San Diego rivalry set to open baseball season

The San Diego Toreros are set to open their new baseball park on Friday. It’s only fitting that they open up their season and their new stadium against their cross town rivals San Diego State. The Toreros are ranked 12th in the countryto start the season according to the Collegiate Baseball ranking. The fans, players, and staff are excited about the opening of Fowler Park. When construction started, USD Baseball coach Ron Hill told the Toreros official website that the new field meant big things for their program.

"“It’s monumental. In terms of recruiting, in terms of bringing in a premium college baseball venue to San Diego, from a marketing perspective, from an entertainment perspective. It’s just a phenomenal thing to add to the University of San Diego. It’s stunning. Really,” – USD Baseball Coach Ron Hill"

USD is set to take on SDSU Friday night in the season opener at Fowler Park.

Mandatory Credit: eastonbaseball.com

In the history of the program, USD is 29-26-1 in season openers. They’ll be looking to have another successful outing against rivals SDSU this weekend. They’re led by All-American first baseman Kris Bryant. Last season Bryant hit .366 and led the team in RBIs,home runs runs, hits, walks, OBP, and slugging percentage.  The Toreros have eight players returning that were All-WCC selections last season. USD is also the favorite to win the West Coast Conference this season.

The Aztecs are led by junior infielder Tim Zier, who hit .318 last season. He led the team with 32 RBIs last season. On the mound, the Aztecs will look to sophomore righty Michael Cederoth. He posted a 4-4 record last season with a 4.14 ERA.

First pitch is set to be thrown at 10:00 pm ET (7:00 pm PT) on Friday. The teams will play a three-game series, finishing up on Sunday. The game will be aired on Fox Sports San Diego.