Top-Seeded Aztecs Prep For Mountain West Championship in Arizona

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State begins its quest for a seventh Mountain West tournament championship and 31st conference title overall when the Aztecs open tournament play at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.

The top-seeded Aztecs will face the winner of the first-round matchup between fourth-seeded Nevada and No. 5 seed New Mexico on Friday, May 22 at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack will square off against the Lobos on Thursday, May 21 at 6:05 p.m. PT. Earlier that day, third-seeded Air Force will battle No. 6 seed UNLV at 1:05 p.m., with the victor advancing to play second-seeded Washington State on Friday at 6:05 p.m.

Following Wednesday’s first-round games, the 2026 Mountain West Championship enters into a double-elimination format for the remainder of the tournament.

SETTING THE SCENE
> The Aztecs (33-22, 16-8 MW) captured the outright Mountain West Championship with a big 15-1 run-rule victory over UNLV in seven innings on May 14.
> Earlier in its home finale on May 10, SDSU clinched the No. 1 seed at this week's conference tournament with a 4-1 triumph over San José State.
> The Aztecs' crown marks their first MW regular-season championship since the 2023 campaign and fourth overall (2002, 2004).
> SDSU is making its conference-leading 23rd appearance at the Mountain West Championship, posting a league-record 51 victories (51-36) in MW postseason play.
> The Aztecs have won the most Mountain West postseason championships, taking home six crowns since the league's inception (2000, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018).
> In 15 conference games this season against the tournament field, San Diego State is 9-6, featuring home sweeps of Air Force and Nevada to go with a series victory over Washington State.
> Kevin Vance becomes with first head coach in Aztec baseball history to win a conference regular-season title in his first season at the helm of the program. 
> For the second straight year, the Mountain West tournament will feature six teams after four squads competed for the title from 2017-19 and 2022-24, along with an earlier one-year run in 2012. The conference did not conduct a postseason tournament in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
> The MW postseason championship fielded six teams from 2000-05, 2007-11 and again in 2013, while seven schools vied for the conference crown in 2006 and 2014-16.  

MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT HISTORY
> Below is a list of teams that have captured Mountain West tournament titles:
San Diego State - 6 (2000-13-14-15-17-18)
TCU - 4 (2006-07-08-10)
New Mexico - 3 (2011-12-16)
UNLV - 3 (2003-04-05)
Fresno State - 3 (2019-24-25)
Brigham Young - 2 (2001-02)
San José State - 1 (2023)
Air Force - 1 (2022)
Utah - 1 (2009)

PROMISE DELIVERED
> After posting a 20-39 overall record last year, San Diego State has completed a dramatic turnaround in 2026, capturing the Mountain West regular-season championship under the direction of first-year head coach Kevin Vance.
> Picked to finish seventh in the MW preseason coaches poll, the top-seeded Aztecs enter the conference tournament with a 33-22 ledger, marking a 15-game improvement in their win-loss record from the same point last season after compiling an 18-37 mark through the first 55 games of the 2025 campaign.
> SDSU pitchers have averaged a conference-best 3.77 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 (9.0 to 8.5), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.38 to 1.50) and hits allowed per nine innings (8.58 to 11.11).
>  In addition, SDSU has posted a .980 fielding percentage so far this season, compared to a .955 clip in 2025.

SERIES RECORD VS. NEVADA
> San Diego State trails the Wolf Pack 33-47 in the all-time series dating back to 1986.
> However, the Aztecs captured all three games of a weekend series against Nevada, May 1-3, at Tony Gwynn Stadium, completing their first sweep of the Wolf Pack since 2013.
> Following that sweep, Zane Kelly was named MW Player the Week after posting a slash line of .714/.833/1.527 with one homer, five RBIs and five runs scored, helping the Scarlet and Black take over sole possession of first place in the conference.  
> In nine career games against Nevada, Kelly is batting .517 (15-for-29) with three home runs, six doubles, 14 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
> The Aztecs are 18-19 vs. Nevada in San Diego, 11-24 in Reno and 4-4 at a neutral site.
> SDSU is 2-4 against the Wolf Pack in MW tournament play including a 15-4 setback in the second round of 2025 championships.

