THE SCHEDULE
Games 17-20
vs. Cal State LA (4-11, 3-1 CCAA)
Thursday, March 3 • 6 p.m.
Reeder Field • Los Angeles
Live Video • Live Stats

Friday, March 4 • 6 p.m.
Triton Ballpark • La Jolla
Live Video • Live Stats

Saturday, March 5 • 2 p.m.
Triton Ballpark • La Jolla
Live Video • Live Stats

Sunday, March 6 • 1 p.m.
Reeder Field • Los Angeles
Live Video • Live Stats

The fifth-ranked UC San Diego baseball program heads into a second straight four-game, split-venue series this week against a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) South Division foe. The Tritons (14-2, 4-0 CCAA) face Cal State LA (4-11, 3-1 CCAA) in a matchup of the top two teams in the current South standings, as the Golden Eagles overturned an 11-game losing skid to take the final three games of their series last weekend against Cal State San Marcos and win that set. The series schedule was altered on Wednesday afternoon due to adverse weather expected around Southern California on Sunday, and will now start at Reeder Field on the CSULA campus on Thursday night, March 3, at 6 p.m. The action shifts south to La Jolla for the regularly-scheduled single meetings at Triton Ballpark at 6 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. The teams are then still tentatively slated to meet one final time in Los Angeles on Sunday at 1 p.m., for the shortened seven-inning contest that would normally have served as the doubleheader nightcap. That matchup could, however, be pushed to a later date.

ADMISSION POLICIES FOR TRITON BALLPARK
General admission for all regular-season home games at Triton Ballpark is $5. UCSD students are admitted FREE with valid identification. Dogs and other pets are not allowed, nor are coolers. University food truck, Flavors of the World, is on site for all home contests, with a more ballpark-oriented menu featuring the Triton Dog, sliders, nachos, pizza, sunflower seeds, peanuts and popcorn. Also new this year for those chilly primetime affairs are hot beverages like coffee, tea and hot cocoa. The food truck accepts Visa, MasterCard, Triton Cash and Dining Dollars.

PARKING INFO
Parking on the UCSD campus is free on weekends, but a permit is required on weeknights. They can be purchased at the machine near the entrance to the Triton Ballpark parking lot. Please be aware of the danger of foul balls to your vehicle when parking. Overflow parking is available in the lots beyond the right field wall, still along Voigt Drive.

LIVE COVERAGE
A majority of UCSD home games at Triton Ballpark feature live online video at our new streaming portal, UCSDtritons.tv. Audio commentary is provided again this year by former Triton pitcher (2007-08) Tim Strombel (@Timmy2Sides). All remaining contests will be broadcast barring unforeseen circumstances. Some road contests also have video and/or audio, with video available in Los Angeles. All games have live stats. Fans can access live coverage from the Schedule/Results page, or by clicking on the links above. Starting lineups, live between-inning updates and other in-game news and notes can be found by following Triton Baseball all season long on the UCSD Athletics Twitter handle (@UCSDtritons). Also be sure to follow the team @UCSDbsb. Finally, check out the new and improved CCAA live scoreboard here to keep up on results around the league.

UCSD AND VIASAT TEAM UP TO BRING YOU UCSDTRITONS.TV!
UC San Diego Athletics has partnered with local broadband services and technology giant ViaSat to create UCSDtritons.tv, an online streaming platform. The channel will carry all Triton home basketball and volleyball contests, a majority of baseball, softball and water polo games, and a variety of other home events featuring virtually every one of UCSD's 23 intercollegiate sports at least once. All broadcasts are live, in high definition, and can be viewed for the first time from smartphones and tablets alongside desktop and laptop computers. UCSD alum and former pitcher (2007-08) Tim Strombel (@Timmy2Sides) is back for another season as the play-by-play voice of Triton Baseball. Viewing is subscription-based, though it is free from UCSD campus IP addresses. A package that gives viewers access to all streamed events through the 2015-16 academic year is available for $29.99. A single-day pay-per-view option can be purchased for $5.99, meaning doubleheaders are two-for-one. Most events are archived.

