Triple Time Just Fine for Aztec Baseball Team

The San Diego State baseball team was so happy about playing a tripleheader Saturday against Brigham Young, it might do it again this weekend against Utah.

SDSU was scheduled to play doubleheaders Friday and Saturday against BYU, but a Friday rain out and the Cougars’ refusal to play Sunday because of religious reasons forced the two teams to play three games Saturday.

The Aztecs are scheduled to play Utah in single games Friday and Sunday with a doubleheader Saturday. Another storm, expected to last through the weekend, could put the Aztecs in a similar situation.

Dave Kuhn, SDSU baseball sports information direction, said the Aztecs could move their games to El Centro or Yuma to avoid the rain. If they are rained out Friday in San Diego, El Centro or Yuma, another tripleheader Saturday or Sunday is likely.

The Aztecs are so adamant about playing all their games because the Western Athletic Conference is decided by percentage. For instance, if SDSU finish the WAC 15-6 and Hawaii is 18-6, Hawaii would win the WAC.

If the Aztecs (18-7, 2-1) do play three again, their pitchers better start preparing. SDSU used seven pitchers in a 10-5 loss to BYU in the first game, Benjie Grigsby threw a complete game in the Aztecs’ 11-2 second-game victory and the Aztecs used six more pitchers in their 3-2 victory in the third game.

The first game was supposed to begin at 11 a.m., but an early-morning shower delayed the start four hours. The third game finally ended at 12:29 Sunday morning.

Toreros get a little respect: Apparently 14th-ranked Arizona State’s 4-3 loss to unranked USD March 17 wasn’t too devastating in the minds of Baseball America voters. The Sun Devils, who beat the Toreros’ 12-5 Wednesday and swept three from 11th-ranked Notre Dame over the weekend, still moved up three spots to No. 11.

With friends like these ... : Former local baseball players Todd Cady (Grossmont High, now at Arizona State) and Gavin Millay (USDHS, USC) returned to San Diego for the first time March 17 with their respective colleges, and each attracted considerable attention.

Cady was the recipient of several pleasant and loud applauds every time he came to bat against the University of San Diego.

Over at San Diego State, however, where USC played the Aztecs, Millay got mostly boos.

Good days: Millay, in his only at-bat against SDSU, drove in a run with a single up the middle. The Aztecs, however, routed USC, 14-4.

After losing to USD, 4-3, on March 17, Arizona State won, 12-7, on March 18.

Cady, whose averaged peaked at .386 two weeks ago, was one for four in the second game with a run-scoring double down the left-field line.

Thrown into the fire: USD freshman catcher Jacob Slania made his first appearance for the Toreros on March 18 when Cady knocked Craig Ross out of the game on a strange hit-and-run play in the ninth inning.

In a first-and-third situation, Ross noticed the runner on first making an early break for second so he took a step out of his crouch hoping to get a pitchout. He did, but Cady swung anyway, and his bat hit Ross on the glove hand, causing his left forefinger to swell and forcing him from the game.

USD has four catchers, but starter Sean Gousha had already been replaced by Ross, and the Toreros’ other catcher, Kevin Herde, was pitching.

Enter Slania . . . and welcome to college baseball.

First pitch from Herde: A 57-foot curveball.

On fire: Point Loma Nazarene’s Rich Miller barely missed his second consecutive NAIA District 3 player of the week honor. Miller, a senior outfielder from Chandler, Ariz., was 10 for 20 with a homer and three RBIs two weeks ago. Last week, he was seven for 13 with two homers and seven RBIs in three games.

Overall, Miller leading the District 3 in batting (.466), hits (41), homers (6), RBIs (22) and is second in doubles with nine.