SDSU vs Fresno State baseball preview
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The SDSU baseball team travels to Fresno State for a weekend series.
Saturday, April 17 | 1:35 p.m. PT
SDSU: Michael Paredes, RHP (3-0, 3.97 ERA, 47.2 IP)
FS: Jamison Hill, RHP (3-1, 3.68 ERA, 36.2 IP)
Saturday, April 17 | 5:05 p.m. PT
SDSU: Troy Melton, RHP (3-2, 4.10 ERA, 41.2 IP)
FS: Jake Dixon, RHP (3-2, 4.89 ERA, 35.0 IP)
Sunday, April 18 | 1:35 p.m. PT
SDSU: Ricky Tibbett, RHP (2-1, 3.99 ERA, 29.1 IP)
FS: TBA
For the second time this season, the Aztecs and the Bulldogs will match up. This marks the start of the second half of the season. The Aztecs will be playing every team for the second time, except for Dixie State.
In the first series, the Aztecs took two of the three games, with one being a 17-run mercy rule. These victories started Mountain West Conference play and gave them a conference lead that they haven’t given up since. Jaden Fein and Troy Melton earned the MW player and pitcher of the week awards in that series.
Now that the two teams have faced off and are well into the season, it’s time to look at the players that will offer the biggest impact.
Three Players to Watch
Troy Melton SDSU RHP
His start against Fresno State was arguably the best of his collegiate career. He pitched a 7-inning complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts, four hits, and only one walk. It could have been that he was just on that day, or it could have been the confidence knowing it would only be a 7-inning game due to the mercy rule. Whatever it was, he needs to replicate that outing.
Zach Presno UNLV 1B
Presno looked like the only player that could hit the Aztecs pitching. He had four hits and a walk, one of those being a two-run homer that secured Fresno’s lone victory. Since that series, he has struggled with a batting averaging sitting right at the Mendoza line of .200. Perhaps some familiar pitchers will help him find his groove once again.
Ryan Higgins UNLV 1B/OF/DH
In the first series, Higgins was highlighted as a player to watch. He has earned a second look by putting up a .291/.422/.558 slash line. His 19 walks are the second-most in the MW this season, and he has just below his 23 strikeouts on the season.
The Aztecs are coming off their first series loss all season. On top of that, this will be just their second trip out of San Diego. It will be very telling if they can have the same level of success. As always, they will take leads with their bats and secure leads with their pitching.
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The Bulldogs are having even greater struggles coming into this series. They have managed to win just two of their last 10 games. The one saving grace for them is that this will be a home series. Every series that they have won this season has come in the comfort of their own home.
SDSU will need to produce some wins because UNLV sits right behind them in conference play. Fans can watch all three games via the Mountain West website.
Evan is a student finishing up a degree in Finance from Northern Arizona University. The ability to break down numbers and find the story behind them has lead to his first of writing for East Village times. He covers baseball which is the sport he grew up playing and has followed even after his playing years.