SERIES RECORD VS. NEW MEXICO
> The Aztecs maintain a 134-94 lead against the Lobos in the all-time series that dates back to 1960.
> SDSU boasts boast a 78-42 record vs. the Lobos in San Diego, a 46-48 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 (117), UNLV (108) and Utah (104).
> After dropping a three-game series at New Mexico, April 10-12, the Aztecs have gone 14-4, including an 11-game winning streak from April 14-May 8.
> The Aztecs are 10-4 against the Lobos in the Mountain West tournament, posting a 9-8 victory in the last postseason meeting between the two squads at Albuquerque in the opening round in 2017.
> In last month's series at New Mexico, the Aztecs were led by Max Farrell, who hit .364 (4-for-11) and compiled a .909 slugging percentage, belting two home runs with three RBIs.

SERIES RECORD VS. AIR FORCE
>  The Aztecs maintain a sizable 126-43 lead against the Falcons in the all-time series that dates back to 1961.
> Air Force is one of five programs SDSU has recorded over 100 victories against. The other four are New Mexico (134), Fresno State (117), UNLV (176) and Utah (104).
> The Aztecs are 71-15 vs. the Falcons in San Diego, 48-27 in Colorado and 7-1 at a neutral site.
> Last month, SDSU posted its first three-game sweep of Air Force since 2021 and its first in San Diego since 2015 after capturing all three meetings at Tony Gwynn Stadium, April 2-4.
> Following that sweep, Tyce Peterson was named MW Player of the Week, while Max Farrell was tabbed the league's Freshman of the Week.
> In 12 career games vs. the Falcons, Jake Jackson is batting .400 (18-45) with two homers, seven doubles, 15 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
> The Aztecs are 7-1 against Air Force in the Mountain West tournament, dropping their first decision in postseason play to the Falcons in a 12-1 first-round defeat at Fresno State in 2023.

SERIES RECORD VS. WASHINGTON STATE
> San Diego State owns a 15-11 lead in the all-time series after taking two of three games against the Cougars at Tony Gwynn Stadium to open its 2026 Mountain West schedule, March 13-15.
> The Aztecs captured the opener in run-rule fashion, 14-4 in eight innings and prevailed in a 15-10 slugfest in the finale, sandwiched around a 7-2 setback in game two.
> San Diego State out-hit WSU .389 to .242 in that the series, with Anthony Marnell IV (.600), Adam Magpoc (.462), Jabin Trosky (.429) and Tyce Peterson (.417) hitting over .400 individually.
> In addition, Max Farrell clubbed two home runs and totaled eight RBIs for the series, highlighted by a two-run bomb in the opener and  his first career grand slam in the finale.
>The Aztecs are 13-6 against the Cougars all-time in San Diego, 0-3 in Pullman and 2-2 on a neutral diamond.
> The teams split their first two meetings at the Riverside Invitational in 1984, with SDSU posting a 12-0 shutout after falling by a 5-4 count.
> This year marks WSU's first appearance in the MW Championship after joining the conference as a baseball affiliate in 2025.

