TONY GWYNN LEGACY MISSION STATEMENT
Provide an opportunity in quality preseason competition to highlight SDSU and USD baseball, the Universities' great venues, and America's Finest City. We accept Tony Gwynn's challenge to grow and showcase San Diego baseball, pledging to bring national exposure to the San Diego baseball paradise.
VALUES
> Bring prestige to both programs.
> Play at home against teams that are of highest value to each school.
> Create a desire for quality teams to participate- mystique of tournament, exposure to Legends, NCAA Regional experience and quality competition
> Use the forum to celebrate the legends of San Diego baseball locally and exposing the participating student-athletes to their sport's greatest icons.
Game Week Preview
Tony Gwynn Legacy
Tony Gwynn Stadium | San Diego, Calif.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Iowa (2-1) at San Diego State (2-1)
Friday, Feb. 21 | 6 p.m. PT
Series Record: Tied 1-1
SDSU: Michael Paredes, RHP (0-0, 8.10 ERA, 3.1 IP); Iowa: Jack Dreyer, LHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP)
Nebraska (1-2) at San Diego State (2-1)
Saturday, Feb. 22 | 6 p.m. PT
Series Record: SDSU leads 7-4
SDSU: Troy Melton, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP); NU: Colby Gomes, RHP (0-0, 22.50 ERA, 2.0 IP)
USC (2-1) at San Diego State (2-1)
Sunday, Feb. 23 | 2 p.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads 26-62-3
SDSU: Aaron Eden, RHP (0-1, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP); USC: Alex Cornwell, LHP (1-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP)
AZTECS SET FOR TONY GWYNN LEGACY
> The fifth annual Tony Gwynn Legacy, co-hosted by San Diego State and the University of San Diego begins play on Friday, Feb. 21.
> Two games per day will be contested at SDSU's Tony Gwynn Stadium and USD's Fowler Park from Friday through Sunday.
> In addition to the Aztecs and Toreros, the event features Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, Seattle, Southern Illinois and USC. A complete tournament schedule can be found on GoAztecs.com.
> SDSU will lock horns with Iowa on Friday beginning at 6 p.m. PT, before engaging Nebraska on Saturday with another 6 p.m. start. The Aztecs will the wrap up their weekend with a clash against USC, which is slated to get underway at 2 p.m.
> All three SDSU games this weekend will include a live video stream via the Mountain West Network on GoAztecs.com with Jordan Carruth calling the play-by-play.
> The Aztecs have finished 2-1 at the Tony Gwynn Legacy in each of the last two years. Last season, SDSU bookended a narrow 1-0 loss to Oklahoma with a pair victories against Utah (3-2) and Kansas State (10-7).
AN EARLY LOOK AT THE AZTECS
> San Diego State is off to a 3-1 start for the third consecutive season after defeating Cal State Fullerton 8-4 in the team's home opener on Tuesday night.
> Anthony Walters blasted a key two-run homer against the Titans, while Mike Jarvis hit a solo shot, helping the Aztecs secure their fourth straight home-opening victory.
> Ryan Orr also contributed a clutch two-run double, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, as the Scarlet and Black overcame six errors.
> SDSU returned to "America's Finest City" after returning from a 2-1 road trip at the Brittain Resorts Baseball by the Beach event in Conway, South Carolina. The Aztecs won the first two games of their Palmetto State excursion by knocking off Virginia Tech 7-5 and host Coastal Carolina 3-1 before running out steam in an 11-4 loss to UNC Greensboro.
> Matt Rudick hit .385 (5-13) for the weekend, finishing with one home run, one double, 5 RBIs and four runs scored. The Aztec outfielder also compiled a .462 on-base percentage and a .692 slugging percentage, both team highs, while hitting .750 (3-4) with runners in scoring position.
AZTECS' ALL-TIME TONY GWYNN LEGACY RESULTS
Date Opponent Score
Feb. 26, 2016 Bryant L, 2-10
Feb. 27, 2016 Kentucky L, 0-6
Feb. 28, 2016 Arizona L, 3-7
Feb. 24, 2017 Tennessee L, 4-8
Feb. 25, 2017 Seton Hall L, 5-10
Feb. 25, 2017 Notre Dame W, 7-6
Feb. 23, 2018 Arizona W, 3-2 (10)
Feb. 24, 2018 No. 4 Arkansas L, 2-5
Feb. 25, 2018 Grand Canyon W, 5-4
Feb. 22, 2019 Utah W, 3-2
Feb. 23, 2019 Oklahoma L, 0-1
Feb. 24, 2019 Kansas State W, 10-7
All-time in Tony Gwynn Legacy: 5-7
All-time vs. Iowa: 1-1
All-time vs. Nebraska: 7-4
All-time vs. USC: 26-62-3
SERIES RECORDS
> The Aztecs have faced Iowa on one previous occasion back in 1988 when the teams split a pair of games in San Diego. SDSU captured the opener by a 9-2 count before suffering a 6-2 defeat in the second contest.
