Aztecs Set for Tuesday Night Battle at UC San Diego

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State continues its road swing on Tuesday when it makes the short drive across town to battle UC San Diego at Triton Ballpark in La Jolla, California. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. PT, and the contest will be broadcast via subscription basis on ESPN+.

The Aztecs (1-2) raised the curtain on their 2025 campaign at the prestigious MLB Desert Invitational last weekend in Arizona, where they posted a big 16-11 victory over Seton Hall in their season opener before dropping a narrow 6-5 decision to Grand Canyon, followed by a 13-0 defeat at the hands of No. 24 Nebraska.

Against Seton Hall, the Aztecs clobbered 18 hits, with eight of nine starters posting at least one, helping SDSU snap a three-game losing streak in season openers.

Individually, Biola transfer Jonathan Smith starred in his Aztec debut, finishing with a career-high five RBIs, highlighted by a three-run homer in the fourth inning that put San Diego State in front to stay at 5-4. He also ripped a two-run double in the ninth to account for the Aztecs’ final tally.

With the win, SDSU tied the second highest run-total for a season opener against an intercollegiate opponent in program history, matching the 1961 team (16-11 vs. Chapman) and 1964 squad (16-1 vs. Orange State College (now Cal State Fullerton)). In 1954, the Aztecs opened with an 18-0 rout of Whittier.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
SDSU is projected to start sophomore right-hander Evan Miranda (0-0), while UCSD is expected to counter with junior lefty Jake Villar (0-1) on Tuesday.

Miranda will be making his first career start after tying for the Mountain West lead with 25 appearances last season, all in relief. In 2024, Fontana, California, native posted a 3-3 record with an 8.58 ERA, 31 strikeouts and one save across 28 1/3 innings.

Miranda pitched in Sunday's loss to Nebraska, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in one inning with a pair of strikeouts.

Miranda was the winning pitcher in the Aztecs’ 3-2 triumph over UCSD in their home finale last year, ceding just one hit in two scoreless innings of relief,

On the flip side, Villar was charged with the loss Sunday in the Tritons’ 6-3 defeat at Pacific after yielding three runs on three hits and one walk in his lone inning of work.

Villar pitched the past two seasons at Santa Barbara City College, helping his squad to consecutive Western State-North Conference championships and a pair of CCCAA regional titles. As a sophomore in 2024, the Santa Clarita, California, product compiled a 10-0 record with a 2.09 ERA and 87 strikeouts to earn WSC-North Pitcher of the Year honors and ABCA Pacific Association Division third-team All-America plaudits.

AZTEC ODDS & ENDS
As of Feb. 17, San Diego State leads the Mountain West in several offensive categories, including batting average (.308), on-base percentage (.400), hits (33), RBIs (20) and triples (4).

In addition, the Aztecs are slotted second in slugging percentage (.458) and is tied for the second spot in runs scored (21).

Sophomore outfielder Zane Kelly ranks second in the conference in batting average (.600), on-base percentage (.692) and slugging percentage (.900) and runs scored (5). Against Seton Hall, the Las Vegas native set career highs with four hits and four runs scored.

Elsewhere, Jonathan Smith tops the conference in RBIs (5) and is slotted third behind Kelly in on-base percentage (.583) and slugging percentage (.889) while sharing the third spot in batting average (.444).

Third baseman Daniel Arambula enjoyed a solid debut for the Scarlet and Black, batting .385 with five hits, one walk, one RBI and four runs scored. His .385 clip for the weekend ranked third on the team and was tops among SDSU freshmen.

Arambula went 2-for-5 for against SHU, contributing an RBI in the Aztecs’ six-run inning with a perfectly executed bunt single that helped give Aztecs a 7-4 lead after trailing earlier 4-1.

Outfielder Jake Jackson tied a program record with two triples vs. Seton Hall, becoming the first SDSU player to accomplish the feat since James Guerrero against New Mexico on April 9, 2005.

Against Nebraska, the Aztecs employed 21 players on the night, including five true freshman who were making their first career appearances (Evan Escobar, Cody Liscio, Dillon Marrisett, Alito McBean, Hank Tripaldi). Tripaldi singled in his first collegiate at-bat with a grounder through the right side in the eighth.

SERIES RECORD VS. UC SAN DIEGO
The Aztecs swept both meetings with the Tritons last season to raise their record to 27-10 in the all-time series dating back to 1971.

SDSU posted a big 18-8 victory in La Jolla before notching a 3-2 triumph at Tony Gwynn Stadium in the 2024 home finale.

In that first contest, the Aztecs set season highs in hits (22), runs scored (18) and RBIs (17), marking their largest offensive production since April 2, 2023, when they posted 22 hits and 18 RBIs in a 19-7 rout at New Mexico.

Individually, seven players finished with multiple hits for the Scarlet and Black, including Tino Bethancourt (2-for-5), who totaled five RBIs on the night, highlighted by his first career grand slam in the fourth that gave SDSU an 8-3 advantage.

In the latter showdown, the Aztecs never trailed in the game, as seven starters recorded at least one hit, including two apiece by Bethancourt, who ultimately provided the margin of victory with an RBI double in the sixth inning.

Evan Miranda, SDSU's second hurler of the game, was credited with the victory after allowing just one hit in two scoreless innings, while fellow returners Garvey Rumary (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and Aidan Russell (0.2 IP, 2 K) also kept the Tritons off the board in their respective stints.

UCSD AT A GLANCE
The Tritons, who were picked to finish fifth in the Big West preseason coaches poll, dropped two of three games at Pacific to open the 2025 campaign. UCSD posted an 11-4 triumph in game two, sandwiched around a 2-1 setback in the opener and a 6-3 defeat in the finale.

Infielder Anthony Potestio hit .455 (5-11) in the series with four runs scored and an RBI while stealing three bases in three attempts.

In addition, outfielder Michael Crossland hit .308 for the weekend, highlighted by a 2-for-5 effort at the plate with four RBIs in Saturday’s victory, including a two-run homer in the top of the first.

Prior to the 2025 campaign, catcher Emiliano Gonzalez earned a spot on the preseason all-Big West team. In 2024, the Azusa, California, native led the team in hits (52), RBIs (46), slugging percentage (.426) and on-base percentage (.343), while finishing second in batting average (.317) and third in runs scored (30).

UP NEXT
San Diego State will conduct its home opener on Thursday, Feb. 20, when it plays host to Seattle in its first game of the Tony Gwynn Legacy. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. PT, and the contest will air live on the Mountain West Network.