SAN DIEGO – San Diego State's Poncho Ruiz (Tijuana, Mexico/Mater Dei Catholic HS) has been named Mountain West Player of the Week after his key contributions to the team's home sweep of New Mexico, as the Aztecs secured a share of the MW regular-season championship. The announcement was made Monday by the league office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
With his award, Ruiz garnered the second MW weekly accolade of the year, giving the Scarlet and Black nine such honors this season.
Against the Lobos, Ruiz batted .600 (6-10) with two doubles, one triple, four RBIs and two runs scored, as the Aztecs completed a season sweep of UNM and won for the 14th time in the last 15 meetings between the two squads. The SDSU junior drove in a run in each of the three games and finished with multiple hits in the first two contests.
In the series opener, Ruiz laced a key RBI single in the bottom of the eighth in the series opener, which narrowed the gap to 3-2, before the Aztecs won in dramatic fashion in the ninth.
The following evening, Ruiz went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored in SDSU's 4-3 triumph in game two. The Aztec catcher bookended the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first inning before doubling home the eventual game-winner in the fifth with two outs. Earlier, Ruiz also hit a leadoff double and scored in the team's two-run fourth-inning surge.
Additionally, Ruiz singled and scored in the third inning of the series finale during which SDSU plated four runs to pull within 6-5 after the Lobos forged a 6-1 lead. He then tied the game in the sixth with a sacrifice fly before the Aztecs plated two markers in the seventh to win.
For the season, Ruiz is batting .274 with six home runs and a team-high 40 RBIs. He also leads the squad with multiple hits in 18 games and has had two or more RBIs in 11 contests.
Ruiz and the No. 2-seed Aztecs open the Mountain West Championship against third-seeded Air Force on Thursday, May 25, on Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium in Fresno, California. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. PT, and the contest will air live on the MW Network.
2023 San Diego State Baseball MW Weekly Honorees
Poncho Ruiz (Player – May 22)
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)