THE SCHEDULE
The three-game series between San Jose State and San Diego State will get underway with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m. and the set will conclude Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Each game will be televised on the Mountain West Network.
AN SJSU SERIES WIN WOULD
> Give the program its first series win in San Diego against the Aztecs since 1997 (split four games in 2018)
> Mark the program's first win in its first conference road series of a season since 2013 (took two of three at UTSA)
> Be better than a loss
SINGLES
> Junior Jonathan Clark was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Monday after striking out seven in Saturday's 4-3 victory at UC Davis.
>The Spartans have now earned the conference's Pitcher of the Week award in back-to-back weeks (Trevor Ernt honored on Apr. 26), marking a first for the program since Andrew Mitchel and Fineas Del Bonta-Smith were honored on Mar. 11 and Mar. 18, 2019.
> Junior Ruben Ibarra leads the Mountain West and is ranked No. 3 in all of Division I in home runs per game at an average of 0.42.
> San Jose State has been one of the nation's top double teams this season and enters the weekend ranked No. 15 nationally with 0.9 doubles per game.
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE
The Aztecs enter the weekend with a record of 22-12 and are 14-10 in conference play. The club has lost three consecutive contests but is still receiving top-25 votes nationally. San Jose State is 23-65 all-time against San Diego State, most recently beating SDSU 12-7 back on March 27 at Excite Ballpark.
SCORING ON SDSU
San Jose State scored 20 runs in its season-opening series against San Diego State, marking the most runs allowed by the Aztecs in a league series since May 10-12, 2019.
BATS HAVE BEEN HOT
San José State has now totaled double-digit runs in back-to-back games, marking the first time the program has accomplished the feat since April of 2018 (won 15-7 and 10-7 at Fresno State).
HIT STREAK AT DOUBLE DIGITS
San Jose State first baseman Ruben Ibarra's hit streak is now up to 10 games after his three-run homer in the fourth inning of Tuesday's contest at California. That marks the program's second-longest hit streak in the last three seasons (Kellen Strahm, 11 in 2019).
IB-BAR-AH
Ibarra homered in each of his first three games against Fresno State last month, 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 Mountain West is slugging at a better rate than Ibarra as of late. The junior has now homered in seven of his last 10 games and ranks No. 2 in all of Division I with a slugging percentage of .841.
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 his last league appearance against Fresno State. Ernt now has two eight-K performances in just four appearances on the 2021 campaign and leads the Mountain West in ERA at 2.37.
MORE ERNT
In March's historic victory over California, 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.
SWINGERS
The Spartans have two multi-home run games (4/23 vs. Fresno State and 5/4 at California) on the 2021 season with Jack Colette and Ruben Ibarra combining for both of them.
EXTRA, EXTRA
Sunday's 14-11 victory over UC Davis in 11 innings marked the program's first extra-inning victory since May 13, 2018 (6-4 at San Diego State in 10 innings).