Aztecs Welcome GCU, No. 7/6 Stanford This Weekend

Game Week Preview
Grand Canyon at San Diego State
April 21-22, 2022
Tony Gwynn Stadium

No. 7/6 Stanford at San Diego State
April 23-24, 2022
Tony Gwynn Stadium

Thursday's Probable Pitching Matchup
GCU: Nick Hull, RHP (3-1, 2.92 ERA, 52.1 IP)
SDSU: Jacob Flores, LHP (1-3, 6.12 ERA, 42.1 IP)

WHAT'S ON TAP FOR AZTEC BASEBALL
> San Diego State returns to the friendly confines of Tony Gwynn Stadium this weekend, splitting a four-game homestand with Grand Canyon and No. 7/6 Stanford, April 21-24.
> The Aztecs will lock horns with the Lopes on Thursday and Friday (6 p.m. PT), before battling the nationally ranked Cardinal on Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). 
> All four contests will feature live stats, while SDSU's two clashes with Stanford will be aired on XTRA Sports 1360 AM, with Jonathan Rifkind handling the play-by-by responsibilities.
> Following this weekend's action, the Aztecs will hit the road for a non-conference game at Long Beach State on Tuesday, April 26, before jumping back into Mountain West competition for a three-game series at Fresno State, April 29-May 1.

SETTING THE SCENE
> SDSU will be looking to put the brakes on a two-game losing streak after suffering a 15-1 setback vs. San Diego at home on Monday, followed by a frustrating 4-2 defeat at UC San Diego in the third installment of the Trolley Series on Tuesday.
> In the latter contest, the Tritons stranded 17 base runners but still managed to plate three runs in the bottom of the eighth to overcome a 2-1 deficit and pin a hard-luck loss on the Aztecs.
> The two defeats derailed SDSU's momentum after the Scarlet and Black swept a three-game series at New Mexico, April 14-16.
> Against the Lobos, outfielder Shaun Montoya batted .714 (10-14) for the weekend to earn Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors. 
> As a staff, Aztec pitchers continue to lead the Mountain West in strikeouts (359) and opposing team batting average (.256) this week while ranking second in team ERA (4.91) and fewest hits allowed (326).
> On the national stage, SDSU is 49th in the country with a league-leading 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
> This season, the Aztecs have been running with reckless abandon on the basepaths, ranking 33rd in the nation with a conference-best 61 stolen bases. 
> Individually, sophomore Cole Carrigg tops the Mountain West with 15 stolen bases, which is tied for 59th in the country.
> Entering the weekend, Carrigg leads the Scarlet and Black with a .371 batting average, which ranks eighth in the conference and is tied for 100th nationally.
> Since April 1, Carrigg has hit safely in 12 of 13 games, hitting .482 (27-56) with 12 RBIs, 10 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. The SDSU utility player has posted multiple hits in nine starts during that span, including a 6-for-6 effort with four RBIs at New Mexico on April 15. Consequently, Carrigg has raised his season batting average from .299 to .371 in that stretch.

THURSDAY'S STARTERS
> Senior Jacob Flores (1-3, 6.12 ERA) is slated to take the hill for the Scarlet and Black on Thursday night against Grand Canyon.
> Flores will be making his sixth start of the year and first since March 22 at UC San Diego, where he gave up one unearned run on four hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings but did not factor in the decision after the Aztecs pulled away for a 14-7 triumph.
> Against Arizona State on March 6, the SDSU left-hander survived some anxious moments during a season-long six-inning stint to collect his first win since March 1, 2020, after allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks to go with five strikeouts.
> In an earlier start against Utah on Feb. 27, Flores posted a career-best seven strikeouts but did not figure in the decision after yielding all three of Utes' runs on two hits and two walks in five innings, as the Scarlet and Black rallied for a thrilling 4-3 walk-off victory.
> The Oxnard, California, native also pitched against California at the MLB4 Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona, but was tagged with the loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks.
>  At press time, GCU has revealed one starting pitcher for the two games vs. San Diego State, with right-hander Nick Hull (3-1) expected to get the nod on Thursday night. Hull leads the Lopes' staff with 52 1/3 innings pitched while ranking second in strikeouts (58) and third in ERA (2.92). He allowed five runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out four in his last start vs. California Baptist on April 14 but did not factor in the decision.

