Aztecs to Wrap Up Home Schedule with Pivotal MW Series vs. SJSU

SAN DIEGO -- First-place San Diego State closes out its regular-season home schedule this weekend when it battles San José State in another crucial Mountain West series, May 8-10, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Friday’s opener is scheduled  for a 6 p.m. PT start, while Saturday’s showdown is set to begin at 5 p.m., followed by Sunday’s finale at 1 p.m.

Along with live stats, all three 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.

The first 200 fans in attendance for Saturday's game will receive a free SDSU bag tag.

Prior to Sunday’s contest, the Aztecs will conduct a special Senior Day ceremony, recognizing the accomplishments of Connor Abadie, Gage Adams, Issac Araiza, Tyce Peterson and Aidan Russell.

SETTING THE SCENE
> Entering the final two weeks of the regular-season, San Diego State (30-19, 13-5 MW) is perched atop the MW standings, a half-game in front of second-place Air Force (23-22, 14-7 MW), while Washington State (25-23, 13-8 MW) is slotted third. The Aztecs have six conference games remaining, while the Falcons and Cougars will face one another at the Academy this weekend to wrap up their respective MW schedules.
> SDSU can clinch a spot in the Mountain West Championship with one victory this weekend or one loss by either GCU or UNLV.
> The Aztecs had their 11-game winning streak snapped in an 8-4 defeat at UC San Diego on May 5. SDSU's victory streak was its longest since stacking 12 consecutive wins from Feb. 6-March 4, 1997.
> Junior Zane Kelly was named MW Player of the Week on Monday after recording an impressive slash line of .714/.833/1.527 with one homer, five RBIs and five runs scored in SDSU's three-game sweep of Nevada, May 1-3.
> As of May 7, the Aztec pitching staff leads the MW in ERA (4.94) and opposing batting average (.254) while ranking second in strikeouts (441) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.10).

SERIES RECORD VS. SAN JOSÉ STATE
> San Diego State leads the Spartans 91-49 in the all-time series dating back to 1938.
> SDSU is 49-18 against the Spartans in San Diego and 37-30 on the road. In addition, the Aztecs are 5-1 vs. SJSU on a neutral diamond.
> The teams already played one another earlier this season in non-conference action, March 20-21, as SDSU suffered a pair of hard-luck defeats in extra innings in San Jose, falling by a 3-2 count (11) before dropping a 9-8 decision (10).
> In those two games, Jake Jackson (.500, 2 RBIs, 2 R) led the Aztecs with five hits, while Adam Magpoc (.444) and Tyce Peterson (.400, 2 R, 1 RBI) had four apiece.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, May 8, SDSU: Rohan Lettow, RHP (4-1) vs. SJSU: David Thomas, RHP (4-4)

Saturday, May 9, SDSU: Drew Talavs, RHP (3-3) vs. SJSU: Jesse Gutierrez, LHP (0-4)

Sunday, May 10, SDSU: Alec Belardes, RHP (3-3) vs. SJSU: Dylan Smith, RHP (3-3)

AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> For the eighth consecutive weekend of competition, head coach Kevin Vance is expected to start the right-handed trio of Rohan Lettow, Drew Talavs and Alec Belardes against San José State. Lettow and Talavs are scheduled to make their 13th consecutive starts, while Belardes is slated for his 11th start of the year.

