SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State baseball program garnered two Mountain West accolades on Monday, as Jacob Riordan was named MW Pitcher of the Week, while Colby Turner was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week. The announcement was made at the conference office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
With his award, Riordan earned the first MW weekly honor of the season, while Turner merited such distinction for the fourth time already this year. Both players played prominent roles in helping the Aztecs to a home series victory over New Mexico, March 28-29.
A transfer from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Riordan tossed the ninth no-hitter in program history in SDSU's 13-0 run-rule victory over the Lobos in the second game of a doubleheader last Friday at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
In all, the Aztec graduate student threw 111 pitches across seven innings, tying his season high with eight strikeouts to offset six walks and a hit batter, as the Scarlet and Black completed the twin-bill sweep and won for the 16th time in the last 18 meetings vs. UNM.
Riordan was part of an Aztec pitching staff that held the Lobos to a .155 batting average for the series after they entered the weekend with a conference-leading .332 clip. New Mexico was also the league's top scoring team, entering the series with an average of 9.4 runs per game, which ranked 18th nationally as of March 27. However, the Lobos averaged just 3.67 runs for the series.
With Riordan's gem, San Diego State has recorded a no-hitter in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history after TJ Fondtain accomplished the feat in a 4-0 whitewash of Nevada on April 21, 2023.
For the season, Riordan has posted a 3-1 record with a 3.60 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 35.0 innings pitched. The Atlanta, Georgia, native leads the conference in opponent batting average (.186) and fewest hits allowed (22) while occupying the sixth spot in strikeouts (39) and the eighth position in ERA (3.60).
Meanwhile, Turner compiled a .385 batting average, a .692 slugging percentage, nine total bases and four RBIs for the UNM series, with the latter three ranking second on the squad. He also had a 62.5 percent success rate advancing runners during the weekend (5-8).
In Friday's doubleheader nightcap, Turner went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen bases, giving teammate Riordan ample offensive support en route to his no-hitter. The Aztec third baseman launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning of that contest to close out the scoring in the Aztecs' 13-0 romp.
Earlier in game one of that twin-bill, Turner reached on a fielder's choice and scored a run in the first inning, as SDSU held on for an 8-6 triumph. The Huntington Beach, California, native also went 2-for-4 at the plate in the series opener, ripping an RBI single and scoring in the eighth inning, as a late Aztec rally fell short.
Entering the week, Turner leads the team in several categories, including a .378 batting average and a .633 slugging percentage, which rank fourth and fifth in the Mountain West, respectively. In addition, the Aztec newcomer tops the squad in on-base percentage (.424), total bases (57), hits (34), RBIs (22) and runs scored (20).
San Diego State will be back in action this week when it travels up the coast for back-to-back non-conference games against Cal Poly, April 2-3, at Baggett Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California. The Aztecs will then continue north to the Bay Area where they will battle MW rival San José State in a three-game series, April 5-7, at Stephen Schott Stadium on the Santa Clara University campus.