU has hit 28 doubles, 11 triples and 11 home runs.
HITTING IN A PINCH
* After 44 games, Aztec pinch hitters have gone 11-for-32 for a .344 average.
* Eight different players have come through at the plate when coming off the bench.
* Freshman Joseph Scaperotta has two singles and a double as a pinch hitter in eight at bats. James Scott is 2-for-3 with a single and triple.
* Last season, the Aztecs totaled six pinch hits all year, finishing with a .231 average (6-for-26) in that category.
STREAKS AND SUCH
* Outfielder Jake McLintock and catcher-first baseman Brock Ungricht share the team's longest current hitting streak at six games.
* Center fielder Quintin Berry has recorded the most multiple-hit games this season with 22 followed by third baseman Lance Zawadzki at 19.
* Shortstop James Guerrero and McLintock have both had 10 multiple-RBI contests to share the team lead in that category.
AZTECS IN THE RECORD BOOK
* James Guerrero's three-year total of 107 walks moves him into sole possession of the number-six spot on the SDSU career list. Monte McAbee (1977-80) holds down the sixth spot with 111 bases on balls.
* With five three-baggers this season, Guerrero now has 13 career triples and is two shy of the SDSU record of 15 held jointly by Anthony Gwynn (2001-03) and Nikco Riesgo (1986-88). His two triples in a game earlier this season tied the SDSU mark as did his six hits in a game last Sunday.
* Jake McLintock passed former Aztec Bobby Meacham recently and is now the SDSU record holder for most career at bats with 786 ABs.
* McLintock is just two RBI's shy of tying Chris Gwynn for the Aztec career mark in that category. Gwynn (1983-85) totaled 168 runs batted in during his SDSU career.
TURN ON THE POWER
* The Aztecs had hit only eight home runs through their first 26 contests, but have connected for 15 in their last 16 games.
* The Aztecs hit two homers in a game for the first time this year when James Guerrero and Curt Mendoza connected in the win over New Mexico on April 8.
* Since that time, two Aztecs have had two-home run games: freshman Joseph Scaperotta at BYU on April 15 and sophomore Lance Zawadzki vs. Air Force on April 24. They also had a three-home run contest vs. Air Force in San Diego on April 24.
AZTEC NOTES
* Freshman James Scott made his first plate appearance in a month against Air Force on April 23, slugging a two-RBI triple in his lone at bat of the weekend.
* Left fielder Garrick Evans has his best day at the plate as an Aztec last Saturday vs. UNLV when he went 4-for-4 with a double and triple, scoring four runs.
* Alex Hinshaw has hit 13 opposing hitter this season, three shy of the SDSU record of 16 by Jeremy Cook (2002).
* After making 10 starts this season, Bruce Billings made his first relief appearance of the year in vs. UCLA (one inning) on April 19. He has seen subsequent relief stints vs. Air Force on April 24 (four innings) and against UNLV last Friday (one inning).