SERIES RECORD VS. GRAND CANYON
> San Diego State leads the all-time series against the Lopes, 12-7.
> The teams squared off annually from 1993-98 but have met just one since then, with the Aztecs posting a 5-4 victory at the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Feb. 25, 2018.
> In that contest, the Scarlet and Black overcame a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to escape with the win.
> Jacob Flores is the only SDSU veteran to have played in that game, tossing 2.0 innings of scoreless relief while allowing just one walk.
> The Aztecs sport a 6-3 record against GCU in San Diego while maintaining a 6-4 mark in Phoenix.
> SDSU has compiled a 41-24 ledger against six of the 13 Western Athletic Conference schools that sponsor baseball, including Sacramento State (19-13), Grand Canyon (12-7), Seattle University (4-0), Dixie State (3-0), California Baptist (2-2), New Mexico State (1-1) and UT Rio Grande Valley (formerly Texas-Pan American (0-1)). 

SERIES RECORD VS. STANFORD
> The Cardinal lead the all-time series against the Aztecs 13-7.
> The teams first met in 1938 but have not played since the 1991 campaign when Stanford claimed a 12-5 victory at the NCAA Regionals in Fresno, California.
> The Cardinal also defeated SDSU in their own regional the previous year in 1990, emerging triumphant by identical 6-2 scores to eliminate the Aztecs.
> In addition, the Cardinal prevailed by a 4-3 count at their own regional in 1983.
> SDSU's last regular-season game against Stanford took place in 1977 when the Aztecs dropped a 6-4 decision at the Spartan Classic in San Jose, California.
> Stanford has not visited The Mesa for baseball since posting a 4-2 victory during the 1967 campaign.
> At press time, the Cardinal have not disclosed their starters for the two games against San Diego State.

YOUTH SHALL BE SERVED
> In all, San Diego State has had 20 of 37 players make their initial appearances in an Aztec uniform this season, including 10 true freshmen.
> Shaun Montoya, a redshirt freshman, has started 21 of 24 games in the outfield (11 RF, 10 CF) and leads all SDSU rookies with a .342 batting average and 25 hits. The Rancho Cucamonga native has hit safely in seven of his last eight games, hitting at a .500 clip (13-26) while notching eight runs and five RBIs in that stretch.
> Montoya batted a combined .714 (10-14) with seven runs and five RBIs in the three-game series at New Mexico, garnering Mountain West Freshman of the Week accolades in the process. The UC Irvine transfer posted four hits in each of the first two encounters with the Lobos, becoming the first Aztec player to record four hits in consecutive games since Danny Sheehan accomplished the feat at Air Force in May 2017.
> Irvin Weems, a true freshman, has also started 21 of 27 games in the outfield (18 CF, 3 RF) and has compiled a .286 batting average, including a .458 pace (11-24) during a season-long six-game hitting streak from April 9-16, when he posted eight stolen bases, seven  RBIs and six runs scored.
> In the second game of the MW series at San José State that was completed on March 20, Weems went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, highlighted by his first collegiate homer, a two-run shot in the eighth.  In the series finale against the Spartans, the Las Vegas native added two more hits and swiped his first career base.
> Fellow classmate Tyler Glowacki (.243), an alumnus of nearby Santana High School, has started 26 games in the outfield (20 RF, 6 LF) and ranks second among all SDSU rookies with 23 hits while sharing the third spot on the squad with five doubles.
> In addition to Montoya, Glowacki (March 7) and infielder Alex Rodriguez (Feb. 21) have netted Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors this season.
> After sitting out the 2021 campaign as a redshirt, Johnny Giannola has made 22 starts this season, including 17 in left field and five at designated hitter. The Dana Point, California, native has had five games with multiple hits thus far, including the Aztecs' 7-1 triumph over Hawai'i in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Feb. 25, when he scored two runs and drove in another. Giannola has two triples this season, which is tied for 10th in the Mountain West.
> Tino Bethancourt, another redshirt freshman, has logged 29 starts (17 3B, 12 1B) and has reached base safely in 18 of his last 19 games. Despite a modest .241 batting average, the El Dorado Hills, California, product ranks second on the squad with 20 walks, which ranks 11th in the MW, while his .409 on-base percentage is tied for second among SDSU regulars with Weems, which is tied for 17th in the conference.

