Pitching

Fresno State University has posted a phenomenal team ERA at 2.90. It’s also holding opponents to a .230 batting average and has used seven different starting pitchers. San Diego State has benefited from an early season move that put sophomore pitcher Bubba Derby in the rotation and slotted junior pitcher Michael Cederoth in the closer role. Both have settled in nicely in their new roles. Derby has gone 4-0 with a 2.60 ERA, asserting himself as the staff ace, and Cederoth has racked up eight saves. The Aztec pitchers have been dominant at home though, going 10-2, giving them the edge.

Edge: Aztecs 

Batting

SDSU has come out of the gates hot this year with the bat, batting .311 as a team. Sophomore third baseman Ty France is on fire batting .407 with four HRs and 26 RBIs. The Bulldogs also pose a little pop in their lineup in junior outfielder Jordan Luplow and sophomore catcher Taylor Ward, who have combined for eight HRs and 41 RBIs on the season. An X-factor to watch out for is junior outfielder Greg Allen, a great table setter for SDSU. Allen had an on-base percentage of .418, and stole nine bases. With Allen’s speed and France’s power, SDSU should have no problem producing runs.

Edge: Aztecs

Defense

The one facet of the game that both of these teams have struggled with is defense.  SDSU senior infielders Tim Zier and Evan Potter have combined for 10 errors up the middle of the diamond. However, Fresno State has also had its struggles with 34 errors as a team, 11 more than SDSU. In a series against two fairly even teams, defense should be the main determinant to who wins the series. One player to watch is Bulldog junior pitcher Derick Velazquez who is effective out of the bullpen, but has also committed seven errors, a high amount for a pitcher. Look for Fresno State to make late-game errors that should propel the Aztecs to victory.

Edge: Aztecs

Prediction

SDSU is off to an amazing start this season, sitting at 17-6, but has been only average in conference going 5-4. Fresno State is also off to a good start with its record of 15-9 and 5-4 in conference. After dropping two of three games at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas last weekend, the Aztecs have a great opportunity to come home and assert themselves in the Mountain West Conference. The key factor of this series will be pitching and defense, facets in which SDSU has an advantage against Fresno State. That being said, the Aztecs should be able to win the series and pull off the sweep.

Prediction: Aztecs sweep the Bulldogs 

Photo by Jordan Owen, senior staff photographer