After claiming five of the last seven Mountain West tournament championships, the San Diego State baseball team entered the 2020 campaign with lofty expectations, thanks to a crop of talented newcomers and an experienced core of hungry veterans that included seniors Ryan Orr, Mike Jarvis and Jacob Cruce.
Facing a challenging schedule, the Aztecs compiled a 10-6 record in the first month of the season and were eager to host New Mexico State in a non-conference home series when the news broke on March 12 that San Diego State, in conjunction with the Mountain West Conference, immediately suspended game competition for its spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the March 30 decision by the NCAA, however, the three SDSU baseball seniors were afforded the extension of eligibility for an additional season of competition due to the crisis. The decision by the national athletic governing body effectively allowed all seniors the option to return to San Diego State for another year, paving the way for Orr, Jarvis and Cruce to perhaps pursue postseason glory for the Scarlet and Black in 2021.
Had the team's schedule progressed as usual, the Aztec trio would have been honored in a special pregame ceremony in SDSU's regular-season home finale on May 10 vs. Nevada.
With that in mind, GoAztecs.com continues its series on showcasing those student-athletes who were not afforded the opportunity to partake in their respective sports' Senior Day festivities this spring in person.
Below are some highlights of the Aztecs' 2020 baseball senior class.
#2 RYAN ORR
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Previous School: La Costa Canyon HS
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
Honors: Mountain West Player of the Week (2-24-19)
Utilized mainly as a catcher during his first three years on The Mesa, Orr moved to the outfield in 2020 and was in the midst of a breakout campaign before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Aztecs' remaining schedule. A career .232 hitter entering the season, the San Diego native hit .295 with seven RBIs through 16 games, ranking among the team's leaders in doubles (T-1st, 4), hits (T-3rd, 18), total bases (4th, 22) and batting average (5th).
Orr opened the year with a five-game hitting streak, posting a .450 batting average during that span to go with four runs scored and a pair of RBIs. In San Diego State's 8-4 victory over No. 24 Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 18, the La Costa Canyon High alumnus went 3-for-4 at the plate, notching two runs and two RBIs, highlighted by a key two-run double in the decisive fifth inning, as the Aztecs broke a 4-4 tie. Thanks to that effort, along with four additional hits, three RBIs and two runs scored in the three games at the Tony Gwynn Legacy, Orr collected Mountain West Player of the Week honors on Feb. 24. Later, the interdisciplinary studies major had two hits and a run scored in SDSU's 6-0 whitewash of 2018 national champion Oregon State on Feb. 29.
After committing an error in his first game as an outfielder in the opener vs. Virginia Tech, Orr did not tally a miscue for the remainder of the season, finishing with a .957 fielding percentage, which was tied for fourth among Aztec regulars.
As a junior in 2019, Orr made 38 appearances with 30 starts at catcher, hitting .243 to go with a .336 on-base percentage. He also smacked three doubles and totaled 12 RBI on the season while tying for the team lead with three triples.
Orr's SDSU Single-Game Highs
* Hits: 3, Three times, last: vs. USC (2-23-20)
* Doubles: 1, Eight times, last: at Oklahoma (3-8-20)
* Triples: 1, Three times, last: at San José State (5-3-19)
* Total bases: 4, Four times, last vs. Cal State Fullerton (2-18-20)
* RBI: 3, at Fresno State (5-11-19)
* Runs scored: 3, at Fresno State (5-11-19)
* Walks: 2, Four times, last: vs. Oregon State (2-28-20)
* Stolen bases: 1, Twice, last: vs. UNC Greensboro (2-16-20)
* Putouts: 14, Three times, last: vs. New Mexico (5-17-19)
* Assists: 4, vs. UCLA (4-4-17)
* Runners caught stealing: 2, Twice, last: vs. California Baptist (3-26-19)
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#14 MIKE JARVIS
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Previous Schools: Saddleback College/Claremont HS
Major: Economics
Honors: 2019 Second-Team All-Mountain West Selection
After earning second-team all-Mountain West honors in his first year on The Mesa, Jarvis was primed for another productive season in 2020, hitting safely in 11 of 16 games, including four straight to end the abbreviated campaign. The San Diego native batted .273 on the year and tied for second on the team with multiple hits in six outings. In addition, Jarvis found himself among the Aztec leaders in several offensive categories, including home runs (T-1st, 2), doubles (T-1st, 4), runs scored (2nd, 12), total bases (T-2nd, 28), hits (T-3rd, 18), slugging percentage (5th, .424) and on-base percentage (5th, .342).
