April 3, 2008
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
AZTECS HOST NEW MEXICO FOR MWC SERIES THIS WEEK
*** After Tuesday's game at UCLA, SDSU now returns home to host a three-game Mountain West Conference series against New Mexico. The first meeting with the Lobos is slated for Friday, April 4, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
*** The set with the New Mexico will continue with contests on Saturday (April 5) and Sunday (April 6), both at 1:00 p.m.
SERIES RECORD
*** SDSU leads its series against New Mexico by the count of 91-45. The teams faced each other for the first time in 1960 and were members of the Western Athletic Conference for 21 years before they moved to the Mountain West Conference in 2000.
*** In 2007, the Aztecs won five of six from the Lobos during the regular season, but lost twice to them at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas. San Diego State has a record of 57-18 vs. UNM in San Diego, 31-24 in Albuquerque and 3-3 on neutral fields.
SCOUTING THE LOBOS
*** New Mexico will enter the weekend series at SDSU with a record of 18-10 overall and 3-3 in the MWC. In their only other action this week, the Lobos will dropped a 3-0 exhibition contest against the Albuquerque Isotopes, the AAA affiliate of the Florida Marlins, Tuesday night. *** UNM's top hitters include Rafael Meda (.371, 5 HR, 29 RBI) and Matt Hibbits (.355, 5 doubles, 23 RBI). Two of UNM's expected starters vs. SDSU are right-hander Stephen Smith (2-1, 5.54) and left-hander Jacob Norton (3-2, 6.54). New Mexico's team batting average is .322 and the team ERA stands at 5.58.
MWC HONORS
*** Sophomore right-hander Stephen Strasburg has been named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week and second baseman Garett Green is the MWC co-Player of the Week after their performances last week (March 24-30).
*** Green, from Anaheim Hills, Calif., batted .500 (10-for-20) from the plate, with one home run, one double, five runs scored and four RBI, as the Aztecs went 5-0 in non-conference action last week, including a three-game sweep of Houston.
*** Strasburg allowed just two hits, walking one batter and striking out 12 in his 8.0 innings on the mound to record a shutout victory in the first game of the three-game series vs. Houston. Strasburg held the Cougars, who entered the week receiving votes in the national polls, to a .080 team batting average (2-for-25) for the game.
*** It marks the second time that Green and Strasburg captured the weekly awards together as they did so after the first week of the 2008 season in late February.
IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
*** SDSU is once gain receiving votes in the national polls this week, appearing in that category in both the USA Today/ESPN and Rivals.com rankings.
*** The Aztecs appeared in the national polls (22nd Baseball America, 27th Collegiate Baseball) briefly after opening the 2008 season by winning three of four from the University of San Diego, but they fell out of the poll the following week.
SHUTOUT CITY
*** Last weekend's consecutive shutouts of Harvard (4-0) and Houston (8-0) marked the first time that SDSU had posted back-to-back shutouts since the 1990 season when it blanked Air Force twice in a row in Colorado Springs (18-0 and 4-0).
*** The Aztecs went 20 innings without allowing a run before Houston scored in the third frame of Saturday's contest at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
STRASBURG REGIONAL HONOR
*** For the week of March 24-30, Stephen Strasburg has earned InsidePitching.com's Western Regional Performance of the Week. The sophomore shut out Houston on two hits for eight innings while striking out 12 and walking only one on Friday, March 28. He set down the final eight batters he faced and struck out the side in the top of the eighth.
*** InsidePitching.com is in its second year of operation. Each week all games are evaluated and three of the best performances in each region are subject to nomination by a panel of 30 division one coaches around the country. Each vote is then totaled and the performance of the week is awarded to the outstanding performance in each respective region.
AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
*** SDSU ranks among the national Division I leaders in two offensive areas: 9th with 13 triples and18th with 0.50 triples/game. On the pitching side, the Aztecs are 27th in most strikeouts per game (8.6) and 41st in fewest walks per game with (3.12).
