Weekend Series Preview
Nevada at San Diego State
April 10-11, 2021
Tony Gwynn Stadium
Probable Pitching Matchups
Saturday, April 10 | 1 p.m. PT
Nevada: Alejandro Murillo, RHP (1-0, 3.42 ERA, 26.1 IP)
SDSU: Michael Paredes, RHP (3-0, 3.45 ERA, 44.1 IP)
Saturday, April 10 | 4:30 p.m. PT
Nevada: Jake Jackson, RHP (3-1, 3.54 ERA, 28.0 IP)
SDSU: Troy Melton, RHP (3-2, 3.99 ERA, 38.1 IP)
Sunday, April 11 | 1 p.m. PT
Nevada: Cam Walty, RHP (0-3, 5.79 ERA, 23.1 IP)
SDSU: Ricky Tibbett, RHP (2-0, 3.70 ERA, 24.1 IP)
WHAT'S ON TAP FOR AZTEC BASEBALL
> San Diego State closes out the first half of its 2021 Mountain West schedule this weekend when it welcomes Nevada to "America's Finest City for a three-game series, April 10-11, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
> The Aztecs and Wolf Pack will do battle in a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. PT, before squaring off in a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
> Saturday's doubleheader will be streamed live via the Mountain West Network, with audio simulcast over the airwaves on XTRA Sports 1360 AM. Sunday's finale will also feature a radio broadcast on XTRA Sports 1360, as well as a separate split-screen four-camera video stream. Links to all platforms, including live stats, will be available all weekend on GoAztecs.com.
QUICK HITS
> Winners of four straight, San Diego State (16-6, 11-4 MW) will be aiming for its eighth consecutive series victory to open the season after completing a three-game sweep of New Mexico, April 2-3, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. In the doubleheader opener, the Aztecs overcame a 9-4 deficit by scoring six runs on six hits and a walk with no outs in the bottom of the ninth to escape with a dramatic 10-9 thriller. In the nightcap, SDSU followed with a dramatic 5-4 triumph in 10 innings after the Lobos rallied to tie the contest with a combined three runs in the seventh and eighth. Buoyed by their good fortune, the Aztecs left no doubt in the series finale, scoring 10 runs in their first three trips to the plate en route to a 15-0 shutout in seven innings for their third run-rule win of the season.
> With the results, SDSU swept New Mexico in a three-game series for the first time since April 2007, as head coach Mark Martinez reached the 200-victory milestone for his career (201-140). Additionally in its game one nail-biter, the Scarlet and Black snapped a 46-game losing streak when trailing after eight innings dating back to March 20, 2018, when the Aztecs rallied to beat CSU Bakersfield at home, 5-4.
> More importantly, SDSU maintains its two-game lead over UNLV for the top spot in the Mountain West standings. The Aztecs own an 11-4 record in conference play, while the Rebels are 9-6 after sweeping Fresno State at home last week.
> Entering this weekend's series, San Diego State leads the nation with a .335 batting average and ranks third with 9.1 runs per game. In addition, the Aztecs top the conference with 267 hits, which is best in the country for teams with under 23 games played and is 24th overall.
> For individuals with more than two games played, Jaden Fein leads the nation with 1.95 hits per contest and is tied for sixth with 40 hits overall while occupying the seventh spot with a .473 batting average. In addition, Matt Rudick is the fourth-toughest player to strike out in the country, fanning just twice in 93 at-bats. He also finds himself among the nation's leaders in runs per game (T-5th - 1.36) and hits per game (11th - 1.73). Meanwhile, Mike Jarvis occupies the eighth spot in the country in hits per game (1.82) and ranks ninth in runs per contest (1.32).
AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> For the third straight weekend, San Diego State's projected pitching rotation will feature the trio of Michael Paredes, Troy Melton and Ricky Tibbett. Doubleheader mainstays Paredes and Melton have made consecutive starts in all seven series this year, while Tibbett is expected to get the call once again for Sunday's finale.
> Paredes (3-0, 2.56 ERA) is scheduled to pitch game one of Saturday's doubleheader after logging his second shortest outing of the year against New Mexico on April 2 when he yielded seven runs on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings but did not factor in the decision. On March 27 at San José State, the Aztec redshirt sophomore allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in six innings for his third victory of the year. In an earlier start vs. Air Force on March 20, Paredes tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. He has walked just five batters this season, which is tied for third in the Mountain West this week with teammate Ricky Tibbett.
