Matt Rudick Season 2018

2021 NCBWA Third-Team All-American
2021 ABCA/Rawlings Second-Team All-West Region Honoree
2021 First-Team All-Mountaiin West Selection
2020 All-Mountain West Selection
2019 All-Mountain West Selection
 
2021 SEASON (As A Redshirt Junior): Enjoyed his most successful season as a collegian, earning third-team All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) to go with second-team all-West Region recognition from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) … Also garnered all-Mountain West accolades for the third straight year after receiving first-team distinction … Reached base in all 43 games he made a plate appearance, leading the Aztecs with career-highs in batting average (.410), runs scored (61), triples (4), stolen bases (17) and on-base percentage (.484) … Additionally recorded personal bests in home runs (4), RBIs (41) and slugging percentage (.567) … Was the most difficult player in the country to strike out for the second straight year, fanning once every 19.8 at-bats … Contributed significantly to SDSU’s potent offense that finished second among the NCAA Division I ranks with a .335 team batting average and third with a collective average of 9.1 runs per game … Ranked third in the nation individually in runs per game (1.39), eighth in hits per game (1.66) and 11th in batting average … Led the Mountain West in runs scored and stolen bases and finished among the conference leaders in triples (2nd), batting average (4th), hits (5th – 73), walks (T-5th – 26), on-base percentage (6th) and RBIs (T-10th) … Ranked second on the team with multiple hits in 23 games and was fifth with two or more RBIs in 11 outings … Was tops among SDSU starters with a 57.7 percent success rate in advancing runners … Displayed his clutch hitting, with 19 of his 41 RBIs occurring with two outs … Compiled the Aztecs’ second-longest hitting streak of the year at 14 games from April 3-May 8, raising his batting average from .378 to .426 during that stretch …  Set a career high with five RBIs in SDSU’s 15-0 run-rule victory over New Mexico (April 3) … Was a key catalyst in the Aztecs’ big 21-14 come-from-behind thriller at Fresno State, totaling three hits, three runs and four RBIs (April 18) … Was inserted as a pinch runner and scored the winning run in SDSU’s dramatic 8-7 walk-off victory over Dixie State (April 24) … Stole a career-high three bases in the Aztecs’ 13-10 win at Air Force (May 22) … Did not commit an error in 108 chances, finishing with a clean 1.000 fielding percentage.

SUMMER 2020: Captured San Diego League Player of the Year honors as a member of the Warriors team after batting .419 in 16 regular-season games while posting four doubles, three triples, three home runs, 18 RBI and 22 runs scored ... Went 5-for-10 at the plate in two playoff games.

2020 SEASON (As A Junior): Started all 16 games, including 10 in right field and six in center, during his junior campaign that was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic … Garnered all-Mountain West accolades for the second year in a row after posting the Aztecs’ third-highest batting average (.313) while leading the team in slugging percentage (.478), hits (21) and runs scored (13), with the latter tying for ninth in the conference … Also led the Scarlet and Black with 32 total bases and tied for second in the MW with a team-high three triples, which was tied for 10th in the country … Additionally was SDSU’s leader with multiple hits in seven games and tied for second on the squad with a six-game hitting streak to open the season … Tied for second on the team with nine RBIs and three stolen bases … Sparked the Aztecs’ 7-5 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech at the Baseball by the Beach event in Conway, South Carolina, where he clubbed a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, propelling SDSU to its fourth straight win on opening day (2-14-20) … Helped the Aztecs to a 3-1 triumph over host Coastal Carolina the very next day with two hits, including a key RBI single, a walk and two runs scored (2-15-20) … Contributed to SDSU’s 8-4 win over No. 24 Cal State Fullerton in the 2020 home opener with two hits, one stolen bases and a pair of runs scored (2-18-20) … Finished with a season-high three hits vs. USC at the Tony Gwynn Legacy  (2-23-20) … Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the Aztecs’ series-opening 5-4 victory at No. 11/15 Oklahoma (3-6-20) … Was one of the toughest players in the conference to strike out once again, fanning once every 11.2 at-bats, which ranked third in the MW.

2019 SEASON (As A Sophomore): Earned first-team all-Mountain West honors after leading the Aztecs in several categories, including batting average (.320), total bases (95), hits (77) and runs scored (48) … His 77 hits and 48 runs scored ranked fifth and seventh in the conference, respectively … Started all 57 games for SDSU, serving as the team’s lead-off hitter throughout the season … Led the Aztecs with 18 multiple-hit games and reeled off a team-high 21-game hitting streak from March 1-April 3, raising his batting average from .250 to .344 in the process … His streak was the longest by an Aztec since 2010 and was the 10th-best nationally during the 2019 regular season … Was the most difficult player in the MW to strike out, fanning just once per 12.1 at-bats, which was good for 25th in the country … Hit .352 with runners in scoring position, which ranked second on the team and occupied the third spot with a .403 on-base percentage … Collected a career-high four hits vs. Texas Tech (3-6-19) and posted a personal-best five RBIs in an 11-5 victory over Seattle (3-17-19) … Tied for the team lead with three triples on the year, including one to spark a three-run rally in the eighth inning of the Aztecs’ 6-3 triumph over Air Force (4-19-19).

SUMMER 2018: Played in 50 games for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League... Recorded a .325 batting average with three home runs and 29 RBIs... Also recorded 11 doubles... Went 5-for-9 in Willmar’s two playoff games with three runs scored, two RBIs, and a double... Walked 38 times against just 22 walks... .314 regular-season batting average was third best on the team... Also threw a scoreless inning of relief against Bismark on Aug. 2, striking out two batters and allowing only one hit.

2018 SEASON (As A Freshman): Played in 59 of a possible 60 games including 57 starts, primarily seeing action in left field ... Finished fourth on the team with a .319 batting average and good for the best batting average by an Aztec freshman during the Mountain West era (since 2000) ... Finished second on the team with a .419 on-base percentage ... Led the team with 34 walks ... One of three SDSU starters to record as many or more walks than strikeouts (34 walks, 34 strikeouts - also Calabuig and Escobedo) ... Made 52 starts as SDSU’s leadoff hitter ... Hit .368 with runners on base and posted a .438 on-base percentage when leading off an inning ... Hit .339 with two outs ... Advanced runners 64 times out of a possible 102 chances, good for a .627 success rate -- the best mark on the team ... Finished second on the team with 23 multi-hit games ... Owned a .415 batting average over the first 19 games of the season. .. Ended the season reaching base in 14 of the last 15 games ... Finished second among Mountain West freshmen with a .419 on-base percentage (also 14th-best overall in the conference) ... Finished tied for sixth in the Mountain West with three triples... 34 walks finished tied for third most in the conference. 

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated in2017 from Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego … Four-year varsity starter as an outfielder and left-handed pitcher… Posted a .360 batting average as a prep, including a career-best .481 clip during his junior season with five home runs… Also stole 28 bases over his career … Posted an 11-3 record on the mound in high school career with a 0.93 ERA… Recorded a career-best 0.50 ERA as a freshman in 2014 over 10 appearances and 14 innings pitched … 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American… 2017 Perfect Game California All Region Second Team honoree… 2015 & 2016 Perfect Game Underclass High Honorable Mention All-American… Played summer baseball for CBA Marucci … Ranked as the 14th best outfielder among class of 2017 players in California … Named 2016 Eastern League Player of the Yea r… Member of 15U USA Baseball national team in 2014.