Aztec Baseball Readies for Key MW Series at New Mexico This Weekend

SAN DIEGO -- In a showdown of conference contenders, first-place San Diego State returns to Mountain West competition this weekend when it visits third-place New Mexico for another pivotal three-game series, April 10-12, at Lobo Baseball Field in Albuquerque, N.M.

Friday's opener is set to get underway at 6 p.m. MT (5 p.m. PT), while Saturday's clash is scheduled for a 2 p.m. MT (1 p.m. PT) start, followed by Sunday's finale at noon MT (11 a.m. PT).

In addition to live stats, all three games of the Aztecs-Lobos series 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.

SETTING THE SCENE
> San Diego State (19-15, 7-2 MW) won its fourth straight with a 1-0 shutout of UC Riverside on April 7, with pitchers Jake Frohn, Carson Johnson, Issac Araiza, Bryce McKnight and Aidan Russell combining for the 10th no-hitter in program history.
> Previously, the Aztecs took over sole possession of first place in the Mountain West after posting a three-game sweep at home over Air Force, April 2-4, winning by scores of 9-2, 11-2 and 12-9.
> Meanwhile, UNM (19-12-1, 5-3-1 MW) won two of three at UNLV last weekend to vault into third place in the MW standings. 
> SDSU collected two conference weekly awards on April 6, as Tyce Peterson was named MW Player of the Week, while Max Farrell was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week.
> Since March 17, a span of 14 games, Tyce Peterson (.404/.478/.789), Jake Jackson (.367/.424/.667) and Zach Justice (.327/.429/.500) have posted the Aztecs' top three slash lines. Peterson leads the team with 23 hits and five home runs during that stretch, tying Justice for the top spot with 12 RBIs, while Jackson has contributed 22 hits, four homers and eight RBIs to go with team highs of six doubles and 17 runs scored.
> As of April 9, the Aztec pitching staff leads the MW in several categories, including ERA (5.45), strikeouts (320) and opposing batting average (.255).

SERIES RECORD VS. NEW MEXICO
> The Aztecs maintain a 134-91 lead against the Lobos in the all-time series that dates back to 1960.
> Despite suffering a three-game sweep at home last season, SDSU has still won 16 of 24 meetings against New Mexico since 2021.
> The Aztecs boast a 78-42 record vs. the Lobos in San Diego, a 46-45 mark on the road and a 10-4 ledger on a neutral field. 
> New Mexico is one of five programs SDSU has recorded over 100 victories against. The other four are Air Force (126), Fresno State (114), UNLV (106) and Utah (104).

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, April 10, SDSU: Rohan Lettow, RHP (4-1) vs. NM: Cristian Mogen, RHP (1-0)

Saturday, April 11, SDSU: Drew Talavs, RHP (3-2) vs. NM: Ryan Castillo, RHP (6-1)

Sunday, April 12, SDSU: Alec Belardes, RHP (2-3) vs. NM: Diego Alvarez, RHP (1-2)

AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> For the fifth consecutive weekend, head coach Kevin Vance is expected to start the right-handed trio of Rohan Lettow, Drew Talavs and Alec Belardes at New Mexico. Lettow and Talavs are scheduled to make their ninth consecutive starts, while Belardes is slated for his eighth start of the year.

> Junior Rohan Lettow (4-1, 3.77 ERA) is projected to take the mound in Friday's series opener. The Arizona State transfer is slotted second in the Mountain West in ERA (3.77),  opponent batting average (.247), strikeouts (55) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.51), with the latter two ranking 47th and 72nd in the nation, respectively. In addition, Lettow is tied for second in the league with four victories and occupies the fourth spot in innings pitched (43.0). In his last start against Air Force, the Chandler, Arizona native collected his fourth win of the year after tying his career high with 10 strikeouts during a six-inning start when he surrendered just two unearned runs on two hits and four walks, as the Scarlet and Black prevailed by a 9-2 count. Over the final five frames vs. the Falcons, he allowed four baserunners on three walks and a fielding error, with none advancing into scoring position. Previously, Lettow was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 23 after combining on a shutout in the Aztecs’ 3-0 victory over Brigham Young at the Tony Gwynn Legacy. Against the Cougars, he struck out a collegiate-best 10 batters for the second straight start, surrendering just two hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. In addition, he allowed just one runner to reach scoring position during that stint and retired nine hitters on three pitches or less. On March 11, Lettow was one of two SDSU hurlers named to the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, along with Aidan Russell.

> Junior Drew Talavs (3-2, 5.87 ERA) has been pegged for his ninth straight start in Saturday's showdown. The Oregon State transfer ranks third in the Mountain West with 10.57 strikeouts per nine innings and is slotted fourth with 45 strikeouts overall while sharing the fourth spot with a .250 opposing batting average. Talavs enjoyed a return to form in his last start against Air Force on April 3 when he picked up the win after surrendering one hit and three walks with five strikeouts in five scoreless innings, as SDSU rolled to a big 11-2 triumph. Earlier, the West Linn, Oregon native was victorious in his first collegiate start against LIU on Feb. 14, when he allowed two runs on four hits and one walk with a career-high eight strikeouts. Talavs was also triumphant in another impressive start at Washington on Feb. 28, when he ceded just one run on two hits and three walks while tying his collegiate best with eight strikeouts in six innings.