> Troy Melton (3-2, 3.99 ERA) is scheduled to start game two of the doubleheader vs. the Wolf Pack after tossing seven innings against New Mexico when he struck out eight batters to tie his second-highest total of the year while giving up three runs on three hits and two runs. Like Paredes, however, Melton did not factor in the decision. Earlier this season, the SDSU right-hander earned 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, Melton equaled his career high with nine strikeouts against four hits and one walk in the Aztecs' big 17-0 victory. Prior to the 2021 campaign, the Aztec redshirt sophomore landed a spot on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
> Meanwhile, Tibbett (2-0, 3.70 ERA) is expected to make his fourth career start on Sunday after collecting his second straight win of the year in last Saturday's finale vs. New Mexico. The Aztec redshirt freshman combined for his first career shutout, allowing five hits and two walks against six strikeouts in five innings of work, as the Scarlet and Black rolled to a 15-0 run-rule victory in seven innings. He has walked just five batters this season, which is tied for third in the Mountain West this week with teammate Michael Paredes.
SERIES RECORD VS. NEVADA
> The Wolf Pack lead the Aztecs 30-22 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1986.
> SDSU is 10-12 vs. Nevada in San Diego, 8-15 in Reno and 4-3 at a neutral site.
> The Aztecs took two out of three games in both regular-season series against the Wolf Pack in 2019.
> However, Nevada defeated San Diego State, 6-4, in an elimination game at the 2019 Mountain West Championship at Peccole Park in Reno.
> In that contest, the Aztecs jumped out to a 4-1 lead before the Wolf Pack hit three consecutive home runs in the fifth and added two more markers in the sixth to vault in front for good.
> At the plate, Matt Rudick and Mike Jarvis each scored in the second inning of that game after both got aboard on a leadoff single and a hit by pitch, respectively.
> During Mark Martinez's seven-year tenure as head coach on The Mesa, SDSU has compiled a 10-16 record vs. Nevada, including a 4-8 mark at home and a 6-8 ledger on the road.
> In Martinez's first year at the helm of the Aztecs in 2015, the Scarlet and Black defeated the 23rd-ranked Wolf Pack, 9-7, on the their home field at the Mountain West Championships, posting the second of five straight victories en route to the tournament crown.
> The last time the two sides met at Tony Gwynn Stadium in 2019, SDSU won the first two games by scores of 3-1 and 8-5 before dropping a 6-5 decision in the finale.
> Rudick gave the Aztecs a 2-0 lead in the opener of that series with an RBI double in the second inning.
> In game two, SDSU faced a 4-2 deficit before Rudick smacked a two-run double to put the hosts in front for good. Despite allowing one run on one hit and two walks in 1 1/3 innings, Christian Winston earned the victory, while Casey O'Sullivan struck out three against one walk over the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up the save.
> Among Aztec returners, Rudick has 10 career starts vs. Nevada, while Mike Jarvis has seven to his credit, followed by Brian Leonhardt and Ryan Orr with six apiece.
> In his six starts against the Wolf Pack during the 2019 regular season, Leonhardt maintained a .280 batting average with seven hits in 25 at-bats with seven RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
> In addition, Rudick has batted .273 (12-44) in his career vs. Nevada with two doubles, six RBIs and eight runs scored.
> Winston is the only current pitcher on the Aztec staff with a victory against the Wolf Pack. Paredes was 0-2 in three relief appearances vs. Nevada in 2019, posting a 4.32 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.
AZTECS AMONG NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
> After the first seven weekends of the 2021 campaign, the Aztecs find themselves among the NCAA statistical leaders in several categories. As of April 9, San Diego State leads the nation with a .335 team batting average while occupying the third spot with a scoring average of 9.1 runs per game. In addition, the Scarlet and Black ranks 24th with 267 hits, which is tops in the country for schools that have played 22 games or less.
