COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego State has been predicted to win the 2021 Mountain West baseball title, voted on by the league’s seven head coaches. The Aztecs received six first-place votes and 36 points overall, while Fresno State is seven points behind with 29 and the remaining first-place vote.
New Mexico and UNLV tied for the third spot with 23 points. Nevada (16), Air Force (11) and San José State (9) round out the Conference’s preseason standings.
This is the third-consecutive year the Aztecs have been tabbed to win the Mountain West.
San Diego State, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Mark Martinez, returns 20 letterwinners from a 2020 squad that went 10-6 in a shortened season, including three victories over nationally-ranked opponents. The Aztecs, winners of five of the last seven MW tournament championships, is led by 2021 MW preseason team selections Jaden Fein (So., RF), Troy Melton (So., RHP) and Matt Rudick (Jr., CF).
San Diego State’s three preseason all-conference picks were tied for the most in the MW with Fresno State, which placed Ryan Higgins (Jr., INF/OF), Nikoh Mitchell (Sr., LHP) and Zach Presno (Sr., C) on the team.
The 2021 Mountain West baseball season begins Friday, Feb. 19, with all seven teams in action. Conference play, a 36-game schedule in a double round-robin format taking place over 14 weeks, will begin on Saturday, Feb. 27. The regular-season champion will be the Mountain West’s NCAA tournament automatic qualifier.
The full preseason predicted order of finish and All-MW team can be found below.