RANKINGS REPORT
UCSD moved up in all four national polls for a third straight week after a four-game sweep of its first CCAA series last weekend. The Tritons' No. 5 position in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll is their highest under fifth-year head coach Eric Newman, and best since they were No. 3 in the March 7, 2011 release. UCSD is ranked as high as fourth by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Regionally speaking, they are rated No. 1 for a third week in a row by both D2 Baseball News and the NCBWA.

BEST START IN DIVISION II HISTORY
At 14-2 overall, UCSD is off to its best start in the program's NCAA Division II history, since 2001. The Tritons' earlier 5-0 start marked the first time they had won their first five contests, since moving up from Division III.

TOP WIN TOTAL
UCSD has the second-highest win total of any college baseball program across all NCAA divisions, keeping in mind of course that Division I only began competition on Feb. 19. The Tritons' 14 wins only trail fellow Division II team Erskine College of Due West, S.C., which moved to 15-4 with a 12-8 home decision over Brevard College Tuesday.

WIN STREAK
UCSD's current season-best seven-game win streak is its longest since another seven-gamer from March 28-April 5, 2014. The Tritons also already had a five-game string to begin the year.

QUICK STATS

LAST TIME OUT
UCSD took four from Cal State San Bernardino to begin its conference slate last weekend. The Tritons won by scores of 9-4 and 16-5 at home on Friday and Sunday, respectively, around a doubleheader sweep Saturday in San Bernardino, 20-4 and 5-3 in seven innings. They rallied from a 4-1 deficit late in Friday's opener with a three-run seventh and five-run eighth. UCSD patiently waited out Coyote ace Tyler Wells to 104 pitches through five frames, before going to work on the bullpen to great effect. Game one of the twin bill featured season highs of 20 runs on 21 hits, ignited by a three-run blast by Tyler Plantier in the first. The Tritons led from the opening frame in the shortened nightcap. In their home return Sunday, they trotted out to a 7-0 lead behind Jack Larsen's two-run home run in the first and two-run single in the second, and after absorbing a five-run fifth, broke it open again.

SAN BERN SERIES SUPERLATIVES
UCSD's 9-4 victory last Friday night marked CCAA win No. 100 for fifth-year head coach Eric Newman ... The Tritons are 4-1 in CCAA openers under Newman, with four straight wins after a 4-1 loss to Chico State in La Jolla on Feb. 17, 2012 ... UCSD is 9-7 in CCAA openers all-time (since 2001), and 9-1 with six splits in sets to begin the league season ... The Tritons out-scored the Coyotes over four games, 50-16, with Gradeigh Sanchez crossing the plate 12 times by himself ... UCSD improved its team batting average 30 points, from .283 to .313, and almost doubled its season scoring output, from 60 runs over its first 12 games, to 110 ... Unofficially, the Tritons saw 772 pitches over 32 innings of offense, topping out at an incredible 244 in the 20-4 contest to begin Saturday's twin bill in San Bernardino ... The last known instance of 200 pitches seen by UCSD hitters, was 219 against Azusa Pacific on the first day of the 2015 NCAA West Regional ... The Tritons' 20 runs on Saturday were their most since a 20-5 home win over Cal Poly Pomona during the 2014 NCAA West Regional on May 16, 2014, and also is the top run total by any CCAA team thus far in 2016 ... The 21 hits from that same game were UCSD's most since collecting 23 in an 18-1 home win over CSUSB on April 21, 2015 ... Upon first glance, it appears the last time UCSD tallied 50 runs in a four-game series, was 52 in a non-conference home set with Grand Canyon, Feb. 12-13, 2010 ... UCSD's previous four-game CCAA sweep was at home over rival Chico State, March 6-8, 2015 ... The Tritons last swept their first CCAA set of the year back in 2009 at Cal State Monterey Bay.

