Aztecs Set for Weekend Series at Air Force

Series Preview
San Diego State at Air Force
May 22-23, 2021
Falcon Field - USAF Academy, Colo.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Saturday, May 22 | 11 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. PT
SDSU: Michael Paredes, RHP (3-0, 5.29 ERA, 66.1 IP)
AF: John Byrnes, RHP (5-3, 2.71 ERA, 63.0 IP)

Saturday, May 22 | 2:30 p.m. MT / 1:30 p.m. PT
SDSU: Troy Melton, RHP (4-5, 5.88 ERA, 64.1 IP)
AF: Jason Shuger, RHP (2-5, 6.33 ERA, 42.2 IP)

Sunday, May 23 | 1 p.m. MT / Noon PT
SDSU: Brian Leonhardt, LHP (1-2, 5.79 ERA, 23.1 IP)
AF: Stevan Fairburn, LHP (5-4, 5.68 ERA, 57.2 IP)

WHAT'S ON TAP FOR AZTEC BASEBALL
> San Diego State continues its road swing this weekend when it ventures to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to face Air Force in a crucial three-game series, May 22-23, at Falcon Field.
> The Aztecs and Falcons will play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT, before tangling in a single contest on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. MT/Noon PT.
> In addition to live stats, all three games of this weekend's series will be streamed live via the Mountain West Network, with links to both platforms available on GoAztecs.com.
> This week's SDSU-Air Force series was originally scheduled to be contested at Tony Gwynn Stadium. However, inclement weather that was forecast for the weekend of March 20-21 in Colorado Springs prompted the switch of venues. As a result, SDSU will play its final nine games of the regular season on the road, including a three-game set at New Mexico, May 28-29.
> The Aztecs took two of three games against the Falcons at home in March, sweeping a doubleheader by scores of 9-2 and 5-1 before dropping a 13-9 decision in the finale.
 
QUICK HITS
> San Diego State (25-15, 17-13 MW) suffered a three-game sweep at UNLV last weekend, May 15-16, to slip into fourth place in the Mountain West standings behind Nevada (18-9 MW, .667), UNLV (14-10 MW, .583) and Air Force 16-12 MW, .571).
> With just two weekends remaining in the regular season, all four teams remain in contention for the conference title. However, the league is not expected to release clinching scenarios until early next week.
> The Aztecs have scored 10 or more runs in 16 of 40 games this season, posting a 14-2 mark in those contests. By contrast, SDSU surpassed the double-digit plateau in runs 12 times in 57 games during its last full schedule in 2019.
> For the season, San Diego State ranks fourth in the nation with a .322 team batting average and fifth with a scoring average of 8.7 runs per game.  In addition, the Aztecs find themselves in the 16th spot with a .402 on-base percentage and are tied for 60th with 456 hits, which is tops in the country for schools that have played 42 games or less.
> Individually, Jaden Fein is sixth in the nation with an average of 1.70 hits per game and ranks seventh with a .417 batting average while tying for 34th with 68 hits overall, which is tops in the country for individuals with less than 42 games played. In addition, the Aztec right fielder is tied for 23rd in doubles per game (0.40) and occupies the 26th position in RBIs per contest (1.23) while sharing the 51st spot with 49 RBIs overall. Meanwhile, Matt Rudick is the toughest player to strike out in the country, fanning just six times in 154 at-bats and ranks second in the nation with an average of 1.42 runs per game. The SDSU center fielder also occupies the eighth spot in batting average (.416) and is tied for the eighth position in hits per game (1.68).
> On May 20, Wyatt Hendrie was named one of 16 semifinalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, as announced by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission.
 
AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> San Diego State is expected to start Michael Paredes and Troy Melton in Saturday's doubleheader, respectively, while Brian Leonhardt is scheduled to get the call once again in Sunday's finale.
> Paredes (3-0, 5.29 ERA), who has not made a start since April 17 at Fresno State, is coming off a solid performance in his last outing in the second game of a doubleheader at UNLV on May 15,  when he gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks to go with four strikeouts after taking over for Tre Brown. The Aztec redshirt sophomore was last victorious at San José State on March 27, when he allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in six innings. Paredes was also triumphant the previous week against Air Force on March 20, when he tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. In that game, he retired 15 of 16 batters between the second and seventh innings, yielding only an infield single during that stretch, as the Scarlet and Black rolled to a 9-2 win. Despite only nine starts in 12 appearances, Paredes still leads the Mountain West with 66 1/3 innings pitched while ranking fourth in strikeouts (54), fifth in opposing batting average (.266) and eighth in ERA (5.29).
> Melton (4-5, 5.88 ERA) collected his first win in seven starts against San José State on May 8, when he yielded three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings to go with eight strikeouts, as the Aztecs rolled to a big 17-3 run-rule victory in seven innings. Against Dixie State on April 24, the SDSU right-hander matched his career high with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings but did not earn a decision after allowing four solo home runs, as the Aztecs rallied for an 8-7 triumph in the bottom of the ninth of game one. He was also victorious the last time he faced Air Force on March 20, yielding one run on five hits and one walk against eight strikeouts in seven innings. Entering the weekend, Melton is second in the conference with 72 strikeouts while ranking third in innings pitched (64.1) and sixth in opposing batting average (.275). Earlier this season, the Aztec redshirt sophomore 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 at home on Feb. 26. In that contest, Melton equaled his collegiate best with nine strikeouts against four hits and one walk in SDSU's big 17-0 victory. Prior to the 2021 campaign, Melton landed a spot on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
> Meanwhile, Leonhardt (1-2, 5.79 ERA) will be making his sixth start of the year after pitching a season-long four innings in the series finale last weekend at UNLV when he three runs on six hits and two walks. For the season, Leonhardt has struck out 18 batters against 12 walks in 23.1 innings, posting a 1-2 record with a 5.79 ERA in 13 appearances. He earned his lone victory of the year in the second game of a twin bill at UC San Diego on Feb. 28, despite giving up three runs on two hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings of relief, finishing with a season-high four strikeouts.
 
SERIES RECORD VS. AIR FORCE
> San Diego State holds a sizable 113-31 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 (120), Fresno State (105) and Utah (102).
> SDSU is 63-11 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 19-10 record vs. Air Force, including a 12-4 mark at home, a 6-6 ledger on the road and a 1-0 record on a neutral field.
> The Aztecs captured two of three meetings the last time the two teams played at Tony Gwynn Stadium (March 20-21). SDSU opened with a doubleheader sweep against the Falcons, winning 9-2 and 5-1 before dropping the series finale, 13-9.
> Following the series, Wyatt Hendrie was named Mountain West Player of the Week after leading the Aztecs with nine total bases, five RBIs and a .818 slugging percentage. The SDSU catcher batted .455 (5-11) for the weekend with one homer, a double and four runs scored, hitting safely in all three contests.
> In 13 career games vs. Air Force, Matt Rudick is batting .440 (22-50) with two doubles, three triples, seven RBIs and 14 runs scored.   
 
AZTECS AMONG NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
> After 13 weeks of the 2021 campaign, the Aztecs find themselves among the NCAA statistical leaders in several categories. San Diego State ranks fourth in the nation with a .322 team batting average and fifth with a scoring average of 8.7 runs per game. In addition, the Scarlet and Black occupies the 16th spot with a .402 on-base percentage and is tied for 60th with 456 hits, which is second in the country for schools that have played 40 games or less.
> Individually, Jaden Fein is sixth in the nation with an average of 1.70 hits per game and ranks seventh with a .417 batting average while tying for 34th with 68 hits overall, which is tops in the country for individuals with less than 42 games played. In addition, the Aztec right fielder is tied for 23rd in doubles per game (0.40) and occupies the 26th position in RBIs per contest (1.23) while sharing the 51st spot with 49 RBIs overall. Meanwhile, Matt Rudick is the toughest player to strike out in the country, fanning just six times in 154 at-bats and ranks second in the nation with an average of 1.42 runs per game. The SDSU center fielder also occupies the eighth spot in batting average (.416) and is tied for the eighth position in hits per game (1.68). Elsewhere, Brian Leonhardt leads the country with nine sacrifice flies, while Mike Jarvis is tied for eighth with 1.68 hits per game and shares the ninth spot with 1.25 runs per contest.
 
SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> Entering the weekend, Jaden Fein still leads the Mountain West with a lofty .437 batting average, 66 hits and 48 RBIs.
> Fein also sits near the top of the conference perch in on-base percentage (2nd - .497), doubles (T-2nd - 16), runs scored (5th - 36), stolen bases (5th - 8) and slugging percentage (10th - .596).
> In addition, Matt Rudick leads the MW with 52 runs scored and is tied for the top spot with 12 stolen bases while sharing the second position with three triples. The Aztec center fielder also occupies the third spot in both batting average (.417) and hits (60) while tying for fourth in RBIs (37). Rudick also landed in the fourth spot in on-base percentage (.482) and is tied for ninth in walks (17).
> Meanwhile, Wyatt Hendrie is second in the league this week with 46 RBI and is tied for the No. 2 spot with nine home runs while ranking third with 43 runs scored and ninth with a .611 slugging percentage. The SDSU catcher also shares the third position with four sacrifice flies and is tied for fifth with 19 walks.
> Not to be outdone, shortstop Mike Jarvis is tied with Rudick for the top spot in stolen bases (12) and finds himself among the league leaders in hits (2nd - 62), runs scored (2nd - 48), triples (T-2nd - 3) and doubles (T-4th - 14).
> Elsewhere, second baseman Caden Miller occupies the fourth position in both walks (22) and runs scored (39) while ranking in fourth on-base percentage (.480) and sixth in stolen bases (7). In addition, the Aztec second baseman is tied for second with three triples of his own.
> In all, SDSU boasts five of the league's top 10 RBI producers, with Brian Leonhardt (3rd - 40) and Jacob Cruce (8th - 30) joining Fein, Hendrie and Rudick.
> Similarly, the Aztecs feature five players among the MW leaders in runs scored: Rudick, Jarvis, Hendrie, Miller and Fein.
> On the mound, reliever Tre Brown shares the conference lead with six wins and is tied for third with four saves, while Michael Paredes, Troy Melton, Ricky Tibbett and Aaron Eden are among a logjam of 11 pitchers tied for eighth with three victories apiece.
> In addition, Melton leads the league with 61.2 innings pitched and occupies the second spot with 70 strikeouts while ranking sixth in opposing batting average (.252) and ninth in ERA (5.11).
> Despite no appearances last weekend vs. SJSU, Paredes still finds himself in the second position in the conference with 60.2 innings pitched while ranking fourth in strikeouts (50), eighth in opposing batting average (.268) with a .268 opposing batting average. Additionally, he shares the fourth spot with fewest walks allowed (10).
> Not to be outdone, Tibbett is second in the MW this week with fewest walks allowed (9) and ranks sixth with 45 strikeouts.
> 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 (.326), hits (429), runs (331), RBIs (297), total bases (613), stolen bases (49) and on-base percentage (.408). The Aztecs also occupy the second spot in the league with fewest strikeouts (196) and rank third in slugging percentage (.467).
> On the hill, SDSU pitchers lead the league with 332 strikeouts and a .269 opponent batting average and rank second with a 5.47 team ERA.
 