> San Diego State sports a 7-4 all-time record vs. Nebraska. The two sides last met in final game of the Aztec Invitational in 2004 when the Huskers claimed a 6-2 decision at Petco Park in downtown San Diego during the stadium's inaugural event for baseball.
> The Aztecs sport an 18-8 record against eight Big Ten schools that currently sponsor baseball, including unblemished marks against Purdue (4-0), Michigan (2-0), Michigan State (1-0) and Indiana (1-0). SDSU is also 2-1 against Northwestern and 1-2 vs. Minnesota. Additionally, the Aztecs swept a three-game series from Wisconsin in 1989, the last year the Badgers fielded a varsity program in baseball.
> SDSU trails the all-time series against USC 26-62-3, including a 2-0 setback on the road in 2017, which marked the last encounter between the two squads. Earlier that year, the Scarlet and Black also came up empty in a 1-0 loss to the Trojans at home.
> In 2015, the Aztecs fell short to USC in the NCAA Lake Elsinore Regional, as the Trojans scored two runs in the top of the ninth to earn a wild 12-11 victory and eliminate SDSU from postseason play.
WEEKEND ROTATION
> San Diego State's pitching rotation for the second weekend of the 2020 campaign will have sophomore Michael Paredes starting the tournament opener on Friday vs. Iowa.
> Paredes made his first start of the season vs. Virginia Tech, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk in 3.1 innings. In 2019, the San Diego High product started five games in 17 appearances during his freshman season, compiling a 3-3 record and a 5.29 ERA in 51.0 innings. He ranked third on the team with 56 strikeouts, walking just 19 batters.
> Fellow classmate Troy Melton will get the call on Saturday vs. Nebraska, with another sophomore Aaron Eden set to wrap up the tournament with a start in Sunday's contest vs. USC.
> In his first career start against Coastal Carolina on Feb. 15, Melton held the Chanticleers scoreless in five innings pitched, yielding just one hit while posting a career-high five strikeouts en route to his first collegiate victory.
> Eden, meanwhile, made 12 starts in 18 appearances during his rookie campaign in 2019, notching a 4-2 record with a 4.01 ERA and 41 strikeouts. He allowed one earned run or less in seven starts. Eden looks to rebound from a rough outing vs. UNC Greensboro when he absorbed the loss after ceding six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.
TOUGH AT HOME
> Since the start of the 2012 season, San Diego 151-97 (.609) when playing at home.
> In 2018, the Aztecs set a program record with 25 home victories at Tony Gwynn Stadium (since 1997), besting the previous standard of 24 set in 1997, 2002 and 2014.
AZTECS AMONG THE MW LEADERS
> Entering the weekend, San Diego State leads the Mountain West with a collective .298 batting average and a 3.34 earned run average.
> Individually, Ryan Orr occupies the third spot in the conference with a .471 batting average (8-17); Matt Rudick ranks fifth with a .412 clip (7-17), while Anthony Walters follows closely in eighth at .375 (6-16).
> In addition, Orr leads the conference with eight hits, while Rudick sits atop the MW leaders with six runs scored. Likewise, Jacob Flores is enjoying a lofty perch with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings so far this year.
SCHMITT NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LIST
> Junior Casey Schmitt added to his already lengthy list of preseason accolades on Feb. 13 when he earned a spot on the USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Watch List, beginning the process of identifying the nation's top amateur player for the 2020 season.
> With his nomination, Schmitt becomes the fourth Aztec player since 2008 to land on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, joining Michael Cederoth (2014), Addison Reed (2010) and Stephen Strasburg, who took home the top prize in 2009. In addition, Tyler Adkison landed on the GSA mid-season watch list in 2017.
> In addition, Schmitt enters the 2020 campaign with four preseason All-America honors, including three second-team plaudits from Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game and a third-team honor from Baseball America.