LARSEN WINS PAIR OF WEEKLY HONORS
Jack Larsen on Tuesday was named both the NCBWA West Region and CCAA Player of the Week, after batting a team-best .563 (9-for-16) with team highs of nine hits, 10 RBI and 16 total bases against CSUSB. He slugged 1.000 with two doubles, one triple and a home run, and handled all nine defensive chances cleanly, including a pair of clutch catches Sunday. Larsen had multiple hits in three of the four games, and at least two RBI in all four. The junior is a first-time NCBWA and second-time CCAA honoree for his career.

LARSEN A CCAA MVP CANDIDATE AGAIN
Jack Larsen missed out on CCAA Player of the Year honors a season ago, but with a great start to his junior campaign, is showing that he is on the short list of candidates once again. The outfielder's early numbers even portend a run at an abundantly difficult triple crown. Larsen, the reigning NCBWA West Region and CCAA Player of the Week, has started all 16 games and with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate last Sunday, moved his batting average up over .400 for the first time this season, now at a team-best .403. His four RBI that same day also put him squarely atop the CCAA in RBI with 22. Over the first four weeks, he has now put together two 10-RBI weeks. Larsen has smacked a team-high four home runs, with the first three to right and the latest to right center, and is tied for third in the league in that category. He has added four doubles and a league-leading three triples for a team-best .758 slugging percentage. Larsen is second on the Tritons with 17 runs scored. He has at least one hit in 15 of 16 games, the lone exception being the Feb. 14 win over No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona, when he still managed an RBI ground ball and subsequent run scored after reaching via error, during UCSD's decisive three-run sixth. Larsen is 12th in the CCAA in batting average and second in slugging.

GET ON, AND GET AROUND, GRADEIGH
Fourth-year leftfielder Gradeigh Sanchez is the lone senior in the Tritons' everyday lineup, typically at the top of the order. The Mission Viejo product leads the CCAA with his 23 runs scored, and is tied for seventh nationally in Division II. A remarkable 12 of those runs came in the four-game series last weekend against CSUSB. He reached based on four occasions in Sunday's finale and crossed the plate each time. Sanchez had a career-high 33 runs in 51 games played in 2015.

THE WIZARD OF LA JOLLA
Tyler Howsley has been magical with the glove in 2016. The junior shortstop earned All-CCAA honorable mention for the first time a year ago, and handled his first 52 defensive chances cleanly this season. He now has three errors in 77 chances, for a fielding percentage of .961, and also pushed his batting average up to .200 with a 4-for-14 (.286) weekend against CSUSB. Howsley and Jack Larsen, teammates throughout their days at Mission Viejo's Capistrano Valley High School, are the only two Tritons to have started each of the first 16 games. In fact, Howsley has drawn 73 consecutive starts, all at shortstop, going back to the 2015 opener.

PLANT GROWING
Tyler Plantier has been dialed in early in his sophomore season. He is hitting .321 and is second on the squad with two home runs and 16 RBI. Plantier batted a team-best .440 (11-for-25) through eight games, with several hard-hit balls also falling into opposing gloves. His first home run of 2016, the first of his career at Triton Ballpark after one long ball on the road as a rookie, was a game-tying, two-run shot hammered out to left against UT-Permian Basin on Feb. 11. The Poway product's other shot just came last Saturday in San Bernardino, a three-run blast to left in the first inning of a 20-4 rout.

LEICHMAN LEADING STAFF
Senior right-hander Alon Leichman has gone seven full innings, his longest for the program, in three consecutive starts. He tossed the first complete game by a Triton pitcher in 2016, doing so in the seven-inning doubleheader nightcap against UT-Permian Basin on Feb. 12. The native of Israel allowed three runs, two of them earned, six hits and one walk in the 5-3 win, while striking out five. It was in fact the first complete game by a Triton since the only one of the 2015 campaign, a nine-inning shutout by former ace Justin Donatella at Cal State East Bay last Feb. 27. Leichman's previous long in Triton colors was 6.0 frames, achieving that twice last year. He went seven more in home starts against Concordia on Feb. 19 and CSUSB on Feb. 26. Against CUI, Leichman scattered two hits while striking out six, his high for UCSD, and exited a scoreless contest that eventually resulted in a 5-0 loss. Leichman (1-0, 2.08 ERA) retired the first 14 batters he faced before a two-out hit-by-pitch in the fifth, and had a no-hitter through 5.1 ahead of a bunt single. He navigated around a leadoff double in the seventh.

