Aztecs Welcome Northeastern for Four-Game Weekend Series

 

***Updated article March 6, 2025, 11 a.m. PT***

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State returns to action this weekend when it plays host to Northeastern in a four-game series, March 7-9, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Thursday's Aztecs-Huskies clash was postponed due to anticipated rain and will be made up later this weekend at day and time to be determined.

As a result, the two sides will open the series on Friday, March 7, at 6 p.m. PT, with the remainder of the weekend schedule to be updated.

The first 250 patrons on Friday will receive a free Aztec trucker hat.

Live stats will be available throughout the weekend, while Sunday’s contest will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network.

In addition, the first 200 kids in attendance on Sunday will receive a free SDSU hero cape as part of the Aztecs’ Hero Day promotion.

San Diego State (4-9) will be looking to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak after dropping a 7-1 decision at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday night. Nursing a slim 2-1 advantage, the Titans combined for five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away for the victory.

Conversely, Northeastern (4-5) dropped three of four games at Hawai’i this past weekend after winning two of three encounters vs. Indiana State, Feb. 22-23, in Port Charlotte, Florida.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Subject to change

Gm 1 - SDSU: Evan Miranda RHP (0-0) vs. NU: Jordan Gottesman LHP (0-1)

Gm 2 - SDSU: Omar Serrano RHP (0-1) vs. NU; Will Jones LHP (3-0)

Gm 3 - SDSU: Marko Sipila RHP (0-0) vs. NU: Alven Cabral RHP (1-2)

Gm 4 - SDSU: Garvey Rumary LHP (0-1) vs. NU: Jack Bowery LHP (0-0)

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
As of March 5, San Diego State is slotted second in the Mountain West in hits (121) and batting average (.268) while ranking third in batting RBIs (64) and tying for the third spot in runs scored (70). In addition, the Scarlet and Black is listed fifth in both slugging percentage (.370) and on-base percentage (.361).

As a staff, Aztec pitchers top the conference in innings pitched (114.2) while occupying the second spot in strikeouts (111) and the sixth position in both ERA (6.59) and opposing batting average (.294).

Despite sitting out two games, sophomore outfielder Zane Kelly is slotted third in the MW with a .436 batting average and is tied for fourth in on-base percentage (.500) while ranking fifth in slugging percentage (.641) and sharing the fifth spot in hits (17). In the season opener vs. Seton Hall, the Las Vegas native set career highs with four hits and four runs scored.

In addition, CJ Moran is tied for fourth in the league with five doubles, while Finley Bates shares the fifth position with 12 runs scored.

Outfielder Jake Jackson tied a program record with two triples against 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 on Feb. 18 and now ranks second in the MW in that category, followed by Kelly and Drew Rutter with two apiece.

On the mound, Peyton Rodgers leads the Mountain West with five games finished and ranks second with two saves after preserving Aztec victories over Seton Hall and UC San Diego.

In addition, Issac Araiza and Evan Miranda top the conference with eight appearances, followed by Rodgers and Chris Canavan, who are tied for third with seven apiece.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
Zane Kelly has reached base safely in all 11 games he’s played, followed by Jake Jackson with nine. Heading into the weekend, Kelly owns the team’s longest current hitting streak at four games.

Five players lead the Aztecs with multiple hits in four games, including Daniel Arambula, Finley Bates, CJ Moran, Nevan Noonan and Drew Rutter.

Similarly, Bates and Moran top the squad with multiple RBIs in three outings this season, followed by Arambula and Jake Jackson with two.

San Diego State has emerged victorious in 80 of its last 126 games dating back to 2019 when launching one out of the park, including a 14-13 mark during the 2024 campaign and a 14-12 ledger in 2023.

Since 2019, the Aztecs are 75-58 in their last 133 games when striking out 10 or more batters. SDSU pitchers fanned 17 hitters in its season opener against Seton Hall at the MLB Desert Invitational.

The Aztecs are 171-61 over the last seven-plus seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a stellar 38-6 record during the 2017 campaign.

Against Nebraska on Feb. 16, 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.

Escobar made his first career start at Cal State Fullerton on March 4 at the shortstop position.

SERIES RECORD VS. NORTHEASTERN
The Aztecs will face the Huskies for the first time in program history this weekend.

SDSU owns a 3-3 record against four teams that sponsor baseball in the current alignment of the Coastal Athletic Association.

SDSU played two teams from the CAA in 2010, when it split a wild two-game midweek series against Stony Brook at Tony Gwynn Stadium, hanging on for an 11-10 nail-biter before dropping a marathon 18-14 decision in 14 innings.

Earlier that year, the Aztecs also posted 7-0 shutout of Monmouth at home.

Prior to that season, San Diego State suffered a pair of narrow losses to Delaware by scores of 5-4 and 4-3 at the Aztecs’ Sun Life Classic in 1982.

In addition, the Aztecs also defeated Elon 12-1 in the opening game of the 1958 NAIA World Series in Alpine, Texas, before knocking off St. Cloud State and Southwestern Oklahoma en route to the title.

HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
Northeastern (4-5) arrives in “America’s Finest City” after dropping three of four games at Hawai’i last weekend. The Huskies found themselves on the short end of an 11-5 score in the opener before rebounding with a 7-1 triumph, followed by losses of 11-3 and 3-2 (10 innings).

Northeastern was picked to finish third in the 2025 Coastal Athletic Association preseason coaches poll, earning one first-place vote to trail favorites UNC Wilmington and Charleston.

Individually, five Huskies were named to the preseason all-CAA team, including position players Alex Lane (1B/OF/DH), Gregory Bozzo (C), Jack Goodman (IF) and Cam Maldonado (OF) and pitcher Jack Beauchesne.

In 2024, Northeastern posted a 38-17 overall record, earning a No. 3 seed at the CAA Tournament after logging an 18-9 mark in league play. However, the Huskies were eliminated from postseason contention after suffering a pair of upsets against Hofstra and William and Mary.

Maldanado (.306) and Lane (.297) are the only two players to start all nine games for Northeastern this season, sharing the top spot on the team with 11 hits thus far.

Entering the weekend, outfielder Harrison Feinberg leads the CAA with a .760 slugging percentage and is tied for third with three home runs.

The Huskies, who have played two fewer games than most of their conference rivals so far this season, are tied for fourth in the CAA with nine home runs but rank 11th in league with a .231 team batting average while occupying the basement in on-base percentage (.315), hits (71) and runs scored (37).

Conversely, Northeastern leads the CAA with a 3.62 team ERA and shares the top spot with fewest hits allowed (70) while ranking second in opposing batting average (.236).

Sunday’s scheduled starter Jack Bowery pitched 10 innings in his last outing at Hawai’i but did not factor in the decision after the Rainbow Warriors secured the walk-off win in the bottom of the 12th.

UP NEXT
Following their series against Northeastern, San Diego State opens its 2025 Mountain West slate next weekend when it plays host to San José State in a three-game set, March 14-16, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.