Feb. 21, 2006
THIS WEEK
***San Diego State plays its first mid-week contest of the season as it travels to Los Angeles to face USC on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6:00 p.m. (PST).
***The Aztecs will then play a three-game series against UC Irvine this coming weekend, with games at Anteater Ballpark on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 24-25) at 6:00 p.m. (PST).
***On Sunday (Feb. 26), SDSU and UCI will play the third game of the series at Tony Gwynn Stadium at 1:00 p.m. (PST).
***This is the 69th 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
***San Diego State's record against USC stands at 22-56-3 since the teams first met during the 1947 season. The Trojans have 15 of the last 16 games between the two schools including 13 in a row from 1996 to 2002. SDSU's last win against USC came in 2004 when they claimed a 10-5 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs' last win at USC was in 1995 by a score of 12-5.
***The Aztecs lead the all-time series with UC Irvine 47-21-1. SDSU and UCI played each other for the first time in 1970. Since 1990, the series has been fairly even with SDSU holding a slight 9-7 edge. Last year the teams split a pair of contests with each side winning on the opponent's home field.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
***USC's record stands at 7-4 entering the week and the Trojans are ranked 24th in the nation by Baseball America. After dropping three games to Long Beach State to start the season, the Trojans have won seven of their last eight.
***USC is hitting .351 as a team, led by outfielder Cyle Hankard (.522, 3 HR, 19 RBI), infielder Matt Cusick (.435, 3 2B, 8 RBI) and outfielder Daniel Perales (.393, 2 2B, 8 RBI). The Trojans' are expected to start right-handed pitcher Shawn Olsen (1-0, 4.38). Other candidates who could see action on the mound are Ryan Schlack (0-0, 0.00) and Kevin Zelenay (0-0, 0.00), both of whom have seen limited action thus far in 2006.
***UC Irvine lost two of three to 9th-ranked Cal State Fullerton last weekend and enters the week with a mark of 5-5. The Anteaters are slated to play at University of San Diego on Tuesday prior to hosting the Aztecs this weekend.
***UCI is led offensively by the trio of utility man Taylor Holiday (.371, 3 2B, 9 RBI), infielder Chad Lundahl (.343, 2 2B) and infielder Zach Robinson (.292, 2B, 9 RBI). The pitching staff is anchored by starters Scott Gorgen (2-1. 1.29) and Glenn Swanson (2-1, 2.57). Blair Erickson has been the closer this season, recording three saves in his four appearances. As a team, UCI is batting .240 with a 4.24 ERA.
HEAD COACH Tony Gwynn
***Tony Gwynn is in his fourth season as San Diego State's head coach after being named to the position in Sept. 2001. He became just the fourth head coach in SDSU history since baseball was elevated to major sport status in 1936.
***In 2002, he served as a volunteer coach for the Aztecs under Jim Dietz, who retired at the end of that season.
***In 2004, 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.
MOST RECENTLY
***SDSU dropped two of three games at home to 22nd-ranked Cal Poly last weekend. In the three games, the Aztecs stranded 34 base runners including 13 in each of the first two contests.
***On Friday, Cal Poly scored seven runs on three homers over the opening three innings en route to an 11-2 win. Sam Pepper and Jordan Swaydan had two hits apiece for SDSU with Swaydan and freshman Nick Romero accounting for SDSU's scoring with solo home runs late in the contest.
***The Mustangs captured game two by the score of 4-1 as Jimmy Van Ostrand hit a pair of homers for three RBI. Nick Romero gave SDSU its only run with another solo homer. Aztec junior Justin Masterson struck out 12 over seven innings, but took the loss as SDSU was unable to generate any sustained offense.
***San Diego State captured the final game of the series, 10-8, despite giving up five runs in the first inning. The Aztecs slowly worked their way back into the game, but trailed until the bottom of the eighth when Quintin Berry's bases-loaded double gave the home side its first lead at 10-8. Redshirt freshman hurler Justin Lynch picked up his first collegiate win while Adam Simon recorded his first save of the season.
SMYTH PROVIDES OFFENSE
***Senior Paul Smyth had his fifth multiple-hit game in 10 contests this season in the series finale vs. Cal Poly on Sunday.
***In that game, he had two singles, a home run and scored twice.
***Heading into the weekend, he leads the SDSU offense in batting average, hits, doubles, triples and runs batted in. He is tied for the home run lead with two.
***He has also been errorless in the field (23 chances) while having played first base, third base and left field.
***Smyth's five multiple-hit games leads the team and he is tied for the lead in multiple-RBI contests with two.
SWAYDAN GETTING ON
***Catcher Jordan Swaydan had his seven-game hitting streak to begin the season stopped on Saturday against Cal Poly when he went 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter.
***His .346 average is second-best on the squad this week.
***Swaydan has walked a team-leading eight times and has a .500 on-base percentage in the nine games in which he has appeared.
BERRY RUNNING WILD
***Center fielder Quintin Berry stole four bases last weekend, three in Sunday's finale vs. Cal Poly including steals of second and third on back-to-back pitches.
