May 18, 2016
GAMES 53-55
San José State (16-36, 6-21 MW) vs. San Diego State (17-34, 9-18 MW)
Municipal Stadium (San Jose, Calif.)
Thursday, May 19 6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 20 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 21 1:00 p.m.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
Thursday: RHP Matt Brown (2-6, 5.10 ERA) vs. LHP Dominic Purpura (3-2, 3.70 ERA)
Friday: RHP Hilario Tovar (2-4, 6.32 ERA) vs. LHP Brett Seeburger (1-2, 4.87 ERA)
Saturday: TBA vs. TBA
Live Video: Spartan Digital Network (www.sjsuspartans.com/videos)
Radio: KSJS 90.5 FM
Social Media: @SJSUBaseball (Twitter, Instagram) • facebook.com/SJSUSpartansBaseball
All-Time Series: San José State trails, 46-19
BASEBALL WRAPS UP REGULAR SEASON WITH VISIT FROM SDSU
The Spartans wrap up the 2016 regular seasons campaign with a visit from the San Diego State Aztecs this weekend. The series kicks off Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and continues Friday at the same time before wrapping up Saturday at 1:00 p.m. San José State's six seniors will be honored before Saturday's contest. All three games will be streamed live via the Spartan Digital Network.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
Overview: San Diego State, led by second-year head coach Mark Martinez, sits at 17-35 overall and 9-18 in Mountain West action. The Aztecs have had a tough go of it in 2016 after earning the conference's automatic tournament berth last season by virtue of winning the MW Championship in Reno. They have won five of their last eight, including three of four against Air Force.
Offense: The Aztecs have posted a .272 team batting average thus far. Alan Trejo represents the only player over the .300 mark with a .310 clip and leads the club with 32 RBIs. Spencer Thornton is tied with Ozzy Braff for sixth in the conference with six home runs on the season and is one of three Aztecs with 10-plus doubles. As a team, SDSU has swiped 52 bags in 83 attempts, good for a .627 steal percentage.
Pitching: SDSU brings a 5.31 team ERA into the weekend. Projected Thursday starter Dominic Purpura is slated to make his 20th appearance and 11th start of the season. He has struck out 26 and walked 15 in 56.0 innings on the bump. Friday man Brett Seeburger will be toeing the rubber for a 10th time and has fanned 50 in 57.1 frames. Jacob Erickson leads the club with 25 appearances out of the bullpen and has notched a pair of saves.
SERIES HISTORY
The Spartans trail the all-time series with the Aztecs, 46-19. Last season, San Diego State took all three games of the series down south and grabbed the first two in San Jose before the Spartans were able to salvage the final game of the season set. San José State last won a series against the Aztecs in 1999, when both were member of the Western Athletic Conference.
THE WEEKEND THAT WAS
San José State traveled south to Long Beach State over the weekend and ran into a lights-out Dirtbags pitching staff. The Spartans scored a pair of runs in the very first inning of the weekend but were held scoreless over the next 19.1 frames. Saturday, Darren McCaughan fired a one-hit shutout, spoiling Josh Nashed's 5.0-inning outing in which he allowed just an unearned run. San José State held a 2-1 lead midway through the fourth inning of Sunday's ballgame but the Dirtbags scored in four of their last five trips to the plate to complete the sweep.
WHAT'S ON DECK
San José State heads to Albuquerque for the 2016 Mountain West Baseball Championship next week. The Spartans will take on either San Diego State or Air Force in the single elimination play-in game. The tournament becomes double elimination from that point forward.
OZZY DOES IT
Senior Ozzy Braff is putting together another impressive season on the heels of last year's Second Team All-Mountain West performance. In addition to his second-best .290 batting average, Braff owns club-bests in runs scored (27), slugging percentage (.489), doubles (11), triples (4), home runs (6), total bases (91), games played (51), stolen bases (7) and assists (145). He has only been under .300 for the season at the conclusion of a game seven times this year, and reached base in 24 consecutive games earlier in the campaign.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
San José State will lean on its lone two regular starting seniors for both leadership and production this season. Ozzy Braff and Dillan Smith represent the only seniors projected to start in the infield and outfield, respectively, on an everyday basis. Last season, Braff led the team with a .298 average and posted a clean sheet at second base en route to Second Team All-Mountain West honors. Smith started all but three games in right field a year ago and will be counted on to lead off for the Spartans.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
After fielding one of the youngest teams in the country a year ago, the Spartans will again feature a host of youngsters seeing significant playing time in 2016. Six of the probable starting position players and three of the starting pitchers this week are underclassmen. Corey Olivet (So. - OF), Cal Koga (Fr. - C) and Kyle Morrison (So. - INF) represent three more underclassmen who will compete for time throughout the season.
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