***SCHEDULE UPDATE - March 5, 2024, 10:30 a.m. PT***
San Diego State's home game vs. the UC San Diego Tritons, originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, has been moved to Tuesday, May 14 at 6 p.m. PT. Inclement weather was forecast to affect the San Diego region, which prompted the switch.
SAN DIEGO – San Diego State returns to the friendly environs of Tony Gwynn Stadium this week to open a five-game homestand, starting Tuesday, March 5, when the Aztecs play host to the San Diego Toreros at Tony Gwynn Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. PT.
Tuesday's clash vs. USD has been designated a Red Out Game and all fans are encouraged to wear red in support of the Aztecs.
SDSU is expected to start freshman left-hander Garvey Rumary (0-0, 1.35 ERA, 11 SO) against the Toreros on Tuesday, while USD is projected to counter with junior righty Ryan Kyser (0-0, 7.88, 10 SO).
Rumary has appeared in five games for the Aztecs this season, allowing one run on seven hits without a walk in 6 2/3 innings while posting 11 strikeouts. The Yorba Linda, California has fanned three batters in three different games vs. Portland, Utah and at UC Riverside.
Meanwhile, Kyser has appeared in two games for the Toreros in 2024, yielding seven runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in eight innings of work. The Valencia, California, product was the winning pitcher in USD's 15-1 victory over San Diego State on April 18, 2022, when he gave up one run on three hits and one walks with four strikeouts in a five-inning start at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Aztecs dropped two of three games at Fresno State in its first Mountain West series of the year, falling by a 12-6 count in the opener last Friday before splitting a doubleheader on Sunday. SDSU emerged with a 7-1 victory in game one of that twin bill, but the Bulldogs responded with an 11-1 triumph in the nightcap to clinch the series win.
Offensively, the Aztecs have received a huge boost this season from rookie third baseman Colby Turner, who garnered his second straight Mountain West Freshman of the Week accolade on Monday, after leading the team in most categories over the past four games, including batting average (.500), on-base percentage (.579), slugging percentage (.875), total bases (14), hits (8), runs scored (6) and RBIs (4).
For the season, Turner leads all SDSU regulars with slash line of .395/.460/.674, 17 hits, 10 runs scored and 29 total bases while tying for the top perch with 12 RBIs. He also shares the peak position in the MW with three triples and finds himself among the conference leaders for all games in hits (T-2nd), total bases (T-3rd), RBIs (T-4th), batting average (5th) and slugging percentage (5th).
Along with Turner's exploits, the Aztecs have received double-digit totals in hits from three additional players this year in outfielders Shaun Montoya (13 H, .271 BA) and Irvin Weems (11 H, .289 BA) along with infielder Finley Bates (11 H, .289 BA).
Not to be outdone, SDSU starter Omar Serrano tossed his first career complete game in the doubleheader opener at Fresno State, allowing just one run on five hits without a walk while striking out a season-high six batters. The SDSU junior retired the first nine hitters he faced and did not yield a hit until the fifth inning.
Entering Tuesday's contest, Aztec pitchers lead the Mountain West with 116 strikeouts and a .234 opposing team batting average while ranking third with a collective 5.45 ERA.
At the plate, SDSU finds itself among the conference leaders in runs scored (3rd, 71), RBIs (3rd, 62), doubles (3rd, 28) and hits (4th, 103) but rank just fifth in batting average (.261) and sixth in slugging percentage (.398).
Fourteen of the Aztecs' 19 true freshmen have seen game action for the Scarlet and Black so far this season.
San Diego State will make return visits across town for rematches against UCSD and USD later this season. The Aztecs will head over to Triton Ballpark in La Jolla on Wednesday, April 10 before invading USD's Fowler Park on Tuesday, April 23.
SERIES RECORD VS. USD
The Aztecs faced USD just once during the 2023 campaign, posting a 1-0 whitewash at Tony Gwynn Stadium to snap a three-game losing streak vs. the Toreros. Eight SDSU pitchers combined on a two-hitter for the Scarlet and Black, including returners Xavier Cardenas III, Aidan Russell, Issac Araiza and Jonny Guzman, who each tossed one inning of relief.
With the victory, the Aztecs completed their first shutout of USD since 2015 and raised their record in the all-time series to 79-61-3 dating back to 1962.
SCOUTING THE TOREROS
The Toreros are off to a 5-5 start this season, including a 9-1 triumph over Michigan in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic on Sunday after falling to No. 20 UC Irvine by a 3-1 count on Friday at Anteater Ballpark in Irvine to open the tournament.
USD and SDSU have faced one common opponent this season, with the Toreros dropping a 7-4 decision at CSUN on Feb. 27 after the Matadors rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Aztecs at Tony Gwynn Stadium the previous week.
USD was picked to finish second in the 2024 West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll along with Portland after receiving 54 points and three first-place votes, while Santa Clara was the projected front-runner after earning 58 points and five first-place votes.
Individually, junior utility player Angelo Peraza and sophomore infielder Jack Jurevitch were named to the preseason all-WCC team.
A Chula Vista native and St. Augustine High graduate, Peraza received first-team all-conference recognition in 2023 after batting .330 with 11 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 33 RBIs and 55 runs scored.
Meanwhile, Jurevitch garnered WCC all-freshman accolades last season after hitting .265 with seven doubles, three triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs and 22 runs scored. The Pacific Palisades product started 34 games at first base and 10 games at designated hitter in 2023.
Through 10 games this year, Jurevitch is perched atop the WCC with a team-best .487 batting average and shares the conference lead with 19 hits, while third baseman/outfielder Jack Costello (.357) is tied for fifth in the league with 14 RBIs.
As a team, the Toreros rank second in the WCC with a .287 team batting average while occupying the fifth spot in hits (102), RBIs (56) and runs scored (60).
On the mound, USD is slotted second in the conference with a .244 opponent batting average and 107 strikeouts while ranking fifth with a 5.36 ERA.
Brock Ungricht, who won three letters at San Diego State (2004-06) as a catcher and corner infielder, is in his third season as head coach of the Torero program after serving 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.
UP NEXT
San Diego State jumps back into Mountain West play this weekend when it battles Nevada in a three-game series, March 8-10, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Aztecs Prep for Midweek Home Game vs USD