*** Individually, Nate Solow is 11th in the country with an average of 12.28 strikeouts per game while Stephen Strasburg is 35th at 10.90 per contest.
*** Strasburg's 50 strikeouts this season ranks 14th in the nation with Solow at 22nd with a total of 36 K's.
*** In addition, Garett Green is 15th in Division I with four sacrifice flies and Addison Reed is 38th with four saves.
WIN STREAK HALTED
*** San Diego State's six-game winning streak, the second-longest of the Tony Gwynn era, ended with the loss at UCLA on Tuesday.
*** The Aztecs won seven in a row during the 2005 season, but that streak involved a pair of forfeit wins against Air Force.
*** SDSU had a six-game winning streak near the end of the 2004 season as well.
PITCHING STAFF SHINES
*** Over the last eight games, Aztec pitchers have struck out 84 and walked 31 in 79 innings, a ratio of better than three-to-one.
*** Over the last 10 games, San Diego State's team earned run average is 3.31.
*** The pitching staff's ratio of strikeouts-to-walks this season is just under 3-to-1 (89 BB's, 240 K's).
*** SDSU has reached double figures in strikeouts in nine games this season including four of the last seven.
*** In five games last week (March 25-30), the Aztec mound corps had a 2.80 earned run average with 49 strikeouts in 45 innings.
GOOD START TO MWC CAMPAIGN
*** San Diego State's 5-1 start to the Mountain West Conference season is its best since the 2004 season when it began with five wins in six games (three over Air Force, two over New Mexico). This is the fourth time SDSU has begun league play with a 5-1 record.
*** SDSU started the 2002 league season with a mark of 5-1 en route to capturing the conference's regular-season title. It also began the 2003 campaign with a 5-1 record.
*** The sweep of Brigham Young in the MWC season-opening series marked the first time that San Diego State has swept the Cougars in a three-game series since the 2002 season.
ROMERO STREAKING
*** Nick Romero had a pair of hits at UCLA on Tuesday and has now hit safely in each the last five games and 13 of the last 14 contests.
*** He had an eight-game hitting streak ended when he went hitless against UCLA on Tuesday, March 25.
*** Over the past 13 games, he is hitting .379 (22-for-58) with a double, two triples, three homers, 11 runs scored and 17 RBI. *** He has a string of nine games in which he drove in at least one run ended at UCLA on Tuesday.
*** His five-RBI effort in the BYU series finale (March 15) marked the only time this season that an Aztec has driven in five runs in a game.
*** Romero's home run on Wednesday, March 26, against Harvard was the 19th of his career, moving him into a tie for 13th on the San Diego State career list.
*** He is tied for the team lead with 11 multiple-hit games and is third with five multiple-RBI efforts. He has driven in four or more runs in a game three times in 2008.
HANZAWA STAYS HOT
*** Shortstop Troy Hanzawa had an eight-game hitting streak stopped in the game against Harvard last week (Mar. 26).
*** He had a nine-game hitting streak snapped in the series opener against BYU on March 13. That stands as the team's longest hitting streak in 2008.
*** Hanzawa has at least one hit in 23 of SDSU's 28 games this season. He was held hitless in back-to-back games for the first time in 2008 in the contests vs. Harvard (March 26) and Houston (March 28).
*** In four of the five games in which he did not get a hit, he got on at least once via a base on balls meaning he has reached base in 27 of SDSU's 28 contests.
*** He has scored at least two runs in a game on 10 occasions in 2008, most recently in last Sunday's contest vs. Houston when he crossed the plate three times.
*** His .353 batting average leads the club as does his 41 hits, 31 runs scored, four triples and seven stolen bases.
*** Hanzawa's four RBI vs. Houston on March 30 was a career high.
*** His nine career triples moves him into a tie for 18th place on the all-time Aztec list.
*** His 11 multiple-hit games ranks third on the team and his four multiple-RBI efforts ties for fourth-most on the club.
