Aztecs To Open MW Schedule vs. San José State

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opens its 25th season of Mountain West baseball competition this weekend when it plays host to San José State in a three-game series, March 14-16, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Friday’s opener is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PT, while Saturday’s clash is slated for a 4 p.m. start, followed by Sunday’s finale at noon.

Live stats will be available for all three contests while Friday’s and Sunday’s games will air live on the Mountain West Network. Both platforms may be accessed through links on GoAztecs.com. Fans can also catch the action on their TVs or smartphones by downloading the MW app.

The first 500 fans in attendance for Friday’s engagement will receive a free SDSU license plate frame, while Sunday’s giveaway features a free Aztec sweat wristband to the first 250 spectators.

The Aztecs will launch their MW schedule against the Spartans for the first time since 2018 and the third occasion since San José State joined the conference prior to the 2013-14 academic year.

The teams played one series during the 2024 campaign, with the Spartans claiming three victories in a weekend set that was played at Stephen Schott Stadium on the Santa Clara University campus.

San Diego State (4-13) was idle during the midweek after dropping a four-game series against Northeastern at home, March 7-9.

Conversely, San José State (10-6) was dealt an 18-4 setback by visiting Cal Poly on Tuesday after capturing two of three games in a home series against Utah last weekend.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, March 14, SDSU: Omar Serrano RHP (0-2) vs. SJSU: Jesse Gutierrez LHP (3-1)

Saturday, March 15, SDSU: Marko Sipila RHP (0-1) vs. SJSU: David Thomas RHP (0-0)

Sunday, March 16, SDSU: Garvey Rumary LHP (0-2) vs. SJSU: Win Scott LHP (1-1)

Omar Serrano and Marko Sipila are expected to make their fifth consecutive starts on Friday and Saturday, respectively, with Sipila moving up one day in the rotation for the second week in a row. Meanwhile, Garvey Rumary is pegged for his third straight start on Sunday. Sipila fanned a season-high seven hitters in his last outing vs. Northeastern in the second game of a doubleheader on March 8.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
As of March 13, San Diego State is slotted second in the Mountain West in hits (158) while ranking fourth in RBIs (86), runs scored (94) and total bases (216). In addition, the Scarlet and Black is listed fifth in both batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.354) while occupying the sixth spot in slugging percentage (.362).

As a staff, Aztec pitchers top the conference in strikeouts (159) and innings pitched (153.2) while ranking sixth in both ERA (6.74) and opposing batting average (.298).

Individually, freshman CJ Moran is tied for third in the MW with seven doubles and has climbed into the sixth spot in on-base percentage (.446) while sharing the seventh position with a team-leading 21 hits.

In addition, Finley Bates is tied for sixth in both runs scored (14) and walks (10), while Nevan Noonan shares the sixth spot with six doubles.

Outfielder Jake Jackson tied a program record with two triples against Seton Hall on Feb. 14, becoming the first SDSU player to accomplish the feat since James Guerrero against New Mexico on April 9, 2005. Jackson also ripped a three-bagger at UCSD on Feb. 18 and is tied for second in that category with teammate Drew Rutter, followed by Zane Kelly with two.

On the mound, Issac Araiza tops the conference with 10 games pitched, while fellow relievers Chris Canavan and Evan Miranda are tied for second with nine appearances each heading into the weekend.

Additionally, freshman Peyton Rodgers finds himself among the Mountain West leaders in several statistical categories, including opposing batting average (3rd, .206), fewest hits allowed (T-3rd, 14), saves (T-3rd, 2), ERA (4th, 2.65) and appearances (5th, 8).

Elsewhere, Marko Sipila is slotted fifth in innings pitched (20.2) and ranks ninth in ERA (4.35), while Xavier Cardenas III occupies the seventh position in opponent batting average (.239) and the eighth position in strikeouts.

AZTEC NOTEBOOK
The trio of CJ Moran, Nevan Noonan and Drew Rutter lead the Aztecs with multiple hits in five games, while Finley Bates tops the squad with two RBIs in five different contests.

Moran and Daniel Arambula own team’s current longest hitting streak at five games apiece.

Over the past nine games, Moran has hit .500 (16-for-32) with five doubles, eight RBIs and six runs scored. During that stretch, the Murrieta, California, native has raised his season batting average from .172 to .344.

Arambula, Bates, Moran, Noonan and Rutter have started all 17 games for the Scarlet and Black this season. Arambula is lone SDSU player to start every contest at one position (third base), while Bates is the only Aztec to start in the same spot in the batting order for all 17 games as the leadoff hitter.

