SAN DIEGO – San Diego State embarks on a busy week Tuesday when it travels up the freeway to face UC Irvine in a non-conference game at Anteater Ballpark in Irvine, California. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. PT.
In addition to live stats, the Aztecs' clash at UCI will be aired live on ESPN+.
SDSU (4-8) will be looking to put the brakes on a three-game slide after falling to San José State at Tony Gwynn Stadium on March 10. The Aztecs and Spartans were scheduled to complete their series last Saturday; however, soggy field conditions forced the postponement of two encounters.
After the opener, the two sides played three innings of game two, but play was halted due to a steady rain with SJSU holding a 2-0 lead. The contest was slated to be finished the following day on March 11 but was ultimately postponed along with the series finale. No makeup dates have been announced.
Heading into Tuesday's game, 2022 UCI transfer Shaun Montoya finds himself among the Mountain West leaders with team highs in stolen bases (1st, 9), walks (T-3rd, 10), on-base percentage (7th, .480) and batting average (9th, .342), while Cole Carrigg, Irvin Weems and Tino Bethancourt are tied for fourth in the league with four stolen base apiece.
Carrigg (.342) and Poncho Ruiz (.300) are the only other Aztec regulars hitting .300 or better, with Ruiz topping the squad in RBIs (14), followed closely by Carrigg (13).
Elsewhere, three of TJ Fondtain's seven hits this season have been home runs, while Bethancourt has gone yard twice.
Collectively, SDSU tops the MW with 2.08 stolen bases per game, which ranks 26th in the country as of March 13, while its conference-leading 25 stolen bases is tied for 48th nationally.
In addition, the Aztecs occupy the third spot in the league with a .271 team batting average while ranking fourth in on-base percentage (.353) and fifth in runs scored (75), RBIs (651) and slugging percentage (.386).
Entering the week, the SDSU pitching staff is slotted third in the Mountain West in team ERA (4.50) and opposing batting average (.256) while ranking fourth in strikeouts (112).
Individually, Jonny Guzman finds himself among the league leaders in ERA (6th, 2.92) and opponent batting average (7th, .227), followed by Chris Canada (8th, .231) in that latter statistic.
Additionally, Fondtain is tied for eighth with 20 strikeouts after fanning a career-high nine batters in his last start against San José State at home.
UC Irvine (11-3), meanwhile, split two games at Gonzaga last weekend, posting a 12-7 victory in 11 innings on Saturday after Friday's opening was canceled due to snow. Then on Sunday, the Anteaters were stymied in their bid for a sweep, as the Zags rallied for a 3-2 triumph in the finale.
UCI has faced three common opponents with SDSU already this season, sweeping a series at Arizona State, March 3-5, after facing Washington State and UNLV at the Tony Gwynn Legacy in San Diego last month. The Anteaters dispatched the Cougars by an 8-3 count in their tournament opener but fell to the Rebels by a 10-4 tally the following day at USD's Fowler Park.
UCI will return to "America's Finest City" for a rematch with the Scarlet and Black on Tuesday, April 25 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Anteaters were picked to finish second in the 2023 Big West preseason coaches poll after placing sixth last year with a 16-14 mark in conference play and a 32-24 record overall.
UCI is paced by outfielders Chase Call (.286, 5 HR, 18 RBIs) and Caden Kendle (.277, 2 HR 25 RBIs), who lead the Big West in home runs and RBIs, respectively, while first baseman Anthony Martinez (.362, 21 H, 4 HR, 16 RBIs) is tied for second in the conference in home runs, while ranking third in hits, fourth in RBIs and 12th in batting average.
As a team, the Anteaters enter the week perched atop the Big West in RBIs (109) while ranking second in hits (138), home runs (15) and slugging percentage (.471), as well as a third-place standing in batting average (.286).
On the mound, UCI is slotted fifth in the conference in ERA (4.46), strikeouts (132) and opponent batting average (.257).
Relievers Michael Stanford (1-2, 1.59 ERA), Cameron Wheeler (1-0, 1.98 ERA) and Nick Pinto (1-0, 2.08 ERA) own the Anteaters' three-lowest earned run averages with at least 10 innings pitched, while David Vizcaino (2-0 5.40 ERA) tops the squad with four starts and 16 strikeouts.
Despite dropping two games to UCI last season, San Diego State still maintains a 59-39-1 record in the all-time series, including a 28-18-1 mark on the road.
Despite a career-high nine strikeouts from Jonny Guzman, who was making his first career start, the Aztecs dropped a 13-3 decision to the Anteaters on their last visit to Irvine on Feb. 22, 2022. In that contest, UCI scored three runs in the fifth inning and plated seven more markers in the seventh to break open a tight 3-1 ballgame.
Charlie Rhee ripped a two-run single for the Scarlet and Black, while Carrigg and Brian Leonhardt finished with two hits apiece.
The following week on March 1, 2022, the Anteaters completed the season sweep with a narrow 3-2 win at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs scored single runs in the seventh and eighth inning but could not complete the comeback. UCI's Wheeler was credited with the victory in both games with SDSU last year.
The Aztecs have won 38 of their last 58 games against Big West opponents, including a 3-2 victory over Hawai'i on Feb. 27, the final day of the Tony Gwynn Legacy. SDSU has faced two other squads from that conference this year, falling to CSUN by a 7-5 tally in its home opener on Feb. 21, before suffering a 3-1 setback at UC Riverside on March 7.
Following Tuesday's excursion, San Diego State returns to the diamond for a four-game series against UConn, March 16-19, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
