COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego State's Shaun Montoya (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Damien HS) was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week as announced Monday by the league office.
With his award, Montoya garnered the first conference weekly accolade of his career and gave the Aztecs four certificates this season after Tyler Glowacki (March 7) and Alex Rodriguez (Feb. 21) received the same distinction, while TJ Fondtain (Feb. 28) merited conference pitcher of the week honors.
In four games last week, Montoya led the Scarlet and Black in numerous categories, including batting average (.647), on-base percentage (.684), slugging percentage (.882), total bases (15), hits (11) and runs scored (7) while sharing the top spot with two doubles.
Additionally, the SDSU right fielder led the team with an 83.3 success rate in advance runners for the week (10-12) and hit .833 with runners in scoring position (5-6), compiling five RBIs. Defensively, he also made12 putouts without an error and contributed an assist for a clean 1.000 fielding percentage for the week.
Montoya was instrumental in the Aztecs' first series sweep over New Mexico in Albuquerque since 1990 after leading the team with a .714 batting average during the series (10-14) while tying for the top spot with 10 hits.
The Rancho Cucamonga, California, native recorded seven straight hits at one point between the first and second games of the series vs. the Lobos, finishing with multiple hits in all three contests, including a 4-for-4 performance in the opener, where he contributed two RBIs. In the third inning of that game, he doubled and scored, helping the SDSU build a 4-0 lead it would not relinquish.
Montoya tied his career high with a 4-for-6 effort in game two at UNM, highlighted by his first collegiate triple, becoming the first Aztec to record four hits in consecutive games since Danny Sheehan accomplished the feat at Air Force in May 2017. The UC Irvine transfer also set a personal best with three runs scored in that contest and delivered two more RBIs, as the Aztecs outlasted the Lobos, 14-13.
In the series finale, Montoya went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. He was struck by a pitch in the eighth inning of that game and scored a key run, helping SDSU hold off a late UNM charge, 11-8.
Montoya has now hit safely in five straight games, raising his season batting average from .260 to .358 during that span. Earlier in the week, he recorded his first career double at USD on April 12.
Montoya and the Aztecs will be back in action Monday night with a rematch against San Diego at Tony Gwynn Stadium. Game time is set for 6 p.m. PT.