Oct. 3, 2017
SAN DIEGO - Fresh off the team's fourth Mountain West championship in the last five years, the San Diego State baseball team has further bolstered its roster for the upcoming 2018 season with the No. 14-ranked recruiting class in the nation according to Perfect Game. The incoming class features 16 athletes divided between eight pitchers and eight position players.
"Historically in our baseball program, recruiting-wise, we haven't held the higher profile with draft-pick type athletes," said head coach Mark Martinez. "This year we have four of those guys. That speaks volumes to where our program's headed and the success we've had with 40-win seasons and winning four of the last five Mountain West tournaments. Kids are excited to come here and forego professional baseball, when historically that has not been the case."
The Aztecs own the highest ranked recruiting class in the Mountain West, owning a healthy lead on Air Force, which comes in at No. 53 nationally. SDSU also possesses the second highest rated recruiting class among non-power 5 schools and the second highest ranking among California programs.
The 2017 recruiting class features a pair of names taken in the 2017 MLB First Year Player Draft, including Daniel Ritcheson (Northridge, Calif./Bishop Alemany), who was selected in the 23rd round by the Toronto Blue Jays after being named a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Second Team All-American. The Blue Jays also drafted another SDSU newcomer in Sean Ross (El Cajon, Calif./Granite Hills HS), who was drafted in the 40th round after being named a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.
Mark Martinez's squad recorded a 42-21 record in 2017 to earn the program's fourth NCAA Regional appearance in the last five years.