THE SCHEDULE
The three-game series between San Jose State and UC Davis will get underway with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. First pitch of game one is set for 12:00 p.m. and the set will conclude Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Each game will be televised on BigWest.TV with Will Wyman and Ryan Cohen on the call.
AN SJSU WIN WOULD
> Give the program its first May Day victory since 2016 (8-7 vs. Pacific)
> Mark the program's first win in the first game of a doubleheader since Opening Day in 2019 (swept Santa Clara)
> Be better than a loss
UNDERSTANDING UC DAVIS
The Aggies enter the weekend with a record of 10-28 and have dropped six consecutive contests. The club did get off to a strong start to the season, beating Washington State and winning multiple games against Portland, Pepperdine, UC Riverside and CSU Bakersfield.
San Jose State is 42-35 all-time against UC Davis, most recently beating the Aggies by a score of 4-3 on Mar. 9, 2014.
HOMECOMING FOR FLIP
San Jose State head coach Brad Sanfilippo played collegiately at UC Davis from 1996 to 1998. Sanfilippo was a three-year starter in the outfield for the Aggies and hit .340 for his career. In 1998, he was team captain and a first-team Western District GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American. Sanfilippo ranked in the top-10 in single-season bests for triples (five, 1997) and runs scored (56 in 1997) for UC Davis.
SINGLES
> San Jose State leads the all-time series with UC Davis, 42-35.
>Sophomore Trevor Ernt was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Monday after striking out eight in Friday's 5-4 victory over Fresno State.
> Ernt's WHIP of 0.57 ranks No. 1 nationally as the month of May begins.
> Junior Ruben Ibarra leads the Mountain West and is ranked No. 5 in all of Division I in slugging percentage at an average of .820.
IB-BAR-AH
SJSU first baseman Ruben Ibarra homered in each of his first three games against Fresno State last week, becoming the first Spartan in 12 years to hit a home run in at least three consecutive games. Corey Valine was the last one to accomplish the feat, going big fly in four straight contests (at Sacramento State, at Stanford, at New Mexico State, at New Mexico State) from May 3-9, 2009.
MORE RUBEN
No one in the nation is slugging at a better rate than Ruben Ibarra as of late. The junior has now homered in five of his last six games and ranks No. 5 in all of Division I with 0.4 home runs per game on the season.
WEAR IT TO WIN IT
San Jose State defeated Fresno State on a walk-off hit-by-pitch Friday, marking the team's second victory in that fashion in as many seasons (9-8 vs. Creighton on Feb. 23, 2019).
CLARK'S ELEVEN
Junior Jonathan Clark tallied 11 strikeouts at Creighton earlier this month, the most for a Spartan against a power conference opponent since Apr. 16, 2015 (Turtle Kuhaulua, 11 vs. Washington State). The total marked the program's most in any game since Apr. 5, 2019 (Andrew Mitchel, 11 vs. New Mexico).
BIG ERNT ENERGY
Making his first start of the season, sophomore Trevor Ernt notched his second eight-strikeout outing of the year in Friday's win over Fresno State. Ernt now has two eight-K performances in just three appearances on the 2021 campaign (threw just one scoreless inning in other appearance) and ranks No. 6 nationally in ERA at 1.29.
MORE ERNT
In last month's historic victory over California, Trevor Ernt became the first Spartan to go six-plus innings out of the bullpen since May 4, 2016 (Zach Wallace vs. Grand Canyon). Ernt was tremendous in relief, earning the first win of his career after allowing just one run and striking out eight in six innings of work.
SCORING ON SAN DIEGO STATE
San Jose State scored 20 runs in its season-opening series against first-place San Diego State, marking the most runs allowed by the Aztecs in a league series since May 10-12, 2019.
THREE'S COMPANY
The Spartans have proven to be one of the nation's top triple teams this season, ranking 48th nationally with 0.31 three-baggers per game.
GOING STREAKING
Junior Ruben Ibarra heads to Davis as the club's hottest hitter. Ibarra currently owns a six-game hitting streak to top the team.