FRESNO, Calif. – The fourth-seeded Fresno State baseball team defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 4-2 on Friday afternoon on day two of the 2023 Mountain West Baseball Championships at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
The victory advances Fresno State (30-26) into another elimination game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PT against the loser of tonight's San Jose State-Air Force game.
Notes
Fresno State first baseman Tommy Hopfe crushed a pair of two-run home runs for the Diamond 'Dogs, one on each side of the plate, in Friday's elimination game in the 2023 MW Baseball Championship. Hopfe also recorded his 11th save of the 2023 season.
With the win, Fresno State is now 22-11 in the Bulldogs' games played at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium this season (12-6 against MW opponents).
Fresno State is now 12-11 all-time in MW tournament games overall, 3-3 all-time in MW Tournament games as the No. 4 seed and 6-5 in elimination games.
This is Fresno State's seventh appearance (out of 10 possible tournaments) in the MW Baseball Championship since joining the conference for the 2013 season.
This was the seventh time Fresno State has faced San Diego State in a MW Baseball Championship game (third win for the Bulldogs, including two in elimination games).
How It Happened
Fresno State's Grady Morgan belted the first pitch of the game off the center field wall for a standup double. Tommy Hopfe annihilated a 0-2 pitch for a two-out, two-run moon shot deep past the left field wall to give the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead on the Aztecs.
Fresno State senior and All-MW second team pitcher Roman Angelo (7-5) quickly went to work with a three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the first and didn't allow a run until the sixth inning.
Fresno State shortstop Travis Welker saved a pair of runs with dynamic plays snared behind second base in the fifth to keep SDSU at bay.
In the eighth inning, Hopfe launched his second home run of the game to extend Fresno State's lead to 4-1 over the Aztecs.
Hopfe then moved to the mound and shut the door on San Diego State in the bottom of the ninth while recording his 11th save of the season to keep the Bulldogs' season alive.