SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State has sold more than 29,000 tickets for the opening game of the Aztec Invitational at Petco Park on March 11, more than enough to set the NCAA single-game attendance record.

The Aztecs, coached by former Padres batting star Tony Gwynn, want to break the record of 27,673 set in 2002 when LSU beat Tulane in the Superdome in New Orleans.

SDSU will play Houston in the Aztec Invitational opener, which will also be the first game at the Padres' new $458 million downtown ballpark. Houston is the alma mater of Padres owner John Moores.

The four-day tournament also includes San Diego, Nebraska, UCLA and Long Beach State.

The Padres will play exhibition games against Seattle at Petco Park on April 3-4, then play their regular-season home opener on April 8 against the San Francisco Giants.