Feb. 14, 2007
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
WHAT'S ON TAP THIS WEEKEND IN AZTEC BASEBALL
*** San Diego State will play a three-game series against 21st-ranked USC this weekend with one game in Los Angeles and two in San Diego. The series starts at Dedeaux Field on the USC campus with a contest on Friday, Feb. 16, at 7:00 p.m.
*** Action then switches to Tony Gwynn Stadium for games on Saturday (Feb. 17) and Sunday (Feb. 18) at 6:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively.
*** 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 RECORD
*** San Diego State's record against USC stands at 23-56-3 since the teams first met during the 1947 season. The Trojans have 15 of the last 17 games between the two schools including 13 in a row from 1996 to 2002. Last season the Aztecs claimed a 6-1 win over the Trojans at Dedeaux Field, their first win there since 1993, a span of 10 games.
*** SDSU's last win against USC at home came in 2004 when they claimed a 10-5 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs record vs. the Trojans in Los Angles is 8-40-1 while they are 13-14-2 in contests played in San Diego. The teams are 2-2 at neutral sites.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
*** USC is coming off an 8-3 loss at Pepperdine on Tuesday that followed a weekend in which it won two of three from 18th-ranked University of San Diego. The Trojans will face No. 23 Pepperdine in Malibu on Tuesday prior to playing SDSU.
*** USC's offense is paced by designated hitter Johnny Bowden (.429, 2 doubles, 4 RBI), center fielder Nick Buss (.333, double, 3 RBI) and shortstop Grant Green (.294, 2 triples 4 RBI). Catcher Robert Stock has also been used on the mound and has picked up a pair of saves in his two outings. The Trojans are hitting .238 as a team with a 3.94 earned run average.
HEAD COACH Tony Gwynn
*** Tony Gwynn enters his fifth 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.
*** Tony Gwynn was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Jan. 7 along with Cal Ripken, Jr. He will be officially inducted into the Hall in Cooperstown during the weekend of July 27-30.
MOST RECENTLY
*** The Aztecs opened their 2007 home season by sweeping a three-game series from Santa Clara last weekend and downing Loyola Marymount this past Tuesday.
*** On Friday (Feb. 11), SDSU put up five runs in the first three innings with three coming on an inside-the-park home run by Nick Romero. Brandon Glover went 2-for-2 and scored two runs. Donnie Hume threw 6.1 innings to pick up his second win of the season in SDSU's 7-4 victory.
*** Game two on Saturday was a pitcher's duel that was decided by freshman Josh Chasses's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to give the Aztecs the 2-1 win. Pitcher Bruce Billings allowed one unearned run over 5.1 innings with Aaron Brady throwing shutout ball the rest of the way to get the win.
*** The final game saw SDSU jump out to a three-run lead after two innings en route to the 6-2 victory. Lefty Lance Sewell went five innings, striking out eight to pick up his first win of the season. First baseman Mike Willeford had three hits including a triple.
*** This past Tuesday, the Aztecs made it four in a row at home by defeating Loyola Marymount, 10-6. Brandon Glover's bases-loaded triple in the seventh broke open a one-run game and allowed freshman Nate Solow to pick up the win in his collegiate debut. Pat Colwell had three hits while Nick Romero contributed a pair of triples.
SWEET SWEEP
*** By winning all three games of last weekend's series against Santa Clara, SDSU recorded its first sweep of a non-conference opponent since defeating Southern Utah three times at home during the 2002 campaign.
*** Since then, SDSU has recorded at least one sweep of each of its conference foes with the exception of TCU, which joined the MWC just last year.
STARTING HURLERS IMPRESSIVE
*** SDSU's starting pitching has been superb over the opening seven games of the 2007 season.
*** The foursome of Donnie Hume, Steven Hirschfeld, Lance Sewell and Bruce Billings has combined to allow just six earned runs 33 innings for a 1.95 ERA.
*** Hume and Sewell have thrown the most innings (12.1 and 10.1 respectively), and both have ERAs under two.
PITCHING TURNAROUND
*** After a disappointing series at Cal Poly to open the year, the Aztec bullpen settled in last weekend and showed dramatic improvement.
*** In the last four games, SDSU relievers have thrown 16.2 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out 18.
*** Overall, the pitching staff has walked eight and struck out 36 over the past four contests, compared to 20 walks and 13 strikeouts during the opening series at Cal Poly.
STEALING AWAY
*** With a total of 17 steals, San Diego State is averaging 2.3 thefts per game in the early going.
*** Last season, SDSU had recorded seven stolen bases through seven games and finished the year with an average of 0.93 per game.
*** The Aztecs have four players with at least a pair of steals led by Brandon Glover and Pat Colwell with three each. Cameron Johnson, Josh Chasse, Nick Romero and Joe Spiers all have two apiece.
EARLY HITTING STREAKS
*** Center fielder Brandon Glover hit safely in each of SDSU's last four games and has the team's current longest hitting streak.
