SDSU’s Hit Parade Tops

Jim Dietz, San Diego State’s baseball coach, is biding his time this season.

SDSU, defending Western Athletic Conference champion, is 9-6 after beating the University of San Diego, 12-3, Tuesday at USD. But the Aztecs also are unranked and virtually unheard of nationally.

“I’m hoping everything will come together in good time,” Dietz said. “We’re awfully young, but some of the pieces of the puzzle are coming together slowly.”

Nikco Riesgo, who had three hits Tuesday and drove in four runs to give him 24 runs batted in after 15 games, was one player the Aztecs were counting on this season. He led the Aztecs with a .547 slugging percentage as a freshman and was named to the All-Western Athletic Conference first team.

“I’m hitting them where they ain’t,” said Riesgo, whose first-inning two-run triple off USD starter and loser Dan Newman (2-4) was a pop fly that dropped among three fielders down the right-field line.

The Aztecs scored five times in the second inning, highlighted by Curt Lewis’ two-run triple, to lead, 8-0. Lewis had three hits.

Richard Holsman, the third Aztec pitcher and the only one who consistently threw strikes, pitched the final 4 innings to improve his record to 1-1. Holsman struck out 7 and allowed only 2 hits. In his last appearance, he allowed four home runs in two innings against Pepperdine.

“You have to give him credit,” Dietz said. “I don’t think any of us know what happened against Pepperdine. He came back and did a good job.”

USD (10-5) left 11 runners on base. Chris Bwy had 3 hits and 3 RBIs for the Toreros.