Jarvis, who also ranked second on the team with a .444 on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter, sparked San Diego State's 8-4 victory over No. 24 Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 18 with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, as the Aztecs won for the seventh time in the last nine encounters vs. the Titans. He also went deep and scored two runs against USC in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Feb. 23. Later, the economics major helped the Scarlet and Black to a 6-0 shutout over 2018 national champion Oregon State on Feb. 29, logging a pair of hits and a run scored. Against the Beavers, he made the first of five consecutive starts at second base, totaling five assists and a putout. Shortly thereafter vs. 17th-ranked Long Beach State on March 3, Jarvis helped give SDSU an insurmountable 6-0 lead with a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single, as the Aztecs rolled to a 7-2 triumph. He also played a prominent role in San Diego State's victory at No. 11/15 Oklahoma on March 6 with a key two-run single in the top of the second, as the Aztecs held on for the 5-4 win.
After transferring from Saddleback College, Jarvis played 53 games as a junior in 2019, earning 26 starts in the outfield, 18 at second base and one at designated hitter. He was one of six Aztecs to receive all-conference recognition, garnering second-team accolades after hitting .289 with five home runs and 30 RBIs, Additionally, Jarvis led the Aztecs with eight stolen bases in nine attempts, which was tied for 13th in the MW, and ranked second on the team with a .459 slugging percentage, while his .397 on-base percentage was fourth. That season, he thrived in two-out situations with a team-high .360 batting average while posting 12 RBIs. In the series opener at UNLV, Jarvis set career highs with two home runs and five RBIs, as the Scarlet and Black rolled to an 11-4 win.
Jarvis' SDSU Single-Game Highs
* Hits: 3, Twice, last: at Fresno State (5-11-19)
* Doubles: 1, Eleven times, last: at Oklahoma (3-7-20)
* Triples: 1, Twice, last: at New Mexico (3-22-19)
* Home runs: 2, at UNLV, (4-26-19)
* Total bases: 8, at UNLV (4-26-19)
* RBI: 5, at UNLV (4-26-19)
* Runs scored: 2, Ten times, last: vs. USC (3-23-20)
* Walks: 3, vs. Texas Tech (3-6-19)
* Stolen bases: 2, vs. Arizona (3-25-19)
* Putouts: 8, vs. UNC Greensboro (2-16-20)
* Assists: 6, Three times, last: vs. San Diego (4-23-19)
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#47 JACOB CRUCE
Hometown: Brentwood, Calif.
Previous Schools: San Joaquin Delta College/Heritage High School
Major: Social Science
Cruce was enjoying a successful start to the 2020 campaign, hitting .300 (12-40) in 13 games, which ranked fourth on the team and 19th in the Mountain West. The Brentwood, Calif., native also found himself among the Aztec leaders in three other offensive categories, including a .375 batting average with runners on base (2nd), a .350 batting average with two outs (2nd) and a .425 slugging percentage (4th). Cruce, who started seven games at designated hitter and three at first base, also tied for the team's top spot after recording all seven of his RBIs with two outs. The social science major finished with two hits in five games, including the team's home opener against No. 24 Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 18, when he added a run-scoring single, helping the Scarlet and Black defeat the Titans for the seventh time in the last nine meetings between the two schools. Cruce also finished with two hits in each of the final two outings of a home series vs. 2018 national champion Oregon State, lifting SDSU to a weekend split. In game three, he launched his lone home run of the year to help the Aztecs complete a 6-0 shutout before smacking a key RBI double in the seventh inning, as San Diego State held on for a thrilling 12-11 victory.
In his first year as an Aztec in 2019, the transfer from San Joaquin Delta College played 15 games with two starts at designated hitter and another at first base, finishing with four hits in 20 at-bats (.200) along with three RBIs. In the regular-season finale vs. New Mexico, Cruce racked up two hits, two RBIs and a run scored before making two appearances in the Mountain West tournament vs. UNLV and Nevada.
While at SJDC, Cruce received all-conference recognition in 2018 after leading the Mustangs to the California Community Collegiate Athletic Association (CCCAA) state tournament. That season, he belted a team-high 11 home runs and finished second on the squad with 59 RBIs.
Cruce's SDSU Single-Game Highs
* Hits: 2, Six times, last: at Oklahoma (3-8-20)
* Doubles: 1, Twice, last: vs. Long Beach State (3-3-20)
* Home runs: 1, vs. Oregon State, (2-29-20)
* Total bases: 5, vs. Oregon State (2-29-20)
* RBI: 2, Twice, last: vs. Iowa (2-21-20)
* Runs scored: 2, vs. Oregon State (2-29-20)
* Walks: 1, at Oklahoma (3-6-19)
* Stolen bases: 2, vs. Arizona (3-25-19)
* Putouts: 9, vs. Long Beach State (3-2-20)
* Assists: 1, Twice, last: vs. UNC Greensboro (2-16-20)