*** Catcher Chris Anderson is on a three-game streak and has a hit in four of his last five contests.
*** Shortstop Troy Hanzawa began the year with a three-game streak and has at least one hit in five of the Aztecs' seven games.
COLWELL A HIT
*** Freshman walk-on infielder Pat Colwell made his first collegiate start as the designated hitter against Loyola Marymount on Tuesday and singled to lead off the contest.
*** He finished with three hits, two runs scored, two steals and a sacrifice bunt.
*** Colwell had previously made two pinch-running appearances.
BILLINGS A STARTER
*** After opening the season in the role of closer out of bullpen, senior Bruce Billings returned to SDSU's starting pitching rotation last weekend.
*** The right-hander, who struggled in his two appearances out of the pen during the series at Cal Poly, went 5.1 innings in the start vs. Santa Clara, allowing one earned run and striking out four.
THE HUME-AN TOUCH
*** Junior right-hander Donnie Hume has been SDSU's No. 1 starter through the first two series and has not disappointed.
*** A transfer from Long Beach State, he has recorded wins in each of his first two outings in 2007 and has compiled a 1.46 earned run average.
*** Over his 12.1 innings of work thus far, he has not walked a batter and opponents are hitting just .178 against him. His opponent batting average leads the league this week.
FLYING SOLO
*** Freshman left Nate Solow not only made his Aztec pitching debut on Tuesday, it was his first appearance in a game since his junior year at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M.
*** He missed his senior season due to injury after being named a preseason All-American by Baseball America.
*** Against LMU, he had a runner on third and one out when rain forced a short delay with the score tied at 5-5. When play resumed, he recorded a strikeout and ground out to end the threat, and his teammates scored twice in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good.
WILLEFORD AT FIRST
*** Infielder Mike Willeford made his SDSU debut at first base in last Saturday's game vs. Santa Clara, then returned to the position the following two contests as well.
*** Willeford, who came to SDSU last year, played both second and third last season, but did not appear at first.
*** He has made the most of his three starts, going 4-for-9 in those three games with a double, triple, three runs scored, an RBI and two sacrifice bunts.
SEWELL STRIKES
*** Sophomore Lance Sewell set a personal best with eight strikeouts in the win over Santa Clara last Sunday. He walked only one in five innings in that contest.
*** His 12 total strikeouts over two games puts him second in the MWC statistics this week, one behind Chris Heyer of UNLV who has thrown six more innings.
SOLID BACKSTOP
*** Catcher Chris Anderson has a team-leading .500 on-base percentage (among the regular starters) in the six games in which he has appeared. He is tied for the team lead with five walks and has also been hit by pitch once.
*** Anderson has also thrown out four of the seven base runners who have attempted to steal on him.
PARCELL DEBUTS
*** Pitcher Garrett Parcell, who sat out 2006 after arm surgery, made his SDSU debut with one inning of work vs. LMU.
*** The transfer from Cypress JC retired the side in order in his one inning of work, recording one strikeout along the way.
THE RECORD BOOK
*** Junior pitcher Bruce Billings has 250 strikeouts over his three collegiate seasons and is approaching the SDSU career mark.
*** He needs 50 K's to break the Aztec record of 299 held by Mike Erb (1985-87).
*** Billings currently ranks fifth in career starts with 40 (school record is 56), 12th in innings pitched at 256.0 (school record is 342.2) and 18th in wins with 18 (school record is 32 victories).
AZTECS AT PETCO
*** As part of its tournament, the Tony Gwynn 2007 Classic, San Diego State will host a collegiate doubleheader at PETCO Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, on Saturday, March 10.
*** On that day, Oklahoma will face University of San Diego at 3:00 p.m. and Michigan will take on the Aztecs at 7:00 p.m. Between games, SDSU will hold a ceremony to honor coach Tony Gwynn for his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
*** Tickets for the event are available on the Internet at Padres.com or Goaztecs.com as well as at the Padre ticket office at PETCO Park. They may also be purchased by calling 1-877-FRIAR TIX (374-2784).
AZTEC NOTES
*** SDSU's 5-2 start is it best since the 2002 season when it began with the same record before losing its next two.
*** Outfielder Cameron Johnson and infielder Pat Colwell are the only new players to record a hit in their first collegiate at bat this season.
*** After recording no sac bunts or sac flies in its first three contests, SDSU executed five sac bunts and a sac fly last weekend.
*** Opponents have been successful on only five of 10 stolen base attempts.
*** JC transfer Shane Kaufman (Grossmont JC), has limited opponents to a .056 batting average (1-for-18) in his 5.1 innings of work over three appearances.
SDSU ON TV
*** The conference office has released the television schedule for league teams this season and SDSU will appear three times prior to the MWC tournament:
April 28...at TCU.........The Mtn.May 8......Long Beach St.....CSTVMay 12.....BYU............The Mtn.*** In addition, The Mtn. will carry every game during the conference tourney.
UP NEXT
*** Following the weekend series vs. USC, the Aztecs will host Cal State Fullerton next Tuesday (Feb. 20) at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Titans are ranked eighth in the nation by Collegiate Baseball this week.