San Diego State has emerged victorious in 80 of its last 126 games dating back to 2019 when hitting a home run, including a 14-13 mark during the 2024 campaign and a 14-12 ledger in 2023.

Since 2019, the Aztecs are 75-61 in their last 136 games when striking out 10 or more batters. SDSU pitchers fanned 17 hitters in its season opener against Seton Hall at the MLB Desert Invitational.

The Aztecs are 171-64 over the last seven-plus seasons when scoring five or more runs, including a stellar 38-6 record during the 2017 campaign.

Against Nebraska on Feb. 16, the Aztecs employed 21 players on the night, including five true freshmen who were making their first career appearances (Evan Escobar, Cody Liscio, Dillon Marrisett, Alito McBean, Hank Tripaldi). Tripaldi singled in his first collegiate at-bat with a grounder through the right side in the eighth.

Escobar made his first three career starts as a shortstop at Cal State Fullerton and the first two games of the Northeastern series.

SERIES RECORD VS. SAN JOSÉ STATE
Despite dropping three encounters to the Spartans last season, San Diego State still holds a sizable 86-45 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1938.

The Aztecs’ 41-game advantage vs. San José State ranks as the fourth-largest spread against a single opponent in program history behind Air Force (122-41), Utah (104-39) and UC Santa Barbara (84-30-1).

SDSU is 47-17 against the Spartans in San Diego and 34-28 on the road. In addition, the Aztecs have won all five meetings vs. SJSU on a neutral diamond.

Since San José State joined the Mountain West during the 2013-14 academic year, San Diego State is 34-19 vs. the Spartans, capturing 12 of 16 series played between the two teams and winning three conference tournament games.

Finley Bates and Josh Quezada are the only two returners to start all three games for the Aztecs against SJSU last year. Bates hit .385 (5-for-13) with a pair of runs scored, while Quezada batted .364 (4-for-11) with two doubles and two runs of his own.

SPARTANS AT A GLANCE
Picked to finish last in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, San José State has logged a 10-6 record thus far, winning a home series against Utah, March 7-9, before suffering an 18-4 defeat at the hands of visiting Cal Poly on Tuesday.

Alex Fernandes, a Memphis transfer and San Marcos High alumnus, leads the Mountain West in batting average (.449), on-base percentage (.556) and walks (13). The Spartan outfielder is also tied for third in both runs scored (15) and stolen bases (5) while occupying the sixth spot in hits (22) and the ninth position in slugging percentage (.551).

Elsewhere, fellow outfielder Jeriah Lewis is tied for the top perch in the conference with six stolen bases and shares the sixth spot with three home runs, while infielder Zach Chamizo, a UC Riverside transfer, is tied for eighth with 13 RBIs.

On the mound, Friday’s projected starter Jesse Gutierrez (3-1) leads the league in innings pitched (26.1) and opposing batting average (.179) while ranking second in ERA (1.37) behind teammate EJ McGrew (0.56), a transfer from Willamette University.

McGrew and Gutierrez are tied atop the MW with three victories apiece, with the latter also sharing the fifth spot with 22 strikeouts.

Saturday’s scheduled starter David Thomas (0-0) transferred to SJSU from Saint Mary’s and has yet to earn a decision this season, logging a 3.12 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s expected starter Win Scott is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.

Collectively, the Spartans staff leads the MW in team ERA (4.09) and opposing batting average (.255) while tying for second in fewest hits allowed (136) and ranking fifth in strikeouts (125).

Conversely, SJSU sits among the bottom half of the conference in several offensive categories, including runs scored (5th, 85), RBIs (5th, 78), slugging percentage (5th, .363), on-base percentage (6th, .350), hits (7th, 138) and batting average (7th, .261).

Former Aztec infielder Drew Giannini joined the Spartans this season after spending the 2024 season at San Joaquin Delta College. A native of Tracy, California, Gianni played 27 games for SDSU as a freshman in 2023, batting .153 (9-59) with one homer, three doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored.

Along with Fernandes, catcher Jacob Campagna also prepped in San Diego, graduating from Francis Parker High School, where he was a teammate of Aztec infielder Nevan Noonan.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend’s action, San Diego State will make the short drive up the freeway to battle California Baptist on Tuesday, March 18, in Riverside, California. Game time is set for 6 p.m. PT, and the Aztecs-Lancers clash will air live on ESPN+.