The San Diego State University baseball team ended its season not in the College World Series but with a rather uncharacteristic 18-38 record that included a 10-20 showing in Mountain West Conference play and an altogether dismal 8-25 home record.
But the Aztecs still had their moments.
The 2022 SDSU squad earned five postseason honors as senior Troy Melton was named the conference’s co-pitcher of the year and outfielder Irvin Weems shared the conference’s freshman of the year honors. Turlock’s Cole Carrigg joined Anaheim’s Melton on the Mountain West First Team while Clovis’ T.J. Fondtain earned MW Second Team honors as a pitcher.
Melton, who garnered the Aztecs’ seventh pitcher of the year accolades since the conference’s formation in 2000, finished the season with a 5-2 record, 2.07 earned-run average and 67 strikeouts in 65.1 innings. He posted four of his five wins in conference play, leading the conference with a 2.40 ERA while ranking second in strikeouts (62), third in opposing batting average (0.246) and fourth in innings pitched (56.1).
Weems, a Las Vegas native, becomes SDSU’s third freshman of the year honoree. He started 40 of 46 games in the outfield, ranked third on the team with a 0.293 hitting average, third in runs scored, fourth with 71 RBI while eight doubles and five home runs. He stole 17 bases in 21 attempts (second on the team).
Carrigg, who started 53 of 54 games, led the Aztecs with a 0.388 hitting average while topping the team with 83 hits, 15 doubles and 40 RBI.
Fondtain ranked second on the team with a 0.339 hitting average while starting 25 of 28 games with eight doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI.
Eastern exposure
Santana High School alumnus Tyler Glowacki, Granite Hills High School graduate Trevor Hazelhurst and Valhalla alum Joseph Ingrassia all suited up for SDSU this season while representing East County.
Glowacki, a freshman outfielder, appeared in 41 of the team’s 56 games, starting 36 times. He logged 130 at-bats with a 0.254 hitting average, 33 hits, 13 runs scored, five doubles and 12 RBI. He recorded 64 put-outs and a 0.956 fielding percentage.
Hazelhurst, a redshirt sophomore outfielder, appeared in 21 games, starting nine, while recording a 0.149 hitting average in 47 at-bats with eight runs scored, two home runs and four RBI. He logged a 0.982 fielding percentage.
Ingrassia, a sophomore pitcher, appeared in five games with a 0-0 win-loss record, 8.53 earned run average and eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Locals only
The Aztecs featured a total of 11 San Diego County homegrown products in their lineup this season.
Sophomore catcher Poncho Ruiz (Mater Dei Catholic) ranked third on the team with a 0.309 hitting average. He notched a team-high 43 runs scored, 14 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 33 RBI.
Junior first baseman Brian Leonhardt (Eastlake) posted a 0.246 hitting average while scoring 26 runs, adding seven doubles, five home runs and 34 RBI to his resume. He also appeared in four games on the mound with a 0-2 win-loss record, 10.57 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
Sophomore pitcher Ricky Tibbett (Eastlake) made 22 appearances on the mound with a 1-1 record and one save, 5.89 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.
Junior catcher Deron Johnson (Poway) appeared in 31 games with 13 starts, two home runs and five RBI while freshman catcher Evan Sipe (San Marcos) appeared in seven games with a 0.200 hitting average.
Sophomore outfielder Charlie Rhee and sophomore infielder Fisher Pyatt are both St. Augustine grads. Rhee appeared in 22 games with 10 starts, a 0.129 hitting average two runs scored and three RBI while Pyatt was hitless in two games.
