SAN DIEGO – Former San Diego State standouts Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Michael Cederoth, Ty France, Casey Schmitt and TJ Fondtain were named to the Mountain West 25th Season Baseball Team in advance of this week's conference championships, scheduled for May 23-26 at Tony Gwynn Stadium on the SDSU campus.
The Mountain West is celebrating its 25th season of excellence on and off the field of play. During each Mountain West Championship in 2023-24, the league will recognize a 25th Season Team, as chosen by the MW selection committee.
The Mountain West Baseball 25th Season Team is comprised of 25 field players and 10 pitchers.
Below is a chronological look at the six Aztec stars who earned a spot on the MW Baseball 25th Season Team.
STEPHEN STRASBURG (2007-09)
A consensus first-team All-America selection in both 2008 and 2009, Stephen Strasburg is among San Diego State's most celebrated former student-athletes. He was named National Pitcher of the Year in 2009 by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) and was selected Mountain West Pitcher of the Year in two consecutive seasons, while also holding SDSU records for most strikeouts in a game (23), season (195) and career (375). Strasburg also holds the school record for lowest career ERA of 1.59 and tied the program's record for most wins in a season with 13 as a senior in 2009. During his senior season, Strasburg was selected to the CBF National Team of the Week four times before capping it off with a no-hitter in his final collegiate home appearance. That season, the former West Hills High product walked only 11 batters while striking out 195 in 109 innings pitched before leading the Aztecs to their first NCAA Regional appearance in 18 years. As a junior in 2008, Strasburg was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week three times and was the only collegiate player on the bronze medal-winning U.S. Olympic team. Following his career on The Mesa, Strasburg was the first pick in the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft of the Washington Nationals. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 2019 World Series after posting two wins in two appearances with 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings, as the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in seven games.
ADDISON REED (2008-10)
Addison Reed was named the 2009 Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after leading the nation with a school-record 20 saves (since tied). That season, he also garnered first-team All-America accolades from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Collegiate Baseball newspaper, PING Baseball, Rivals.com and the NCBWA to go with second-team recognition from Baseball America. In addition, Reed was a first-team All-West Region selection after posting a scant 0.65 ERA in 25 appearances. During his career on The Mesa, the former Aztec right-hander pitched as reliever as a freshman and assumed the closer duties as sophomore before transitioning to a starting role as a junior. Reed compiled a career record of 11-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 24 saves, the latter of which is tied for second in program history. He was selected in the third round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago White Sox and pitched for five major league teams, including the White Sox (2011-13), Arizona Diamondbacks (2014-15), New York Mets (2015-17), Boston Red Sox (2017) and Minnesota Twins (2018).
MICHAEL CEDEROTH (2012-14)
Michael Cederoth emerged as a dominant closer in his final season for the Aztecs after spending his first two years in a starting role. As a junior in 2014, the San Diego native and Steele Canyon High alumnus received first-team Louisville Slugger All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball newspaper to go with second-team honors from the NCBWA and third-team accolades from Perfect Game. That season, Cederoth compiled a 6-2 record with a 2.28 ERA and 20 saves, the latter of which tied a school record with Addison Reed and ranks fifth on the program's career list. A Dick Howser Award semifinalist, he also recorded 55 strikeouts over 51 1/3 innings, while opponents hit just .205 against him. A two-time all-conference selection, Cederoth helped the Scarlet and Black to consecutive Mountain West tournament championships and NCAA Regional berths in 2013 and 2014. He was a third-round selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
TY FRANCE (2013-15)
Ty France played a key role on three consecutive Mountain West tournament championship teams and NCAA Regional qualifiers, earning Most Valuable Player honors after setting a conference record with 16 hits at the MW tournament as a freshman in 2013. That season, he also received second-team Freshman All-America recognition from Baseball America after posting a slash line of .317/.417/.450 with a team-high five homers while driving in 36 runs. In 2014, France garnered second-team All-America accolades from Baseball America after leading the team with a .356 batting average, 83 hits, 19 doubles and 55 runs scored. He also ranked second on the squad with five home runs, 45 RBIs and 28 walks. In 2015, France merited first-team all-MW distinction for the second year in a row after hitting .336 with four homers, 14 doubles, three triples and 49 RBIs. He logged a team-best .381 batting average in conference play that season, ranking among the MW top seven in several categories. France was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft and made his debut with the parent club in 2019. France was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2020 and was named to the American League All-Star team in 2022.
CASEY SCHMITT (2018-20)
A dual threat on the mound and at the plate, Casey Schmitt emerged as a highly decorated player starting with his first season on The Mesa when he garnered first-team Freshman All-America accolades from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball newspaper to go with second-team recognition from Perfect Game. The San Diego native and Eastlake High alumnus set a single-season school record with a 0.28 ERA (min 30 IP), completing the year with 25 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings. In addition, Schmitt led the nation after the start of April that season with nine saves. Not to be outdone, he became the first freshman since the Aztecs' Ty France to earn Most Valuable Player honors at the Mountain West Championship and was one of two players in the country with 25 or more RBIs and an ERA of 1.00 or lower (min 15 IP). In 2019, Schmitt received second-team all-conference recognition after finishing second on the team with a .315 batting average, five homers and 36 RBIs. He also topped the squad with a .415 on-base percentage and eight saves on the hill. Following the abbreviated 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Schmitt was an all-MW honoree for the second year in a row and merited third-team All-America distinction from Collegiate Baseball newspaper. He led the nation with six saves when the season was canceled, climbing into fourth place on the Aztecs' career list with 23 in that statistic. A second-round pick by San Francisco in the 2020 MLB Draft, Schmitt made his major league debut with the Giants in May 2023 and has appeared in six games with the club thus far in 2024.
TJ FONDTAIN (2020-23)
The 2023 Mountain West Pitcher of the Year, TJ Fondtain garnered four All-America accolades as a utility player after his final season on The Mesa, earning second-team honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA/Rawlings), D1Baseball.com and Collegiate Baseball newspaper to go with third-team recognition from Baseball America. Fondtain burst onto the national scene after tossing the eighth no-hitter in program history to highlight SDSU's 4-0 home shutout of Nevada on April 21, 2023. The Aztec left-hander came tantalizingly close to a perfect game, issuing one walk to lead off the ninth inning. Fondtain also displayed his versatility at the plate, compiling a .272 batting average with a team-high nine home runs and a .879 OPS, helping the Scarlet and Black clinch a share of the Mountain West regular-season championship. For his talents, he was named one of five finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award by the College Baseball Foundation. On the national level, Fondtain finished ninth in the country with a 0.96 WHIP for 2023 campaign and was slotted 13th with an average of 6.22 hits per nine innings. He was chosen in the 14th round by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft.