Aztecs Open Against Middle Tennessee State

Having won the Western Athletic Conference championship Saturday in Hawaii, the San Diego State baseball team learned Monday it will open NCAA tournament play at 9 a.m. Thursday against Middle Tennessee State (42-13) in the West I Regional at Stanford University.

The Aztecs (46-20), winners of 13 consecutive games, are seeded third. Middle Tennessee State, champion of the Ohio Valley Conference, is seeded fourth.

“I was happy to see us seeded third,” SDSU baseball coach Jim Dietz said. “We’ll be the home team over (three) teams no matter what happens. Only two schools will be home over us, and that’s an advantage in a six-team double-elimination tournament. That says a lot for this team.”

Dietz and his assistants will be scrambling to put together a scouting report on Middle Tennessee State.

“I just know they’re from Tennessee, and I know they went 14-0 in their conference,” he said. “I imagine they’ll be a very good team.”

Other first-round games in the West I Regional Thursday: second-seeded Southern Illinois (47-12) vs. fifth-seeded Fresno State (37-22) and top-seeded Stanford (52-10) vs. sixth-seeded Campbell (15-31).

If the Aztecs win Thursday, they will play the Stanford-Campbell loser at 12:30 p.m. Friday. If the Aztecs lose Thursday, they will play the Southern Illinois-Fresno State loser at 9 a.m. Friday.

TENNIS

Point Loma Nazarene College’s Shannon Anderson advanced to the third round of the NAIA women’s championships with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Kelly Nawroth of Baker College (Kan.). Kim Wright and Dion Shillito of PLNC won their first round matches but lost in the second round.