Aztecs Welcome Arizona State for Weekend Series

**SCHEDULE UPDATE (3/4/2022  11:45 a.m.) **
Friday's starting time has been moved up to 3 p.m. PT due to the possibility of rain showers in the evening.

Game Week Preview
Arizona State at San Diego State
Tony Gwynn Stadium | San Diego, Calif.
Series Record: ASU leads 16-15

Pitching Probables
Friday, March 4 | 6 p.m. PT 
ASU: Adam Tulloch, LHP (0-0, 3.27 ERA, 11.0 IP)
SDSU: TJ Fondtain, LHP (1-0, 0.87 ERA, 10.1 IP)

Saturday, March 5 | 6 p.m. PT 
ASU: Kyle Luckham, RHP (0-0, 2.89, 9.1 IP)
SDSU: Kelena Sauer, RHP (1-1, 3.60 ERA, 10.0 IP)

Sunday, March 6 | 1 p.m. PT 
ASU: Boyd Vander Kooi, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP)
SDSU: Jacob Flores, LHP (1-2, 4.82 ERA, 9.1 IP)

WHAT'S ON TAP FOR AZTEC BASEBALL
> San Diego State continues its busy stretch this weekend when it locks horns with Arizona State in a three-game series, March 4-6, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
> The first two encounters are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PT, while Sunday's finale is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
> Live stats will be available for the entire weekend, while Friday's clash will be broadcast on XTRA Sports 1360 AM with Jonathan Rufkind handling the play-by-play responsibilities.
> Additionally, game one will feature a live stream on GoAztecs.com via the Mountain West Network with Nick Rice calling the action.
> The SDSU baseball program will play host to ASU for the first time since April 12, 1968, when the Aztecs recorded a 15-9 triumph.
> The teams have not met since the 2003 campaign, when the Sun Devils swept a three-game season-opening series in Tempe, Arizona.

SETTING THE SCENE
> SDSU will be looking to put the brakes on a modest two-game slide after dropping a narrow 3-2 decision at home to UC Irvine on Tuesday night. 
> Trailing 3-0 against the Anteaters, the Aztecs plated single runs in the seventh and ninth innings but could not complete the comeback, as their record fell to 3-6 on the year.
> SDSU sophomore TJ Fondtain garnered Mountain West Pitcher of the Week accolades on Monday after notching his first career victory in his second collegiate start against Hawai'i in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Feb. 25.
> As a staff, Aztec hurlers lead the Mountain West with 102 strikeouts entering the weekend and rank second with a .228 opposing batting average. In addition, SDSU occupies the third position in the conference with a 4.55 ERA.
> Four SDSU pitchers find themselves among the MW top 10 in strikeouts, including Jacob Flores and Kelena Sauer, who are tied for   third with 13 Ks each, while Fondtain and Jadon Bercovich share the fifth spot with 12 apiece.
> Not to be outdone, Fondtain leads the league with a 0.87 ERA, while Bercovich (1.93) ranks seventh.
> Offensively, shortstop Caden Miller finds himself among the conference leaders this week in several categories this week, including stolen bases (T-1st, 3) hits (T-4th, 12), on-base percentage (T-6th, .500) and batting average (9th, .364). 
> Following their series with Arizona State, the Aztecs open Mountain West play next weekend when they welcome UNLV to The Mesa for a three-game set, March 11-13, at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> For the third straight weekend, San Diego State is projected to utilize the same starting pitchers for the Arizona State series in TJ Fondtain, Kelena Sauer and Jacob Flores.
> TJ Fondtain (1-0, 0.87 ERA) is expected to take the mound for the Aztecs on Friday. The SDSU left-hander garnered Mountain West Pitcher of the Week accolades after collecting his first career victory in the Aztecs' 7-1 triumph over Hawai'i in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Feb. 25. Against the Rainbow Warriors, Fondtain tallied a career-high seven strikeouts, allowing just one unearned run on a scant three hits and no walks in 6.0 innings. The Clovis California, native made his pitching debut for the Scarlet and Black against No. 17 TCU at the MLB4 Tournament, where he struck out five batters in 4 1/3 innings, yielding just one earned run on two hits and three walks. As a prep at Buchanan High School, Fondtain posted a 17-2 record and a 1.95 ERA in 31 career pitching appearances, compiling 132 strikeouts in 133.0 innings, according to MaxPreps. He helped the Bears to three consecutive berths in the CIF Central Section Division I playoffs, including a spot in the title game in 2017.
> On Saturday, sophomore Kelena Sauer (1-1, 1.80 ERA) will make his fourth career start after absorbing the loss in SDSU's 4-0 setback to Utah in the Tony Gwynn Legacy on Feb. 26. Despite a career-high seven strikeouts of his own, the Aztec right-hander ceded all four of the Utes' runs on six hits and no walks before giving way to Robert Brodell to start the sixth. Sauer emerged as the winning pitcher in SDSU's 4-3 victory over Houston at the MLB4 Tournament on Feb. 19. Against the Cougars, the Mililani, Hawai'i, product fanned six batters over five innings,surrendering just one run on three hits and two walks. As a true freshman in 2021, Sauer posted a 1-0 record with a 4.20 ERA, one save and 19 strikeouts in 15.0 innings over 14 games. Last season, he held opponents scoreless in his first four appearances and eight for the year.
> Meanwhile, Jacob Flores (0-1, 4.82 ERA) is once again slated to get the call in the series finale. The SDSU left-hander will be making his third straight start and seventh of his career after taking the hill in the rematch with Utah to close out the Tony Gwynn Legacy. Against the Utes, the Aztec senior also posted a career-best  seven strikeouts but did not factor in the decision after allowing all three of Utah's runs on two hits and two walks in five innings, as the Scarlet and Black rallied for a thrilling 4-3 walk-off victory. Flores also pitched against California at the MLB4 Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona, but was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks. However, the Oxnard, California, native still posted six strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. In 2020, Flores enjoyed his finest season as a collegian despite an abbreviated schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Flores posted a 2-0 record in eight appearances with a 1.45 ERA, which ranked second in the Mountain West.  He also finished among the league leaders in strikeouts (T-3rd - 25), strikeouts per 9 innings (3rd - 12.05) and opposing batting average (4th - .203).

