San Diego State University will begin its 26th and final season of Mountain West baseball competition with a three-game series against Washington State, starting March 13 at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The games are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
This series marks the start of the Aztecs’ last campaign in the conference, making it significant for both players and fans. Live coverage will be available on the Mountain West Network for Friday’s and Sunday’s games, with additional access through GoAztecs.com and the MW app. Sunday’s game is designated as Little League Day, with free SDSU arm sleeves for the first 200 fans.
Head coach Kevin Vance is set to start right-handers Rohan Lettow, Drew Talavs, and Alec Belardes over the weekend. Lettow leads the Mountain West in strikeouts with 31 and was recently named to the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award watch list along with teammate Aidan Russell. Talavs ranks fourth in conference strikeouts, while Belardes is fifth.
The Aztecs enter this weekend aiming to end a three-game losing streak after a walk-off loss to Cal State Fullerton on March 10. Catcher Zach Justice has been a key offensive contributor, hitting safely in nine consecutive games and raising his batting average from .105 to .302 during that span. San Diego State pitchers currently lead the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (11.2) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.95), ranking among national leaders in both categories.
Historically, San Diego State holds a 13-10 advantage over Washington State in their all-time series, including a sweep last year that secured a spot in the Mountain West tournament championship. The Aztecs have also performed well in conference openers since joining Mountain West play in 2000, compiling a record of 16-9 overall and an impressive 12-3 mark at home.
Following this weekend’s matchup, San Diego State will travel to face No. 12 USC on March 17.
