May 17, 2017
Complete Release and Season Statistics
WHAT'S ON TAP THIS WEEKEND IN AZTEC BASEBALL
After its 9-5 win over University of San Diego on Tuesday (May 16), San Diego State will play its final three contests of the regular season as it hosts a three-game Mountain West series vs. Fresno State. The first contest of that set is scheduled for Thursday, May 18, at 6:00 p.m. PT at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs and Bulldogs will also meet up for games on Friday (May 19) and Saturday (May 20) at 6:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. PT respectively.
AZTECS ON THE AIR
All three games of the Fresno State series will have live video streaming on the Mountain West Network with Live Stats available for all three contests vs. the Bulldogs. Links for the video broadcasts as well as live stats will be on the SDSU web site (GoAztecs.com).
SERIES RECORD
SDSU's record against Fresno State stands at 95-95 with the Bulldogs being the team that the Aztecs have faced the most in the sport of baseball over the years. The Aztecs captured two of the three games in Fresno in late March. Last season the Bulldogs captured four of the six games against the Aztecs, winning twice in Fresno and two times in San Diego. The Aztecs are 45-47 at home, 45-46 in Fresno and 5-2 on neutral fields against Fresno State.
TOURNAMENT IMPLICATIONS
The host of this year's Mountain West Tournament as well as the fourth and final entrant into the tourney field will be decided in two series this weekend. SDSU is currently one-game behind New Mexico in the loss column and needs to win one more game than the Lobos this weekend to overtake them and become the tournament host. Fresno State can finish as high as second, but only if it sweeps the Aztecs this weekend. The UNM-Nevada series takes on added importance, as it will also decide the fourth entrant into this year's tournament. Nevada must win two games in Albuquerque to qualify or else Air Force will be the fourth and final team into the tourney field.
SENIOR DAY
Saturday's final home game has been designated as Senior Day when the Aztec baseball program will honor eight players concluding their SDSU careers this season. Included in that number are three infielders and five pitchers. The infielders are shortstop Danny Sheehan, third baseman Andrew Brown and first baseman/DH Andrew Martinez. The pitchers include Brett Seeburger, Dominic Purpura, Marcus Reyes, Cody Thompson and CJ Saylor.
HENSLEY CONTINUES TO SWING HOT BAT
David Hensley had a nine-game hitting streak come to an end in the series finale at UC Santa Barbara on April 23. Since that game, he has hit safely in 12 straight games and has now done so in 20 of SDSU's last 21 contests including going 2-for-2 with two walks vs. USD on Tuesday (May 16). Over that span, he is hitting .477 (42-for-88) with eight doubles, a triple, three home runs, 18 RBI and 20 runs scored. He has doubled at least once in six of the last seven contests.
SHEEHAN STREAK ENDS
Senior Danny Sheehan saw a 17-game hitting streak come to an end on Tuesday (May 16) in the game vs. San Diego. During that streak, he went 30-for-64 (.469) with five doubles, a triple, four home runs, 21 RBI and 20 runs scored. Sheehan currently appears on the 75-player watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award presented to the nation's top shortstop. He appears among the top 10 in 11 offensive categories in Mountain West game stats.
MARTINEZ DOUBLES UP
Designated hitter Andrew Martinez has recorded five doubles in SDSU's past four contests with three of those coming at Air Force on Saturday, May 13. He also record four RBI and scored twice in that game. On Tuesday (May 16) against the University of San Diego, Martinez hit a three-run homer that gave SDSU the lead for good in the 9-5 win over the Toreros. He finished with four RBI in that contest as well. Martinez has gone 8-for-17 (.417) over the past four games with five doubles, a home run, eight RBI and six runs scored.
BROWN RETURNS
After having missed the last three-plus weeks due to an oblique muscle strain, Andrew Brown returned to his starting role at third base in the game against San Diego on Tuesday (May 16). He marked his return with a pair of singles and a run scored in the win over the Toreros. Brown has now started 41 of SDSU's 53 contests at third base and is hitting .328.
CALABUIG HEATING UP
Chase Calabuig hit his seventh homer of the year at Air Force last Friday (May 12). In three games vs. the Falcons, he hit .667 (8-for-12) with a double, home, three RBI, seven runs scored and four walks. Over the past 10 contest he is hitting .419 (18-for-43) with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and 13 runs scored.
NEVAREZ COMES THROUGH
Catcher Dean Nevarez suffered a concussion prior to last weekend's series at San Jose State when he was hit by a line drive in practice and he did not appear in any of those games. He made one appearance last weekend at Air Force, going 1-for-3 as the DH in the series opener. He is hitting .356 over the most recent 13 games in which he has appeared. Included in that span are four doubles, a triple, four home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored. He hit his seventh home of the year on Tuesday (May 16) vs. University of San Diego. Nevarez has homered in three of his last four games.
AZTEC NOTES
SDSU's series win at Air Force (May 12-14) marked the 11th time (in 12) that it has won its weekend series during the 2017 season … The Aztecs have not lost more than two games in a row this season and that has occurred on three occasions (Feb. 24 and 25 vs. Tennessee and Seton Hall; March 26 and 28 at Fresno State and at USC; April 29-30 vs. New Mexico) … Catcher Hunter Stratton hit his second homer run of the season in the series finale at Air Force on Sunday (May 14). His four RBI in that game were a career high … Junior David Hensley's 17 career sacrifice bunts tie him for 11th on the SDSU career top 20 in that category … Sophomore Jordan Verdon's 11 career sacrifice flies tie him for 12th on the SDSU career top 20 list … Shortstop Danny Sheehan is the only player to have started every game. Sheehan has made all his starts at shortstop. Jordan Verdon has started all but one contest (50 at first base, two as DH) while Alan Trejo has started in 52 of the team's 53 games, all at second base.