#FRESHMANINVASION
UCSD has started 10 of its 16 games with a true freshman on the mound, and won them all. The early success story began during the marathon six-game weekend Feb. 11-14, with four of those started first-year Tritons. That foursome was made up of a pair of right-handers in Kyle Mora and Kyle Lucke, and two left-handers in Brent Bell and Preston Mott, with Mott taking the ball against 10th-ranked defending conference and region champion Cal Poly Pomona, and tossing five shutout frames. The quartet combined to allow just three earned runs over 19.0 innings pitched, for a 1.42 ERA. Bell (2-0), Lucke (3-0) and Mott (0-0), in that order, have followed third-year veteran Triton Alon Leichman in the starting rotation in the two weeks since. The freshmen arms have combined for a 9-2 record overall and 2.96 ERA (22 ER) over 67.0 innings pitched. Combined with three redshirt freshmen who have seen action, those numbers are 10-2 and 2.95 in 79.1 frames, with five saves. Lucke in fact is tied for first in the CCAA in wins and tied for ninth nationally.

THE RUPE IS ON FIRE!
Sophomore right-hander Jack Rupe, Jr. (2-0, 2.04 ERA), has been incredible in his last two outings, both lengthy, winning relief stints. He threw a career-long 5.2 innings of shutout baseball in a 6-2 home win over Concordia on Feb. 21, with two singles and an intentional walk against him and three strikeouts. The San Marcos native followed that up with another 5.1 frames on Feb. 27 in San Bernardino, fanning a career-high eight (2 H, R, 0 BB). He retired 14 straight from the third to the eighth, and struck out the side in the seventh.

TRIPLES ON TRIPLES
Through 16 games, UCSD already has nine triples, tops in the CCAA. The Tritons had 10 three-baggers in all for 57 contests a season ago. They hit three triples in the opener of the Feb. 20 doubleheader against Concordia, marking the first time UCSD had hit that many triples in a single game since an 11-6 home win over Sonoma State on April 5, 2012. The Tritons had four triple in all in that twin bill.

FIRST-INNING DEFICIT? NO PROBLEM
UCSD is 6-0 when allowing a first-inning run to the opposition in 2016. The Tritons had a string of four such games from Feb. 20-27.

#BASEBALLGEDDON
UCSD went 5-1 during an incredible stretch of six games in four days, amounting to 72 hours, Feb. 11-14. The sequence began with a three-game sweep of UT-Permian Basin as the Tritons reached a perfect 5-0 for the first time in their NCAA Division II history (since 2001). They then split the Feb. 13 doubleheader with Cal State San Bernardino, before posting a big 6-2 win over then-10th-ranked preseason CCAA favorite Cal Poly Pomona on Feb. 14. That last result snapped a five-game losing streak for UCSD against CPP dating back to the 2015 series opener between the division rivals. The meetings with the Coyotes and Broncos were of the non-conference variety. Jack Larsen powered three home runs deep to right field and knocked in 10 runs over the six games, while Tyler Plantier continued his hot start to his sophomore campaign, going 10-for-21 (.476) with a double, home run and six RBI.