> As SDSU's starting third baseman in 2019, Schmitt finished second on the team with a .315 batting average, adding eight doubles, five home runs and 36 RBI to merit second-team all-Mountain West distinction. He also appeared in 21 games with four starts as a pitcher, posting a 3-3 record and a 3.77 ERA in 43.0 innings to go with a team-high eight saves.
> In 2018, Schmitt was a consensus freshman All-American, setting an Aztec single-season record with a 0.28 ERA (min. 30 IP) while allowing just one earned run in 32 innings pitched. He also posted a .264 batting average with one home run and 32 RBI, finishing the year as one of only two players nationally to maintain a 2.00 ERA or lower (min. 15 IP) and drive in more than 30 runs.
MORE SCHMITT
> Casey Schmitt gained valuable experience in the summer of 2019 when he played for th Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League.
> Schmitt collected MVP honors for the championship finals after belting two homers and scoring three runs in Cotuit's 10-3 title-clinching victory over Harwich. He also pitched six scoreless innings in two relief appearances during the finals, striking out eight batters against two walks.
STRIKEOUTS GALORE
> San Diego State recorded 27 games with 10 or more strikeouts during the 2019 campaign, marking the most double-digit strikeout performances for
the Aztecs in the MW era (since 2000). SDSU surpassed the previous MW record of 23 set in a 10-6 win at Fresno State on May 11, 2009.
> The SDSU pitching staff has already notched two games with 10 strikeouts vs. Virginia Tech on Feb. 14 and Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 18.
> The Aztecs are 18-11 in their last 27 games when striking out 10 or more batters.
OTHER TRENDS
> San Diego State went 17-5 during the 2019 season and has won 12 of its last 14 when hitting a home run.
> In addition, the scoring the game's first run proved to be important for the Aztecs last year, with the team posting a 19-6 record when scoring
first in comparison to a 13-17 mark when their opponent scores first. SDSU is 2-0 this season when scoring the first run.
> SDSU is 64-10 in its last 74 games when scoring five or more runs, including a 2-0 mark in 2020.
> The Aztecs are 29-15 in their last 44 one-run games.
> San Diego State is 46-17 last 63 games following a loss.
> With their 7-5 victory vs. Virginia Tech on Feb. 14, the Aztecs snapped a 17-game losing streak when trailing after six innings.
HEAD COACH MARK MARTINEZ
> Mark Martinez begins his sixth season as head coach of the Aztecs and 15th overall as a member of the San Diego State staff after succeeding the late Tony Gwynn on August 20, 2014. He is just the fifth head coach in SDSU history since baseball was elevated to major sport status in 1936.
> During his tenure as the Aztecs' head coach, Martinez has compiled a 178-129 record (.580), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He has also posted an 84-64 ledger (.568) in conference regular-season games.
> Since 2015, SDSU has garnered 27 all-Mountain West accolades under Martinez's tutelage, including back-to-back MW Pitchers of the Year Brett Seeburger (2017) and Garrett Hill (2018), as well as 2017 MW Player of the Year Danny Sheehan.
> Additionally, Martinez has mentored three freshman All-Americans in Chase Calabuig (2015), Casey Schmitt (2018) and Jaden Fein (2019), with the latter also receiving Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year distinction last year.
> In 2017, Martinez recorded his 100th victory for the Scarlet and Black, becoming the fastest head coach in program history to reach the century mark in wins.
> Not to be outdone, Martinez also became the fastest head coach in Mountain West history to win three conference championships when the Aztecs captured the title in 2018.
> Martinez was hired as an assistant coach for the Aztecs in July of 2005 and served for nine years under head coach Tony Gwynn. During that time, he was promoted to the position of associate head coach.
> Since his arrival on The Mesa as an assistant coach, Martinez has witnessed 42 SDSU players get drafted into the professional ranks, with eight of those selections making the major leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen and Ty France).
> Prior to his arrival at San Diego State, Martinez was an assistant coach at New Mexico for 17 seasons from 1989-2005. During his time as a hitting and infield coach, he helped develop the Lobos into one of the most prominent offensive teams in the country, with UNM ranking among the top 11 nationally in hitting over his final four seasons.
> Martinez served as an assistant at his alma mater, Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) in Grand Junction, Colorado, from 1984-88. He played shortstop at the school from 1982-84, earning all-conference and all-district honors as a senior.
> Martinez graduated from Mesa State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1984 and completed his master's in sports administration at New Mexico in 1990.