Aztecs Ready to Battle Three Teams This Weekend at Tony Gwynn Legacy

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State returns to the diamond this weekend when it plays host to three teams in the Tony Gwynn Legacy, Feb. 20-22, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

The Aztecs will battle two former conference rivals in the 11th annual event when they lock horns with Brigham Young and Utah on Friday and Saturday, respectively, before the action-packed weekend concludes on Sunday with the first of two regular-season meetings against crosstown adversary San Diego.

Friday’s clash is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PT, followed by Saturday’s showdown at 5 p.m., while Sunday’s finale is slated to get underway at 4 p.m.

Along with live stats, which will be available for the entire weekend, Friday's and Sunday's games will air live on the Mountain West Network, with links to both platforms available on GoAztecs.com. Fans can also catch the action on their TVs or smartphones by downloading the MW app.

In addition, the first 200 fans in attendance for Friday’s Aztecs-Cougars battle will receive a free SDSU baseball hat.

San Diego State (3-1) suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday after dropping a 5-2 decision at UC Irvine.

The Aztecs are 17-15 in the Tony Gwynn Legacy, which was launched in 2016. After posting a 1-5 record in the first two years of the event, the Scarlet and Black has compiled a 16-10 ledger in their home tournament.

SDSU opened with a 5-4 victory over Seattle in 11 innings last season before falling to Utah, UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine on consecutive nights.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, Feb. 21, Rohan Lettow, RHP (SDSU, 0-0) vs. Garrison Sumner RHP (BYU, 0-0)

Saturday, Feb. 22, Drew Talavs, RHP (SDSU, 1-0) vs. Payton Riske RHP (Utah, 0-0)

Sunday, Feb. 23, Carson Johnson, RHP (SDSU, 0-0) vs. Drake Frize RHP (USD, 0-1)

All three projected Aztec hurlers are scheduled to make their second consecutive starts of the season this weekend.

Entering the tournament, SDSU pitchers lead the Mountain West in strikeouts-per-nine innings (14.9) and strikeouts-to-walk ratio (4.83), which ranks fourth and 12th in the nation, respectively.

Carson Johnson was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 17 after allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks in the Aztecs’ 6-5 triumph over LIU last Sunday. The SDSU redshirt sophomore posted a career-high 11 strikeouts in his first collegiate start, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning before yielding a one-out single.

During the season-opening weekend against LIU, Aztec pitchers combined for 46 strikeouts, marking their highest total for a three-game series since the 2019 staff fanned 47 hitters vs. San Francisco to open the 2019 campaign.

SDSU VS. BRIGHAM YOUNG
The Cougars are projected to start senior Garrison Sumner (0-0) on Friday against the Aztecs. Sumner started BYU’s season opener at Western Kentucky on Feb. 13, surrendering one run on two hits and four walks with a pair of strikeouts in three innings but did not factor in the decision. The Cougar right-hander started 11 of 14 games as a junior in 2025, posting a 3-3 record with an 8.32 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.

Senior Luke Anderson, junior Crew McChesney and sophomore Ezra McNaughton have started all four games for BYU, with each compiling a .333 batting average. McNaughton leads the team with six hits and six RBIs, tying McChesney for the top spot with two home runs.

San Diego State leads the all-time series vs. BYU 75-60-1 after posting a 10-5 triumph in the last meeting between the two squads on May 6, 2019. For that contest, the Aztecs and Cougars squared off at the Lake Elsinore Diamond, home of the Lake Elisnore Storm, the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

Along with Utah, SDSU will face one additional Big 12 Conference newcomer this season when it battles Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on March 30.

BYU split a four-game series at WKU to open the 2026 campaign, bookending a 5-2 setback and a 4-2 defeat around a 3-2 triumph and a 12-8 victory. The Cougars were scheduled to play Omaha in a neutral-site affair at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Thursday night, but a steady rain forced the cancellation of the contest.

