April 16, 2018
EXPECTED STARTING PITCHERSCSUN: RHP Andrew Weston (0-0, 3.65 ERA)SDSU: RHP Jorge Fernandez (3-3, 4.68 ERA)
NEWS AND NOTESVS. THE MATADORS: SDSU and CSUN will meet for the first time since the 2015 season on Tuesday. The Aztecs enter Tuesday's game having won six of its last seven against the Matadors.SDSU has won each of the last 10 meetings with CSUN at Tony Gwynn Stadium, with the last Aztec home loss coming on April 28, 1996.
RECAP VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON: San Diego State won its first three-game series against Cal State Fullerton since 1976, defeating the Titans in both the series opener and finale to improve to 23-13 on the year.Having won both of the prior two meetings entering the series, SDSU extended the winning streak against CSF to three, giving the Aztecs three consecutive wins against the Titans for the first time since 1968.On Saturday, the Aztecs erased a pair of multiple-run deficits, but fell after allowing four ninth-inning runs, the Aztecs fell 13-9 to even the series.The Aztecs used a six-run third inning and four combined shutout innings by Christian Winston and Casey Schmitt to seal the series win, winning 9-6. The Aztecs stay perfect in weekend series finales this year, jumping up to 8-0.The Aztecs enter Tuesday's contest 7-2 in its last nine non-conference games.
SCHMITT NAMED MW PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Casey Schmitt became the first SDSU freshman since 2013 and the first MW freshman since 2015 to earn MW Pitcher of the Week honors after recording a pair of saves against Cal State Fullerton last weekend.In addition to his duties as SDSU's starting third baseman, Schmitt has become a mainstay in the Aztec bullpen, owning a 0.57 ERA over 11 appearances and 15.2 innings pitched this year.The Eastlake HS product has not allowed a run to score in each of his last six appearances and rides a 9.2-inning streak of not allowing an earned run. His last earned run allowed came nearly a month ago on March 17 against Cal Poly.
HENSLEY'S HOT STREAK: Shortstop David Hensley rides the longest on-base streak by an Aztec since the start of the 2016 season, having reached base in 29 consecutive games entering Tuesday.Hensley produced exceptionally well at the plate last week, going 10-for-16 (.625) with a home run, two doubles, and two RBIs. He also has a current 10-game hitting streak, which he's hitting .476 (20-for-42) with nine runs scored, two home runs, and eight RBIs.
HOME COOKING: Chase Calabuig extended his on-base streak in home games to 39 this weekend, good for the longest home on-base streak by an Aztec since the statistic became available in 2000. At home, Calabuig is hitting a team-best .378 with team-highs in doubles (13), home runs (3), RBIs (20), while owning a team-best .646 slugging percentage and the second-best on-base percentage at .418.
JUST HOLD ON, WE'RE COMING HOME: San Diego State kicked off an eight-game homestand last Tuesday, beginning a homestand that is tied for the team's longest home-stretch of the season, tied with SDSU's season-opening eight-game homestand. Eight of SDSU's next nine games will be played at home.
AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS: In addition to being the Mountain West leader in earned run average (3.93) and hits allowed per nine innings (8.81), several of SDSU's team and individual statistics rank among the top in the nation.
- SDSU's 37 double plays turned are ninth most in the nation.- SDSU's 381 total hits are 12th most in the country.- SDSU's .302 batting average is 19th best in the country.- SDSU's 73 doubles are 28th most in the country.- SDSU's 11 triples are 35th most in the country.- Jordan Verdon and Chase Calabuig are third and sixth in the nation, respectively, with 18 and 16 doubles.
HOMEGROWN: The San Diego State roster features 10 players from San Diego. Collectively, San Diego natives have posted 65.4 percent of SDSU's 2018 hit total (249 of 381)
EXPERIENCE ON THE DIAMOND: Despite having a team of 15 freshmen -- the program's largest freshman class since 2011 -- the Aztecs have two of the most experienced players in the nation this year in Chase Calabuig, who is fourth among all DI players with 211 career games played, and Jacob Erickson, who leads all DI pitchers with 109 career pitching appearances. The Aztecs are the only team in the nation to have a player in the top five of both categories. Erickson recently set SDSU's program record in pitching appearances, while Calabuig is 21 games shy of setting the program's career games played record.Games Played1 JJ Schwarz , Florida 2452 Ryan Chandler , Rice 2233 Gage Morey , FGCU 219T4 Chase Calabuig , San Diego St. 215T4 Gabe Snyder , Wright St. 215Pitching Appearances1 Jacob Erickson , San Diego St. 1112 Cooper Hammond , Miami (FL) 1033 Seth Pinkerton, Hartford 99T4 Charlie Fletcher, William & Mary 97T4 Dylan Moore, Louisiana 97
FOUR OF FIVE: SDSU enters 2018 as the only team in DI baseball to have won four conference tournament championships in the last five years. The Aztecs look to make it five of six in 2018, and as an added bonus, SDSU will host the 2018 Mountain West Tournament from May 24 - 27.