May 28, 2017
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - For the fourth time in the last five years, San Diego State is the Mountain West baseball champion, this time coming from behind to defeat Fresno State, 5-3, Sunday afternoon in the title game in Albuquerque, N.M.
With the championship comes an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals. The Aztec will find out on Monday when and where they will be playing next weekend with the selection showed scheduled to air at 9:00 a.m. PT on ESPN2.
After its lopsided loss to the Bulldogs Saturday evening, SDSU knew it would have to come out and make a statement early in Sunday's game. The Aztecs did just that by scoring single runs in both the first and second innings to take a quick 2-0 lead.
In the opening frame, Alan Trejo led off with a single and was sacrificed to second with a bunt by Chase Calabuig. Danny Sheehan then stroked an RBI single to left to drive home Trejo with the first run of the contest.
In the second, catcher Dean Nevarez clubbed a ball well over the left field fence for his ninth home run of the season, a total that ranks second on the squad.
Sophomore right-hander Harrison Pyatt, making just his fifth start of the season, breezed through the first two innings before hitting back-to-back batters with one out in the third. That brought senior Marcus Reyes out of the bullpen, and he promptly struck out the ensuing two hitters to end the threat.
The next inning however, would see Fresno State strike for three runs and suddenly find itself with a 3-2 lead. After scoring the first run on a sacrifice fly that was the second out of the frame, a dropped fly ball in right field prolonged the inning and the Bulldogs took advantage as Carter Bins' double plated a pair of unearned runs.
The score line remained that way until the bottom of the eighth when the Aztec put together their game-winning rally. Before that, however, a play in the top of the eighth kept FSU's lead at just one run.
With a runner at third and two out, closer CJ Saylor was summoned from the bullpen. When his second pitch skipped past home plate, Nevarez was able to retrieve the ball and flip it to Saylor in time to get the runner attempting to score from third.
In SDSU's half of the eighth, Trejo led off with a walk and advanced to second on a single through the left side by Calabuig. A sacrifice bunt by Danny Sheehan moved both runners up a base with one out.
Tyler Adkison then had a stellar at bat as he fouled off nine two-strike pitches before lofting a fly ball to shallow left field that fell in for a single when none of the Bulldog fielders could locate the ball in the air. That hit scored Trejo to tie the game at 3-3 while sending Calabuig to third.
Davis Hensley was then intentionally walked to load the bases for DH Andrew Martinez. The senior would send a 1-1 pitch through the left side to bring home Calabuig and Adkison, giving the Aztecs the 5-3 lead.
The game-winning hit capped an stellar weekend for Martinez, who would be named the tournament MVP after hitting .467 (7-for-15) with two doubles, a home run, 8 RBI, a .800 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base mark over SDSU's four games.
Saylor, who gave up a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, would secure the win with three infield ground outs in the final frame to claim the victory and improve his record to 2-0 on the year. He was also named to the all-tournament team after picking up a win and a save in his two appearances over the weekend as he surrendered just the one hit over his 2.1 innings of work while striking out three.
In addition to Martinez and Saylor, two other Aztecs also earned all-tourney honors. That duo included first baseman Jordan Verdon (.429, 2 2B, HR, 6 runs scored) and second baseman Alan Trejo (.400, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 6 runs scored).