> Junior Rohan Lettow (4-1, 3.83 ERA) is expected to take the mound in Friday's series opener. The Arizona State transfer is tied for the Mountain West lead in strikeouts (80) and is slotted second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.49), which ranks 64th in the nation. He also occupies the third spot in both ERA (3.83) and opponent batting average (.249) while ranking fifth in innings pitched (62.2). Lettow set a career high with 11 strikeouts in his last outing against Nevada on May 1 when he allowed three runs on four hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision, as the Scarlet and Black won in dramatic fashion on Jake Jackson's walk-off grand slam. Earlier, the Chandler, Arizona native enjoyed another stellar Mountain West start against Air Force on April 2, when he fanned 10 hitters while yielding just two unearned runs in six innings, leading the Aztecs to a 9-2 victory. Previously, the SDSU hurler was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 23 after combining on a shutout in the Aztecs’ 3-0 blanking of Brigham Young at the Tony Gwynn Legacy. Against the Cougars, he struck out 10 batters for the second straight start, surrendering just two hits and two walks in 6 2/3 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 (3-3, 6.93 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday's showdown with the Spartans. The Oregon State transfer ranks 10th in the Mountain West with 51 strikeouts in 52 innings. Talavs will looking to regain his early season form after pitching less than three innings in two of his last three starts. Due to the Aztecs' scheduled bye, April 17-19, the right-handed hurler made a start in a non-conference game against Seattle U on April 20, when he gave up two unearned runs in 2 1/3 innings, offsetting one hit and two walks with five strikeouts but did not factor in the decision, as the Scarlet and Black pulled away for a 9-5 triumph. Like Lettow, Talavs also enjoyed an exceptional start last month 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 victory. 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 (3-3, 6.62 ERA) on the mound. The Arizona State transfer earned his third collegiate victory in a relief appearance against Seattle on April 20, when he allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. On March 29, he emerged triumphant at Grand Canyon, when he yielded four runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Not to be outdone, Belardes was the winning pitcher in SDSU's mammoth 4-3 victory over No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 24, notching his first career win after giving up 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 pitched 4 2/3  innings in his last start vs. Nevada, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks with four strikeouts but did not factor in the decision. Entering the SJSU series, Belardes is tied for seventh in the in the MW with 56 strikeouts.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> As of May 7, the Aztecs lead the Mountain West in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.38), WHIP (1.39) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.82), which rank 43rd, 46th and 48th in the nation, respectively.
> In addition, SDSU tops the conference with a 4.94 team ERA and a .254 opponent batting average while occupying the second spot with 441 strikeouts and 9.10 strikeouts per nine innings, the latter of which ranks 69th in the country.
> The Aztecs are also tied for the MW lead with 13 saves, with Aidan Russell and Issac Araiza sharing the fourth spot with three apiece in that category, while Connor Abadie and Bryce McKnight are tied for 10th with two each.
> McKnight is slotted second in the MW in ERA (3.81) and shares the fifth position in victories (5) while ranking seventh in opponent batting average (.270).
> Not to be outdone, Russell is tied for third in the conference with a team-high six victories.
> Starter Rohan Lettow is tied for the conference lead in strikeouts (80) while occupying the third spot in ERA (3.88) and opponent batting average (.249). The SDSU hurler is also slotted fifth in innings pitched (62.2).
> Likewise, Alec Belardes is tied for seventh with 54 strikeouts, while Drew Talavs is slotted 10th in that category with 51 punchouts of his own.
> Despite sitting out the past four games, Tyce Peterson is still listed all over the conference leaderboard in several categories, including doubles (T-2nd, 18), home runs (T-3rd, 12), slugging percentage (3rd, .635), OPS (6th, 1.037) and hits (T-8th, 59). Peterson's 18 doubles are tied for 26th nationally.
> Additionally, Jake Jackson shares the third spot in home runs (12) and is slotted ninth in slugging percentage (.577). Zane Kelly has also climbed into the MW top 10 in home runs, tying for eighth in that statistic (9).
> Elsewhere, Jabin Trosky is tied for fourth in the league with 59 hits and shares the seventh spot 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 11.2 at-bats, which ranks 49th in the country.
> Other players among the MW leaders include Dawson Santana, who is tied for second in walks (33), while Adam Magpoc shares the fourth spot in stolen bases (16). In addition, Max Farrell is tied for sixth in triples (3) and shares the seventh position in stolen bases (12).
> Collectively, the Aztecs rank second in the league in stolen bases (66) and third in home runs (51) and are slotted fourth in hits (476) and batting average (.284) while occupying the fifth position in slugging percentage (.439) and the sixth spot in on-base percentage (.371).
> Not to be outdone, SDSU has vaulted to the top of the Mountain West with a .978 team fielding percentage.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
> Jabin Trosky and Tyce Peterson are tied for the team lead with multiple hits in 20 games, followed by Jake Jackson (17) and Adam Magpoc (16).
> In addition, Peterson tops the squad with two or more RBIs in 12 contests, followed by Jackson, Zane Kelly and Dawson Santana with nine apiece.
> Magpoc owns the team's longest current hitting streak at eight games and has reached base safely in four straight contests.
> The Aztecs are 26-1 this season when leading after eight innings and are 25-3 when outhitting the opposition.
> SDSU also sports a 9-3 record this year in one-run games.

