May 15, 2008

Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format

AZTECS END REGULAR SEASON WITH SERIES AT CAL STATE FULLERTON
*** San Diego State concludes its 2008 regular season schedule this weekend with three games at No. 8 Cal State Fullerton.
*** The Aztecs' series against the Titans begins Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. (PDT) at the Fullerton's Goodwin Field.
*** The series continues with games on Friday (May 16) and Saturday (May 17) at 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. respectively.
*** SDSU will return to San Diego Saturday night, then depart on Sunday for the Mountain West Conference Tournament, which gets underway on Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas.

SERIES RECORD
*** San Diego State's record vs. Cal State Fullerton stands at 20-37-1 since they first met during the 1964 season. The Titans have won 12 of the last 14 meetings dating back to the 1984 season, but SDSU has won two of the last three (both in San Diego.).
*** The Aztecs have not won in Fullerton since 1977, losing eight in a row on the Titan's home field since then. In 2005 SDSU dropped a 4-3 decision at Goodwin field in 10 innings.
*** SDSU has a mark of 10-17 vs. CSUF in San Diego, 8-18-1 in Fullerton and 2-2 at neutral sites.

SCOUTING THE TITANS
*** Cal State Fullerton will enter the weekend series against the Aztecs with a record of 32-17. The Titans are in first place in the Big West Conference at 15-6. Their top offensive players include right fielder Erik Komatsu (.361, 7 HR, 43 RBI), center fielder Josh Fellhauer (.354, 16 2B, 33 RBI) and shortstop Christian Colon (.319, 9 2B, 27 RBI).
*** CSUF's closer is Adam Jorgensen (2-1, 8 saves, 4.29) while three others have at least one save. The staff's strikeout-to-walk ratio is almost three-to-one (392 K's, 138 BB's).
*** As a team, Fullerton is batting .303 with a team earned run average of 4.38.

NO. 3 SEED AT MWC TOURNEY
*** Having completed its 2008 Mountain West Conference schedule, San Diego State will be the number-three seed at next week's league tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.
*** Although the Aztecs can still finish tied for second in the standings with a sweep by either TCU or New Mexico in their series this weekend, both of those teams hold the tiebreaker with SDSU for tournament seeding purposes.
*** As a result, the Aztecs will open the tournament against the No. 6 seed on Tuesday, May 20, at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) at TCU's Lupton Stadium.
*** Their opponent could be UNLV, Utah or BYU depending on the outcome of their contests this weekend.

STRASBURG WINS SEVENTH MWC AND THIRD NATIONAL AWARD
*** Stephen Strasburg has been named Mountain West Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week for the seventh time this season. It also marks the fifth consecutive week that he has captured the league honor.
*** In addition, he has also been tabbed a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball magazine. It is the third time that he has earned that distinction in 2008.
*** The sophomore right-hander has also been honored this week as a member of the College Baseball Foundation's weekly national all-star lineup (third week in a row) and as the national pitcher of the week by Perfect Game.
*** Strasburg tossed his third consecutive complete-game victory in the Aztecs' 8-1 win at BYU last Thursday. He allowed just two hits and walked one, while striking out 15, his second highest total of the season. It was the sixth straight contest in which he finished in double figures in strikeouts. After giving up a base hit in the fourth, which led to an unearned run on a wild pitch, Strasburg struck out the next seven batters and faced only one batter over the minimum in his final 5.2 innings.
*** Strasburg's seven MWC weekly pitching awards in 2008 are the most ever in a season by a league hurler, eclipsing the four won by BYU's Nate Fernley in 2001 and Utah's Mitch Maio in 2002. With his fifth consecutive accolade, he also goes two better than Fernley's three straight awards during the 2001 campaign.

