SAN DIEGO – San Diego State steps out of conference play this week when it makes the short drive down Interstate 8 to battle the University of San Diego on Tuesday, April 12, at Fowler Park and Cunningham Field, starting at 6 p.m. PT.
In addition to live stats, a link to streaming video will be available on GoAztecs.com.
The Aztecs are projected to start freshman Omar Serrano (0-2, 5.40 ERA), while the Toreros have penciled in redshirt freshman Ryan Kysar (0-0, 5.50 ERA).
Serrano will be making his first career start after five relief appearances during which he yielded five runs (three earned) on three hits and eight walks against eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings. The 6-4 right-hander recorded a career-high four strikeouts in a season-long 1 2/3 innings against UC San Diego at home on March 29.
An alumnus of Downey (Calif.) High School, Serrano garnered all-CIF Southern Section Division IV honors as a senior after recording a 1.50 ERA in 12 games pitched with 85 strikeouts in 70.0 innings. The 6-4 hurler tossed three shutouts in his five victories that season, including a perfect game vs. Westlake High in the first round of the CIF playoffs on June 4, 2021.
Meanwhile, Kysar has pitched in six games with three starts, allowing 11 runs on 18 hits and nine walks while striking out 20 hitters in 18.0 innings of work. The Valencia, California, native posted a season-high five strikeouts in USD's 16-9 loss to UNLV at home on Feb. 27, when the right-hander surrendered three runs on six hits and one walk in 3.0 innings as the Toreros' second reliever.
Tuesday's clash marks the first of two meetings against USD this season, with the Toreros scheduled to visit Tony Gwynn Stadium on Monday, April 18.
San Diego State leads the all-time series, 78-59-3, dating back to 1962. The Aztecs took two of three games from the Toreros to open the 2021 campaign, capturing the first two encounters at Tony Gwynn Stadium with a 14-7 triumph followed by a dramatic 19-18 victory in 10 innings in game two.
However, SDSU was unable to complete the sweep at USD's Fowler Park in the finale, as the Toreros scored 13 unanswered runs to claim a 16-12 decision.
Among Aztec returners, Brian Leonhardt batted a team-leading .538 in that series (7-13) and shared the top spot on the squad with seven RBIs, while Caden Miller (.286) and Cole Carrigg (.273, 5 runs) finished with three RBIs apiece.
SDSU head coach Mark Martinez is 9-5 against USD after taking over the reins of the Aztec program in 2015. Since Fowler Park and Cunningham Field opened in 2013, the Aztecs are 8-2 when playing at USD and have outscored the Toreros 63-38 during that stretch.
Despite their 7-24 record, SDSU's pitching staff enters the week leading the Mountain West in strikeouts (306) and opposing team batting average (.241) while occupying the second spot in ERA (4.58). In addition, the Aztecs top the conference in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (8.24), which ranks 47th nationally. Not to be outdone, San Diego State also leads the MW with 9.9 strikeouts per game, which is good for 50th in the country.
Offensively, utility player Cole Carrigg leads the Scarlet and Black in numerous categories, including batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.444), hits (39) and total bases (52) while tying for the top spot in RBIs (17).
In addition, the Aztecs have received a boost from Caden Miller (.297) and Poncho Ruiz (.274). Ruiz leads the team in walks (20), runs scored (19) and doubles (6) while sharing the top spot in home runs (3) with Brian Leonhardt.
As a team, SDSU tops the league with 47 stolen bases, which ranks 56th in the nation. Against San José State on April 9, the Aztecs swiped a season-high nine bases, marking the program's highest total in at least the last six seasons. Individually, Miller occupies the second spot in the Mountain West with 12 stolen bases, followed by Carrigg, who ranks third with 10 thefts of his own.
San Diego State has had 19 of 37 players make their initial appearances in an Aztec uniform this season, including 10 true freshmen. One of those rookies, Tyler Glowacki, has started 25 games in the outfield and leads the Aztec freshman class in average (.267), hits (23), walks (14) and doubles (5).
Meanwhile, USD enters Tuesday's game with a 19-11 overall record and a third-place mark of 7-5 in the West Coast Conference after dropping two of three games in a weekend series at Portland.
The Toreros sport four regulars with batting averages over .300, including infielder Chase Meidroth (.368), who ranks third in the WCC, followed by catcher Caleb Ricketts (6th, .347), outfielder Jack Costello (13th, .328) and third baseman Kevin Sim (15th, .328). Sim leads the league with 10 home runs and ranks second with 34 RBIs.
Collectively, USD leads the WCC with a .382 on-base percentage while ranking second in both slugging percentage (.427) and hits (299) to go with a third-place standing in batting average (.290) and RBIs (174). In addition, the Toreros share the second spot in the conference with 28 home runs and have struck out the second-fewest times (190).
On the mound, USD holds down the second spot in the WCC with a 4.56 team ERA and 315 strikeouts (10.67 per nine innings).
Brock Ungricht, who won three letters at San Diego State (2004-06) as a catcher and corner infielder, is in his first season as head coach of the Torero program after spending the last three years as USD's hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.
In 2004, Ungricht garnered first-team Freshman All-America accolades by Collegiate Baseball newspaper to go with second-team honors by Baseball America after batting .373 overall with three homers, 21 doubles, 48 RBIs and 49 runs scored. In three seasons at SDSU, he compiled a batting average of .318 with 44 doubles and 117 RBI, ranking among the Aztecs' all-time leaders in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases upon the completion of his collegiate career.
Ungricht was selected in the 30th round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, playing one season with the Gulf Coast League Yankees before spending one season in 2007 with the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League. He also served one season as the head coach at Kearny High School in 2009 before joining the Aztec staff as a volunteer assistant the following year.
Following Tuesday's game, San Diego State will resume its Mountain West schedule, April 14-16, with a three-game series at New Mexico.
Aztecs Prep for Road Clash at USD