AIR FORCE AT A GLANCE
> The Falcons (24-18, 16-12 MW) have won eight straight and find themselves in third place in the Mountain West standings, just percentage points in front of the Aztecs (.571 to .567).
> Air Force is coming off a four-game home sweep of San José State at home last weekend to set a program record for conference wins in a single season. The Falcons opened the series with an 11-6 victory, followed by a doubleheader sweep (9-3, 11-3), before posting a 5-3 triumph in the finale.
> Air Force is 11-2 at home this season and 4-1 at neutral sites but is just 9-15 in true road games.
> Following this weekend's series, the Falcons will play host to Fresno State in a three-game set, May 28-29, giving them 12 straight home games to finish the regular season. 
> Freshman utility player Paul Skenes finds himself among the Mountain West leaders in several offensive categories, including slugging percentage (4th - .663), doubles (T-4th - 15), hits (5th - 63), home runs (T-5th - 10), batting average (6th - .387), and on-base percentage (7th - .463) and RBIs (T-9th -33). Skenes has also excelled as a relief pitcher, posting a league-leading 10 saves, which is tied for 10th nationally.
> Skenes is one of four players to start all 42 games for Air Force this season, outfielder Gabriel Garcia (.329), utility Cole Blatchford (.325) and infielder Alexander Pup (.259), while catcher Braydon Altorfer (.316) and outfielder Blake Covin (.262) have missed just one start apiece.
> Garcia ranks ninth in the conference with 55 hits and shares the ninth position with 33 RBIs and 13 doubles. 
> Air Force is second in the MW behind the Aztecs with 45 stolen bases, with Covin sharing the third spot with 10 thefts, followed by Cayden Zimmerman (7), Blatchford (6) and Garcia (6).
> On the mound, the Falcons are expected to start right-handers John Byrnes and Jason Shuger for Saturday's twin bill, while Stevan Fairburn Jr. is scheduled to get the call in Sunday's finale.
> Byrnes (5-3) leads the conference with a 2.71 ERA and a .208 opposing batting average while ranking third in strikeouts (58) and fourth in innings pitched. 
> Shuger (2-5, 6.33 ERA) picked up his second win of the season last weekend vs. San José State, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and a pair of walks in seven innings to go with five strikeouts.
> Meanwhile, Fairburn (5-4, 5.31 ERA) is tied for ninth in the MW this week with 43 strikeouts and ranks 10th in both ERA and opposing batting average (.293).
> Skenes was the winning pitcher in the Falcons' 13-9 victory over SDSU at Tony Gwynn Stadium on March 21, when he tossed the final three innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits and a walk.
> Despite ranking fifth in the Mountain West with a .294 batting average, Air Force finds itself in the second spot behind the Aztecs with 427 hits while ranking fourth in runs scored (259), home runs (35) and on-base percentage (.375). Falcon batters have struck out a league-worst 325 times in 42 games. By contrast, San Diego State hitters have fanned 214 times in 40 outings.
> As a staff, Falcon pitchers rank second in the league with a team ERA of 5.78 and a .291 opposing batting average while occupying the second spot with 298 strikeouts.
> 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 229-316.
 