MORE STRASBURG
*** With his 15 K's in the game at BYU last Thursday, Strasburg broke the San Diego State record for strikeouts in a season. His current total of 125 eclipses the old mark of 122 set by Rob Brown in 1989.
*** Strasburg also established a new MWC record for strikeouts in a season in conference games with 92 (old record was 78 by SDSU's Marcos Mendoza in 2001). He also finished league play with a 0.63 earned run average in MWC games to break the record of Jake Arrieta of TCU (1.12 in 2006).
*** Strasburg's strikeout total leads the nation this week while his 1.28 earned run average is the second-best in Division I baseball. His 125 K's have come in 84.1 innings during which he has surrendered only 11 walks while compiling a record of 8-1.
*** He has allowed only two runs (one earned) in his last 55 innings on the mound.

HANZAWA LEADS THE OFFENSE
*** Troy Hanzawa's three doubles in the series finale at BYU tied the SDSU record for two-baggers in a game, held by several players.
*** Over SDSU's last 18 contests, he has gone 37-for-89 (.416) with 11 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 19 runs scored and 26 RBI.
*** Included in those contests is a pair of games in which he had five RBI. Only he and Nick Romero have had five-RBI efforts this season.
*** He has scored at least two runs in a game on 14 occasions in 2008.
*** His .373 batting average leads the club as does his 87 hits, 52 runs scored, 14 doubles, seven triples and 11 stolen bases.
*** His 27 multiple-hit games are the most on the team and his 11 multiple-RBI efforts are second-most on the club.
*** He finished conference play with a .375 batting average 26 runs scored and 27 RBI in 24 games.
*** Hanzawa's 87 hits is one shy of cracking the Aztec top 20 for hits in a season. Jon Stephens' 88 hits in 2002 rank 20th on the all-time list.

DECKER STREAK ENDS
*** Brandon Decker's career personal-best 20-game hitting streak, the longest by an Aztec, ended Tuesday vs. Long Beach State.
*** It was the longest streak by an Aztec since Quintin Berry hit safely in 27 straight contests during the 2005 season.
*** During Decker's streak, he went 36-for-87 (.414) with five doubles, a home run, 20 runs scored and 19 runs batted in.
*** His home run at Brigham Young last Saturday (May 10) was his first of the year.
*** His four RBI in that contest was a personal season best and tied his career high (four at Air Force last season).
*** He tied a career high with four hits at UNLV on April 20.
*** He has gotten at least one hit in 23 of his last 26 contests.
*** Decker has raised his overall average to .338, the third-best on the squad entering the weekend.
*** In Mountain West Conference play, he batted .382 with 22 runs scored in 21 games.
*** He has not committed an error in 34 games in the outfield (53 chances).

COLWELL STREAK ENDS
*** Sophomore outfielder Pat Colwell's career-best 15-game hitting streak ended in the series opener at BYU last Thursday. His previous best was a nine-game streak as a freshman in 2007.
*** During his streak, he batted .412 (28-for-68) with five doubles, two triples, three home runs, 23 runs scored and 15 RBI.
*** His final batting average in league play was .386.
*** In his 32 games as SDSU's leadoff hitter, Colwell has an on-base percentage of .455 and his batting average is .366.
*** He became the first SDSU player to ever hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat against Utah on April 12. His home run in that game was his first as a collegiate player and was an inside-the-park shot.
*** He was the lone Aztec to record a hit against Long Beach State on Tuesday.

ROMERO GOES DEEP
*** Nick Romero had a seven-game hitting streak ended in the series finale at BYU last Saturday.
*** During that steak he went 14-for-34 (.412) with three double, two homers, eight runs and nine RBI.
*** Romero has gone hitless in back-to-back games for only twice this season.
*** He is second on the team with 21 multiple-hit games and leads the squad with 13 multiple-RBI efforts. He has driven in four or more runs in a game five times in 2008.
*** He has driven in at least one run in seven of the last eight games.
*** His 26 career homers tie for the third-most ever by an Aztec with Travis Lee (1994-96).
*** He is two shy of the SDSU career mark held jointly by Curt Mendoza (2003-06) and Paul Lockhart (1997-2000).
*** Romero hit a grand slam in the game against Arizona on April 8. It was his first career slam as an Aztec.
*** Romero's 33 walks this season lead the team and his three-year total of 84 moves him into a tie for 15th on the SDSU career list.
*** His 59 RBI put him just outside the Aztec top 20 for RBI in a season. Three players are tied for 18th with 60 (Travis Lee, Chris Cannizzaro and Paul Sokolowski).