DEBUT DETAILS
Tritons to make their debut for the club so far this season have been junior transfers Vince Mori (Palomar College) and JD Hearn (UC Santa Barbara) as primary starters at second and third base, respectively, along with redshirt freshmen Erik Amundson, Cameron Kurz, Michael Palos and Zach Wallace, and true freshmen Brent Bell, Jonah Dipoto, Tyler Durna, Andres Kim, Kyle Lucke, Kyle Mora, Preston Mott and Tim Nelson ... Mori's first home run as a Triton was UCSD's first long ball of 2016, giving his side a 3-1 edge in the nightcap of the Opening Day doubleheader on Feb. 6 ... Kurz, out of Encinitas (La Costa Canyon HS), has started out the year in the closer role, and has four saves, tied for first in the CCAA and tied for second in all of Division II.

WALK-OFF WINNERS
Jack Larsen accounted for UCSD's first walk-off victory of 2016 in the Opening Day doubleheader nightcap on Feb. 6. His two-out RBI single through the right side, seen here, chased Steven Coe home from second in the 10th for the 4-3 Triton win. Coe was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved to second on Tyler Howsley's sacrifice. Larsen has two walk-off hits for his career, having produced a two-run single up the middle in the ninth inning against Cal State LA as a freshman in 2014 (4/4). Other current Tritons with walk-off hits are Justin Flatt (RBI single in 11th; 4/2/15 vs. CPP) and Gradeigh Sanchez (PH RBI single in ninth; 3/16/14 vs. CSUMB). Ironically, the final score of all four contests was 4-3.

LENGTHY HOMESTAND
UCSD's just-concluded 13-game homestand was its third-longest of the Division II era (since 2001), behind two other season-opening stretches of 18 over the entire month of February in the 2010 campaign that ended in Cary, N.C., and a 14-gamer in 2008. It was the eighth homestand of double digits in the Tritons' Division II history. They previously had a trio of 12-gamers in 2004, 2005 and 2011 (season-opening), an 11-gamer to begin 2015, and a 10-gamer to end 2003.

THE NEW TRITON BALLPARK
Triton Ballpark on East Campus at UCSD was given a brand-new look outside the foul lines in 2015. Some of the main features of the extensive renovation include a permanent grandstand to seat just over 500, a press box, new sunken dugouts, an area for food trucks, and restrooms, among several other amenities. Read details here. Perhaps most significant is the addition of the Marye Anne Fox Clubhouse down the right field line, which was introduced to the players on March 17. The official Triton Ballpark re-opening and clubhouse dedication took place on April 10. View photo galleries from the ballpark construction, Opening Day and dedication.

BACK-TO-BACK WEST REGION FINALISTS
UCSD finished in a tie for second in the CCAA with Cal State Monterey Bay in 2015 with a league record of 27-13, qualifying for a second consecutive CCAA Championship before advancing to the final round of the NCAA West Regional for the second year in succession as well. The fifth-seeded Tritons had a 36-21 overall record following a 7-4 loss to CCAA regular-season and tournament champion, top-seeded Cal Poly Pomona, in a riveting West Region final at Mt. SAC in Walnut.

ROSTER REVIEW
UCSD's 40-player 2016 roster features 17 letterwinners, five returning redshirts and 18 newcomers. The Tritons retained six out of nine regular position players and two of four starting pitchers. They lost ace Justin Donatella to professional baseball, and fellow starter Trevor Scott, second baseman Erik Lewis, first baseman Michael Mann, catchers Brian Choi and Brett Levy, and bullpen stalwarts Javier Carrillo, Jr., Dan Kolodin and Chad Rieser to graduation.