NOTHING LIKE HOME COOKIN'
> Despite facing an array of challenging opponents on an annual basis, San Diego State is 338-256 (.569) when playing at home since the start of the 2007 campaign.
> The Aztecs are 19-5 on The Mesa this season, matching their most home victories since posting a 19-6 ledger in 2021.
> In 2018, SDSU set a program record with 25 home victories at Tony Gwynn Stadium (since 1997), besting the previous standard of 24 set in 1997, 2002 and 2014.
> The Aztecs enter their weekend series against San José State having won 12 straight home games. SDSU's last home loss occurred on March 14 in a 7-2 setback to Washington State.

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 eight of its last 10 games, going yard on eight occasions during a sweep at Fresno State last month, including a season-high four round-trippers in game two.
> The Aztecs also went deep two times in their series finale against Nevada, climbing to third in the Mountain West with 51 home runs so far this season and easily surpassing their meager total of 22 from a year ago.
> With six games remaining in the regular season, SDSU is on pace to hit 57 home runs this year, which would tie for the second-highest total since 2001 after the 2017 team (62) and the 2006 squad (57).
> 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.
> Tyce Peterson (12 HR) and Jake Jackson (12 HR) are tied for the team lead 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 201-78 over the last eight seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a 23-5 mark this year. The Scarlet and Black posted a stellar 38-6 record when scoring five or more run during the 2017 campaign.
> SDSU is 19-11 in games after a win and 10-8 in games following a loss.

MAKING PROGRESS
> The Aztecs enter their series vs. San Jose State with a 30-19 record, marking a 15-game improvement in their win-loss record from the same point last season after compiling a 15-34 mark through the first 49 games of the 2025 campaign.
> SDSU pitchers have averaged a conference-best 3.82 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 (9.1 to 8.5), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.38 to 1.50) and hits allowed per nine innings (8.70 to 11.11).
> In addition, SDSU has posted a .978 fielding percentage so far this season, compared to a .955 clip in 2025.

SAN JOSÉ STATE AT A GLANCE
> Entering the weekend, the Spartans (20-25, 7-11 MW) find themselves tied for sixth place in the Mountain West standings with UNLV and Grand Canyon.
> San José State was idle during the midweek after capturing a series victory at home against GCU, May 1-3, sandwiching an 8-3 triumph and a 6-1 victory around a 5-4 setback in 14 innings.
> With their results, the Spartans move to 11-11 at home this season while maintaining a 9-14 record on the road.
> Individually, SJSU is led by outfielder Alex Fernandes, who ranks second in the MW with a .393 average, which is slotted 22nd in the nation as of May 7. The junior from San Marcos, California, also tops the league in walks (36) and finds himself among the conference leaders in on-base percentage (2nd, .516), hits (3rd, 68), slugging percentage (4th, .630), runs scored (5th, 50) and doubles (7th, 15).
> In addition, infielders Peyton Bowles (.333) and JC Osorio-Agard (.322) are both batting over .300, along with outfielder Jake McCoy (.311).
> McCoy is tied for the conference lead with 14 home runs and ranks sixth in slugging percentage (.606) while sharing the seventh spot in RBIs (42).
> Elsewhere, Bowles is tied for fourth in hits (64), while Osorio-Agard shares the fifth spot in doubles (16).  
> As a team, the Spartans are slotted sixth in the Mountain West in scoring (6.2), seventh in slugging percentage (.626) and eighth in batting average (.268).
> The Spartans are expected to employ the starting rotation of right-hander David Thomas (4-4, 7.13 ERA), lefty Jesse Gutierrez (0-4, 6.75)and right hander Dylan Smith (3-3, 4.08), respectively.
> Among qualifiers, Smith ranks fourth in the conference in ERA (4.08), eighth in innings pitched (57.1) and ninth in opponent batting average (.273), while Thomas is slotted ninth as well in strikeouts (51).
> Out of the bullpen, Peter Herrick (1-2, 6.20 ERA) tops the squad with 16 relief appearances this year, while Kyle Calzadiaz (1-5, 5.88 ERA) and EJ McGrew (1-2, 7.57 ERA) are tied for the team lead with two saves apiece.
> Collectively, the SJSU pitching staff is slotted fourth in the MW in ERA (6.91), sixth in strikeouts (346) and seventh in opposing batting average (.303).
> Two former Aztecs are on the San José State roster, including pitcher Luka Pintar (2025) and infielder Drew Giannini (2023).

UP NEXT
> Following Sunday's showdown, San Diego State wraps up its final regular-season schedule as members of the Mountain West when it travels to the Silver State for a three-game series at UNLV, May 14-16.