Baseball

Aidan Russell Earns Second Straight MW Pitcher of the Week Honor

San Diego State’s Aidan Russell garnered his second straight Mountain West Pitcher of the Week accolade on Monday for another pair of outstanding relief appearances against Saint Mary’s and Washington.

Aidan Russell Earns Second Straight MW Pitcher of the Week HonorAidan Russell Earns Second Straight MW Pitcher of the Week Honor
Megan Ellis

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State’s Aidan Russell earned his second straight Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honor for another pair  of outstanding relief appearances against Saint Mary’s and Washington. The announcement was made Monday by the league office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

With his award, Russell becomes the first Aztec hurler to garner consecutive MW weekly pitching accolades since TJ Fondtain was recognized May 9-16, 2022.

Russell, who received the same distinction after picking up the victory in SDSU’s triumph at No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 24,  gives the Scarlet and Black four straight MW Pitcher of the Week awards after Carson Johnson (Feb. 16) and Rohan Lettow (Feb. 23) were also honored last month. Additionally, SDSU boasts five MW weekly honorees already this season after Max Farrell merited Freshman of the Week plaudits on Feb. 16.

A native of Vacaville, California, Russell posted a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and eight strikeouts in a combined 6 1/3 innings vs. Saint Mary’s and Washington. The senior right-hander gave up just two hits without a walk last week, logging a stellar 0.474 WHIP. He also threw strikes in 66 of 95 pitches.

Against the Gaels on March 6, Russell picked up his second victory of the season after pitching the final 4 1/3 innings when he tied his career high with six strikeouts and allowed just one hit in 17 batters faced. He also reached ball three on just two occasions against a high-octane Saint Mary’s club that entered the weekend ranked ninth in the nation with a .343 batting average, 12th in hits (146) and 16th in home runs (22), as the Scarlet and Black rallied for a 3-2 triumph.

In an earlier road game against the Huskies on March 2, Russell fanned two batters in a two-inning stint when he allowed just one unearned run on two hits.

With his performance, Russell lowered his ERA to a league-leading 0.63 clip, improving to 2-0 on the season with 20 strikeouts against two walks in 14 1/3 innings. His .135 opponent batting average ranks sixth in the MW, while his total of 20 strikeouts is tied for eighth.

San Diego State will square off against Cal State Fullerton in midweek road game on Tuesday, March 10, before returning to the friendly confines of Tony Gwynn Stadium for a three-game home series against Washington State, March 13-15, to open conference play.