March 6, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
WHAT'S ON TAP THIS WEEKEND IN AZTEC BASEBALL
*** San Diego State will participate in the six-team Aztec Invitational this week, which gets underway on Thursday, March 6. Other teams competing in the tournament include Loyola Marymount, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, San Diego and Santa Clara.
*** Games will be played at both USD's Cunningham Stadium and SDSU's Tony Gwynn Stadium.
*** The event opens with a contest between Oklahoma State and Loyola Marymount on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs begin tourney play on their home field with a contest against Santa Clara on Friday at 6:00 p.m.
*** San Diego State will not face the University of San Diego this weekend since the teams opened their season with a four-game series against in late February.
*** Two of the four teams that SDSU will play this weekend appear in one or more of the national polls: Oklahoma State and Oregon State.
AZTEC INVITATIONAL SCHEDULEThursday, March 6 Santa Clara vs. USD....................USD...2:00 p.m. Oklahoma State vs. Loyola Marymount...SDSU...6:00 p.m.Friday, March 7 Oklahoma State vs. USD.................USD...2:00 p.m. Loyola Marymount vs. Oregon State.....SDSU...2:00 p.m. Santa Clara vs. San Diego State.......SDSU...6:00 p.m.Saturday, March 8 Oregon State vs. USD...................USD..11:00 a.m. Santa Clara vs. Oklahoma State........SDSU...3:00 p.m. Loyola Marymount vs. San Diego State..SDSU...7:00 p.m.Sunday, March 9 Loyola Marymount vs. USD..............PLNC...1:00 p.m. Oklahoma State vs. San Diego State....SDSU..10:00 a.m. Oregon State vs. Santa Clara..........SDSU...2:00 p.m.Monday, March 10 Oregon State vs. San Diego State......SDSU...1:00 p.m.(Sunday's LMU-USD game will be played at Point Loma Nazarene University.)SERIES RECORDS
*** SDSU and Santa Clara first met in 1956 and the Broncos lead the series by an 11-9 count. The teams have faced each other in three-game series each of the last five seasons (since 2003) with the Aztecs holding a 9-6 advantage. Last season, SDSU swept its series with Santa Clara at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Over the years, SDSU is 7-3 against the Broncos at home, 2-6 in Santa Clara and 0-2 at neutral sites.
*** San Diego State's record against Loyola Marymount stands at 63-28 since the 1940 season when they first met on the diamond. The only time the Aztecs and Lions were in the same conference was during the 1977-78 seasons when both were members of the short-lived Southern California Baseball Association. SDSU has won five of the last seven meetings (since 1997) and is 40-12 vs. LMU in San Diego. The Lions' last win in San Diego came in 1996.
*** The Aztecs are 2-6 against Oklahoma State with their lone wins over the Cowboys coming in Yuma, Ariz., when they played a three-game series there early in the 2000 season. OSU has defeated SDSU both times the teams squared off in San Diego (1999 and 2000). The latter came during a tourney hosted by SDSU after their series in Yuma.
*** San Diego State has played Oregon State on 12 previous occasions with the Beavers holding a 6-5-1 advantage. Their last meeting came in 2003 at a tournament in Lancaster, Calif., which OSU won, 10-6. The Aztecs have a mark of 4-1-1 vs. Oregon State in San Diego and 1-5 at neutral sites. The most recent contest on SDSU's field came in 2001, an 8-7 Beaver win in 10 innings.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
*** Santa Clara enters the Aztec Invitational with a mark of 7-1 after defeating Fresno State at home on Tuesday (Mar. 4). The Broncos lone loss came at San Jose State in one of their two away games. Top hitters include outfielder Evan LeBlanc (.500, 5 doubles, 2 HR, 11 RBI) and catcher Tommy Medica (.400, 4 2B, 7 RBI). Likely starter on Friday vs. SDSU is right-hander Nate Garcia (2-0, 2.63). The Broncos are batting .332 as a team with a 3.34 earned run average.
*** Loyola Marymount's record stands at 3-6 as the Lions dropped their most recent contest on Tuesday at Long Beach State. Shortstop Kyle Spraker (.333, 3 2B, 2 RBI) and first baseman A.J. Lamonda (.294, 4 2B, 2 RBI) are among the team's top hitters. The Lions' No. 2 starter who could see action against the Aztecs is right-hander Martin Viramontes (0-1, 2.84), who attend La Costa Canyon HS in Encinitas. LMU has a team batting average of .248 with a 4.20 ERA.
*** Oklahoma State will enter this weekend's Aztec Invitational with a record of 7-1, its only loss coming to Northwestern in a game played in Tampa, Fla. The Cowboys are ranked as high as 20th in the nation (Collegiate Baseball) and also appear in the top 25's of Baseball America (21st) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (22nd). OSU is led at the plate by the duo of Donnie Webb (.584, 4 2B, 10 RBI) and Rebel Ridling (.438, 3 HR, 12 RBI). SDSU will likely face right-hander Tyler Blandford (1-0, 3.38). The Cowboys are hitting .326 as a team with a 2.96 earned run average.
*** Two-time defending national champion Oregon State defeated Portland on Tuesday and comes into the weekend with a mark of 4-3. The Beavers are 12th in this week's Baseball America poll and are ranked from 15th to 22nd in the other three polls. Top hitters include Jason Ogata (.429, 2 HR, 10 RBI) and John Wallace (.467, 2 HR, 6 RBI). OSU's starting pitcher against SDSU is undecided at this time. The Beavers team average stands at .289 and they have an earned run average of 5.23.
LAST TIME OUT
*** In its most recent outing, San Diego State defeated UC Riverside, 6-5, on Brandon Glover's two-run double in the top of the ninth that erased a 5-4 deficit.
