SAN DIEGO – After opening with seven straight home games, San Diego State is gearing up for its first road swing of the season this week, beginning with a non-conference clash at UC Riverside on Tuesday, Feb. 27. First pitch from Riverside Sports Complex is slated for 6:30 p.m. PT, and the contest will air live via ESPN+ on a subscription basis.
The Aztecs are expected to give freshman left-hander Chris Canavan (0-0, 2.45 ERA) his first starting nod in a Scarlet and Black uniform, while right-hander Tucker Juline (0-0, 16.87 ERA) is projected to get the call for the Highlanders.
Canavan has pitched in three games as a reliever in his rookie campaign, yielding four runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks, while striking out four batters while striking out four batters in 3.2 innings.
A 6-2 senior, Juline has made one relief appearance for UCR this season, yielding five runs on six hits with just one strikeout in 2.2 innings vs. Nevada on Feb. 17. The Rancho Cucamonga product made six starts in 2023, posting a 1-4 record with a 6.85 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 47.1 innings.
SDSU (3-4) took two of three games at the Tony Gwynn Legacy to wrap up its season-opening homestand this past weekend.
The Aztecs rolled past Missouri by a 10-3 count in their tournament opener on Friday before posting an 11-6 comeback victory over CSU Bakersfield the following night. However, Utah foiled SDSU's plans for a weekend sweep by dealing the Scarlet and Black an 11-5 defeat on Sunday evening.
Along with the previous home game vs. CSUN on Feb. 21, Colby Turner led the Aztecs in batting average (.467), on-base percentage (.529), total bases (11), hits (7) and runs scored (4) last week. The SDSU third baseman also tied for the top spot on the squad in RBIs (7) and struck out just once in 15 at-bats, collecting Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors.
Turner's selection gives the Aztecs consecutive conference weekly award winners after Jake Jackson received the same recognition on Feb. 19.
Against Mizzou, Turner went 3-for-4 at the plate with a career-high four RBIs, highlighted by a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the first, as the Scarlet and Black raced to a 4-1 lead it would not relinquish. He later added an RBI triple in the sixth to help the Aztecs extend their advantage. Turner's three hits tied Shaun Montoya for the team lead, while Finley Bates and Irvin Weems finished with two each.
In addition, reliever Jacob Riordan (1-0) earned his first victory in a Scarlet and Black uniform, scattering five hits and one walk while across 4.2 scoreless innings. The Aztec senior also struck out a season-high six batters.
Playing as the road team on its home field against CSUB, San Diego State erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth to escape with the victory against the Roadrunners. After mustering just one hit in each of the previous two innings, the Aztecs sent 10 batters to the plate, as Montoya scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, while Jacob McCombs capped the rally with his second grand slam of the week to close out the scoring. The SDSU freshman also went deep for a grand slam against CSUN three nights earlier.
Jadon Bercovich (1-1) retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame, striking out the final two batters to collect the victory. The Aztec reliever entered in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings without a hit or a walk while fanning four hitters in his appearance.
However, SDSU experienced a reversal of fortune the following game when Utah scored five runs in the seventh to pull away for an 11-5 victory.
Six different players totaled at least one hit for the Aztecs, including two by Jackson, while Turner added an RBI double for his third extra-base hit of the week, but it wasn't enough.
For the season, Turner owns a team-high .333 batting average and 15 total bases while ranking second with nine hits and eight RBIs. He is also tied for the conference lead with two triples and shares the sixth spot in RBIs.
In addition, Montoya tops the squad with 10 hits and two stolen bases while occupying the second spot in batting average (.323), while McCombs maintains the team lead in RBIs (9) thanks to his two grand slams.
On the mound, SDSU leads the in the Mountain West with a .186 opposing team batting average as of Feb. 26 while ranking second with 82 strikeouts and third with a 3.32 team ERA.
Offensively, the Aztecs are perched atop the league with 18 doubles and are tied for second with 48 runs scored while occupying the fifth spot in batting average (.253) and on-base percentage (.407).
Picked to finish last in the 2024 Big West preseason poll, UC Riverside (3-5) squared off against local rival California Baptist, alternating venues in a four-game series last weekend. The Highlanders posted a 3-0 victory in the opener before dropping the final three encounters by scores of 12-3, 6-2 and 10-8.
UCR is 2-4 at home this season, losing two of three to Nevada in its season-opening series before rebounding with an 8-4 triumph over Utah Valley, followed by the aforementioned shutout of CBU.
Individually, Tyler Weaver ranks third in the Big West with a .500 batting average thus far, highlighted by a 4-for-4 performance at the plate with a home run and three RBIs, falling one double short of hitting for the cycle. In addition, the senior utility player is slotted seventh in the league in slugging percentage (.917) and fifth in on-base percentage (.571).
Elsewhere, outfielder Tyler Martinez (.355) leads the Highlanders with 11 hits, which is tied for third in the Big West, followed by infielder Jayden Lopez (.385), who has 10 hits to his credit, which is tied for seventh in the conference.
Collectively, UCR occupies the second position in the Big West with 77 hits and is slotted fourth with a .280 batting average while ranking fifth in slugging percentage (.382) and seventh in on-base percentage (.362).
As a pitching staff, the Highlanders are sixth in the league with 65 strikeouts but rank just ninth in team ERA (6.08) and 10th in opposing batting average (.288).
SDSU owns a 42-28-2 all-time record against UC Riverside in a series that was launched in 1968. The Aztecs split two games vs. the Highlanders during the 2023 campaign, dropping a 3-1 decision in Riverside before rebounding with a 14-5 triumph at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
In that victory, the Scarlet and Black overcame deficits of 4-0 and 5-4, scoring 10 unanswered runs over the last four innings to win going away. Among Aztec returners, Shaun Montoya (3 runs) and Brady Lavoie finished with a pair of hits in that contest.
SDSU, which has won 40 of its last 65 against the Big West opponents, will play host to the Highlanders in a rematch between the two squads on Tuesday, March 12, starting at 6 p.m. PT.
Following Tuesday's contest, San Diego State opens it 2024 Mountain West schedule this weekend, March 1-3, when it pays a visit to the Central Valley for a three-game series at Fresno State.
Aztecs Prep for Tuesday Night Clash at UCR
