Feb. 18, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
WHAT'S ON TAP THIS WEEK IN AZTEC BASEBALL
San Diego State opens its 2010 campaign with a four-game series against nationally-ranked Oklahoma beginning on Friday, Feb. 19, at 6:00 p.m. (PT) at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Action continues on Saturday, Feb. 20, when the Aztecs and Sooners square for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The series will conclude with a single contest on Sunday (Feb. 21) at 1:00 p.m. This marks only the third time in the past 12 seasons that SDSU has opened at home.
SERIES RECORD
San Diego State and Oklahoma have met twice previously with each team winning once. The first meeting came during the 2001 season with the Aztecs claiming a 9-8 decision at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The other contest came in 2007 when the Sooners defeated SDSU, 4-1, also at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
SCOUTING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma, which is ranked among the top 25 in four national polls with its highest ranking being 22nd (both by Baseball America and USA Today/ESPN), is coming off a 43-20 season. The Sooners finished second in the Big 12 and went 2-2 at the Norman Regional. They return four position starters and seven pitchers from that squad and have been picked to finish fourth in the conference in 2010. Top returnees include third team All-American pitcher Ryan Duke (3-1, 3.22, 16 saves) and Freshman All-American Garrett Buechele (.353, 40 RBI). OU batted .317 last season and had a 5.09 team ERA. Pitcher Bobby Shore, who is expected to start in Sunday's series finale, played at Palomar Junior College the past two seasons where he was a teammate of current SDSU pitcher Shawn Sanford. Shore is from nearby Oceanside where he played baseball at Oceanside High School.
FOR OPENERS
San Diego State has a record of 47-23-1 in season openers since 1936. Since attaining Division I status in 1969, the Aztecs are 26-14 in their annual debuts. SDSU has won only four of its last 12 season debuts. The Aztecs, however, have won each of their last three season debuts including victories over Cal Poly (2007), University of San Diego (2008) and Bethune-Cookman (2009). When opening the season in San Diego, SDSU has an all-time record of 28-9-1 and the Aztecs are 13-7 as a Division I school when beginning the year at home.
WEEKEND ROTATION
SDSU's pitching rotation for the opening weekend includes Addison Reed on Friday along with Brian Crabb and Ryan O'Sullivan on Saturday. Sunday's starter has yet to be determined. Reed (0-0, 20 saves. 0.65 ERA), a junior who was a consensus All-American last season and was named the Stopper of the Year, will be making his first start at SDSU. Crabb (7-4, 2.01 as a high school senior) is a freshman from nearby Coronado high School where he was a Division IV CIF Pitcher of the Year. O'Sullivan (4-4, 1 save, 6.79), who is also SDSU's regular at shortstop, moves into the weekend rotation this season after serving as a mid-week starter during his freshman season of 2009.
NEW AZTEC COACHES
San Diego State has added a pair of new coaches to its staff for the 201- season. Eric Valenzuela assumes the role of pitching coach after serving in that capacity the past six seasons at the University of San Diego. Former Aztec Brock Ungricht is the new volunteer assistant coach who comes to SDSU after serving as head coach at Kearny High where he led the Komets to their first league title in 24 years in 2008.
COLWELL TO REDSHIRT
Senior center fielder Pat Colwell, who has been a starter since walking on for the 2007 season, will sit out the 2010 campaign due to injury. He has yet to fully recover for a jet skiing accident that occurred last summer. Colwell batted .300 last year with 45 runs scored and 15 RBI. He was regarded as the team's top defensive outfielder last season with a .972 fielding percentage.
RETURNING POSITION STARTERS
San Diego State has six position players plus the designated hitter returning who started over half of the Aztecs' game a year ago. Included in that number are catcher Matt Parker, first baseman Brandon Meredith, second baseman Mitch Blackburn and shortstop Ryan O'Sullivan. In the outfield, Brandon Decker is back in left and Cory Vaughn in right. Chris Wilson and Jomel Torres spilt time at the DH spot as freshman in 2009.
ON THE MOUND
The Aztecs return six pitchers from last season's staff with 10 having departed.. Only one of those pitchers was a regular starter, that being Ryan O'Sullivan who made 11 of his 12 appearances in a starting role. Addison Reed was the team's closer in 2009 and finished with 20 saves. Among the other four, only Craig Rasmussen saw work as a starter (twice). He along with Drew Leary and Kegan Sharp had inning totals in the mid-20s while John Pecoraro made just one appearance as a freshman a year ago.
BEHIND THE PLATE
SDSU returns a pair of catchers in junior Matt Parker and sophomore Chris Wilson. The pair appeared in a total of 60 games behind the dish in 2009. Parker had 28 stars with Wilson getting 16. Including departed Erik Castro, Aztec catchers committed only one error all of last season for a .998 fielding percentage. The lone error came late in the season (May 15 at Utah).
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN HONOR
First baseman Brandon Meredith was accorded third-team Freshman All-America honors by Ping!Baseball at the conclusion of the 2009 season. He earned the accolade after hitting .309 with 17 doubles, seven homers, 44 RBI and a .410 on-base percentage. Meredith was also named to the all-tournament team at last year's NCAA Regional at UC Irvine.
REED PRESEASON HONORS
Junior pitcher Addison Reed has received numerous honors prior to the start of the 2009 season. He has been named to the preseason All-American team by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Rivals.com and Ping!Baseball. He is also on the lists of candidates for both the national Stopper of the Year Ward and the Golden Spikes Award Reed, a preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection, is expected to be San Diego State's Friday night starter when the 2010 season opens this week.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE
Three of the six Aztecs who garnered all-Mountain West Conference honors last season are back in 2009. That trio includes first-team honorees Cory Vaughn (OF) and Addison Reed (RHP) along with second-team member Brandon Meredith (OF). SDSU's other three all-conference selections included first-team selection Stephen Strasburg (RHP) along with second-teamers Tyler Lavigne (RHP) and Erik Castro (DH).
PRESEASON ALL-MWC
SDSU placed three players on the 12-man 2009 preseason all-Mountain West Conference team in a poll of the league's head coaches. That threesome includes outfielder Cory Vaughn, second baseman Mitch Blackburn and pitcher Addison Reed. Blackburn, an excellent defensive infielder, batted .341 in conference contests and did not commit an error in 23 league games. Vaughn is a returning first-team all-MWC selection who batted .365 in 23 league contests and finished with a .604 slugging percentage. Reed had six saves in MWC action with a 0.00 ERA. His 20 total save established a new conference record.
SCHEDULE
San Diego State will be tested early as its first two multiple-game series of the season come against nationally-ranked opposition. Following the four-game series against No. 22 Oklahoma, the Aztecs will have four contests (two at home, two away) against 18th-ranked University of San Diego. SDSU's schedule included six teams that competed in the NCAA Regionals in 2009 including Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, TCU, San Diego, Oklahoma and Utah. All but Utah are ranked among the preseason top 25 heading into the 2010 season. The slate also features four teams that the Aztecs will be facing for the first time: Kentucky, Alabama-Birmingham, Stony Brook and Monmouth.
WEBCAST
u Video of all of San Diego State's home games will be available on the SDSU web site (www.goaztecs.com) again this season. u Fans can go to the calendar on the Aztec home page and click "Watch Live" to view all the action. u The video broadcast of these games is free of charge. u An audio broadcast of all home and away contests will be carried on the SDSU web site as well.