May 22, 2012
Complete Release and Season Statistics
AZTECS COMPLETE REGULAR SEASON FOURTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
San Diego State ended its regular in third place in the Mountain West Conference standings with a record of 12-12 in league play. It marks the 11th time in the 13 seasons of the league¡¦s existence that SDSU has finished third or higher in the final conference standings.
2011 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
With five teams in the Mountain West during the 2012 campaign, only the top four league finishers will compete in the double-elimination championship event. Air Force finished in fifth place and will not participate in the 2012 tourney. By virtue of its league finish, San Diego State will be the number-three seed at this week¡¦s Mountain West Conference Tournament. That championship event gets underway on Thursday, May 24, at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas. TCU and New Mexico shared the conference regular-season title with identical 18-6 records. New Mexico is the tournament¡¦s number-one seed as it won the tiebreaker with the Horned Frogs. UNLV finished fourth and is the No. 4 seed this weekend. SDSU¡¦s third-place seeding means it will face TCU (the number-two seed) in the first game on opening day of the tourney. That contest is scheduled for Thursday, May 24, at 3:00 p.m. (PDT).
RECORD VS. MWC OPPONENTS
San Diego State won two series and lost two this season in league play. The Aztecs won their series vs. UNLV (5-1) and Force (4-2). They lost the series against both New Mexico (1-5) and TCU (2-4). Below are SDSU¡¦s all-time records against each league opponent, record vs. each in league play over the years, record this season, and record in previous MWC Tournaments.
All-Time MWC Play 2012 MWC MWC Tourn.Air Force....86-19......51-12......4-2.........5-0New Mexico...98-60......35-32......1-5.........5-2TCU..........12-23......10-18......2-4.........0-0UNLV.........65-46......37-27......5-1.........2-8TOURNAMENT TV
Every game of the 2012 Mountain West Conference Tournament will be televised live on The Mtn network. Bill Doleman and Roger Bailey will handle the play-by-play and color commentary respectively.
AZTEC PITCHING ROTATION
San Diego State¡¦s starting pitching assignment has only been determined for its first games this week. Sophomore left-hander Cole Swanson (0-1, 2.95) will be on the mound for Thursday¡¦s contest against TCU. Friday¡¦s starter will likely be either Ryan Doran (3-6, 4.21) or Travis Pitcher (3-4, 5.09).
SWANSON RETURNS
Sophomore left-hander Cole Swanson made just his second appearance on the mound since March 1 in last Friday¡¦s (May 18) contest at TCU. In that game he tossed three innings allowing no runs on a hit with four walks and four strikeouts. He was one of three SDSU hurlers to throw in that game won by SDSU 3-0, the first shutout by the Aztecs during the 2012 season. Swanson missed the past two-plus months after undergoing an appendectomy on March 5. His first appearance since the appendectomy came at Texas A&M on Saturday, May 12, when he threw 2.2 innings of relief giving up no runs on a pair of hits with a walk and a strikeout. Swanson is expected to start Thursday¡¦s contest against TCU at the conference tournament.
HEPNER SAVES
Sophomore right-hander Justin Hepner picked up his team-leading fourth win of the season in the 3-0 victory at TCU last Friday (May 18). In that game he tossed four innings of relief surrendering no runs on three this with a walk and three strikeouts. He has served primarily as a reliever in 2012 with three starting assignments. Hepner has notched 47 strikeouts in 50.1 innings this season.
DORAN LACKING SUPPORT
Junior pitcher Ryan Doran has thrown well in each of his last three starts, but has little to show for those performances. Over those three appearances he has allowed only five runs (no more than two in any game) in 19.2 innings for a 2.29 earned run average. He has struck out 10 and walked three in his last three contests including UNLV at home along with road games at No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 20 TCU. His results in those three contests include two losses and one no-decision. SDSU has scored a total of six runs in those three games.
POTTER DOUBLES DOWN
Sophomore shortstop Evan Potter had a pair of doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in the win over Loyola Marymount on May 15. It was his first two-double game as an Aztec. The three runs batted in were also a career high. Last weekend (May 18-20) at TCU he went 3-for-10 over the three games with another double and run scored. Potter has hit safely in four of his last five games going 6-for-17 (.353) with three doubles, 3 RBI and four runs scored.
ROMANSKI GETTING OFFENSIVE
Catcher Jake Romanski went 3-for-9 during last weekend¡¦s three-game series at TCU as he started behind the plate in all three contests. His two-run double in the series opener drove home SDSU¡¦s first two runs of the contest as it went on to defeat the Horned Frogs 3-0. He also recorded a double in the series finale on Sunday (May 20)
TORRES COMING ON
Senior first baseman Jomel Torres has gone 9-for-27 (.333) in the last 10 games in which he has appeared. He finished the TCU series by going 2-for-2 and being hit by pitch twice in Sunday¡¦s (May 20) game. With 13 walks this season, Jomel Torres now has 107 for his career to rank seventh on the SDSU all-time list.
REIBENSPIES ANSWERS THE CALL
Freshman Tanner Reibenspies last four games have come in a starting role at first base. He made his first start at that position in the game at Texas A&M on May 13. In that contest he went 1-for-4 with a double and recorded seven putouts. Against Loyola Marymount on May 15 he recorded a season-high three hits and three runs scored as the starter at first. He has now played all four infield positions this season. He made his inaugural start at third base in the contest at UC Irvine on Tuesday (April 17). He responded by recording a pair of singles and a walk in three plate appearances.
INJURIES & ILLNESS
Injuries and illness have taken a toll on SDSU this season. Starting catcher Brad Haynal suffered a broken leg on Feb. 23 and will miss the remainder of the season. Friday starting pitcher Cole Swanson underwent an emergency appendectomy on March 5 and only returned to action on May 12. Michael Cederoth, who moved into the no. starting role in Swanson¡¦s absence, was hit on the jaw by a line drive at Texas A&M on May 12. He could see limited action this week although his jaw is wired shut due to the injury.
AZTEC NOTES
SDSU¡¦s nine stolen bases in the contest against Loyola Marymount on May 15 were the most by the team since joining the Mountain West in 2000 ¡K Ethan Miller picked up his third win of the season on May 15 vs. Loyola Marymount tossing two innings of relief and allowing a hit while striking out one ¡K Justin Hepner is the lone SDSU pitcher with as many as four wins. Five other hurlers are tied for second with three apiece: (Justin Hepner, Ryn Doran, Mike Hachadorian, Michael Cederoth, Travis Pitcher and Ethan Miller). fÃ¥..First baseman John Spirk has driven in at least one run in his last four games with a total of six RBI in those contests. fÃ¥..SDSU has used 11 different starting pitchers during the 2012 season.