> For competitors with more than two games played, Jaden Fein leads the nation with 1.95 hits per contest and is tied for sixth with 40 hits overall while occupying the seventh spot with a .473 batting average. In addition, Matt Rudick is the fourth-toughest player to strike out in the country, fanning just twice in 93 at-bats. He also finds himself among the nation's leaders in runs per game (T-5th - 1.36) and hits per game (11th - 1.73). Elsewhere, Mike Jarvis occupies the eighth spot in the country in hits per game (1.82) and ranks ninth in runs per contest (1.32), while Brian Leonhardt is tied for third with five sacrifice flies.
SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> Entering the weekend, Jaden Fein still leads the Mountain West with a lofty .473 batting average, 43 hits, 31 RBIs and a .529 on-base percentage.
> Fein also sits near the top of the conference perch in doubles (T-3rd - 9), runs scored (5th - 22) and slugging percentage (7th - .604).
> In addition, Matt Rudick leads the MW with 30 runs scored and 10 stolen bases and has climbed into the third spot in batting average (.409) and hits (38). The Aztec center fielder also ranks fifth in RBIs and eighth in on-base percentage (.477).
> Meanwhile, Wyatt Hendrie shares the conference lead with five homers and ranks third with 28 runs scored, 23 RBIs while tying for the third position with a .610 slugging percentage. The SDSU catcher has also climbed into a tie for second with 14 walks and shares the 10th position with 28 hits.
> The Aztecs boast seven of the top 10 players in the league in runs scored. In addition to Rudick, Hendrie and Fein, Mike Jarvis has moved into second with 29 runs, followed by Jacob Cruce (4th - 23), Caden Miller (6th - 20) and Brian Leonhardt (T-10th - 17).
> Along with Fein, Rudick and Hendrie, Jarvis has also finds himself the conference leaders in hits, as the SDSU shortstop climbed into second with 40 on the season.
> Likewise, joining Fein and Hendrie on the league's top-10 list in RBIs are Leonhardt (2nd - 26), Cruce (4th - 21) and Jarvis (T-6th - 19).
> On the mound, Michael Paredes and Troy Melton share the league lead with three victories apiece. Paredes ranks third in strikeouts (37) and is tied for third with fewest walks allowed (5) while occupying the fifth spot in ERA (3.45), and opposing batting average (.234).
> In addition, Melton enters the weekend second in strikeouts (40), fourth in opponent batting average (.215) and 10th in ERA (3.99).
> Not to be outdone, fellow righty Ricky Tibbett is tied for third with fewest walks allowed (5) and ranks eighth in ERA (3.70), strikeouts (25) and fewest hits given up (28). He also shares the fifth spot with two wins.
> Elsewhere, Tre Brown is tied for second in the league with three saves.
> With huge production throughout the lineup, unsurprisingly San Diego State leads the MW in numerous offensive categories as a team this week, including batting average (.335), hits (267), runs (201), RBIs (178), total bases (359), stolen bases (32) and on-base percentage (.413). The Aztecs also occupy the second spot in the league this week in fewest strikeouts (112) and slugging percentage (.450).
> On the hill, SDSU pitchers have lowered their team ERA to a conference-best 4.80 and lead the league with a .262 opposing team batting average while ranking second in strikeouts (188).
NEVADA AT A GLANCE
> The Wolf Pack, who were pegged for a fifth-place finish in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, dropped two of three games at home vs. Air Force last weekend.
> Nevada lost both ends of a doubleheader on April 2 against the Falcons by scores of 2-1 and 7-5 before rebounding in the series finale the next day with a big 15-9 victory.
> With the results, the Wolf Pack moves to 8-12 on the season and remains in fourth place in the MW standings with a 5-7 mark.
> Nevada is 3-3 at home this year and 5-9 on the road.
> The Wolf Pack return 23 letterwinners from last year's squad that finished with a 2-12 record during an abbreviated 2020 campaign, including pitcher Jake Jackson and first baseman Dillan Shrum, both of whom earned all-MW honors last year.
> Jackson, who scheduled to start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, is 0-3 in five starts this season with a 3.54 ERA, allowing 38 hits and five walks against 16 strikeouts in 28 innings.
> Saturday's game one starter is projected to be Alejandro Murillo, who is 1-0 with a 3.42 ERA and 24 strikeouts, which ranks second on the team, while Cam Walty (0-3, 5.79 ERA, 17 strikeouts) is slated to get the call in Sunday's finale.
> Only three position players have started all 20 games for Nevada this year, including outfielders Dario Gomez and Jacob Stinson, along with infielder Tyler Bosetti.