> The Aztecs are expected to close out the series on Sunday with redshirt sophomore Alec Belardes (2-3, 6.92 ERA) on the mound. The Arizona State transfer earned his second collegiate victory at Grand Canyon on March 29 when he allowed four runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Belardes was the winning pitcher in SDSU's mammoth 4-3 triumph over No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 24, notching his first career win after yielding three runs on three hits with three walks and a trio of strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The San Jose, California, native set career highs with nine strikeouts and six innings pitched in his ensuing start at Washington on March 2 but was saddled with the hard-luck loss after giving up three runs on six hits and two walks. Belardes logged his shortest stint of the season against Air Force on April 4 when he gave up three runs on four hits and one walk with one strikeout in three innings. He did not factor in the decision, however, after the Aztecs rallied for a 12-9 victory. Entering the New Mexico series, Belardes is tied for sixth in the MW with 37 strikeouts and ranks ninth with a .281 opponent batting average while sharing the ninth spot with 39.0 innings pitched.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> As of April 9, the Aztecs lead the Mountain West in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.42), WHIP (1.42) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.98), which rank 46th, 60th and 62nd in the nation, respectively.
> Additionally, SDSU tops the conference with a 5.45 team ERA, a .255 opponent batting average and 320 strikeouts while ranking second with 9.60 strikeouts per nine innings, the latter of which is slotted 57th in the country.
> Individually, Aidan Russell leads the league with three saves, while Connor Abadie and Bryce McKnight are tied for fifth with two apiece.
> In addition, Russell shares the second spot with four victories, along with teammate Rohan Lettow.
> Lettow also occupies the second spot in ERA (3.77), strikeouts (55) and opponent batting average (.247) while ranking fourth in innings pitched (43.0).
> Likewise, Drew Talavs finds himself among the MW leaders in several categories, including wins (T-3rd, 3), strikeouts (4th, 45), opponent batting average (T-4th, .250) and ERA (9th, 5.87).
> Not to be outdone, Alec Belardes is tied for sixth this week in strikeouts (37) and ranks ninth in opponent batting average (.281) while sharing the ninth position in innings pitched (39.0).
> At the plate, Tyce Peterson is listed all over the conference leaderboard in slugging percentage (2nd, .649), home runs (T-2nd, 8), hits (3rd, 45), doubles (3rd, 14) and OPS (4th, 1.077)
> Additionally, Jabin Trosky finds himself among the league leaders in hits (T-4th, 44), runs scored (T-6th, 32) and doubles (T-6th, 11) .
> Trosky has been the second-toughest player in the conference to strike out so far this season, fanning once every 12.5 at-bats, which ranks 33rd nationally.
> Meanwhile, Adam Magpoc is slotted third in the MW in stolen  bases (12) while sharing the fourth spot in sacrifice flies (4).
> Elsewhere, Max Farrell is tied for third in triples (3) and sixth in stolen bases (10), while Dawson Santana (T-5th, 22 walks) and Jake Jackson (T-6th, 6 HR) are ranked among the conference top 10 in their respective statistical categories.
> Collectively, the Aztecs rank second in the league in stolen bases (45), third in hits (328) and fifth in  batting average (.283), home runs (29) and slugging percentage (.428), while occupying the sixth spot in on-base percentage (.374) and scoring (6.2 runs/game).
> Not to be outdone, SDSU has vaulted to the top of the Mountain West with a .979 team fielding percentage.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
> Tyce Peterson has reached base safely in 24 straight games, marking the longest streak by an SDSU player this season. The Aztec third baseman has raised his batting average from .293 to .344 in that stretch, while improving his on-base percentage (.370 to .429) and slugging percentage (.561 to .649). 
> In addition, Peterson owns an active nine-game hitting streak and leads the team with multiple hits in 15 outings while sharing the top spot with two or more RBIs in eight contests, along with Dawson Santana.
> Elsewhere, Jake Jackson has reached base safely in 19 straight games. The Aztec center fielder has raised his batting average from .283 to .328 in that stretch, while improving his on-base percentage (.333 to .391) and slugging percentage (.522 to .571). 
> Jackson is tied for second on the team with multiple hits in 14 games, alongside Jabin Trosky.
> The Aztecs are 18-1 this season when leading after eight innings and are 17-3 when outhitting the opposition.
> SDSU also sports a 7-3 record this year in one-run games.