Troy Cruz (Chula Vista/Bonita Vista HS) is a 2014 All-American and three-time All-CCAA selection in a utility role, but has yet to get into a game in 2016 due to injury. Senior Gradeigh Sanchez, juniors Jack Larsen, Brandon Shirley and Christian Leung, and redshirt sophomore Justin Flatt should divvy up a bulk of the outfield starts. Junior Tyler Howsley started all 57 games at shortstop a season ago. Redshirt sophomore Steven Coe (Valley Center/Valley Center HS) was the only one of four catchers on the roster with collegiate playing experience heading in. On the mound, senior right-hander Alon Leichman and Cruz made up half of UCSD's 2015 rotation, with the likes of redshirt sophomore John Erhardt and sophomore Jack Rupe, Jr. (San Marcos/Mission Hills HS) still among a stable of young arms.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
UCSD's 2016 schedule consists of 50 regular-season games, including 31 at home within the friendlier-than-ever confines of Triton Ballpark. A season-opening 13-game homestand ran through almost the entire month of February. The Tritons began league play on Feb. 26. They face reigning conference and region champion and unanimous CCAA favorite Cal Poly Pomona in a split-venue, four-game series, March 19-21. UCSD then travels to Chico for the first time since 2013 to take on the archrival Wildcats of Chico State, picked to win the CCAA North, in a three-gamer March 25-26. The CCAA Championship will be held in the neutral-site city of Stockton for the fourth year in a row, returning to Banner Island Ballpark of the minor-league Stockton Ports after being contested at Klein Family Field on the campus of the University of the Pacific last May. The Tritons won their record sixth CCAA tourney title at Banner Island Ballpark when the event was last there in 2014.

RECORD-SETTING PITCHING IN 2015
A stellar 2015 season for the Triton pitching staff saw UCSD break program records for earned-run average (2.84), shutouts (13), strikeouts (469) and strikeouts per nine innings (8.72), while finishing second in ERA in the CCAA and sixth nationally in Division II. The shutout mark ranked third in the country. UCSD has placed among the top three in the CCAA in ERA in three of the past four years. Through 16 games in 2016, the Tritons' ERA stands at 2.63, second in the league and 19th nationally.

STRONG FIELDING
UCSD continues a tradition of being strong defensively. The Tritons posted a .970 (1453-577-63) fielding percentage a season ago, rallying after a slow start to rank second in the CCAA, just behind Cal Poly Pomona (.971), and 21st in Division II. They have been in the top 30 nationally and top three in the conference in fielding for each of the past six seasons. In 2014, UCSD was second in the CCAA (behind Chico State) with a .974 clip, and fifth in the country. In 2013, the Tritons were second in the league behind Chico State and 11th nationally (.972). They were 29th in Division II in 2012 (.966) and third in the conference. UCSD led the nation with a Division II- and school-record mark of .984 (1611-673-38) in 2010 and was fifth in 2011 (.972), pacing the CCAA both years. No program in the country has even fielded at a .980 rate since 2010. Through 16 games in 2016, the Tritons' fielding percentage is .964 (411-183-22), fifth in the CCAA.

TRITON NOTES
UCSD is 14-0 when scoring three or more runs and 4-0 in one-run games in 2016 ... UCSD's largest offensive inning this year has been of five runs, which it has done twice (eighth vs. CSUSB on Feb. 26 and fifth at CSUSB on Feb. 27) ... The biggest inning against the Tritons has also been of five runs, in the fifth vs. CSUSB on Feb. 28 ... Prior to Feb. 14 (6-2 vs. No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona), UCSD's previous victory over a top-10-ranked Division II opponent was May 10, 2014, over No. 9 Chico State (10-7) in the final of the CCAA Championship in Stockton ... The Tritons are 4-1 in season openers under Eric Newman and 13-3 since moving to Division II status for 2001 ... Jack Larsen (first team), Troy Cruz (second) and Gradeigh Sanchez (second) were each named on Jan. 25 to NCBWA Preseason All-West Region teams ... UCSD was picked to place second overall and in the South in the 2016 CCAA race by the league's head coaches, as announced on Jan. 28, with reigning regular-season, tournament and West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona the unanimous favorite.