STREAKING AZTECS
>  Cole Carrigg has reached base safely in 13 consecutive games since April 1, raising his season batting average from .299 to .371 during that span, while Irvin Weems and Shaun Montoya each have active streaks of reaching base in nine straight games.
>  Carrigg leads the Scarlet and Black with multiple hits in 16 games, accomplishing the feat in four straight outings and nine of his last seven starts. >    The sophomore utility player became just the second Aztec player in the last six seasons to record six hits in a single game (Jaden Fein - 2021) when he notched a career-high 6-for-6 effort at New Mexico on April 15.
>  In addition, Carrigg tops the squad with multiple RBIs in eight contests, highlighted by the aforementioned contest with the Lobos, where he set a collegiate best with four runners driven in.
>  Brian Leonhardt owns the team's longest active hitting streak at six games, raising his batting average from .213 to .252 in that stretch to go with eight RBIs.
>  Leonhardt has also notched multiple hits in 10 games this year, including six occasions in his last 13 starts  dating back to April 1.
> Poncho Ruiz had his nine-game hitting streak snapped in the second game of the Arizona State series on March 6, which marked the team's longest this season.
> Ruiz is the lone Aztec to start all 37 games this season, earning 29 starts at catcher and eight at designated hitter. The SDSU sophomore has batted third in 35 games and twice in the cleanup position.
> Meanwhile, Caden Miller made 34 consecutive starts before sitting out the series finale at New Mexico on April 17. The SDSU sophomore has started five of the last seven games at second base after playing exclusively at shortstop.
> Additionally, Carrigg ranks third on the squad with 35 starts, including 14 at second base, nine in center field, six at shortstop, five at catcher and once each at pitcher and designated hitter. 

STRIKEOUTS GALORE
> San Diego State has recorded double-digit strikeouts in 18 of 35  games this year, including a season-high 21 vs. Hawai'i in 15 innings on Feb. 28.
> Troy Melton fanned a career-best10 hitters in a home start against San José State on April 8, marking the highest total by an Aztec pitcher this season and the most since Logan Boyer also struck out 10 batters vs. San Francisco on Feb. 15, 2018.
> Following Melton are Jonny Guzman ad Kelena Sauer, both of whom posted career-high strikeouts with nine Ks apiece. Guzman fanned nine hitters in his first collegiate start at UC Irvine on Feb. 22, while Sauer accomplished the feat against UNLV on March 12.
> In addition, four other Aztec hurlers have compiled career-best totals with over five strikeouts this season: TJ Fondtain (8 vs. San José State, April 9), Jacob Flores (7 vs. Utah, Feb. 27), Jadon Bercovich (7 vs. Hawaii, Feb.28), Chris Canada (7 vs. Long Beach State, April 5) and Hunter Hargett (6 at UC San Diego, April 19).
> Entering the weekend, Melton and Guzman share the eighth spot in the Mountain West with 37 strikeouts apiece, followed closely by Fondtain and Flores, who are tied for third on the squad with 34 Ks each.
> Collectively, San Diego State leads the Mountain West with 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks 49th in the nation.

HEAD COACH MARK MARTINEZ
> Mark Martinez is in his eighth season as head coach of the Aztecs and 17th 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 225-177 record (.560), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. 
> 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.   
> In 2017, Martinez recorded his 100th victory for the Scarlet and Black, becoming the fastest head coach in program history to reach the century mark in wins.
> 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 49 SDSU players get drafted into the professional ranks, with 10 of those selections making 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 College (now Colorado Mesa) with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1984 and completed his master's in sports administration at New Mexico in 1990.
> During the offseason, Martinez signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at San Diego State through the 2026 season.