LOOKING BACK AT THE FIRST AIR FORCE SERIES
> San Diego State claimed its fifth straight series victory after winning two of three games vs. the Falcons, March 20-21, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
> The Aztecs took both ends of a doubleheader to open the series, posting a 9-2 victory before capturing a 5-1 decision in the nightcap. In all, SDSU pitchers combined for 22 strikeouts in the twin bill.
> In game one, Aztec starter Michael Paredes tied his career high with nine strikeouts, picking up his second win in a row after giving up two runs on five hits and one walk in 7 2/3 innings, while Seth Urbon came on to get the final four outs.
> Collectively, the Aztecs out-hit the Falcons 9-8, scoring six unearned runs on four errors by the visitors.
> Individually, Matt Rudick and Jacob Cruce finished with two hits apiece for the Scarlet and Black, while Brian Leonhardt recorded a pair of RBIs.
> SDSU plated a run in the first after Mike Jarvis drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on the Air Force catcher's throwing error to the bag. Moments later, Falcon starter John Byrnes uncorked a wild pitch, with Jarvis sliding safely into home.
> The Falcons knotted the score in the second on consecutive one-out doubles; however, the Aztecs took the lead for good with a pair of markers in the fourth. Rudick led off with a triple to right field and promptly scored on an RBI single by Wyatt Hendrie, who eventually touched the plate on Leonhardt's sacrifice fly.
> SDSU broke the game open in the sixth with six runs (five unearned) on five hits, two walks and wild pitch, while Air Force committed three costly errors. Cruce, Leonhardt and Caden Miller all delivered RBI singles, while Ryan Orr brought in another, as the Aztecs sent 12 batters to the plate against Falcon relievers CJ Dornak and Jason Shuger, with the former replacing Byrnes to open the inning.
> In the nightcap, Troy Melton notched his third win of the year after yielding one run on five hits and one walk to go with eight strikeouts of his own in seven innings.
> Trailing 1-0, SDSU jumped into the lead for good in the third, scoring three unearned runs on Jaden Fein's two-out double to right. Previously, Miller smacked a one-out double down the left field line, while Rudick walked after a flyout. Moments later, Hendrie reached on a fielding error to load the bases, while Miller eventually crossed the plate when Cruce drew another walk. Hendrie and Rudick then raced home on Fein's clutch hit.
> The Aztecs extended their lead to 4-1 in the fourth on Jarvis' RBI single, which plated Cole Carrigg, who reached on an error and stole second.
> Carrigg also scored Scarlet and Black's final tally of the night after reaching on a fielder's score before motoring around the bases on Miller's single which was mishandled by the Falcons' right fielder.
> San Diego State was unable to complete the weekend sweep the following day, however, as Air Force claimed a 13-9 victory in the series finale.
> The Aztecs put up five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score at 8-8 before the Falcons combined for five markers in the eighth and ninth to keep the hosts at bay.
> The top three hitters in SDSU's batting order combined for 10 of the team's 13 hits and seven of nine RBIs on the afternoon.
> Rudick led all players with four hits, while Hendrie posted three hits and tied for game-high honors with four RBIs. In addition, the Aztec cause was aided by Mike Jarvis, who went 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Fein crossed the plate on two occasions.
> Trailing 8-3 after Air Force's Paul Skenes hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth, SDSU sent nine batters to the plate in its half of the frame, scoring five runs on four hits, one walk and a costly error.
> Fein led off with a single and advanced to third when Leonhardt got aboard on a dropped fly ball by Falcon right fielder Gabriel Garcia. Cole Carrigg followed with a base on balls, while Miller knocked in Fein with a grounder to first. Moments later, Jarvis plated Leonhardt and Carrigg with a single to center, while Rudick followed with a base hit through the right side, as Jarvis darted around to third. After a wild pitch, Hendrie stepped up and delivered a two-run single, which knotted the game at 8-8.
> However, Air Force vaulted back in front for good after notching three tallies in the eighth, as Skenes doubled home Cayden Zimmerman and Braydon Altorfer, who reached earlier on a single and walk, respectively. Shortly thereafter, Skenes crossed the plate on another double by Alexander Pup.
> Trailing 11-8, SDSU got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Jarvis singled to center and advanced to second on a bobbled ball before racing home on Rudick's RBI single. The Aztecs were unable to draw closer, as Air Force tacked on two more runs in the ninth to account for the final score.
> Tre Brown was saddled with his first loss of the year after giving up all five of the Falcons' go-ahead runs on four hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings before Kohl Simas got the final two outs in the ninth.
> In all, SDSU utilized eight pitchers on the day, including three by the second inning when Air Force sent 10 men to the plate, scoring five runs on three hits, two walks and a wild pitch.
 
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.
> This season, the Scarlet and Black has registered 10 or more strikeouts in 17 games already, notching a 14-3 record in those contests.
> The Aztecs have posted double-digit strikeouts in each of their last six home games, including a combined 33 Ks in their three-game sweep over San José State, May 8-9.
> In San Diego State's sweep of Dixie State, April 24-25, Trailblazer hitters were punched out 42 times during the series, including 15 in the doubleheader opener, which marked a season-high for the SDSU staff.
> After posting single digits in strikeouts during the opening series vs. USD, the Aztecs surpassed the double-digit plateau in that category in all four games against UC San Diego, including a season-high 13 in the first game of the doubleheader on Feb. 28.
> SDSU also fanned 12 batters in the first game of a twin-bill vs. Fresno State on March 6, before recording 11 strikeouts in both games of a doubleheader vs. Air Force on March 20.
> Additionally, the Aztecs whiffed 10 Spartan batters in the series finale on the road at San José State on March 28, before logging 11 strikeouts in each of the final two games at home vs. Nevada, April 10-11.
> Not to be outdone, San Diego big 21-14 victory at Fresno State when it fanned 11 Bulldog batters.
> During the shortened 2020 season, the SDSU pitching staff completed seven games with 10 strikeouts: vs. Virginia Tech, Cal State Fullerton, Iowa, Nebraska, at UC Irvine and twice against Oregon State. Not surprisingly, the Scarlet and Black went 6-1 in those contests.
> Dating back to 2019, the Aztecs are 36-15 in their last 51 games when striking out 10 or more batters.
 
