Editor’s note: All week long, the Union-Tribune is previewing San Diego’s college baseball teams. Up next: San Diego State
The San Diego State baseball team is coming off the worst season in a Division I history that dates back more than half a century.
SDSU went 17-37 in Shaun Cole’s first season as coach. So how did Cole turn the page? By turning over the roster. There are 26 new players on the SDSU roster as the Aztecs prepare for Friday’s season opener against Seton Hall at the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“That flushes it,” Cole said. “I didn’t anticipate last season going as poorly as it did. I thought we were going to be better. But we completely reset that whole thing.”
Several of those who did return were freshmen who played plenty of innings a year ago.
“They weren’t happy with those results,” Cole said. “They’re motivated to change things.”
Pitching was the biggest problem. The Aztecs lost 17 games in which they were tied or leading in the game’s last three innings. The lowlight was a series against UC Irvine in which the Aztecs blew a four-run lead heading into the ninth inning of both weekend games.
“Our pitching went backwards and we’ve got to get that back on track and get it fixed,” Cole said. “I think we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”
The Aztecs were picked in a preseason poll for the middle of the pack in the Mountain West, which has added Washington State for baseball this season.
“At the end of the day, we should be good and we should be top of the conference,” Cole said. “That’s definitely my mission and goal, is to fix it quickly. … I think we’re going to be way better than where we’re picked. For me, it’s motivation.”
Cole is in the second year of a two-year contract, but he said he isn’t feeling pressure to perform.
“I’ve been a one-year contract guy in pro ball and in college,” he said. “Really, at the end of the day, this is a production business. So I don’t pay any attention to that stuff.
“On the other side of it, we’ve enhanced every aspect of this program, from alumni engagement, social media presence, academically our GPA was second highest in the athletic department for male sports. All these things have changed in a short period of time. We just need to now show it on the field. And I think we’re going to do that.”
SDSU opens the season this weekend in Arizona at the MLB Desert Invitational, with games against Seton Hall, Grand Canyon and Nebraska.
2024 record: 17-37 overall; 10-20 (seventh) Mountain West.
Top returners: 1B Tino Bethancourt (.275, 6 HR, 40 RBIs), CF Jake Jackson (.276, 2 HR, 35 RBIs), SS Finley Bates (.292, 3 HR, 11 RBIs), OF Zane Kelly (.353, 2 HR, 14 RBIs), RHP Omar Serrano (5-6, 4.02 ERA) and RHP Xavier Cardenas III (2-6, 6.58 ERA).
Key additions: Switching-hitting Biola transfer Jonathan Smith will start in left field, South Alabama transfer Gage Adams will share time behind the plate, and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs transfer Marko Sipila will be one of the weekend starters.
Outlook: SDSU will miss the veteran presence of cleanup-hitting Bethancourt, who broke his hand two weeks ago during an intrasquad game. Leadership will have come from Bates and Serrano, both of whom were preseason all-Mountain West selections. Serrano will try to bring the success he had on weekends to the Friday starter’s role.
Jackson (Madison High School), C Evan Sipe (San Marcos High School) and 2B Nevan Noonan (Francis Parker High School) bring a local flavor to the lineup. RHP Peyton Rodgers (Torrey Pines High School) and C/DH Eli Selga (Cathedral Catholic High School) could also make an impact.
Third baseman Daniel Arambula, who is from Yucaipa, could be in for a breakout season as a true freshman.
Preseason prediction: Mountain West coaches poll: 1. Fresno State (6 first-place votes), 2. Nevada, 3. Washington State (1), T4, UNLV (1), T4. New Mexico, T4. SDSU, 7. Air Force, 8. San Jose State.
Mountain West Tournament: The six-team, double-elimination Mountain West Tournament will be played May 21-24 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. It is the spring training home for the Chicago Cubs. The winner receives the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
