If two is company and three’s a crowd, then what’s four?
San Diego State’s baseball team opens up its season at home against University of Oregon on Feb. 19 with its sights set on a fourth consecutive Mountain West championship.
Despite the losses of four first-team all-MW players, the Aztecs have more than enough to pull off the feat.
Starting with coaching, SDSU recently announced the five-year contract extension for head coach Mark Martinez.
Martinez’s tutelage in the dugout has helped the Aztecs weather the loss of its star players, due to Martinez’s skill in developing players from year to year.
Adding Sam Peraza as the new pitching coach is a stabilizing hire.
Peraza constructed program-best staffs at his previous stops at Florida International University and Cal State Northridge.
He returns to his alma mater to grow and guide the young Aztec pitching staff, with Cody Thompson, Jacob Erickson, and Marcus Reyes being thrust into bigger roles in the pitching staff.
The Aztecs also have three of their top six hitters returning. Senior outfielder Spencer Thornton and sophomore outfielder Chase Calabuig, who both hit over .300 last season, and junior first baseman Andrew Brown, who finished at .297.
Sophomore outfielder Tyler Adkison, who redshirted the previous season due to a fractured jaw, will return for the Aztecs to help offset the loss of now-graduated Steven Pallares in the outfield. Martinez said Adkison may also contribute at first base.
Furthermore, second baseman Alan Trejo returns for his junior season, looking to step into a run-producing role and provide much needed glove work up the middle of the diamond.
Competition and newcomers also augment the Aztecs’ lineup this season, with plenty of chances for both. Returning senior CJ Saylor and freshman recruit Dean Nevarez look to both fill the shoes of drafted catcher Seby Zavala.
Local freshman Jordan Verdon (Granite Hills High) was a 24th-round pick in last year’s MLB draft, but elected to come to the Mesa instead.
That shoulde help mitigate the loss of Ty France in the Aztec infield, who was drafted by the San Diego Padres after last season.
The competition in the MW weakens a bit, much to the benefit of the Aztecs.
University of Nevada hired new head coach T.J. Bruce in the offseason and has to replace its top three power hitters and run producers.
Third-place finisher, Fresno State, lost its two top pitchers in Jake Shull and Garrett Mundell and 50 percent of its roster is underclassmen.
Finally, the Aztecs have a favorable schedule for conference play and a few tough tests sprinkled throughout the nonconference slate.
Matchups with perennial College World Series contenders UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton, and a pair of games against crosstown rival University of San Diego, await.
That will help round the SDSU nine into form before conference play.
During MW play, only one road trip extends beyond four games and over half of SDSU’s conference schedule will be played before having to travel to Albuquerque and Fresno to play the Lobos and Bulldogs, respectively.
A perfect storm is converging on this baseball season for the Aztecs, between their additions and other teams’ subtractions.
Once the storm dies down, the Aztecs seem headed for another title.
