Midweek college baseball games offer an opportunity for several pitchers, often those who don’t get much work in a weekend series, to get some time on the mound.
San Diego State’s game Tuesday night against UC Riverside also provided a chance for five SDSU pitchers to make history. Those five — Jake Frohn, Carson Johnson, Issac Araiza, Bryce McKnight and Aidan Russell — combined on the 10th no-hitter in school history in a 1-0 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
“That was really fun, really special,” first-year SDSU head coach Kevin Vance said. “They were all executing at a high level. You know a freshman started it. It just shows we’re continuing to get better as the season progresses. I’m super proud of the guys for being relentless.”
Only one of SDSU’s previous nine no-no’s was a combined effort, when Jim Gibbs and Kevin Nielsen shared the mound in a 1989 win over Air Force. While five pitchers combining on a no-hitter is very unusual, it is still two shy of the college record set three years ago when Elmira College used seven pitchers in a 13-0 win over Penn State-Wilkes Barre 13-0.
SDSU (19-15) scored the game’s only run in the fourth inning when second baseman Dawson Santana drove in teammate Jake Jackson. That was all SDSU needed with its pitchers limiting UC Riverside (8-23) to just two base runners on a pair of walks.
Frohn, a freshman right-hander from Huntington Beach, went the first four innings for the Aztecs, allowing the Highlanders one walk while striking out four. Johnson, who was credited with the win, pitched the fifth and sixth innings, getting three more strikeouts. Araiza, McKnight and Russell each took an inning to close out the no-no.
UC Riverside came close late in the game to breaking up the gem, but SDSU thwarted the Highlanders on both occasions with some defensive play.
Highlanders DH Isiah Hernandez led off the eighth inning with a ground ball to SDSU shortstop Jabin Trosky. His low throw was dug out of the dirt by first baseman Max Farrell, who tagged the base for the ou and saved the official scorer on whether to rule a hit or an error.
UC Riverside’s Tyler Gordon drew a one-out walk off Russell in the ninth. The Highlanders’ Miles Scott followed with a smash between first and second base. Farrell knocked down the ball as he dove to his right, then threw from his knees to get a forceout at second base. Russell then ended the game with a strikeout.
The Aztecs, who lead the Mountain West with a 7-2 record, resume conference play this weekend with a three-game series at New Mexico (19-11-2, 5-3-1 MW).
SDSU’s no-hitter history
Richard “Dixie” Walker, March 6, 1954, SDSU 18, Whittier 0
Bill Lefler, March 28, 1964, SDSU 6, BYU 0
Ron Dargo, March 28, 1966, SDSU 5, BYU 0
Matt Giampaoli, March 22, 1982, SDSU 7, UCSD 0
Mike Erb, April 22, 1986, SDSU 7, Utah 1
Jim Gibbs, Kevin Nielsen, April 23, 1989, SDSU 14, Air Force 0
Stephen Strasburg, May 8, 2009, SDSU 5, Air Force 0
TJ Fondtain, April 21, 2023, SDSU 4, Nevada 0
Jacob Riordan, March 29, 2024, SDSU 13, New Mexico 0 (7 innings)
Jake Frohn, Carson Johnson, Issac Araiza, Bryce McKnight, Aidan Russell, April 7, 2026, SDSU 1, UC Riverside 0