NOTING MONDAY'S MARATHON VS. HAWAI'I
> After winning two of three games in the Tony Gwynn Legacy, San Diego State faced Hawai'i in a 15-inning contest on Monday that lasted six hours and 14 minutes, with the Rainbow Warriors prevailing by an 8-5 count.
> The Aztecs'15-inning affair was their longest game since April 19, 2013, when the Scarlet and Black dropped a 9-8 decision at UNLV in 17 innings. 
> Both teams squandered numerous scoring chances, combining for 32 runners left on base, including 17 for SDSU and 15 for the visitors.
> In addition, the Aztecs and Warriors collectively used 16 pitchers on the night, including nine for Hawai'i and seven for SDSU.
> SDSU hurlers struck out a season-high 21 batters, including a career-best seven from reliever Jadon Bercovich.
> Aztec hitters were plunked six times, including Caden Miller, who was victimized on three occasions.
> Kenny LeBeau (2B) and Blake Butcher (3B) each received their first starting assignments for the Scarlet and Black, while pinch hitter Brady Zavorek and reliver Omar Serrano logged their first collegiate appearances.
> LeBeau drove in his first two runs as an Aztec with a single in the bottom of the seventh.
> In all, San Diego State used 25 players on its 37-man roster during the contest.

SERIES RECORD VS. ARIZONA STATE
> San Diego State trails the all-time series with the Sun Devils 15-16, posting a 3-13 record against this weekend's opponent since becoming a Division I institution in 1969.
> On the flip side, the Aztecs won 12 of 15 games vs. ASU between 1940 and 1968, compiling a 7-1 mark in San Diego.
> The teams have not met since Jan. 24-26, 2003, when the Sun Devils swept a three-game season-opening series in Tempe, Arizona.
> Prior to those encounters, SDSU recorded a 9-4 triumph over ASU on March 29, 1985, at the UC Riverside Invitational in Riverside, California.
> In addition, the Sun Devils claimed a 6-1 victory over the Aztecs on their home field at the 1982 NCAA Regionals.
> The Arizona State baseball program will be making its first visit to The Mesa since April 12, 1968, when the Aztecs handed the Sun Devils a 15-9 defeat. 

STRIKEOUTS GALORE
> San Diego State has recorded double-digit strikeouts in six of nine games this year, including a season-high 21 vs. Hawai'i in 15 innings on Feb. 28.
> Redshirt sophomore Jonny Guzman fanned a career-best nine hitters in his first collegiate start at UC Irvine on Feb. 22, which marks a single-game high for an SDSU pitcher this year. 
> In addition, three other Aztec starters have compiled collegiate-high strikeout totals already this season: TJ Fondtain (7 vs. Hawai'i, Feb. 25)), Kelena Sauer (7 vs. Utah, Feb. 26) and Jacob Flores (7 vs. Utah, Feb. 27).
> Entering the weekend, SDSU leads the Mountain West with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks 47th in the nation.
> SDSU recorded 27 games with 10 or more strikeouts during the 2019 campaign, marking the most double-digit strikeout performances for the Scarlet and Black in the MW era (since 2000). SDSU surpassed the previous MW record of 23 set in a 10-6 win at Fresno State on May 11, 2019.
> Last season, the Scarlet and Black registered 10 or more strikeouts in 18 games, notching a 15-3 record in those contests. 
> The Aztecs posted double-digit strikeouts in their last six home games of the 2021 campaign, including a combined 33 Ks in their three-game sweep over San José State, May 8-9, 2021.
 > Previously, in San Diego State's sweep of Dixie State, April 24-25, 2021, Trailblazer hitters were punched out 42 times during the series, including 15 in the doubleheader opener, which marked a season-high for the SDSU staff.
> During the shortened 2020 season, the SDSU pitching staff completed seven games with 10 strikeouts: vs. Virginia Tech, Cal State Fullerton, Iowa, Nebraska, at UC Irvine and twice against Oregon State. Not surprisingly, the Scarlet and Black went 6-1 in those contests.
> Dating back to 2019, the Aztecs are 38-20 in their last 58 games when striking out 10 or more batters. 

