Aztecs Prep for Crosstown Battle vs. USD on Tuesday

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State wraps up its first homestand of the 2025 campaign Tuesday when it welcomes the University of San Diego for a midweek clash at Tony Gwynn Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. PT, and the contest will air live on the Mountain West Network.

The Aztecs (3-5) dropped their final three games at the Tony Gwynn Legacy series after posting a dramatic 5-4 victory in 10 innings over Seattle in their home opener on Feb. 20. SDSU was handed an 8-0 defeat at the hands of Utah, followed by a narrow 7-5 setback to No. 21 UC Santa Barbara and a hard-luck 7-4 loss to Pepperdine in 11 innings.

Conversely, the Toreros (0-7) will be seeking their first win of the season after falling in four straight games at home to then-No. 23 TCU, Feb.14-17, followed by a three-game series sweep at Arizona, Feb. 21-23.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
SDSU is projected to start sophomore left-hander Garvey Rumary (0-0), while USD is expected to counter with sophomore right-hander Dallin Harrison (0-1) on Tuesday.

A native of Yorba Linda, California, Rumary will be making his first start of the year and fourth appearance overall after allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings across three games as a reliever.

As a freshman in 2024, Rumary ranked third on the team with 24 appearances, earning four starts. The Aztec hurler posted a 1-2 record and an 8.18 ERA while finishing sixth on the squad with 35 strikeouts in 33.0 innings.

In addition, Rumary compiled multiple strikeouts on 11 occasions and fanned at least one batter in eight straight games to start the year. He also issued one or fewer walks in 20 contests, including five straight to begin the season.

Rumary received his first starting assignment against USD last season at Tony Gwynn Stadium, yielding one run on three hits and four walks to go with four strikeouts in four innings of work but did not factor in the decision.  

On the flip side, Harrison made a pair of relief appearances in the Toreros’ season-opening series at then-No. 23 TCU, pitching a combined three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to offset two hits and three walks.

Last season, the Gilbert, Arizona, product appeared in nine games without a decision, posting a 3.68 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and four strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

AZTEC ODDS & ENDS
As of Feb. 24, San Diego State is slotted second in the Mountain West in hits (76) and total bases (110), while ranking third in doubles (11) and RBIs (42), and fourth in batting average (.265), on-base percentage (.358), and runs scored (45).

As a staff, Aztec pitchers top the conference in strikeouts (84) while occupying the third position in opposing batting average (.272) and the fourth spot in ERA (6.32).

Despite sitting out the past two games, sophomore outfielder Zane Kelly leads the MW in slugging percentage (.792) while ranking second in on-base percentage (.586) and slugging percentage (.900), and third in hits (12) and total bases (19). In the season opener vs. Seton Hall, the Las Vegas native set career highs with four hits and four runs scored.

Elsewhere, Finley Bates is tied for third in the league with eight runs scored, while Nevan Noonan shares the fourth spot with 11 hits.

Outfielder Jake Jackson tied a program record with two triples vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 14, becoming the first SDSU player to accomplish the feat since James Guerrero against New Mexico on April 9, 2005. Jackson also ripped a three-bagger at UCSD last week and now leads the MW in that category.

Against Nebraska on Feb. 16, the Aztecs employed 21 players for the game, including five true freshmen 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 in the eighth inning.

Aztec freshman catcher Eli Selga was a prep teammate of USD infielder Vincent Venverloh and pitcher/outfielder Jack McWilliams at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego.

SERIES RECORD VS. SAN DIEGO
Despite dropping both encounters last season, the Aztecs still lead the all-time series against the Toreros 79-63-3 dating back to 1962.

USD combined for eight runs during the seventh and eighth innings to claim a 9-2 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium on March 5, 2024, before handing the Scarlet and Black an 11-2 defeat at Fowler Park six weeks later.

The two sides will renew acquaintances at Fowler Park this season on April 21.

TOREROS AT A GLANCE
USD finished the 2024 campaign with a 41-15 overall record and captured the West Coast Conference tournament crown before advancing to the Santa Barbara Regional.

The Toreros were once again picked to win the WCC in the league’s preseason coaches poll, while senior Austin Smith, junior Jack Gurevitch and sophomore Logan Reddemann earned preseason all-WCC honors.

A left-handed pitcher and outfielder, Smith was tabbed the WCC Preseason Player of the Year by D1Baseball.com and was named to the 2025 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.

A utility player, Reddeman garnered WCC Freshman of the Year accolades in 2024, while first baseman Gurevitch was a second-team all-conference selection a year ago before receiving preseason WCC Player of the Year recognition prior to the 2025 campaign.

Through seven games this season, Gurevitch is tied for fourth in the WCC with a .448 batting average (13-29), contributing three homers and seven RBIs, while Smith (.267) and outfielder Aden Howard (.286, 4 SB) are tied for second on the team with eight hits apiece.

Collectively, USD finds itself among the top half of the conference in stolen bases (3rd, 14) and batting average (4th, .261) while occupying the fifth spot in on-base percentage (.343) and slugging percentage (.372).

As a staff, Torero pitchers ranked third in the WCC with 65 strikeouts but occupy the basement with a 9.31 ERA and a .321 opponent batting average.

Infielder Cade Martinez played two seasons for the Aztecs in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to USD.

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
Following Tuesday’s clash, San Diego State heads north for a three-game weekend series against Saint Mary’s, Feb. 28-March 2, in Moraga, California.