Kallie Larson / Staff Photographer

The San Diego State baseball team’s ace Stephen Strasburg is not just a pitcher.

“He’s a competitor,” head coach Tony Gwynn said following SDSU’s 4-3 win against UNLV Friday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

So when a slow roller off the bat of Rebel second baseman Bryan Resnick was fielded by Strasburg and Aztec first baseman Brandon Meredith was out of position trying to field the grounder, there was only one thing to do to make sure he got the out.

The likely No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft slid feet first into first base just ahead of Resnick to record the second out of the inning.

“I would have loved to see him run across the bag,” Gwynn said. “But I’m a good 130 feet away from the play. That might have been the only way he makes that play.”

On a night where the junior improved to 4-0 this season, Strasburg pitched seven innings, struck out 14 and surrendered just six hits and two earned runs. The junior walked only one batter and threw 116 pitches.

“He wanted that (seventh) inning, and he’s ready for that,” SDSU pitching coach Rusty Filter said of his ace’s pitch count. “But that’s as far as he’ll go.”

As for Strasburg, his strikeouts per nine innings actually took a statistical hit. He entered the game with 45 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings (2.21) but left the game with 59 strikeouts through 27 1/3 innings (2.16).

“It’s just baseball. I’m not pitching at the same team every time,” Strasburg said. “I was fighting my mechanics tonight. It just didn’t feel right.”

Even with his so-so mechanics, the righty recorded his first eight outs via the strikeout.

Strasburg will start this Thursday at home against BYU.

8212;Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Kevin Scarpati