SAN DIEGO – In the lone matchup of the 2026 campaign between two crosstown adversaries, the San Diego State baseball team was unable to overcome a fast start by the University of San Diego on Sunday, falling by a 15-4 count at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Aztecs (4-3) stumbled out of the gates against the Toreros, who raced to an 11-0 lead in the first three innings after capitalizing on nine walks and three hit batters in that span.
USD (6-1) sent 12 men to the plate in the top of the third, erupting for six runs on just one hit to build an insurmountable advantage and help spoil the Scarlet and Black’s final game of the 11th annual Tony Gwynn Legacy.
SDSU finally broke through with a trio of markers in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Gage Adams’ leadoff home run, while Jabin Trosky followed with an RBI double and later scored on Jake Jackson’s sacrifice fly.
However, the Toreros gave themselves additional breathing room in the sixth, courtesy of CJ Moran’s three-run homer before adding another tally in the seventh on Nico Button’s RBI groundout.
The Aztecs later closed out the scoring in the eighth when Adam Magpoc singled and stole second before racing home on Tyce Peterson’s sharp single to right.
SDSU utilized eight pitchers on the night, with relievers Jake Frohn (2.0 IP), Nick Falla (1.0 IP), Alito McBean (1.0 IP) and Colton LaFave (1.0 IP) each completing scoreless stints.
USD starter Drake Frize (1-1) picked up his first victory of the season after allowing three runs on five hits without a walk in five innings, while his Aztec counterpart Carson Johnson (0-1) was saddled with the loss after pitching just two innings.
Moran and Andrew Gauna tied for game-high honors with three hits and four RBIs for the Toreros, while Adams and Trosky finished with two hits each for the Scarlet and Black.
Aztec freshman Marc Emmerman recorded his first collegiate hit with a two-out single in the fourth.
San Diego State will hit the road to face a pair of Big Ten opponents next week, starting with a midweek clash at No. 1 UCLA on Tuesday, Feb. 24, followed by a four-game series in the Pacific Northwest against Washington, Feb. 27-March 2.
