SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State baseball program collected two Mountain West weekly honors on Monday, as Omar Serrano was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week, while Zane Kelly was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week. The announcement was made at the MW office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Both players played key roles in the Aztecs' first three-game sweep of Fresno State as members of the Mountain West and first since 1968, as the Scarlet and Black captured the season series against the first-place Bulldogs four game to two.
With their awards, Serrano and Kelly garnered the first MW weekly accolades of their respective careers, giving the Aztecs 11 such plaudits so far this season.
SDSU's Colby Turner earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors on five previous occasions (Feb. 26, March 4, March 18, April 1 and April 8), while Jake Jackson twice received the same distinction (Feb. 19, April 22). Additionally, Jacob McCombs was tabbed MW Freshman of the Week on April 15, while Jacob Riordan was named the league's Pitcher of the Week on April 1.
Serrano was the winning pitcher in SDSU's 3-1 triumph on Saturday, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks in seven-plus innings. During his stint, the Aztec right-hander limited the Bulldogs to a .160 batting average (4-25) after they entered the series with a .294 clip, which ranked third in the MW at the time.
In addition, Serrano also held Fresno State to a .143 average (1-7) with runners aboard and tied his second-highest total of the season with seven strikeouts. With his performance, the SDSU junior has recorded at least five strikeouts in five of his last six starts.
Serrano demonstrated tremendous control throughout his appearance, retiring the side in order in the three different innings (1st, 4th, 7th) and did not issue his third walk until facing the leadoff batter in the eighth.
Meanwhile, Kelly was the hero of Friday's 9-8 triumph, ripping a pinch-hit three-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning, which ultimately provided the winning margin.
With the Aztecs trailing 7-6, the bases were loaded for Kelly, who stepped to the plate and drilled a 3-1 pitch with two outs into the gap in right center, plating all three runners to give the Scarlet and Black a 9-7 advantage.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Kelly also earned a start at designated hitter in Sunday's series finale, finishing with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate, as SDSU completed the sweep.
For the season, Serrano has compiled a 4-5 record with a team-best 4.39 ERA, posting 61 strikeouts across 67 2/3 innings. The Downey, California, native is listed among the MW's top 10 in several categories this week, ranking fourth in innings pitched (67.2), fifth in ERA (4.39), sixth in strikeouts (61) and eighth in opponent batting average (.275).
Meanwhile, Kelly has started eight of 16 games, logging a .286 batting average (10-35) with three doubles, six RBIs and three runs scored.
San Diego State will be back in action this weekend when it plays host to Air Force in a key Mountain West series, May 10-12, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. All three games will air live on the Mountain West Network.