FLYING SOLOW
*** Last Saturday at Brigham Young, sophomore Nate Solow won for the fourth time in his last five starts, allowing four runs (three earned) while striking out six and walking one in eight innings of work.
*** Over his last six starts (40.2 innings), he has struck out 38 and walked 10.
*** This season, Solow has struck out 88 and walked only 26 in his 78.2 innings of work. His strikeout total is the second-best in the Mountain West Conference behind teammate Stephen Strasburg.
*** His 13 strikeouts against BYU on March 14 were a career high.

RUDDY MAKING HIS MARK
*** Reserve catcher Bubba Ruddy had a five-game hitting streak end on Tuesday when he went hitless as a pinch hitter. He has hit safely in 10 of the last 12 contests.
*** Over his last 12 contests, he has gone 17-for-44 (.386) with three doubles, a triple, nine runs scored and four runs batted in.
*** He recorded a pair of doubles and both RBI in the 3-2 loss to the Wildcats on April 29.
*** His three hits and three RBI in the series finale against TCU on April 27 were both season highs for the junior transfer from Cypress JC.
*** Thirteen of his last 14 appearances have been in starting roles as either the designated hitter or catcher.

CASTRO CATCHING ON
*** Erik Castro had hit safely in five straight prior to Tuesday vs. Long Beach State, going 7-for-17 (.412). He also drew four walks in those contests for a .500 on-base percentage over his last five appearances.
*** His three RBI in the series finale at Air Force (May 4) matched his season high (vs. BYU on March 15).
*** He hit his third home run of the season in that contest at Air Force as well and added his fourth in the opener at BYU on Thursday, May 8.
*** In his first season as a catcher, he is fielding .991 behind the plate with three errors in 324 chances (33 games).
*** In 12 contests at first base, his fielding percentage is .989.
*** Castro hit .384 in conference play with 20 RBI in 20 contests.

VAUGHN BREAKS OUT
*** Freshman Cory Vaughn has broken out of a mini slump by hitting safely in four of his last five games.
*** In those four contests (two at Air Force, two at BYU), he went 7-for-13 with three doubles,, a home run, five runs scored and two runs batted in.
*** Vaughn is second on the team in home runs with six and third in triples with three.
*** He is the son of former major leaguer Greg Vaughn.

PULLEN AT STOPPER
*** Senior Brandon Pullen had his longest outing in his two seasons as an Aztec when he tossed the final three innings in last Friday's game at BYU.
*** Over those three frames, he allowed just one hit and struck out a pair.
*** It was his longest outing since going two innings vs. Missouri, and that was his only other appearance in which he went more than one.
*** He has given up runs in only one of his last 11 relief appearances (two vs. TCU on April 27).

MCLAUGHLIN IN THE ROTATION
*** Junior right-hander James McLaughlin made just his third start of the season in last Friday's game at BYU and suffered his first defeat of the year to fall to 3-1.
*** His first start came at UC Riverside (March 4) when he gave up one run on six hits with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings. He was not involved in the decision in that contest.
*** In a start at Air Force on May 3, he went 7.1 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) with one walk and six strikeouts, but was not involved in the decision.
*** His three wins this season have all come in relief and he has also recorded a pair of saves.
*** Over his last 13 relief appearances, he has an earned run average of 2.84.
*** The seven strikeouts against Southern Utah on March 17 were his career high as an Aztec.

AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
*** Entering play this week, SDSU ranked among the national Division I leaders in two offensive areas: 11th with 23 triples and 16th in triples per game (0.43).
*** On the pitching side, the Aztecs are 12th in most strikeouts per game (8.6) and 35th in fewest walks per game with (3.11).
*** There is a total of 286 teams in Division I.
*** Individually, Stephen Strasburg leads the nation in strikeouts (125), is third in strikeouts per nine innings (13.35) and second in earned run average (1.28). He is also fifth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.12).
*** Nate Solow's 88 strikeouts rank 20th in the nation and he is 47th with an average of 10.06 K's per nine innings.
*** Troy Hanzawa's seven triples rank sixth in the nation while his hit total of 87 ranks sixth.
*** In addition Garett Green is tied for 14th in Division I with seven sacrifice flies.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
*** Troy Hanzawa's seven triples in 2008 ties for the ninth-most in a season by an Aztec.
*** Hanzawa's 12 career triples moves him into a tie for 10th place on the all-time Aztec list.
*** Nick Romero's 152 career RBI move him into the fifth spot on the San Diego State all-time list.
*** Romero's 11 homers this year give him a career total of 26, moving him into a tie for third on the San Diego State career list.
*** Romero's nine career triples also tie him for 18th.
*** Romero's 84 career walks ties him for 15th on the SDSU all-time list.
*** Garett Green's 12 sacrifice flies over the past two seasons ties him for fifth all-time at SDSU.
*** Green's seven sacrifice flies this year ties for the fifth-most ever in a season by an SDSU player.
*** Stephen Strasburg's 125 strikeouts is a new school record for the most in a season by an SDSU pitcher.
*** His career total of 172 K's ranks 18th in the Aztec record book.
*** Pat Colwell has been hit by pitch 11 times this season, tying him for fifth on the SDSU single-season chart.
*** Colwell's 16 HBP over the past two seasons ties for sixth on the Aztec career list.
*** Cory Vaughn has been hit on nine occasions to tie for 10th.

GETTING OFFENSIVE
*** In SDSU's last 16 games, the team has been in double digits in hits 13 times and compiled a batting average of .336 over those contests.
*** In the process, the team batting average has risen 28 points, from .270 to .294, a few points under its highest mark since the second week of the season.
*** In those 16 games, SDSU had 53 doubles, nine triples and 22 home runs for a team slugging percentage of .545.
*** The home runs represent over half of the team's season total of 41.
*** The Aztecs recorded season highs in runs (18) and hits (25) in the contest at UNLV on April 19.

AZTEC NOTES
*** The 10-0 shutout by Long Beach on Tuesday was the first time SDSU has been blanked this season. The last time the Aztecs were shut out was at the 2007 MWC Tournament, losing 1-0 to New Mexico on May 23.
*** With a 30-23 entering the weekend, the Aztecs are assured of finishing above the .500 mark this season for the first time since the 2004 campaign (35-29). Their final record of 16-8 in league play is also their best mark since that same season when they finished 19-9.
*** SDSU's 4-1 win over TCU on Friday, April 25, was played in a time of 2:01. It was the quickest nine-inning game for the Aztecs since a 6-3 loss to UNLV on May 28, 2004, that was completed in 1:58. Earlier this year March 26), the Aztecs defeated Harvard, 4-0, in 2:09.
*** Freshman closer Addison Reed missed last weekend's series at Brigham Young, remaining in San Diego due to illness. He returned to the bullpen on Tuesday vs. Long Beach State.
*** The infield duo of second baseman Garett Green and third baseman Nick Romero are the only Aztecs to have started all 53 game in 2008.
*** Green and pitcher Stephen Strasburg have been the MWC Player and Pitcher of the week in the same week twice in 2008.
*** Brandon Glover's four RBI at Air Force on May 2 was a personal season high.
*** Glover has been intentionally walked three times this season.
*** Over the past two seasons, sophomore right-hander Stephen Strasburg has not allowed a home run over 121.1 innings.
*** Strasburg has been named to the Dick Howser Trophy watch list. He is one of 50 players nation-wide in contention for the award which honors the year's top player in collegiate baseball.
*** The Aztecs are 9-3 in one-run games. In 2007, SDSU finished with a mark of 4-10 in one-run contests.
*** SDSU is 3-1 in extra innings this season after compiling a mark of 1-4 last year.
*** San Diego State recorded a season-high eight stolen bases in the series finale against Houston on March 30.