Projected Starting Pitcher Matchups
Friday, May 10 - 6:00 p.m. - Mountain West Network
SDSU: RHP Justin Goossen-Brown (5-3, 3.25 ERA)
FS: RHP Ryan Jensen (8-1, 3.63 ERA)
Saturday, May 11 - 6:00 p.m. - Mountain West Network
SDSU: RHP Michael Paredes (2-2, 4.89 ERA)
FS: RHP Davis Moore (7-1, 4.16 ERA)
Sunday, May 12 - 1:00 p.m. - Mountain West Network
SDSU: RHP Aaron Eden (4-1, 3.39 ERA)
FS: LHP Nikoh Mitchell (2-4, 4.81 ERA)
Aztec Storylines
BATTLE FOR FIRST: After recording four wins in a four-day stretch, second-place standing San Diego State travels to first-place Fresno State for a weekend series starting Friday at 6:00 p.m.
All three games will air on the Mountain West Network. Links to follow along with live stats and to watch live are available on GoAztecs.com.
HERE'S THE SITUATION: Major regular-season championship implications are on the line this weekend in Fresno. Below is a list of all possible scenarios this weekend and how those situations would look heading into the final weekend of the season.
SDSU sweeps FS - SDSU needs one Fresno State loss vs. UNLV or two wins vs. New Mexico to clinch regular season championship.
SDSU wins 2-of-3 - SDSU enters final weekend down 0.5 games against FS. SDSU would need to win more game against New Mexico than the number of wins that FS records against UNLV in the final weekend to clinch regular season championship.
FS wins 2-of-3 - SDSU needs to sweep New Mexico and FS needs to be swept by UNLV to clinch regular season championship.
FS sweeps - FS clinches regular-season championship.
SERIES HISTORY WITH FS: After Fresno State took two-of-three at Tony Gwynn Stadium on March 29-31, the all-time series between the Aztecs and Bulldogs is tied at 101-101. SDSU's series loss against Fresno State earlier this season is the Aztecs' only home series loss.
30-WIN MARK: SDSU secured its sixth 30+ win season in the last seven years in Monday's 10-5 win over Brigham Young. The Aztecs are the only team in the Mountain West to have won 30 or more games six times in the last seven years.
SDSU's run of six 30+ wins over the last seven years marks the first time since 1992-98 that the Aztecs have recorded six 30+ win seasons over a seven-year span.
SWEEP OF THE SPARTANS: SDSU scored 25 runs in a three-game sweep of San Jose State, securing sole possession of second-place in the conference. The Aztecs hit .324 as a team for the series and improved to 17-2 in their last 19 games against the Spartans.
SWINGING IT WELL AT THE RIGHT TIME: SDSU has scored seven or more runs in four consecutive games, marking the first time since May 21-23, 2015, that the Aztecs have posted seven or more runs in four consecutive games. SDSU scored seven or more runs in five consecutive games to open the 2015 Mountain West Championships in Reno, Nevada, before ultimately claiming the tournament title with a 6-4 win over New Mexico.
BACK ON THE ROAD: While SDSU has been red-hot at Tony Gwynn Stadium, having won nine of their last 10 home games, the Aztecs have an 11-9 record in road games this season and a 6-5 record in road games against conference opponents. Casey Schmitt leads the team with a .356 average on the road and has reached base in 14 consecutive road games.
CASEY SCHMITT HEATING UP AT THE PLATE AND ON THE MOUND: Casey Schmitt has recorded multiple hits in each of SDSU's last five games and six of his last seven. Over Schmitt's last seven games, the sophomore is hitting .519 (14-for-27) with two home runs, a double, and 11 RBIs.
On the mound, Schmitt has been dominant over his last nine outings (13 IP), owning a 1.38 ERA with five saves.
TALE OF TWO SEASONS: Over the last 24 games, San Diego State relievers have combined for a 2.53 ERA, .242 opponent batting average, and have struck out 117 batters in 113.2 innings.
Over the first 25 games of the season, the SDSU bullpen owned a 5.17 ERA and .265 opponent batting average.
SCHMITT CLIMBING SDSU'S ALL-TIME SAVES LEADER CHART: With eight saves this season, Casey Schmitt is in a tie for fifth in program history with Mark Williamson with 17 career saves. In his second season as the Aztecs' closer, Schmitt owns a career 2.37 ERA over 39 career appearances.
Royce Ring (2000-02) 26
Addison Reed (2008-10) 24
CJ Saylor (2014-17) 24
Michael Cederoth (2011-14) 20
Casey Schmitt (2018-present) 17
Mark Williamson (1981-82) 17
PLAYING WELL DESPITE THE INJURY BUG: The Aztecs, who started the season with Logan Boyer, Harrison Pyatt, and Brad Wegman as their three weekend starters have needed to use 11 different starters in the 2019 season due to injuries suffered by all three. SDSU's 11 different starting pitchers used are their most since using 12 in 2012.
RUDICK MAKING HISTORY: Matt Rudick has reached base in 35 consecutive Mountain West games, marking the longest in-conference on-base streak for the Aztecs since Quintin Berry reached base in 48 consecutive Mountain West games from 2005-06. Berry, who went on to play parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball, reached base in every single one of his Mountain West games played.
Earlier this season, Rudick posted a 21-game hitting streak -- the third-longest hitting streak by an Aztec since 2000. Rudick's 21-game hitting streak marks as the sixth longest streak in the nation this season.
CALIFORNIA LOVE: Since 2014, the Aztecs lead all Division I California programs in win total. Also, over that span, SDSU is 106-51 (.675) when playing teams based in California.
Team Wins
San Diego State 215
Stanford 213
UC Santa Barbara 205
Cal State Fullerton 204
Sacramento State 200
SEEING DOUBLE: SDSU leads the nation with 60 double plays turned this season. Since the start of the 2017 season, SDSU's 186 double plays turned are the most among any team in the nation.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: The Aztecs are going through an uncharacteristic season in terms of fielding, owning a .962 fielding percentage in 2019 -- the program's lowest since a .959 mark in 2012. However, the Aztecs have found ways to win games despite defensive miscues, as the Aztecs are 8-1 this season when recording three or more errors.
ADRIAN MARDUENO IS REALLY GOOD: Including Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Week, and Mountain West Pitcher of the Week awards received on April 8-9, Marudeno has been the Mountain West's most dominant arm during the 2019 season, leading the conference in ERA (1.57) and opponent batting average (.178).
Mardueno, who led the Aztecs in inherited runners stranded percentage as both a freshman and sophomore, leads the Aztecs once again as a junior, having stranded 78.2 percent (25 of 32) of his inherited base runners this season. Since April 2, Mardueno has stranded 16 of his last 17 inherited runners and each of his last 11.
Mardueno's ERA also stands as 13th best in the country, while his 5.40 hits allowed per nine innings is 15th best in the country. Mardueno is one of just five pitchers in the country to be in the top 15 of both ERA and hits allowed per nine innings, joined by Georgia's Emerson Hancock, UCLA's Ryan Garcia, Navy's Noah Song, and Flordia Gulf Coast's Mason Studstill.
Mardueno, who logged a 4-0 record and 0.82 ERA over 22 innings pitched in the month of April, was named a San Diego Sports Association Star of the Month for his efforts.
Baseball Set for Action at Fresno State
