SDSU set for 2025 season debut at MLB Desert Invitational
SDSU sings the fight song after defeating UNLV last year. (P.J. Panebianco/EVT)
The 2025 baseball season is here for the SDSU Aztecs.
The San Diego State Aztecs will kick off year two of the Shaun Cole era at the MLB Desert Invitation this weekend in the greater Phoenix area.
The Aztecs will begin their campaign against Seton Hall before playing Grand Canyon University and Nebraska to close off their weekend.
San Diego State has already announced its rotation this week, which is highlighted by preseason all-Mountain West pitcher Omar Serrano taking the hill for the season opener.
Serrano is looking to build on his 2024 campaign. The Aztecs’ ace posted a team-leading 77 strikeouts and started 14 games. Serrano was the sole representative for the Scarlet and Black on the 2024 all-Mountain West first team.
On Saturday, Cole is turning the ball over to Xavier Cardenas to face the Lopes.
Cardenas is looking to get back on track for his 2025 campaign and return to form that had him forecasted as the 2024 Mountain West Preseason Pitcher of the Year by D1Baseball.com.
To close the weekend against the Cornhuskers, SDSU is turning to transfer portal acquisition Marko Sipila.
Sipila had an impressive performance in the Cape Cod league this past summer for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. He carried a 2.84 ERA with nine strikeouts and two saves. He was being primarily used as a bullpen arm in the Cape. But Sipila has experience as a starter, logging 12 starts last year for the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Aztecs are returning five starters, including last year’s Mountain West freshman of the year, Finley Bates.
Bates, an infielder from Castle Rock, Colorado, also earned preseason all-Mountain West honors. Last season, Bates started 52 of 53 games and slashed .292/.358/.397 while sharing time at shortstop and second base.
In addition to Bates, the Aztecs are also returning left fielder Jake Jackson. He is a San Diego native who started 42 games last year. Jackson was a reliable presence atop the order for coach Cole, batting .276 while adding 35 RBIs and 14 extra-base hits.
Amid the youth of this Aztec core is the veteran presence of Tino Bethancourt. His bat in the middle of the order will be a constant. Bethancourt continued to develop during his time on the Mesa, recording career highs in batting average (.275), hits (50), and RBIs (40).
The MLB Desert Invitational should be a good litmus test for the Aztecs under year two of Shaun Cole. The competition against well-respected programs should get San Diego State primed for league play later down the line.
Following the three-game tournament, SDSU will face UCSD on Feb. 18 before hosting the Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament on February 20-24.
Liam has been covering the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team for the last two years, while being a Journalism student at San Diego State University. He is joining the staff to primarily cover the Aztec’s baseball team in addition to the men’s and women’s basketball teams.