*** Updated Story - Feb. 21 at 9:40 am PT - Wednesday's start time for the SDSU-CSUN baseball game has been pushed back three hours to 5 p.m. PT***
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State baseball team returns to the diamond on Wednesday for a non-conference clash against CSUN at Tony Gwynn Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT, and a link to live stats will be available on GoAztecs.com.
SDSU is expected to give right-hander Issac Araiza his first starting assignment in a Scarlet and Black uniform, while right-hander Diego Gutierrez is projected to get the call for CSUN.
Araiza pitched in the series opener against Portland on Feb. 16, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out three batters in 2.1 innings as the Aztecs' third reliever. The Yuma, Arizona, product saw action in 16 games as a reliever in his first year on The Mesa, posting a 1-1 record with 7.13 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. He did not allow a walk in 10 games and struck out a career-high four batters in a season-long 2.2 innings vs. Air Force on March 26, 2023.
A redshirt sophomore, Gutierrez did not pitch for the Matadors in 2023 after suffering an injury prior to the season. During the 2022 campaign, the Norwalk, California, native made eight starts in 16 games, compiling a 3-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. He also earned one save and limited opponents to a .238 batting average.
SDSU dropped two of three games in its season-opening series vs. Portland, falling by narrow one-run scores in the first two contests before rebounding with a 7-1 triumph in the finale. The Aztecs overcame early deficits to tie the score in the first two games before the Pilots ultimately prevailed.
Saturday's encounter saw the Scarlet and Black trailing by a 6-0 count before knotting the score with a late rally, scoring three runs in each of the last two innings to send the game into extra frames. However, Portland came up with a solo homer in the top of the 13th for the eventual game-winning marker.
SDSU turned the tables in Sunday's game, racing to a 4-0 advantage it would not relinquish. The Aztecs used the long ball in that contest, as Jake Jackson blasted a two-run homer, while Irvin Weems and Xavier Gonzalez each smacked a solo shot to help give San Diego State head coach Shaun Cole earn his first collegiate victory.
Jackson was one of four SDSU players to compile four hits on the weekend, joining Evan Sipe, Shaun Montoya and Brady Lavoie. He also led the team with four runs scored while tying for the top spot with four RBIs, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors.
Along with Jackson, 11 other freshmen made their collegiate debuts for the Scarlet and Black last weekend, including Colby Turner, Jacob McCombs, Josh Quezada, Sammy Kahler, Drew Rutter and Zane Kelly, along with pitchers Chris Canavan, Michael Caruso, Evan Miranda and Garvey Rumary.
Jackson (LF) and Turner (3B) started all three games in the Portland series, while Quezada, Rutter and McCombs each received the starting nod at designated hitter, respectively.
Like San Diego State, CSUN logged a 1-2 mark in its season-opening series against Utah Valley last weekend at home. The Matadors used a five-run eighth inning to capture game one by a 10-6 count before falling in their next two outings by scores of 6-5 and 10-6, respectively.
The Matadors posted a 34-17 overall record during the 2023 campaign, including a second-place mark of 20-10 in the Big West. CSUN was pegged for a fifth-place finish in the Big West preseason coaches poll, while Jakob Simons earned preseason all-conference honors. In addition, relief pitcher Josh Romero was named a second-team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
Simons, who received Big West Co-Player of the Year recognition last season, went 5-for-11 at the plate against Utah Valley last weekend, including a three-run homer in the eighth inning of game one. In addition, fellow outfielder Andrew Sojka, a 2023 first-team all-Big West selection, went deep twice in the series.
CSUN lists seven players on its 2024 roster from San Diego County high schools, including three Rancho Bernardo High alums in Shunsuke Sakaino, Trent Abel and Jehee Lee, who are joined by Andrew Gauna (Patrick Henry HS/Sand Diego Mesa CC), Blake Ignaciak (El Camino HS/Palomar JC), Destin Allen-Fox (Santana HS) and Nathan Barraza (Mission Hills HS).
Similarly, SDSU features nine players on its current roster who are alumni of San Diego County high schools, including Trevor Fox and Cade Martinez (St. Augustine); Manoah Chapman and Jake Jackson (Madison); Xavier Gonzalez (Hilltop); AJ Klubeck (Westview); Brady Lavoie (La Costa Canyon); Evan Sipe (San Marcos); and Nico Tomasello (Granite Hills).
Despite dropping a 7-5 decision to CSUN at home last season, SDSU still leads the all-time series 47-42. In that contest, the Matadors erupted for six runs in the first two innings and never looked back.
SDSU, which has won 40 of its last 64 against the Big West opponents, will travel to Northridge for a return engagement vs. the Matadors on Tuesday, April 30, starting at 3 p.m. PT.
Following Wednesday's contest, San Diego State will co-host the annual Tony Gwynn Legacy event this weekend at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Aztecs will battle Missouri (Feb. 23), CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 24) and Utah (Feb. 26) in succession.
Aztecs Set for Midweek Clash vs. CSUN