MURPHY GETTING SUPPORT
*** In each of his last four starts, senior J.R. Murphy has gotten great support from his teammates in the form of early runs. He has recorded victories in all four of those outings to improve to 4-1 on the year.
*** Against both Oklahoma State (March 9) and Brigham Young (March 15), SDSU led 11-0 after three innings. At Utah on March 22), the Aztecs built an 8-0 lead after two innings. Last Sunday vs. Houston, SDSU scored nine runs in the contest. All totaled, SDSU has scored 44 runs in his last four appearances.
*** In his start at Utah, he set a career best with eight strikeouts (over 7.1 innings).
*** In his last four starts, he has struck out 23 and walked only four. He had a string of 16.2 consecutive innings without surrendering a base on balls until giving up a walk in the second inning vs. Houston on Sunday.
STRASBURG STRIKES
*** Stephen Strasburg picked up his third win of the season in the series opener against Houston last Friday.
*** In that contest, he went eight innings, allowing no runs while striking out 12 and walking one.
*** The 12 strikeouts were a new career high for the sophomore from San Diego.
*** His 50 total strikeouts moves him into the lead in the conference in that category.
*** Strasburg has walked more than one batter in just one of his six starts in 2008 (two walks vs. Santa Clara on March 7).
COLWELL COMING ON
*** Sophomore Pat Colwell had an eight-game hitting streak halted in the second game of the Houston series last Saturday.
*** During that streak, he hit .364 (12-for-33) with nine runs scored.
*** In the nine games since he became SDSU's leadoff hitter, Colwell has an on-base percentage of .400.
*** He has played either left or right field in 19 of the 21 games in which he has appeared. The lone exception was a start in center field against Cal on March 1.
GREEN GETTING IT DONE
*** Second baseman Garett Green is 11-for-23 (.478) over San Diego State's last six games with five runs scored and five RBI.
*** He has hit safely in nine of the last 10 contests with an average of .462 (18-for-39) with seven runs scored and eight RBI.
*** He enters the weekend second on the team with 26 RBI and 27 runs scored.
*** His six doubles leads the squad and his four homers tie him for the team lead. His four sacrifice flies are the most for an Aztec this season as well.
JOHNSON LEADS OFF
*** Outfielder Cameron Johnson debuted as the Aztecs' leadoff hitter in the contest at UCLA on Tuesday. He reached base in three of his four plate appearances with a single and a pair of walks.
*** He made his first start since March 17 when he opened in left field against Houston last Sunday (March 30). He went 1-for-3 in that contest with a walk and a pair of runs scored.
WILLEFORD FILLS IN
*** Senior utility man Mike Willeford got his third start of the year at first base in the series finale vs. Houston last Sunday.
*** He responded by going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. He drove in SDSU's first run of the game in the four-run fifth inning.
*** Willeford also stole a pair of bases in the contest, his first two of the season.
*** In his three years as an Aztec, he is now 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts with one in each of the previous two seasons.
SOLOW DEALING
*** Sophomore Nate Solow has adapted quickly to the role of starter after seeing duty primarily out of the bullpen as a freshman.
*** Solow has struck out 46 and walked only 13 in his 33.2 innings of work. His strikeout total ranks second in the conference behind only teammate Stephen Strasburg.
*** His 13 strikeouts against BYU on March 14 were a career high, besting his previous high of nine against Missouri earlier this season.
MCLAUGHLIN IMPRESSES
*** James McLaughlin (2-0) picked up his second win of the season with two innings of scoreless relief vs. UCLA last Tuesday, March 25.
*** He had his longest outing of the year on Monday, March 17, against Southern Utah, going six innings in relief. Over that period he scattered three hits while striking out seven and walking none.
*** The seven strikeouts in that contest were his career high as an Aztec.
*** In his first start after three relief stints, McLaughlin had a good outing at UC Riverside on March 4. In that contest, he went 5.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
*** On March 13 against Brigham Young, he tossed 2.1 innings in relief, keeping the game tied in the ninth and 10th innings.