GOING, GOING, GONE
> San Diego State has emerged victorious in 43 of its last 59 games dating back to 2019 when launching one out of the park.
> The Aztecs homered in 29 of 46 games last season, posting a 21-8 record in those contests.
> SDSU went 17-5 during the 2019 campaign when going yard and 5-2 in 2020.

STREAKING AZTECS
> Poncho Ruiz owns a current eight-game hitting streak, which marks the longest on the team this season.
> Caden Miller had his seven-game hitting streak snapped in the 15-inning marathon vs. Hawai'i on Feb. 28.
> However, Miller has still reached base safely in all nine games this year, while the aforementioned Ruiz and Tyler Glowacki have reached base in eight straight outings.
> Miller leads the Scarlet and Black with multiple hits in four games, while Brian Leonhardt has a pair of RBIs in two contests.
> Miller and Ruiz are the only two Aztecs to start all nine games this year. Miller has made nine starts at shortstop, while Ruiz has earned eight starts at catcher and one at designated hitter.

OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 96-19 in their last 115 games when scoring five or more runs, including a stellar 29-6 record last year after posting a 6-2 mark in 2020.
> San Diego State is 61-25 in its last 86 games following a loss, including an 11-5 mark in 2021. The Scarlet and Black is off to a 3-2 start this season in games following a loss.
> The Aztecs had their 29-game winning streak snapped when leading after six innings in the series finale against San Diego on Feb. 21, 2021.
> On the flip side, SDSU put the brakes a 41-game losing streak when trailing after seven innings the previous day vs. the Toreros.
> After scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth in their dramatic 10-9 victory over New Mexico on April 2, 2021, the Aztecs snapped a 46-game losing streak when trailing after eight innings dating back to March 20, 2018, when SDSU rallied to beat CSU Bakersfield at home, 5-4.
> Conversely, after UNLV registered an 11-10 comeback victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Las Vegas on May 15, 2021, the Aztecs had their 45-game winning streak halted when leading after eight innings. Prior to that game, SDSU's last loss when leading after the eighth occurred on March 10, 2019 in a 6-5 defeat to Nevada at home in 10 innings. 

MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO
> After a one-year hiatus, the Mountain West Championship returns this season and will be conducted at Tony Gwynn Stadium, May 26-28. The top four teams in the MW regular-season standings will qualify for the double elimination tournament, with the winner receiving an automatic berth into NCAA regional competition. NCAA Regionals will be held June 3-5.
> SDSU has hosted the MW Championship on four previous occasions, most recently after the 2018 season when the Aztecs claimed their fifth conference crown in a six-year span.

HEAD COACH MARK MARTINEZ
>   Mark Martinez is in his eighth season as head coach of the Aztecs and 17th overall as a member of the San Diego State staff after succeeding the late Tony Gwynn on August 20, 2014. He is just the fifth head coach in SDSU history since baseball was elevated to major sport status in 1936.
>   During his tenure as the Aztecs' head coach, Martinez has compiled a 218-156 record (.582), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He has also posted a 106-78 ledger (.576) in conference regular-season games.
>   Since 2015, SDSU has garnered 30 all-Mountain West accolades under Martinez's tutelage, including back-to-back MW Pitchers of the Year Brett Seeburger (2017) and Garrett Hill (2018), as well as 2017 MW Player of the Year Danny Sheehan.
>   Additionally, Martinez has mentored three freshman All-Americans in Chase Calabuig (2015), Casey Schmitt (2018) and Jaden Fein (2019), with the latter also receiving Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year distinction last year.   
>   In 2017, Martinez recorded his 100th victory for the Scarlet and Black, becoming the fastest head coach in program history to reach the century mark in wins.
>   Not to be outdone, Martinez also became the fastest head coach in Mountain West history to win three conference championships when the Aztecs captured the title in 2018.
>   Martinez was hired as an assistant coach for the Aztecs in July of 2005 and served for nine years under head coach Tony Gwynn. During that time, he was promoted to the position of associate head coach.
>   Since his arrival on The Mesa as an assistant coach, Martinez has witnessed 49 SDSU players get drafted into the professional ranks, with 10 of those selections making the major leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen, Ty France, Seby Zavala and Alan Trejo).
>  Prior to his arrival at San Diego State, Martinez was an assistant coach at New Mexico for 17 seasons from 1989-2005. During his time as a hitting and infield coach, he helped develop the Lobos into one of the most prominent offensive teams in the country, with UNM ranking among the top 11 nationally in hitting over his final four seasons.
>   Martinez served as an assistant at his alma mater, Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) in Grand Junction, Colorado, from 1984-88. He played shortstop at the school from 1982-84, earning all-conference and all-district honors as a senior.
>   Martinez graduated from Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa) with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1984 and completed his master's in sports administration at New Mexico in 1990.
>   During the offseason, Martinez signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at San Diego State through the 2026 season.