Entering the week, BYU leads the Big 12 in doubles (10) and ranks second in home runs (6) but is slotted 10th in batting average (.248) and 12th in scoring (4.8 runs/gm).

On the mound,  Cougar pitchers rank seventh in the conference in ERA (4.76), 12th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.9) and 13th in walks per nine innings (6.88).

SDSU VS. UTAH
The Utes (2-1) are expected to start Payton Riske on Saturday against the Aztecs after the redshirt junior allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts in his previous outing at Fresno State on Feb. 14, when he tossed four innings without a decision. As a sophomore in 2025, Riske earned the Saturday spot in Utah’s rotation but suffered a season-ending injury after two starts, finishing with a 4.50 ERA and six strikeouts to go with a victory at Pepperdine.

The Utes took two of three games in their season-opening series at Fresno State, winning the first two encounters by scores of 8-3 and 5-4, before dropping a 14-8 decision in the finale. Utah was scheduled for a fourth game against the Bulldogs, but the contest was canceled due to inclement weather on Feb. 16. Additionally, the Utes opener in the Tony Gwynn Legacy at UC San Diego was washed out by rain on Thursday night.

Utah will be making its third straight appearance at the Tony Gwynn Legacy and fifth in eight years after an 8-0 blanking of SDSU in 2025.

Despite the setback, San Diego State still boasts a commanding 104-37 lead against Utah in a series that began in 1964. The Aztecs are 67-19 vs. the Utes in San Diego, 27-13 in Salt Lake City and 10-5 at neutral sites.

Utah is one of five programs the Aztecs have recorded over 100 victories against. The other four are New Mexico (134), Air Force (123), Fresno State (114) and UNLV (106).

Infielder Cameron Gurney has been the Utes’ top hitter thus far, batting .417 (5-12) with one double, one triple, four RBIs and three runs scored.

Collectively, Utah pitchers have amassed a 4.86 team ERA this season with 17 strikeouts against 11 walks. However, the opposition has hit a combined .272 against the Utes’ staff.

Utah sports two familiar faces on its roster in shortstop Daniel Arambula and second baseman Nevan Noonan, both of whom played for the Aztecs in 2025.

SDSU VS. USD
The Toreros are scheduled to start redshirt senior Drake Frize (0-1) in the weekend finale after he allowed four runs on five hits and a walk in four innings during his previous start at Charlotte on Feb. 13. Frize missed the entre 2025 campaign with an injury after logging a 3-1 record with a 2.93 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 18 relief appearances as a junior in 2024.

Prior to Sunday’s clash, USD will host a pair of Tony Gwynn Legacy games at Fowler Park, battling Utah on Friday night before facing Creighton on Saturday.

Sophomore Adrian Beltre Jr. leads the Toreros with a .455 batting average (5-11), adding four RBIs and three runs scored, while fellow classmate Aden Howard (.316) tops the squad with six hits and five runs scored, tying senior Jayden Lobliner (.294) for team-high honors with five RBIs.

As a staff, USD pitchers have compiled a 5.86 ERA and 27 strikeouts against 21 walks while limiting the opposition to a .228 batting average.

The Aztecs split two meetings against the Toreros last season, rolling to a 10-4 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium before dropping an 8-6 decision on the road.

Despite that setback, SDSU still leads the all-time series against USD, 80-64-3, dating back to 1962.

The Toreros captured a series victory at Charlotte last week, posting a 7-4 triumph in their season opener before splitting a doubleheader the following day. USD shook off the sting of a 13-0 run-rule defeat in game one of that twin-bill with a big 14-4 victory in the nightcap. The Toreros were also victorious in a midweek clash at Long Beach State on Feb. 17, plating three runs in the 11th inning to pocket a 6-3 win.

USD’s roster features a pair of former Aztecs in utility player CJ Moran and infielder Cade Martinez.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's action, San Diego State will hit the road to face No. 1 UCLA on Tuesday, Feb. 24, starting at 5 p.m. PT.