MAY 11 – Despite only grabbing one win last weekend against UNLV, the Spartans found themselves in playoff position by the series’ end. However, punching their ticket wouldn’t be easy. SJSU would have to continue to fend off the likes of Air Force, Washington State and SDSU as they battled the best teams in the conference to close out the season. Their penultimate stop: Fresno, where they looked to take down the first-place Bulldogs.
The Spartans came out on top on Friday night in an absolute barnburner that went all the way to the 10th inning, scoring 12 runs on 17 hits – their highest single-game total this season. Alex Fernandes led the lineup going 5-6 with 4 RBIs, including a double and his 2nd home run of the season. Zach Chamizo plated 3 runs across with a 2-RBI double and an RBI single. Jeriah Lewis, Jake McCoy, and Neil Jansen also went yard in the contest, with Jansen tying the game in the 9th. The slugfest saw 10 total round-trippers between the two teams. The Spartans deployed a 4-man crew on the mound, with Tyler Albanese finishing the last two innings, allowing just 2 hits on his way to his 3rd win of the season.
The second game of the series was not as fun. The Bulldogs’ bats continued to produce runs, while the Spartans seemingly used up all their magic the night before. Thus, for the second time this season, Fresno State mercy ruled San Jose State in 7 innings, 10-0. Aidan Cremarosa pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just 2 hits. David Thomas took his 4th loss of the year, allowing 7 runs on 11 hits across 5.1 IP. Fernandes and Chamizo were the only Spartans to notch a hit in the contest.
In the rubber match, and the last regular season clash against their rivals, SJSU was able to fend off a late-innings push and take the series with a 9-7 win. In his 6th start of the season, Kyle Calzadiaz got his first win of the campaign, allowing 4 runs across 5 innings. Fernandes’s lone hit of the game was a 3-RBI home run, his second of the series and third of the season. Jansen also pushed one past the fence for the second time this weekend. JC Osorio-Agard was responsible for the Spartans third and final home run of the game, his 6th of the season. Together, these three accounted for 7 of the 9 runs scored. Additionally, Chamizo, McCoy and Jake Maroney all notched 2 hits.
With one series remaining, the Spartans find themselves exactly where they were before—in fifth place. Their 12–15 conference record is tied with Air Force and just one game ahead of both Washington State and San Diego State, making for a tight race that’ll come down to the wire. As for the Bulldogs, the series loss dropped them from gold to bronze in the standings. The Nevada Wolfpack now sit atop the Mountain West and will look to secure their crown when they visit San Jose next weekend. For the second straight week, the Spartans will face the conference leader—this time in a high-stakes showdown that could determine whether their postseason hopes stay alive. The first game is scheduled to begin Thursday, May 15th at 6:05 pm.
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