The San Diego State baseball team opened the season with a three-game sweep of the University of San Diego two weekends ago. To make matters worse for the Toreros, it was the first game ever played at their new stadium.
The Aztecs (3-4) returned to Tony Gwynn Stadium during the weekend for a four-game series against No. 6 Oregon State (8-0). But SDSU mustered just two runs in four games as the Beavers swept the series.
Oregon State beat SDSU 8-1 on Thursday night, 2-0 on Friday night, 5-0 on Saturday afternoon and 7-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier in the week, SDSU announced that sophomore first baseman Ryan Muno would miss time with a broken right hand. SDSU baseball blogger Kirk Kenney said the injury will sideline Muno for three to four weeks, perhaps longer.
Game of the week:
Friday night’s 2-0 pitching duel went into the eighth inning before Oregon State scored. The Beavers pushed two runs across the plate in the top of the eighth, but junior pitcher Philip Walby threw a gem for the Aztecs. Walby pitched 7.2 innings, giving up just two runs and five hits while striking out nine batters.
But the two runs that Walby allowed in the top of the eighth inning turned out to be the only support Oregon State senior pitcher Matt Boyd would need. Boyd pitched into the bottom of the ninth inning, giving up no earned runs and five hits while striking out nine batters. Junior pitcher Scott Schultz got the final two outs for the Beavers to earn the save.
SDSU player of the week:
The pickings were slim for this category, as the Aztecs scored just two runs in the series. But sophomore catcher Brad Haynal was 5 of 15 from the plate during the weekend and is now hitting .357 on the season.
Haynal was solid behind the plate defensively. He threw out runners trying to steal third base on two different occasions in Sunday’s finale.
SDSU pitcher of the week:
Although Walby’s record will show he was the losing pitcher Friday night, he can hardly be blamed for the defeat. The 6-foot-2 right-hander threw into the eighth inning and allowed just two earned runs, which would normally be more than good enough to earn the win. Unfortunately, Boyd was just a little better.
But Walby and the Aztecs can take comfort in how well he pitched against Oregon State, a powerful offensive team. After going just 3 1/3 innings in his first start at USD, Walby is now 0-1 with a 1.64 ERA and 10 strikeouts. Throughout his first two starts, he had a 1.00 walks and hits per innings pitched and opposing batters hit just .108 against him. Walby provides a solid section option in the Aztec rotation behind sophomore staff ace Michael Cederoth.
A look ahead:
SDSU will play the University of Santa Clara on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to Tony Gwynn Stadium for a three-game weekend series with Seton Hall University. Five games this week will test the depth of the Aztec pitching staff.
Santa Clara (3-4) could prove to be an especially tough test for the SDSU starters, as the Broncos are currently averaging 8.7 runs per game.
Seton Hall (0-5) has yet to win its first game of the season, having been swept in a two-game series against No. 1 North Carolina and three-game series against East Tennessee State.