> Gomez finds himself among the conference leaders in several categories this week, including sacrifice bunts (T-1st - 4), stolen bases (3rd - 7), slugging percentage (4th - .610), hits (T-5th - 31), home runs (T-5th - 4), batting average (8th - .378) and RBIs (T-8th - 18).
> First baseman Dawson Martin has started eight of the last nine games and is batting .421 for the season, while Bosetti (.329, 13 RBIs) is also hitting over .300 for the year. Elsewhere, Stinson (.294) is tied for second in the conference with 13 walks and shares the fourth spot with six stolen bases.
> Collectively, the Wolf Pack rank third in the Mountain West this week in on-base percentage (.364), doubles (39) and stolen bases (22) while occupying the fourth spot in batting average (.281) and slugging percentage (.422).
> As a staff, Nevada pitchers are second with a team ERA of 4.96 while ranking third in strikeouts (145) and fourth in opponent batting average (.295).
> Head coach T.J. Bruce is in his sixth season at the controls of the Wolf Pack program. His record at Nevada stands at 125-134, including a 72-58 mark in conference play. Prior to his arrival on the Reno campus, Bruce served a five-year stint as an assistant coach at UCLA from 2011-15 after spending four seasons in a similar capacity at his alma mater Long Beach State from 2007-10.
GOING, GOING, GONE
> San Diego State has homered in 13 of 22 games this season, posting an 9-4 record in those contests.
> The Aztecs have emerged victorious in 30 of their last 42 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
> Matt Rudick has reached base in all 22 games this season, while Mike Jarvis and Wyatt Hendrie own current streaks of getting aboard in 11 straight contests.
> Earlier Brian Leonhardt had his streak of safely reaching base snapped at 14 after coming up empty in nightcap of a doubleheader vs. Air Force on March 20.
> Jarvis owns the team's longest current hitting streak of eight games, with multiple hits in each one, followed by Jaden Fein (5) and Wyatt Hendrie (5). Earlier, Jaden Fein crafted a season-long 11-game hitting streak, while Rudick had a 10-game streak halted in the series vs. Air Force.
> Jarvis and Fein lead the Aztecs with multiple hits in 14 games, with the latter posting two or more RBIs in 10 outings. In addition, Rudick has recorded 11 multi-hit games, followed by Jacob Cruce and Caden Miller with 10 each, while Leonhardt has logged two or more RBIs in seven games this season.
TOP OF THE ORDER DELIVERING
> Over the last nine games, San Diego State's top three hitters in its lineup – Mike Jarvis, Matt Rudick and Wyatt Hendrie have posted a collective .490 batting average (51-104), combining for 35 runs scored, 29 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
> During that stretch, Jarvis has led the team in batting average (.525), hits (21), runs scored (14), home runs (2), stolen bases (4), slugging percentage (.825) and on-base percentage (.596) while adding eight RBIs.
> In addition, Rudick has hit .459 during that span (17-37) with a team-high 12 RBIs while scoring 11 runs and stealing three bases.
> Meanwhile, Hendrie has notched a .448 batting average (13-29) over the last three series with 10 runs scored and nine RBIs while drawing a team-high nine walks.
OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 81-14 in their last 95 games when scoring five or more runs, including an 15-3 record already in 2021 after posting a 6-2 mark last year.
> San Diego State is 53-19 in its last 72 games following a loss, including a spotless 6-0 mark this year.
> 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.
STABILITY IN THE LINEUP
> Six players have started all 22 games for the Aztecs this season, including Mike Jarvis (SS), Caden Miller (2B), Jacob Cruce (1B), Matt Rudick (CF), Jaden Fein (RF) and Brian Leonhardt (DH).
> In addition, Wyatt Hendrie (C) and Ryan Orr (LF) have made 21 starts at their respective positions so far in 2021.
TOUGH AT HOME
> Since the start of the 2012 season, San Diego State is 168-104 (.618) when playing at home, including a 12-4 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 201-140 record (.589), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He has also posted a 100-70 ledger (.588) 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.
> On April 2, 2021, Martinez earned his 200th career coaching victory after the Aztecs defeated New Mexico, 5-4, in 10 innings in the second game of a doubleheader.
> 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.
Home Series vs. Nevada On Deck For Aztecs
