Series Preview
Air Force at San Diego State
March 20-21, 2021
Tony Gwynn Stadium
Probable Pitching Matchups
Saturday, March 20 | 11 a.m. PT
Air Force: John Byrnes, RHP (1-1, 3.50 ERA, 18.0 IP)
SDSU: Michael Paredes, RHP (1-0, 2.16 ERA, 25.0 IP)
Saturday, March 20 | 2:30 p.m. PT
Air Force: Stevan Fairburn Jr., LHP (2-2, 6.11 ERA, 17.2 IP)
SDSU: Troy Melton, RHP (2-1, 3.74 ERA, 21.2 IP)
Sunday, March 21 | 1 p.m. PT
Air Force: Zach Argo, RHP (0-2, 9.00 ERA, 13.0 IP)
SDSU: TBA
WHAT'S ON TAP FOR AZTEC BASEBALL
> San Diego State enters its third weekend of Mountain West competition when it welcomes Air Force to The Mesa for a three-game series, March 20-21, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
> The Aztecs and Falcons will trade punches in a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. PT, before locking horns in a single game on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m.
> This weekend's series was originally scheduled to be contested at the Academy; however, the threat of inclement weather in the Colorado Springs area prompted the switch.
> In accordance with state, local and university guidelines, fans will not be permitted to attend SDSU home baseball games at Tony Gwynn Stadium at this time.
> However, all three contests will feature a unique split-screen four-camera video stream, as well as live stats, with links to both platforms available on GoAztecs.com.
QUICK HITS
> San Diego State (9-4, 4-2 MW) captured its fourth straight series last weekend after winning two of three games vs. UNLV at home. Behind Michael Paredes' superb pitching performance, the Aztecs prevailed, 3-1, in the opener of a doubleheader on Saturday but fell short in the nightcap, 5-1. However, the Scarlet and Black rebounded for an uplifting 8-6 triumph, overcoming a 5-2 deficit with six runs in the bottom of the seventh.
> With the results, SDSU remains tied for the lead in the Mountain West race with UNLV. Both the Aztecs (4-2) and Rebels (6-3) own a .667 winning percentage in conference play.
> In addition, SDSU's 9-4 overall record, marks the fourth time in head coach Mark Martinez's tenure that the Aztecs have opened with at least nine wins in its first 13 games along with the 2015 (12-1), 2018 (9-4) and 2020 (9-4) squads.
> Entering the weekend, San Diego State leads the MW with a .332 batting average and 9.3 runs per game for all contests, which rank fifth and 10th in the nation, respectively. In addition, the Aztecs top the conference with 161 hits, which is best in the country for teams with under 14 games played and 19th overall.
AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> San Diego State's projected pitching rotation against Air Force will feature the same pair of hurlers who have made consecutive starts all four series this year, while the starter for Sunday's finale is still to be determined at press time.
> Michael Paredes (1-0, 2.16 ERA) is scheduled to get the call in game one of Saturday's doubleheader after logging arguably his best performance this season vs. UNLV on March 13. The Aztec redshirt sophomore picked up his first victory of the year, allowing one unearned run on just three hits, limiting the Rebels to a collective .111 batting average after the UNLV entered the weekend hitting at a.296 clip. In addition, Paredes tied his season high with six strikeouts and lowered his ERA from 3.18 to 2.16, giving up just one hit with a runner on base. His eight-inning start was the longest for an SDSU pitcher this year and he retired the Rebels in order in six of his eight frames pitched. Paredes has made one previous start against Air Force on April 19, 2019, yielding two runs on one hit and four walks to go with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings during the second game of a doubleheader. However, he did not get the decision.
> Troy Melton (2-1, 3.74 ERA) is projected to start game two of the doubleheader against the Falcons after absorbing his first loss of the year vs. UNLV on March 13. In that contest, he allowed three runs on six hits and five walks, adding a trio of strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Previously, Melton received MW Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in his career on the strength of his complete-game shutout vs. Fresno State on Feb. 26. Against the Bulldogs, the SDSU right-hander matched his career high with nine strikeouts against four hits and one walk in the Aztecs' big 17-0 victory. In a shortened 2020 campaign, the Anaheim, California, native shared the conference lead with three victories, which was tied for 23rd nationally, while his 26 strikeouts and .192 opposing batting average ranked second and third in the MW, respectively. Prior to the 2021 campaign, Melton landed a spot on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
SERIES RECORD VS. AIR FORCE
> San Diego State holds a sizable 111-30 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1961.
