Zander Bretza is a right-handed pitcher and first baseman who will be playing with the SDSU Aztecs baseball team next season. 

The San Diego State Aztecs signed a player earlier this month who is familiar with the Mountain West.

Zander Bretza is originally from Santa Ana, California, and currently plays in Louisiana at Bossier Parish Community College. Bretza played for UNLV in 2024 and played baseball in Canada during the summer for two seasons. He has traveled the country playing the game he loves and is extremely grateful for the experience.

His latest opportunity comes with the Aztecs, where he hopes to polish his craft further.

The pitcher/first baseman has a powerful arm. His future looks to be on the mound, but he also does not rule out the possibility of hitting at the next level. The Aztecs look for him to be a contributor on the pitching staff, but he may turn some heads with his ability to hit.

Currently in Louisiana, Zander is taking advantage of his time away from Southern California. He is a hunter and a fisherman, and there are plenty of opportunities to do that in the Bayou State. Life out east is quiet, and that is helping Zander focus on his drills and improving his baseball skills. “There isn’t much else to do. Just training on baseball,” Bretza tells EVT this week.

Working on improving is a big focus for the 6-foot-1 pitcher. “I have been doing so many drills out here. I had not seen some of them before, and I found some that work for me,” Bretza said enthusiastically. He enjoys the challenges of learning new routines and knows that it is all about finding what works for you individually. The pitcher currently sits 91-93 mph with his four-seam fastball and has topped out at 94 mph. There is room for a jump in velocity as he works with different pitching coaches.

Specifically, Zander is working with Steve Trombly of the Trombly Baseball Academy. For 23 years, the academy has helped youth baseball players achieve their goal of playing in the majors. Among the alumni of the academy are Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Gerrit Cole.

Even current San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado played for Trombly on the USA Baseball team when Machado was 17. “Steve Trombly has taken me under his wing. I started playing with him when I was really young. Like 12 or 14 U. I got into the program right before I went into high school. He has worked with me all the way through college. He has kind of been my mentor. He has always given me great advice. He is always one call away,” Bretza explains. To have someone with that kind of resume to assist is a godsend to this young player.

Trombly speaks highly of Bretza, whom he has known since the baseball player was 14. “Over the years, he and his family have become family to me,” Trombly tells EVT. The longtime coach knows Bretza very well and what he is capable of. “He was always a talented player with elite hitting skills and a strong arm.”

In discussing Zander Bretza more, Steve Trombly spoke about his intangibles. “He has been able to continually be successful due to his ability and relentless work ethic. He is a high-character individual who is coachable and is a great teammate,” Trombly explains. There is no doubt that his former coach is rooting for him to attain all his baseball dreams.

Zander has a younger brother named Zack, a 2025 graduate from Segerstrom High in Santa Ana. Zack Bretza will be playing out east in Louisiana this fall. “He is actually following in my footsteps and coming to Bossier Parish next year,” Zander Bretza explains to EVT. His younger brother is a third baseman, catcher, and pitcher. “It is really cool when you can watch your own brother succeed,” The older Bretza said.

Passion for the sport is evident when you talk to Zander Bretza. We spoke about motivation and how he gets through difficult times. The daily grind of the game can be crippling to some. “My dad played pro baseball and collegiately at Santa Barbara. He has coached me a lot along the way, and my baseball passion definitely comes from him,” Bretza said. His dad, John, is the rock that has provided stability in his journey to the top. “Every level I get to, I just want to make it to the next. Just keep climbing that ladder.”

There were other opportunities for Bretza recently, and we spoke specifically on why he chose to come to San Diego State. “I already played in the Mountain West when I was with UNLV. I went on the trip to SDSU. It was one of the nicer fields I have been to. It had a really good atmosphere with great fans. When it came across my table, I was like, yeah, that is the place I want to be,” Bretza said with a laugh. Undoubtedly, the campus and the city are great places to play.

The last two summers, the 20-year-old played in Canada. While in Alberta, he recorded an .849 OPS in 106 games. He recorded a .307/.374/.475 batting line and represented his team twice as an All-Star. There is ability with the bat, though Bretza is quite humble about his abilities. “My approach at the plate is to jump on pitches in the zone early in the count and look up the middle. I am not really a power hitter, but I do run into some balls and put them over the fence,” Bretza said. Those types of numbers are certainly respectable, especially in 440 at-bats. With an improved approach at the plate, the Aztecs may have a potential two-way player on their hands.

SDSU plans to utilize him as a pitcher first, but we discussed the possibility of him hitting. “It’s been discussed a little bit. I think it is going to be more towards the pitching standpoint right now. They have been saving my arm out here, and by doing that, my velocity has been jumping. That seems to be the direction we are going, but there is always that open window,” Bretza explains with enthusiasm. He would like to hit, but trusts the coaching staff to make the right decision for him moving forward.

It is different being on the mound than playing first base. Bretza admits that fact, and we discussed how he keeps calm when things are going badly on the rubber. “I normally write something in my hat. I have a couple of phrases that I write. Sometimes, I change them. One says, “Take a deep breath. Nobody is going to beat me.” It is always positive things that reassure me and keep me calm,” Bretza said. This is something he picked up somewhere along the way and has done since his high school days.

Fastball velocity is not an issue for Zander Bretza right now. His primary focus at SDSU is to refine his off-speed pitches (slider/sweeper and change-up) and get better spin. “I have some good secondary, but I want to see what they can do to help me improve. If we can develop another pitch that works better for me, I am all in for that. I am really interested in seeing what they can do for my developmental side,” Bretza tells EVT. He is all about learning and getting better. You love to see that in a young player. “I am really excited. They mentioned they do some biomechanical stuff at the Padres’ facilities.”

San Diego State Aztecs baseball coach Shaun Cole comes with the reputation of being a player’s manager. He allows his players to get comfortable and creates a vibe that is less stressful than most programs. Zander Bretza had a great impression of the coach and lit up while speaking about him. “I thought Shaun Cole was the coolest coach I had ever talked to in my recruiting process, including high school. He really gets to know the guys. We were on the phone for about an hour and a half one night. Just talking about life,” Bretza said. They connected right away. That bond is real and provides trust for the young player. “It makes you feel like you are not going out there and doing a job.”

In closing, we talked about life and baseball. Bretza wanted to make sure to talk more about his two summers in Canada. He enjoyed the experience there and spoke about the host family and how he loved them dearly. He stayed both years with the Skiffington family, and it is safe to say he has been adopted by them for life. Connections like this are what make baseball great. It transcends beyond the standings column or the stat sheet. It is about life.

“I played my last few summers in Brooks, Alberta, Canada. I was a two-time All-Star there, and it was a great experience. There are only 14,000 people in the small town, and a lot of the town comes to the baseball game and supports you. Everybody knows your name there,” Bretza explains. The small-town experience made playing the game simple for the 20-year-old. It was a growing moment in life, but also a crucial step for his development on the baseball diamond. “I am definitely thankful I have traveled the country playing baseball.”

Zander Bretza will be on the campus this fall and ready to roll with the Aztecs next season. The sky is the limit for this young player. His upside is excellent. “I am really excited to get out there and show what I can do,” Bretza said as he left the conversation. Returning to California will be special for him, but it is more about the opportunities offered by an excellent program at San Diego State—an opportunity for him to get better.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.