*** Freshman Michael Dixon (1-0) picked up the win in relief while Addison Reed recorded his second save of the season.
*** Troy Hanzawa and Garett Green had two hits apiece for the Aztecs while Cory Vaughn contributed a two-run double.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
*** After going 3-3 last week, San Diego State fell out of both national polls (Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball) in which it appeared after its opening weekend.
*** The Aztecs are still receiving votes in three of the five national polls (USA Today/ESPN, Rivals.com and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association).
HANZAWA HOT
*** Shortstop Troy Hanzawa has the team's longest current hitting streak at five games.
*** He began the season with a four-game streak as well and has hit safely in nine of SDSU's nine contests.
*** His .429 batting average leads the club as does his 18 hits.
*** His six multiple-hit games is the most on the team and his three multiple-RBI efforts tie him with Brandon Glover for the team lead.
CLEMENS AWARD WATCH LIST
*** Sophomore Stephen Strasburg is one of 78 pitchers who appear on the watch list for the fifth annual Roger Clemens Award, given to the college pitcher of the year.
*** The winner of the award, top be announced during the summer, will be determined by a vote of national media, Division I head coaches and previous winners.
PITCHING DEBUTS
*** A pair of pitchers who redshirted in their first season at SDSU in 2007 made their debuts in last Sunday's contest against Fresno State.
*** Junior right-hander George Snyder tossed one inning, walking one and allowing no hits.
*** Redshirt freshman Trevor Clausen also threw one inning in that game. Clausen was victimized for a pair of unearned runs on two hits and a walk. However, he recorded three strikeouts in his lone inning.
MCLAUGHLIN SOLID IN FIRST START
*** In his first start after three relief stints, junior James McLaughlin (Palomar JC) had a good outing at UC Riverside on Tuesday.
*** He went 5.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
*** In his previous relief appearances, he had given up five runs over four innings with three strikeouts.
*** Although not involved in the decision at Riverside, McLaughlin does have one win under his belt as he got the victory in SDSU's win over USC on Feb. 26.
VAUGHN GETS ON
*** Freshman outfielder Cory Vaughn began the season with a five-game hitting streak which is tied with Brandon Glover for longest by an Aztec in 2008. Both Vaughn's and Glover's streaks ended last weekend.
*** Vaughn is third on the squad with a .382 batting average and leads the team with five doubles.
*** He had a pair of doubles against USC on Feb. 26 to account for two of SDSU's three hits on the night.
*** He recorded a hit in his first collegiate at bat, doubling in the season opener against San Diego on Feb. 22.
SOLOW DEALING
*** Sophomore Nate Solow has adapted quickly to the role of starter after seeing duty primarily out of the bullpen as a freshman.
*** He has allowed only one earned run over 12.1 innings in his two starts for a team-leading 0.79 ERA among the starters.
*** He has allowed 10 hits, but only one for extra bases (a double) and opponents are batting .222 against him.
*** His 15 strikeouts and his 0.73 earned run average both lead the conference this week.
CLOSING IT OUT
*** Freshman Addison Reed has moved into the role of closer that was vacated by sophomore Stephen Strasburg, who is now SDSU's No. 1 starter.
*** He gave up his first two hits and first walk of the season last Thursday against Cal Poly. Those came in his fourth appearance as an Aztec, but he was credited with the win in that contest.
*** He recorded a save on Tuesday, tossing the ninth inning in SDSU's 6-5 victory at UC Riverside.
*** Opponents are hitting .167 against him and he has not allowed a run over his 5.2 innings of work in five appearances.
*** Reed picked up his first collegiate save with a perfect ninth inning in the win over USC on Feb. 26.
CASTRO DOUBLES UP
*** Catcher-first baseman Erik Castro has gone 1-for-3 in each of SDSU's last two games with both hits being doubles. Three of his six hits this season have been two-baggers.
*** He connected for the first home run of his collegiate career in the game at USD on Feb. 25. It was a two-run shot in the eighth inning that stretched SDSU's lead to 6-0 in that contest.
*** Castro is a sophomore from nearby Fallbrook who spent his freshman season at the University of Arizona, where he played third base. He recorded no home runs in his 40 games for the Wildcats.
*** He has played in eight games this season and has been behind the plate in three contests including two starts at catcher. Castro last caught during his prep days at Fallbrook High School.
ATTENDANCE MARKS
*** The attendance figures for this season's opening two contests at Tony Gwynn Stadium were among the all-time top ten for the facility. *** On Feb. 22, the crowd of 1,427 was the ninth-biggest crowd for a game at SDSU's home stadium.
*** The next night (Feb. 23), the gathering of 1,417 fans was the 10th-largest crowd for an Aztec home game.
*** Only two of SDSU's crowds through the first seven games have been under the 1,000 mark and the Aztecs are averaging 1,096 per game over that span.
AZTEC NOTES
*** The infield trio of second baseman Garett Green, shortstop Troy Hanzawa and third baseman Nick Romero are the only Aztecs to have started all 10 game this far in 2008.
*** Six different pitchers have accounted for one win apiece after SDSU's first 10 games.
*** In its five wins, San Diego State is batting .325 with a 2.83 earned run average. In its four losses, the average drops to .208 with the ERA at 7.20.
*** Nick Romero's homer in the season opener on Feb. 22 was the 16th of his SDSU career, moving him into a tie for 20th on the all-time Aztec list.
ON DECK
*** After this weekend's Aztec Invitational, San Diego State will begin its 2008 Mountain West Conference season with a series against Brigham Young at home.
*** SDSU and BYU will being their three-game set on Thursday, March 13, at 6:00 p.m. (PDT) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
*** The Aztecs and Cougars will face off again the next evening (Friday, March 14) at the same time, then conclude the series on Saturday (March 15) at 1:00 p.m.