> The Falcons are one of four teams which the Aztecs have recorded 100 wins against. The other three are New Mexico (117), Fresno State (103) and Utah (102).
> SDSU is 61-10 vs. the Falcons in San Diego and 43-20 at the Academy. In addition, the Aztecs have won all seven meetings at neutral sites.
> During Mark Martinez's seven-year tenure as head coach on The Mesa, SDSU sports a 16-9 record vs. Air Force, including a 9-3 mark at home, a 6-6 ledger on the road and a 1-0 record on a neutral field.
> The Aztecs captured three of five meetings the last time the two teams met in 2019, including two of three in San Diego.
> During that season, SDSU claimed a 4-3 decision in a game that was started in Colorado Springs on March 3 but was suspended due to inclement weather with the Aztecs holding a 2-0 lead in the second inning. The contest was later completed in San Diego on April 18, as the Scarlet and Black held on for the win.
> Michael Paredes pitched in the home series vs. Air Force in 2019, allowing two runs on one hits with four walks to with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings during the second game of a doubleheader. However, he did not get the decision, as SDSU plated three runs in the eighth to break a 3-3 tie.
> Current Aztec Jacob Flores picked up the win in the series finale, pitching four scoreless innings of middle relief, offsetting two hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
> Not including the suspended game, Matt Rudick led SDSU with a .500 batting average in that home series vs. Air Force, posting five hits in 10 at-bats with a double, triple, two RBIs and three runs scored.
AZTECS AMONG NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
> After the first four weekends of the 2021 campaign, the Aztecs find themselves among the NCAA statistical leaders in several categories. As of March 18, San Diego State is fifth nationally with a .322 team batting average while occupying the 10th spot with a scoring average of 9.3 runs per game. In addition, the Scarlet and Black ranks 19th with 161 hits, which is tops in the country for schools that have played 13 games or less.
> Individually, Jaden Fein is tied for second nationally with 31 hits while ranking fifth with a .544 batting average and sixth with 2.38 hits per game, which are best in the country among players who have competed in at least 13 games. Additionally, Brian Leonhardt is tied for 10th with three sacrifice flies, while Matt Rudick shares the 19th position with 19 runs scored.
SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> Heading into the weekend, Jaden Fein leads the Mountain West with a stellar .544 batting average, 31 hits, 21 RBIs and six doubles.
> Fein also sits near the top of the conference perch in on-base percentage (2nd - .565), slugging percentage (T-2nd - .702) and runs scored (t-4th - 15).
> In addition, Matt Rudick leads the MW with 19 runs scored and seven stolen bases. The Aztec center fielder is tied for second in hits (21), third in walks (7), and ranks fifth in batting average (.375). Meawhile, Wyatt Hendrie shares the top spot with four homers.
> Along with Fein and Rudick, the Aztecs boast the top six players in the conference in runs scored, including Hendrie (2nd - 18), Jacob Cruce (3rd - 17), Mike Jarvis (t-4th - 15) and Caden Miller (t-6th - 11).
> In addition to Fein and Rudick, SDSU has four other players among the MW leaders in hits, including Jarvis (T-5th - 19), Brian Leonhardt (9th - 17), Cruce (T-10th - 16) and Miller (T-10th - 16).
> Likewise, five more SDSU hitters find themselves on the league's top-10 list in RBIs after Fein including Leonhardt (2nd - 16), Hendrie (t-3rd - 14), Cruce (5th - 13), Jarvis (t-6th - 11), Ryan Orr (T-9th - 9).
> On the mound, Troy Melton shares the league lead with two victories and is tied for third with 22 strikeouts while occupying the seventh slot with a .218 opponent batting average. The SDSU hurler is also seventh in fewest hits allowed (17) and ranks 12th in ERA (3.74).
> In addition, fellow righty Michael Paredes ranks fourth in both ERA (2.16) and opposing batting average (.200) while his 19 strikeouts are good for fifth.
> With huge production throughout the lineup, unsurprisingly San Diego State leads the conference in numerous offensive categories as a team this week, including batting average (.332), hits (161), runs (121), RBIs (110), total bases (214) and on-base percentage (.398). The Aztecs also share the top spot in the MW with 20 doubles and rank second with a collective .441 slugging percentage.
> On the hill, SDSU pitchers lead the conference with a .261 opposing team batting average and are tied for first with 115 strikeouts.
AIR FORCE AT A GLANCE
> The Falcons, who were picked sixth in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, sport a 6-6 overall record and an 0-3 mark in the conference.
