SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opens an eight-game homestand this week when it battles the University of San Diego on Tuesday, April 18, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. PT.
In addition to live stats, the Aztecs-Toreros clash will air live on the Mountain West Network with links available on GoAztecs.com.
The two teams were also scheduled to square off on Wednesday, April 18, at USD's Fowler Park. However, that contest was canceled and will not be made up.
SDSU (13-19, 8-5 MW) dropped two of three games at Fresno State last weekend, falling short in the final two contests by scores of 4-0 and 5-4 after winning the opener in 10 innings by a 4-3 count.
With their results the Aztecs find themselves in second place in the Mountain West standings behind San José State (18-13, 11-4 MW), which swept a three-game home series from UNLV, while Fresno State (17-17, 9-8 MW) is slotted third, followed by Air Force (16-21, 9-9 MW) and New Mexico (17-14, 6-8 MW).
Entering the week, SDSU pitchers rank second in the conference in team ERA (4.87), opposing batting average (.261) and fewest hits allowed (278). The Aztecs are also perched atop the MW with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks 52nd nationally, while occupying the third position in the league with 299 strikeouts overall.
Reliever Kelena Sauer (0-2, 3.92 ERA) leads the Mountain West with 14 games finished and is tied for second with a career-high six saves. Additionally, Eldridge Armstrong III (3-1, 2.84 ERA) shares the second spot in the conference with 17 appearances, while Sauer is slotted fourth with 16 games pitched, just ahead of Ricky Tibbett (15), who is tied for fifth.
On the base paths, SDSU tops the league with 1.56 stolen bases per game and 50 stolen bases overall, which ranks 66th and 75th in the country, respectively, while at the plate, the Aztecs are slotted sixth with a .264 team batting average.
The Aztecs boast four regulars with batting averages over .300, including center fielder Cole Carrigg (.341), right fielder Shaun Montoya (.324), second baseman Caden Miller (.317) and catcher Poncho Ruiz (.304).
After hitting .400 (6-15) in three games against Fresno State, Carrigg climbed to seventh place in the Mountain West in that statistic, while Montoya ranks 14th, followed by Miller, who is slotted 18th.
In addition, Montoya is perched atop the MW with 14 stolen bases, while his 0.45 stolen bases per game ranks 83rd in the nation. The SDSU sophomore has also vaulted into the fourth position in the league with a .437 on-base percentage.
Along with Montoya, the Aztecs feature two other players among the conference top 10 in stolen bases, including Carrigg (T-2nd, 9) and Irvin Weems (T-5th, 8).
Elsewhere, TJ Fondtain leads the Scarlet and Black with six home runs, while Ruiz tops the squad with 31 RBIs, both of which are tied for sixth in the Mountain West.
SDSU will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak to the Toreros dating back to 2021. The Aztecs found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard in two meetings a week apart last season, dropping an 8-3 decision at Fowler Park before suffering a 15-1 loss at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Scarlet and Black also lost a wild 16-12 affair at USD in the finale of a weekend series in 2021 after winning the first two games, also in high-scoring fashion 14-7 and 19-18, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
In a series that dates back to 1962, the Aztecs have maintained the upper hand over the Toreros, 78-61-3. SDSU head coach Mark Martinez is 9-7 against USD after taking over the reins of the Scarlet and Black in 2015.
In seven career games vs. the Toreros, super senior Brian Leonhardt is hitting .444 (12-27) with one home run, three doubles and 10 RBIs.
USD (15-18-1, 8-7 WCC) salvaged the final game of a weekend home series against Portland, posting a 7-6 walk-off victory on Sunday after stumbling in the first two contests, 8-7 and 9-5. With their results, the Toreros are slotted fifth in the West Coast Conference standings entering the week.
Infielder Justin DeCriscio (.331) and utility player Angelo Peraza (.326) are the two lone USD players hitting over .300 thus far, followed closely by infielder James Arakawa (.298).
In addition, infielder/outfielder Kevin Sim (.289) ranks second in the WCC with 39 runs scored and 37 RBIs while sharing the third spot with 11 homers.
Despite a .267 team batting average, which ranks sixth in the WCC, the Toreros lead the conference with 157 walks and occupy the second position with a .381 on-base percentage and 149 walks. USD is also slotted fourth in the league with 39 stolen bases, with Sim (9) and DeCriscio (7) representing the team's top two baserunning threats.
Torero pitchers rank fourth in the WCC with 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings while occupying the fifth spot with a 5.91 team ERA.
Ryan Robinson (4-1, 2.22 ERA) leads USD with 15 pitching appearances, followed by fellow right-handers Aidan Gonzalez (14 GP, 1-0, 4.70 ERA) and Ivran Romero (13 GP, 1-3, 5.59 ERA).
Brock Ungricht, who won three letters at San Diego State (2004-06) as a catcher and corner infielder, is in his second season as head coach of the Torero program after spending the previous 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 jump back into Mountain West competition this weekend for a three-game series vs. Nevada, April 21-23, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Aztecs Set for Tuesday Night Clash vs. USD