GOING, GOING, GONE
> San Diego State has homered in 25 of 40 games this season, posting a 17-8 record in those contests.
> The Aztecs have emerged victorious in 39 of their last 54 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 37 games he has made a plate appearance this season, but had his season-long 14-game hitting streak snapped in the series finale vs. San José State on May 9. Still, the SDSU center fielder has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 starts.
> Mike Jarvis owns the team's longest current hitting streak of 10 games, with multiple hits in eight of the last nine, followed by Jacob Cruce (7) and Wyatt Hendrie (6).
> Jarvis leads the Aztecs with multiple hits in 24 games this season, while Rudick and Fein have recorded two or more hits in 20 outings, followed by Caden Miller (17), Hendrie (15), Cruce (14), and Brian Leonhardt (11).
> In addition, Fein tops the squad with two or more RBIs in 14 starts, while Leonhardt, Hendrie, Rudick and Cruce have all compiled multiple RBIs in 11 games this year.
> Fein had a season-long 12-game hitting streak broken in the nightcap of a doubleheader vs. Dixie State on April 24.  Earlier, Fein crafted an 11-game hitting streak to open the season; Rudick had a 10-game string halted in the home series vs. Air Force, while Jarvis had a 10-game streak of his own snapped in the series finale against Nevada on April 11.

RECORD WATCH
>  Both Jaden Fein and Matt Rudick are in position to set a program record for batting average in a single season. Fein is currently hitting at a .417 clip, followed by Rudick's .416 pace. 
>  The Aztecs' single-season record holder for highest batting average with at least 150 at-bats is Quintin Berry, who hit .419 during the 2005 campaign, while Bob Parry finished with a .417 clip in 1987, followed by Tony Gwynn (.416 in 1981).
 
DELIVERING IN CRUNCH TIME
> The Aztecs are batting .333 with two outs this season (155-466), 11 percentage points higher than their team average of .322 for the year.
> In addition, SDSU has compiled 42 percent of its RBI total (130/309) with two outs.
> The Aztecs are 5-1 in walk-off games this season and 4-0 in extra-inning contests.
 
OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 90-17 in their last 107 games when scoring five or more runs, including a 24-5 record already in 2021 after posting a 6-2 mark last year.
> San Diego State is 56-24 in its last 80 games following a loss, including a 9-5 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.
> On the flip side, SDSU put the brakes a 41-game losing streak when trailing after seven innings the previous day vs. the Toreros on Feb. 20.
> After scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth in their dramatic 10-9 victory over New Mexico on April 2, the Aztecs snapped a 46-game losing streak when trailing after eight innings dating back to March 20, 2018, when SDSU rallied to beat CSU Bakersfield at home, 5-4.
> Conversely, after UNLV registered an 11-10 comeback victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Las Vegas on May 15, the Aztecs had their 45-game winning streak halted when leading after eight innings. Prior to that game, SDSU's last loss when leading after the eighth occurred on March 10, 2019 in a 6-5 defeat to Nevada at home in 10 innings. 
 
STABILITY IN THE LINEUP
> Three players have started all 40 games for the Aztecs this season, including Jaden Fein (RF), Mike Jarvis (SS) and Jacob Cruce (1B), while Caden Miller (38 - 2B) has missed just one start.
> In addition, Matt Rudick has recorded 37 starts in center field, while Wyatt Hendrie has made 34 starts at catcher and three in left field.
> Brian Leonhardt (DH - 36; LF - 1), Ryan Orr (28 - LF) and Cole Carrigg (19 - 3B; 4 - LF; 3 - CF; 1 - DH) are the only other SDSU players who have logged more than 25 starts as well.
> Jarvis, Rudick and Hendrie have comprised the top three hitters in the Aztecs' batting order in 36 of 40 games this year.

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 210-149 record (.584), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He has also posted a 106-79 ledger (.572) 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 league's tournament 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 10 of those selections reaching the major leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen, Ty France, Seby Zavala and Alan Trejo).
> 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.