MAKING PROGRESS
> The Aztecs enter their series vs. New Mexico with a 19-15 record, marking a nine-game improvement in their win-loss record from the same point last season after compiling a 10-24 mark through the first 34 games of the 2025 campaign.
> SDSU has averaged a conference-best 3.98 walks per nine innings thus far, compared to a 5.69 pace for the entire 2025 season.
> The Aztecs have also shown improvement in several other categories compared to last year, including strikeouts per nine innings (9.6 to 8.5), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.42 to 1.50) and hits allowed per nine innings (8.83 to 11.11).
> In addition, SDSU has posted a .979 fielding percentage so far this season, compared to a .955 clip in 2025.

NEW MEXICO AT A GLANCE
> The Lobos (19-12-1, 5-3-1 MW) won the final two games of a  MW series at UNLV last weekend before dropping a 10-5 decision at home to Texas Tech in a non-conference clash on April 7.'
> Picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, New Mexico is currently slotted third in the conference standings, just behind second-place Nevada (17-12, 6-3 MW).
> The Lobos sport a 15-7-1 record at home this season while maintaining a 4-5 mark on the road.
> UNM's tie was the result of a wild series finale against Fresno State on March 29, when the Lobos found themselves in an 18-18 stalemate through 10 innings before the game was called to meet the Bulldogs' travel plans.
> Entering the weekend, the Lobos find themselves among the MW leaders in several offensive categories, including walks (1st, 184), on-base percentage (2nd, .419), hits (2nd, 339), batting average (3rd, .307), home runs (3rd, 34) and scoring (3rd, 8.7).
> Individually, outfielder Khalil Walker (.398), first baseman Gene Trujillo (.360), infielder Akili Carris (.324) and outfielder Anthony Diaz (.314) are all hitting above .300 this season.
> Walker is slotted third in the conference in batting average and occupies the fifth spot in on-base percentage (.488).
> Trujillo is also listed among the MW leaders in several statistics, including doubles (1st, 16), batting average (6th), on-base percentage (T-6th, .471) and RBIs (T-7th, 29).
> Along with Trujillo, outfielder Lenny Ashby (28) and infielder Karsen Waslefsky (26) have collected at least 20 RBIs, joining Walker (25), Diaz (23) and Carris (21).
> Waslefsky tops the squad with five home runs, while Ashby and utility Luke Mansy (.296) have hit four each.
> New Mexico is expected to start a trio of right-handers against the Aztecs this weekend, with Cristian Mogen (1-0, 5.63 ERA) taking the hill on Friday, followed by Ryan Castillo (6-1, 1.97 ERA) and Diego Alvarez (1-2, 6.91 ERA) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
> Castillo's league-high six wins are tied for fifth nationally, while his conference-best 1.97 ERA and 5.91 hits allowed per nine innings rank  31st and 40th in the country, respectively. He also leads the MW with 45.2 innings pitched and a .190 opponent batting average while occupying the third spot with 51 strikeouts, which is tied for 73rd in the nation.
> In addition, Mogen is tied for sixth in the league with 37 strikeouts and ranks seventh with a 5.63 ERA.
> Out of the bullpen, Luke Wiseman (2-0, 6.75 ERA) tops the squad with 12 relief appearances this season and is tied for team lead with two saves, joining  Cooper Corkrean (3-0, 6.10 ERA), Ty Cunningham (1-1, 6.86 ERA) and Talor Grubbs (1-1, 7.82 ERA).
> Collectively, the Lobo staff is slotted third in the MW in strikeouts (253) while ranking and fourth in opposing batting average .300).

STRIKEOUTS GALORE
> Since 2019, the Aztecs are 91-71 in their last 162 games when striking out 10 or more batters, sporting an 12-5 mark this year. SDSU pitchers fanned a season-high 17 batters in a 12-5 romp over LIU on Feb. 14.
> In that series against the Sharks, SDSU combined for 46 strikeouts, marking the team’s highest total for a three-game set since posting 47 in a sweep of San Francisco in 2019.

OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 192-77 over the last eight seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a 14-4 mark this year. The Scarlet and Black posted a stellar 38-6 record when scoring five or more run during the 2017 campaign.
> San Diego State has emerged victorious in 103 of its last 163 games dating back to 2019 when hitting a home run, including a 15-4 record this season.
> The Aztecs homered in nine straight games from March 22 to April 4 but had their streak snapped in Tuesday's 1-0 shutout of UC Riverside.
> SDSU's streak of nine straight games with at least one home run is its longest since at least the 2002 campaign. In 2009, the Aztecs fashioned a stretch with at least one long ball in seven consecutive games from April 5-17 that season.
> SDSU has hit three home runs in two contests already this year vs. LIU (Feb. 14) and at No. 1 UCLA (Feb. 24) after collecting three home runs in a game just once during the 2025 campaign vs. Fresno State (April 12, 2025).

UP NEXT
> Following its weekend excursion to Albuquerque, San Diego State will battle two Big West schools next week, playing host to crosstown adversary UC San Diego on Tuesday, April 14, before heading up the freeway to face Long Beach State the following night on Wednesday, April 15. Both games are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PT.