March 3, 2016
Complete Release and Season Statistics
WHAT'S ON TAP THIS WEEKEND IN AZTEC BASEBALL
San Diego State will open its 2016 Mountain West season by hosting a three-game series vs. Fresno State this weekend. That set of contests gets underway on Friday, March 4, at 6:00 p.m. SDSU will also face the Bulldogs on Saturday (March 5) and Sunday (March 6) at 1:00 p.m. each day at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
AZTECS ON THE AIR
The Aztecs' game on Friday this week will broadcast live on KCR Radio, San Diego State's campus station. KCR will broadcast a total of 17 games this season while seven others will be carried on ESPN 1700 in San Diego. The Saturday and Sunday contests vs. Fresno State will have live video streaming on the Mountain Digital Network with links available at the SDSU web site (GoAztecs.com). A total of 11 of San Diego State's 30 home games this season will be streamed live on the Mountain Digital Network. Seven contest later in the season will be carried live on local radio on 1700 AM.
SERIES RECORD
SDSU's record against Fresno State stands at 91-90 with the Bulldogs being the team that the Aztecs have faced the most in the sport of baseball over the years. Last season SDSU captured three of the five games including splitting a pair at the Mountain West Tournament. The Aztecs are 43-43 at home, 43-45 in Fresno and 5-2 on neutral fields against Fresno State.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Fresno State's record stands at a perfect 9-0 start and after its win over CSU Bakersfield Tuesday night. FSU is off to its best start to a season since 1951. The Bulldogs top hitters include outfielders Brody Russell (.409, 2B, 7 RBI) and Austin Guibor (.333, 2B, 1 RBI). Fresno State is hitting .271 as a team with a 1.33 earned run average.
PITCHING ROTATION
For the weekend games, the Aztecs will go with the same Friday through Sunday rotation as the opening two weeks of the season. LHP Marcus Reyes (0-1, 6.57) will get the start ion Friday. RHP Cody Thompson 0-2, 9.00) will go on Saturday with LHP Brett Seeburger (0-0, 1.69) getting the nod on Sunday.
NEVAREZ TAKES HIS CHANCE
Freshman infielder Dean Nevarez has the team's highest batting average (.364) after appearing in four of the first seven games of the season. He had an RBI single in the contest vs. Arizona last Sunday that tied the game midway through the contest. He has made two starts, both as the designated hitter.
PYATT DEBUTS
Redshirt freshman Harrison Pyatt turned in his second impressive pitching performance in his start vs. University of San Diego on Tuesday. In that contest he tossed six innings allowing no runs on a hit with three walks and five strikeouts. Pyatt made his Aztec debut with the start at UC Irvine on Tuesday, Feb. 23. He pitched five innings allowing one run on just three hits while striking out four. Pyatt has struck out 12 in 12 innings and opponents are hitting.132 against him.
GOOD START
Two Aztec newcomers recorded hits in their first collegiate at bat during the season-opening series vs. No. 14 Oregon. Jordan Verdon singled to right center field in his first plate appearance in Friday night's contest. Fellow freshman Dean Nevarez delivered a single to center in his first plate appearance as a pinch hitter in Saturday's game.
GOING DEEP
Senior left fielder Spencer Thornton hit SDSU's first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the series finale vs. Oregon on Feb. 21. Thornton is leads the Aztecs in RBI lead with five. On Tuesday vs. USD he drove in SDSU's first run with a sacrifice fly to center. Last week at UC Irvine, his leadoff double in the eighth inning started SDSU's two-run rally that broke a 2-2 tie and sent the Aztecs to a 4-2 victory.
DOUBLING UP
Sophomore designated hitter David Hensley recorded a double in each of the first two games of the season and added a third in the win at Irvine last week. Last season he finished with four doubles in 24 contests. He is tied for second on the team in slugging percentage at .533.
STREAKS
Alan Trejo has the team's longest current hitting streak at five games. Spencer Thornton had a seven-game streak come to an end on Tuesday in the game vs. San Diego. Trejo has reached base safely (via hit, walk or hit by pitch) in all nine games this season. Trejo also leads the Aztecs with four multiple-hit games.
AZTEC NOTES
SDSU has yet to score a run in either the first or third inning this season. The Aztecs have scored their most runs (6) in the fifth and eighth … Shortstop Alan Trejo and center fielder Chase Calabuig are the only two players to have started all eight games this season at the same position … Three Aztecs have started all eight games, but not at the same position each time: Justin Wylie (2B-DH), David Hensley (3B-DH) and Spencer Thornton (LF-RF).
UP NEXT
San Diego State will host a four-game series vs. Northwestern next week beginning with a contest on Thursday, March 10, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The series will continue on Friday, March 11, with a doubleheader set to get underway at 2:00 p.m. The teams will also play a single game on Saturday, March 12, at 1:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium to wrap up the series.