SERIES RECORD VS. UNLV
> SDSU holds a 107-82 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1978.
>  The Aztecs are 54-27 vs. the Rebels in San Diego, 49-49 in Las Vegas and 4-6 at neutral sites.
> UNLV is one of five programs SDSU has recorded over 100 victories against. The other four are New Mexico (134), Air Force (126), Fresno State (117) and Utah (104).
> The Aztecs are 11-11 against the Rebels in the Mountain West Championship, including a 14-5 triumph in the title game at Tony Gwynn Stadium in 2018.
> Last year, the Aztecs posted an 8-0 shutout of UNLV in the first round of the conference tournament after each team registered a three-game sweep on their respective home fields.
> The Rebels secured the final berth in the 2026 Mountain West Championship after handing SDSU its first series loss in conference play last weekend, May 14-16, in Las Vegas. The Aztecs earned a run-rule victory in the opener, 15-1 in seven innings, before the Rebels rebounded with a 3-1 decision in game two, followed by a 9-7 walk-off victory in 10 innings in the finale.
> Jake Jackson batted .400 (6-for-15) with one homer, eight RBIs, four runs scored and two stolen bases in the series.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> As of May 19, the Aztecs lead the Mountain West in WHIP (1.37), walks allowed per nine innings (3.79) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.38)   which rank 37th, 39th and 45th in the nation, respectively.
> In addition, SDSU tops the conference with a 4.87 team ERA and a .252 opponent batting average while occupying the second spot with 483 strikeouts and 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings, the latter of which ranks 70th in the country.
> The Aztecs are also tied for the MW lead with 14 saves, as Aidan Russell shares the individual lead with four in that category, while Issac Araiza is tied for fifth with three saves of his own.
> Not to be outdone, Russell and starter Rohan Lettow are tied for third in the conference with six victories apiece.
> Lettow ranks second in the MW in ERA (3.42), strikeouts (90) and opponent batting average (.236) while sharing the third position in innings pitched (73.2).
> Additionally, reliever Bryce McKnight occupies the sixth spot in ERA (4.24).
> Elsewhere, Alec Belardes is slotted seventh with 60 strikeouts, while Drew Talavs ranks 10th with 57 punchouts and a .279 opponent batting average.
> Despite sitting out four games earlier this month, Tyce Peterson is still listed all over the conference leaderboard in several categories, including doubles (T-1st, 20), home runs (T-4th, 13), slugging percentage (5th, .615), OPS (6th, 1.004) and RBIs (T-11th, 45). Peterson's 20 doubles are tied for 28th nationally.
> In addition, Jake Jackson is slotted third in home runs (14) and sixth in slugging percentage (.612) while sharing the ninth spot in RBIs (46). 
> Elsewhere, Jabin Trosky is tied for fourth in the league with 72 hits and ranks 10th with four sacrifice bunts. The Aztec shortstop has been the second-toughest player in the conference to strike out so far this season, fanning once every 12.3 at-bats, which ranks 39th in the country.
> Other players among the MW leaders include Dawson Santana, who occupies the second position in walks (39), while Adam Magpoc shares the third spot in stolen bases (18). In addition, Max Farrell is tied for fourth in triples (4) and is slotted sixth in stolen bases (16).
> Collectively, the Aztecs rank second in the league in stolen bases (80) and third in both hits (539) and home runs (56) while occupying the sixth position in batting average (.285), slugging percentage (.442) and on-base percentage (.371).
> Not to be outdone, SDSU has vaulted to the top of the Mountain West with a .980 team fielding percentage.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
> Jabin Trosky leads the team with multiple hits in 23 games, followed by Jake Jackson and Tyce Peterson with 21 apiece.
> In addition, Jackson and Peterson top the squad with two or more RBIs in 12 contests, followed by Zane Kelly (10) and Dawson Santana (9).
> Jackson has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games, scoring at least one run in 16 of those contests, while belting eight homers.
> SDSU is 29-1 this season when leading after eight innings, having won 17 straight in that category since dropping a narrow 3-2 at Cal State Fullerton on March 10.
> SDSU is also 24-5 when scoring over six runs this year and sports a 9-3 record in one-run games.
> The Aztecs stole a season-high six bases at UNLV on May 14, marking their highest total since swiping eight bags at New Mexico on April 15, 2022.

STRIKEOUTS GALORE
> Since 2019, the Aztecs are 95-71 in their last 166 games when striking out 10 or more batters, sporting a 16-5 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.

GOING, GOING, GONE
> San Diego State has homered in 14 of its last 19 games, going yard on eight occasions during a sweep at Fresno State last month, including a season-high four round-trippers in game two on April 25.
> The Aztecs also went deep twice in game two of their weekend series against San José State on May 9 and have climb to third in the Mountain West with 56 home runs so far this season, easily surpassing their meager total of 22 from a year ago.
> SDSU needs just two more long balls to reach 58 homers for the season, which would mark the team's second-highest total since 2001 after the 2017 team went yard on 62 occasions.
> The Aztecs have smacked three home runs in four other contests this year vs. LIU (Feb. 14), at No. 1 UCLA (Feb. 24), at New Mexico (April 12) and vs. UC San Diego (April 14) after collecting three home runs in a game just once during the 2025 campaign vs. Fresno State (April 12, 2025).
> SDSU homered in nine straight games from March 22 to April 4 but had its streak snapped in a 1-0 shutout of UC Riverside on April 7.
> The Aztecs’ streak of nine straight games with at least one home run is their longest since at least the 2002 campaign. In 2009, SDSU fashioned a stretch with at least one long ball in seven consecutive games from April 5-17 that season.
> Jake Jackson (14 HR) and Tyce Peterson (13 HR) own the top two spots on the team in home runs thus far, giving the Aztecs two double-digit home run hitters in the same season since Erik Castro (12) and Cory Vaughn (10) accomplished the feat in 2009.

OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 203-79 over the last eight seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a 25-6 mark this year. The Scarlet and Black posted a stellar 38-6 record when scoring five or more runs during the 2017 campaign.
> The Aztecs are 20-13 in games after a win this year and 12-8 in games following a loss.

UP NEXT
> If the Aztecs emerge with their seventh MW Championship crown, they will await their postseason destination on Monday, May 25, when the NCAA Selection Show airs on ESPN2, starting at 9 a.m. PT.