> Air Force is coming off a 2-1 excursion to Tucson, Arizona, last weekend after postponing a MW series at San José State. The Falcons defeated Wichita State in a neutral-site game, 12-3, before splitting a pair of encounters against No. 13 Arizona. Air Force posted a 5-2 victory in the opener but could not complete the trip unscathed, falling to the Wildcats in the finale, 14-5.
> The Falcons have yet to play a home game this year, logging a 2-5 record in true road games to go with a 4-1 mark on a neutral field. Both of Air Force's road wins have come at the expense of ranked teams - vs. then-No. 7 LSU (Feb. 21) and then-No. 13 Arizona (March 13).
> Freshman utility player Paul Skenes received Mountain West Player of the Week recognition after batting .417 with five hits, four RBIs and four runs scored in the three contests vs. Wichita State and Arizona.
> For the season, catcher Braydon Altorfer leads the Falcons with a .319 batting average, while outfielder Blake Covin (.317) and utility player Christian Gambale (.303) have all hit over .300 for the season.
> Altorfer is tied for sixth in the MW with two homers this year and shares the eighth spot with 10 runs scored. In addition, utility player Cole Blatchford ranks eighth in the conference with 10 RBIs.
> John Byrnes, who is projected to be the Falcons' game one starter is 1-1 this year with a 3.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts, which ranks eighth in the Mountain West. He also occupies the 10th spot in the conference in ERA and opponent batting average (.271). Byrnes collected the victory in Air Force's upset at LSU on Feb. 21, garnering MW Pitcher of the Week accolades.
> Left-hander Stevan Fairburn Jr. (2-2, 6.11 ERA), who pocketed wins in his last two starts vs. Army (March 6) and at Arizona (March 13), is scheduled to take the hill in game two on Saturday, while Zach Argo (0-2, 9.00 ERA) is expected to get the call on Sunday..
> As a staff, the Falcons occupy the basement of the MW with a collective ERA of 6.23 while ranking second from the bottom with a .292 opposing team batting average.
> Offensively, Air Force enters the weekend fourth in the league with a .254 team batting average while ranking fifth in both slugging percentage (.345) and on-base percentage. However, the Falcons top the circuit with 20 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
> Head coach Mike Kazlausky is in his 11th season at the helm of the Air Force baseball program. As a player, Kazlausky was a two-time all-Western Athletic Conference honoree for the Falcons, leading the team in hitting in 1989 and 1991. Under Kazlausky's guidance, Air Force has garnered 30 all-MW accolades while producing five All-Americans, three Freshman All-Americans and six MLB draft picks. Kazlausky retired with the rank of major after 20 years of meritorious service with the U.S. Air Force. His career record stands at 211-304.
GOING, GOING, GONE
> San Diego State has homered in nine of 13 games this season, posting a 7-2 record in those contests.
> The Aztecs have emerged victorious in 28 of their last 38 games dating back to 2019 when launching one out of the park.
> The Aztecs went 17-5 during the 2019 campaign when going yard and 5-2 in 2020.
STREAKING AZTECS
> Brian Leonhardt and Matt Rudick have reached base in all 13 games this season.
> Rudick also owns the team's longest current hitting streak of nine games.
> Jaden Fein hit safely in the Aztecs' first 11 games before coming up empty in four at-bats during the second game of the doubleheader vs. UNLV on March 13. However, the SDSU right fielder came back in the series finale with a single and a run scored, helping the Scarlet and Black to an 8-6 come-from-behind victory.
> Fein still leads the Aztecs with multiple hits in 10 games and two or more RBIs in six outings.
OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 74-12 in their last 86 games when scoring five or more runs, including an 8-1 record already in 2021 after posting a 6-2 mark last year.
> San Diego State is 51-19 last 70 games following a loss.
> The Aztecs had their 29-game winning streak snapped when leading after six innings in the series finale against USD on Feb. 21.
> Conversely, SDSU put the brakes a 41-game losing streak when trailing after seven innings the previous day on Feb. 20.
TOUGH AT HOME
> Since the start of the 2012 season, San Diego State is 163-103 (.613) when playing at home, including a 7-3 mark this year.
> 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.
HEAD COACH MARK MARTINEZ
> Mark Martinez is in his seventh season as head coach of the Aztecs and 16th 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 194-138 record (.584), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He has also posted an 93-68 ledger (.578) in conference regular-season games.
> Since 2015, SDSU has garnered 30 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 44 SDSU players get drafted into the professional ranks, with nine of those selections making the major leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen, Ty France and Seby Zavala).
> 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.
Aztecs Set to Welcome Air Force for MW Series