*** He recorded his first save in the win over Oklahoma State on March 9, going the final four innings.
CASTRO GETTING OFFENSIVE
*** Erik Castro scored a run in each of the games vs. Houston last weekend and drove in a pair in the second contest of the series.
*** 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. He added a second against BYU on March 15.
*** He has played in 24 games this season and has been behind the plate in 17 contests including 12 starts at catcher. Castro last caught during his prep days at Fallbrook High School.
CLOSING IT OUT
*** Freshman closer Addison Reed picked up his fourth save of the year when he tossed the ninth inning against Harvard on March 26. He faced two batters, getting a strikeout and a double play to secure the win for SDSU.
*** He gave up his first run as a collegiate pitcher when UCLA scored a run in the ninth inning of Tuesday's contest. He had made nine appearances and tossed 12 innings prior to allowing the run.
*** Reed made his longest outing of the season in the win over BYU on March 13, going the final 3.1 innings (of a 14-inning contest) to pick up the win and improve to 2-0. He allowed one hit with no walks and struck out four.
*** Opponents are hitting .180 against him and he has struck out 16 in his 15.0 innings of work.
*** He recorded a save at UC Riverside on March 4, tossing the ninth inning in SDSU's 6-5 victory.
*** Reed picked up his first collegiate save with a perfect ninth inning in the win over USC on Feb. 26.
WORKING OVERTIME
*** San Diego State's 14-inning win over Brigham Young on March 13 was the Aztecs' longest game (by innings) since they lost to UNLV, 7-3, at home on May 1, 2005.
*** Since 1936, SDSU has had two 17-inning games, a pair of 16-inning contests and six 15-inning affairs.
*** Including the BYU game this season, San Diego State has now gone 14 innings on seven occasions.
*** The win over the Cougars was SDSU's first extra-inning affair of the 2008 season.
STAR OF THE MONTH
*** Second baseman Garett Green was named a Breitbard Star of the Month for February by the San Diego Hall of Champions. The Hall of Champions recognizes outstanding performances by amateur and professional athletes in San Diego.
*** During the month of February, Green batted .385 (10-for-26) over SDSU's seven games, scoring 11 runs with nine RBI.
*** He posted three doubles, a triple and two home runs for a .808 slugging percentage. He also had four walks and two sacrifice flies for a .455 on-base percentage.
AZTEC NOTES
*** Nick Romero's 121 career RBI rank 17th on the SDSU all-time list. His nine career triples tie him for 18th.
*** Cory Vaughn is hitting .441 (15-for-34) with runners in scoring position while teammate Troy Hanzawa is batting .433 (13-for-30) in that situation.
*** Over the last 11 games, the Aztecs have committed only eight errors and are fielding .981 in those contests.
*** SDSU's 4-0 win over Harvard on March 26 was played in a time of 2:09. It was the quickest nine-inning game for the Aztecs since a 6-3 loss to UNLV on May 28, 2004, that was completed in 1:58.
*** The infield trio of second baseman Garett Green, shortstop Troy Hanzawa and third baseman Nick Romero are the only Aztecs to have started all 27 game in 2008.
*** Senior lefty Brandon Pullen recorded his first win in two seasons at SDSU in the 7-6 victory over Houston on Friday, March 29. He pitched to one batter in top of the ninth to retire the side, then saw his teammates for two runs rally in the bottom of the inning to win the game.
*** Brandon Decker has hit safely in each of his last four games. His last outing was against UCLA on March 25.
*** Freshman right-hander Michael Dixon has allowed no runs and only one hit in his last three relief appearances. He has recorded three strikeouts in those four innings of work (one in each outing).
*** Two of SDSU's weekend starters (Stephen Strasburg, Nate Solow) are averaging at least one strikeout per inning while the third (J.R. Murphy) is just under that mark.
*** The Aztecs are 6-0 in one-run games. In 2007, SDSU finished with a mark of 4-10 in one-run contests.
*** San Diego State recorded a season-high eight stolen bases in the series finale against Houston on March 30.