***He has stolen 9-of-10 bases successfully this season and leads the conference in that category.
***After drawing one walk in SDSU's first seven games, Berry walked five times in the Cal Poly series (at least once in each contest). In addition to going 4-for-9 last weekend, his on-base percentage for the series was .643.
LYNCH GETS FIRST WIN
***Redshirt freshman Justin Lynch picked up his first collegiate victory with two innings of relief work vs. Cal Poly on Sunday.
***Although he gave up one earned run, he was the beneficiary of Quintin Berry's three-run double in the eighth that gave the Aztecs the win.
***Lynch has now made four relief appearances this season and has a 1.69 earned run average in his 5.1 innings.
O'BRIEN MAKING CONTACT
***Senior third baseman Tim O'Brien continues to swing the bat well after a slow start.
***Last weekend, he went 3-for-8 (.375) with two runs scored, two RBI and a home run.
***He has struck out only three times in 39 plate appearances (once every 13 times). Last season he struck out almost once in every four at bats.
PEPPER STREAKING
***Second baseman Sam Pepper is currently on a seven-game hitting streak.
***The streak ties for the longest on the squad this season. Jordan Swaydan, Curt Mendoza and Paul Smyth all saw their seven-game streaks end last weekend.
***After going 0-for-1 in his debut in SDSU's third game at Hawai'i, Pepper has hit safely in the seven games since.
***He went 5-for-13 in last weekend's three contests against Cal Poly.
TRIOLO DEBUTS
***Right-hander Mark Triolo made his Aztec pitching debut with one inning of relief work last Friday vs. Cal Poly.
***The freshman from nearby Patrick Henry high School allowed one hit and struck out three.
MASTERSON K's
***Pitcher Justin Masterson appears to be settling into Division I baseball after transferring to SDSU from NAIA power Bethel College in Indiana.
***Last Saturday against Cal Poly, the junior right-hander struck out 12 batters in his home debut.
***In 19.2 innings this season, he has struck out a total of 20 while allowing eight walks.
PLAYING LONG BALL
***After not allowing a home run through the first seven games of the season, Aztec pitchers gave up seven in three games against Cal Poly last weekend.
***Conversely, SDSU hit five homers over the three games and have hit eight on the year. ***Through the first 10 games last season, the Aztecs had hit just four home runs.
***Three players are tied for the team lead with two apiece: Paul Smyth, Nick Romero and Tim O'Brien.
DEFENSE COMING AROUND
***SDSU's defense seems to have settled in after the season-opening series in Hawaii when it coughed up 16 errors in four games.
***In the six games since, the Aztecs have committed only four errors.
***Over those six games, SDSU fielded .982.
AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS
***Several Aztecs rank among the Mountain West Conference leaders in various categories.
***Senior Paul Smyth is first in hits (16), doubles (5), triples (2) and slugging percentage (.795). He is second in batting average (.410).
***Quintin Berry leads the league in stolen bases (9) and sacrifice bunts (3), and is third in doubles (3).
***Jordan Swaydan is tied for the conference high in walks (8) and is third in on-base percentage (.500).
***Among the pitchers, Justin Masterson is second is strikeouts with 20 while Bruce Billings has recorded the most strikeouts looking (8).
THE RECORD BOOK
***One Aztec has entered an all-time SDSU top 20 list this season while two others should do so in the near future.
***With a 14 strikeouts this season, junior pitcher Bruce Billings has 174 career strikeouts to move into the number-17 spot all-time at SDSU. With five more he will jump into the 14th spot where three players (Chris Hartshorn, Aaron Harang and Chick Valley) are tied at 179.
***With 76 career walks in two seasons, Brock Ungricht needs just two bases on balls to tie for 20th with Harry Henderson (78 walks from 1986-89).
***Shortstop Lance Zawadzki (14 career HR) is two home runs shy of the number-20 spot on the career list, two behind former Aztecs Brad Gennaro (1990-92) and Flavio Alfaro (1983-84), who hit 16 apiece during their SDSU careers.
AZTEC NOTES
***Three of Joseph Scaperotta's six hits this season have been doubles.
***Aztec pitchers have hit 17 batters, an average of just under two per contest.
***San Diego State has hit seven home runs in its last five games and five in its last three outings.
***Opponents have scored in the first inning in each of SDSU's last five contests. The Aztecs have given up a total of 16 first-inning runs in those games.
***When the Aztecs take the lead after six innings or later, they are 3-0 this season.
***Ten of San Diego State's first 13 games this season are away from home. The Aztecs' Feb. 17 home vs. Cal Poly was their latest home start since they played Oklahoma State on that same date in 2000.
ON DECK
***After this weekend's series against UC Irvine, San Diego State will host USC next Tuesday (Feb. 26) at 6:00 p.m. (PST) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
***The Aztecs will remain at home through the weekend as 9th-ranked Pepperdine visits SDSU for a three-game series beginning Friday, March 2, at 6:00 p.m. (PST).