SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State baseball program earned two Mountain West honors on Monday, as Kelena Sauer was named MW Pitcher of the Week, while Cade Martinez was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week. The announcement was made at the conference office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
With their accolades, Sauer and Martinez merited the first MW weekly awards of their respective careers after the two players helped the Aztecs vault into first place in the Mountain West standings with a series victory over UNLV at home.
In all, Sauer pitched one scoreless inning in three different games, allowing just one hit to go with four strikeouts. The SDSU junior collected saves in consecutive victories against the Rebels, giving him 16 for his career, which ranks sixth in school history.
A 6-3 right-hander, Sauer posted two strikeouts and induced a flyout in the ninth inning of the Aztecs' 4-2 triumph last Friday. The Mililani, Hawai'i, native came back the following evening and posted his 10th save of the year, preserving SDSU's 5-2 victory. With his effort, he became the first Aztec pitcher to reach double digits in saves since CJ Saylor notched 13 during the 2017 campaign.
Sauer also fanned two batters in a ninth-inning appearance earlier in the week against UC Irvine, giving him multiple strikeouts in 11 of 21 games pitched this year.
Entering the week, Sauer's save total (10) leads the Mountain West, which is tied for sixth in the nation. The Aztec reliever has not allowed an earned run or a walk in his last seven appearances dating back to April 14, yielding just one hit against 10 strikeouts in seven innings pitched during that span.
Martinez, meanwhile, drove in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle in the second inning of SDSU's aforementioned 5-2 win over UNLV on April 29.
A local product from St. Augustine High, Martinez also recorded his team-leading seventh sacrifice bunt the previous night and posted his fourth multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-2 performance vs. UCI earlier in the week on April 25.
For the week, Martinez batted .300 (3-10) and logged one putout and one assist at third base for a clean 1.000 fielding percentage. Entering the week, he ranks third in the conference with seven sacrifice hits, which is tied for 34th in the nation.
Sauer and Martinez hit the road with the Aztecs this weekend when San Diego State battles San Jose State for five games in the Bay Area, May 5-7.
2023 San Diego State Baseball MW Weekly Honorees
Kelena Sauer (Pitcher – May 1)
Cade Martinez (Freshman – May 1)
TJ Fondtain (Pitcher – April 24)
Cole Carrigg (Player – April 24)
Irvin Weems (Player – March 27)
Maddox Haley (Freshman – March 20)
Poncho Ruiz (Player – March 6)
Drew Giannini (Freshman – March 6)