SAN DIEGO – After a one-year hiatus, the San Diego State baseball team will host its Halloween Game on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The traditional exhibition featuring Aztec student-athletes in costume for a fall intrasquad scrimmage is slated to begin at 6 p.m.
Admission is free and gates to Tony Gwynn Stadium open at approximately 4:45 p.m. for pre-game warmups.
San Diego State was the lone school in the Mountain West to win 30 games last year, compiling a 30-16 overall record and a 22-14 mark in conference play. During the 2021 regular season, the Aztecs occupied the second spot nationally with a .335 team batting average while ranking third in runs per game (9.1) and seventh in on base percentage (.413). In addition, the prolific SDSU offense finished among the top 20 in the country in sacrifice flies (T-11th – 32), runs scored (13th – 420), doubles per game (14 – 2.17), slugging percentage (15th - .484) and hits (T-20th – 550).
The Aztecs return 18 letterwinners from last spring's shortened season, including junior right-handed pitcher Troy Melton, who finished second in the MW with 83 strikeouts and ranked among the league leaders in innings pitched (4th – 73.1), opposing batting average (8th - .291) and wins (T-10th – 4).
Additionally, the Scarlet and Black welcomes back sophomore Caden Miller, who batted a career-high .345 last year, which is tops among Aztec returners. The SDSU second baseman ranked among the MW leaders in several categories, including stolen bases (T-6th – 8), walks (T-7th – 25), on base percentage (8th - .464) and runs scored (9th – 43).
Also back in the mix is junior infielder/left-handed pitcher Brian Leonhardt (.305), who tied for third in the conference last year with 47 RBIs, and sophomore utility Cole Carrigg (.270), who started 33 games in 37 appearances as a true freshman in 2021.
Among the key newcomers are outfielder Irvin Weems (Las Vegas, Nev./Durango HS), infielder Alex Rodriguez (Upland, Calif./USC), right-handed pitcher Omar Serrano (Downey, Calif./Downey HS) and left-handed pitcher Chris Canada (Orange, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS).
San Diego State opens its 2022 schedule at the MLB4 Tournament, Feb. 18-20, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the Aztecs will face California, Houston and TCU.