SDSU’s Season Ended by Stanford : College Baseball: For the Aztecs it was over with a 6-2 loss, while Stanford, the No. 1-ranked team in the country, moves on to the College World Series.

The end of the season came much too soon, as it so often does.

This was a San Diego State baseball team that had traveled further than many expected it would, and suddenly found itself in the NCAA West I Regional championship against top-ranked Stanford.

How do you say goodby?

It’s never easy, and so it was Monday for the Aztecs as they signed off with a 6-2 loss to Stanford at Sunken Diamond.

“This is always the toughest part of the season,” SDSU Coach Jim Dietz said. “The season finally comes to a close after three-a-days, meetings, games. I hate to see it come to an end. It’s kind of like losing a family. The players know me, I know them. We get to where we can read each other’s minds. And it just stops.”

The end came quickly and without much of a struggle. The Aztecs (49-22), who won 16 of their last 18--including three NCAA tournament games, had just three hits and four baserunners all afternoon against Stanford’s Mike Mussina.

In the bottom of the ninth, SDSU catcher Eric Christopherson, a probable first-round major league draft pick next week, said goodby with a grounder to shortstop. Jeff Barry added his by grounding to second. Anthony Johnson bid adieu by tapping the ball back to the pitcher.

End of game. End of season.

Just like that? Yes, just like that.

Stanford, 56-10, the No. 1-ranked team in the country, was moving on to the College World Series, which begins Friday in Omaha, Neb. SDSU, which would have had to beat Stanford twice Monday to win the trip, was headed for a 10-hour bus ride back to San Diego.

There was nothing remaining but handshakes. Nice playing with you, and thanks for the memories.

Stanford’s dugout emptied in a hurry after Johnson was thrown out at first, everyone scrambling for the mound. Hoots and hollers and hugs all around.

And where better to gather than on the mound? That’s where the game was won, really. Mussina was brilliant, limiting the Aztecs to one hit through the first six innings. He walked just one batter and struck out four. Stanford had five hits, five walks and three runs before SDSU got its first baserunner, which came on a Darin McGhee single in the third.

And this was an SDSU team that scored 18 runs in the first game of this regional and set several records for offense this season.

“We just couldn’t get enough people on base today,” Dietz said softly.

The Aztecs were without second baseman Scott Dennison, their leading hitter, who sprained his ankle Saturday. He could have been used to bat in a crucial situation late in the game, but one never arrived. Stanford scored two runs in the second off SDSU starter Kevin Nielsen (4-4) and added one each in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh.

The Aztecs used five pitchers, and Dietz pushed all of the buttons he could. Brian Holliday was throwing in the bullpen in the first inning, and relieved Nielsen after just two batters in the second.

Freshman Steve Dietz--Jim’s son--started at second in place of Dennison and made two outstanding defensive plays. One came with two out and a man at third in the second, after Stanford had already scored twice. He dived to his left to grab a ground ball and, had he not gotten it, Stanford may have put the Aztecs away in the second.

As it was, the Aztecs hung on as long as they could. Stanford left three men on base in the first and three more in the third. SDSU pitchers were in trouble most of the afternoon. Stanford finished with 13 hits, and SDSU pitchers walked six.

“It just wasn’t meant to be,” Jim Dietz said. “We played hard, and wouldn’t give up.”

Sunday, Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said he planned to start Brian Sackinsky (8-1, 5.07 earned-run average) against the Aztecs and use Mussina if SDSU forced a second game. But Marquess changed his mind and telephoned Mussina around 7:30 p.m. Sunday to give him the news.

“Stanford changed their pitcher at the last minute because they wanted to throw their best and do whatever it took to avoid a second game today,” Dietz said. “I think that’s a tribute to our program and our players.”

Mussina, who improved to 14-3, retired the first six SDSU batters in order. He allowed the single to McGhee in the third, and then retired seven more in a row. The Aztecs finally scored in the seventh, when Barry led off with a single and pinch-hitter Mike MacKinnon doubled to right to send him home.

By that time, the crowd of 4,765, the largest in Sunken Diamond history, was counting the outs until it could celebrate.

When the end finally came, there was no place for the Aztecs to hide. Some sat in the dugout and some stood just outside it, all of them watching the celebration ritual they all had wanted so badly to perform.

They had their chances. They got two shots at Stanford, and lost Saturday and Monday--6-2 both times. In those 18 innings, the Aztecs retired Stanford one-two-three just once--in the seventh inning of the first game.

There will be changes. Because of budget cuts, neither of the two assistant coaches--Gary Brown and Gary Kondratek--will return next year. And Dietz, frustrated, has said he isn’t yet sure if he will return for another season.

But for a few minutes Monday afternoon, in the sun at Sunken Diamond, nobody’s mind was on next year. There was a long bus ride ahead, and Dietz was looking forward to getting a chance to talk with each player individually on the way home.

“For me, it’s been very enjoyable,” Dietz said. “I’m going to miss a lot of these guys. Most of them are really ugly to start with, but I’m going to miss them.

“I hate last games.”