CCAA FORMAT CHANGES
There are several significant changes to the CCAA baseball landscape in 2016. Cal State San Marcos has joined the conference as a 13th member. The addition of the crosstown foe Cougars means 12 league teams in baseball, as Humboldt State does not sponsor the sport. With an even geographical balance of six programs in the north and six in the south, the CCAA has gone to a divisional alignment. As such, the 38-game league slate, down from 40 in 2015, consists of a four-game series within the division, and three-gamers across divisions. That is a departure from all four-game matchups in recent seasons. There is also a change to the CCAA Championship. The conference champion and automatic qualifier into the NCAA Championship will still come from that tournament, and it remains a double-elimination event. It has expanded, however, from four teams to six, with the top three squads in both the North and South divisions gaining the right to participate. Of the five teams in the South with UCSD, CSUSM is not eligible for the CCAA tournament this May.

ROSTER NOTES
UCSD returns five all-conference performers from a year ago in senior All-American and three-time All-CCAA selection Troy Cruz (second team), junior Jack Larsen (first), senior Gradeigh Sanchez (first), redshirt sophomore Justin Flatt (honorable mention) and junior Tyler Howsley (HM) ... Cruz, Larsen and Sanchez also picked up All-West Region accolades in 2015 ... Howsley, Larsen and Sanchez played together at Mission Viejo's Capistrano Valley High School ... All but three players on the 40-man 2016 roster, senior pitcher Alon Leichman (Kibbutz Gezer, Israel), redshirt sophomore Tim White (Stratford, CT) and freshman Nick Balley (Austin, TX), are California natives ... Besides Cruz (Chula Vista/Bonita Vista HS), the six other San Diego products are redshirt sophomore Steven Coe (Valley Center/Valley Center HS), sophomores Tyler Plantier (Poway/Del Norte HS) and Jack Rupe, Jr. (San Marcos/Mission Hills HS), redshirt freshman Cameron Kurz (Encinitas/La Costa Canyon HS), and newcomers Vince Mori (Oceanside/Palomar College/Westview HS) and Griffen Case (Poway/Cathedral Catholic HS) ... Plantier is the son of Phil Plantier, who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball for five franchises, and served as the hitting coach of the hometown San Diego Padres from 2011-14 ... Freshman right-hander Jonah Dipoto is the son of Jerry Dipoto, who pitched eight seasons for three organizations, and is the general manager of the Seattle Mariners ... True freshmen Tyler Durna and Tim Nelson were teammates at Chino Hills' Ayala High School.

HEAD COACH ERIC NEWMAN
Eric Newman is in his fifth season as the UCSD head coach. The 2012 CCAA Coach of the Year has a 147-87 record (103-57 CCAA) in charge of the Tritons and 242-159 overall in his seven-plus seasons as a head coach. He most recently won his 100th CCAA contest at home against Cal State San Bernardino, 9-4, on Friday, Feb. 26. Newman guided UCSD to the 2012 CCAA regular-season and tournament titles in his first go-around in La Jolla, and a subsequent trip to the NCAA Division II West Regional. His Tritons won a record sixth conference tourney crown in May of 2014 in Stockton, to again nab the CCAA's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. With UCSD earning the region's top seed, Triton Ballpark played host to the 2014 NCAA West Regional. Newman has led the Tritons to three CCAA banners and three NCAA postseason berths in his four years, including back-to-back appearances in West Region finals, as well as four plus-.500 and three 30-win campaigns. He previously went 95-72 in three seasons at the helm of Dallas Baptist University from 2005-07. Newman was the fifth-round draft choice of the San Diego Padres out of Texas Tech in 1994, pitching professionally for eight years with four different organizations.

TRITON STAFF
Eric Newman promoted Rob Avila to associate head coach this past off-season, with the Tritons' pitching guru also now in his fifth year at UCSD. J.T. Bloodworth is in his fourth season in the Triton dugout, now in his second year as the program's recruiting coordinator. Newman added Jeff Calhoon and former Triton Tony York to his staff. Calhoon spent the last two years at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, having completed his playing career as the starting catcher at New York's Niagara University. York was a relief pitcher at UCSD from 2011-12, compiling 10 saves. Calhoon coaches third base, while York has taken over in the first-base box.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Cal State LA (4-11, 3-1 CCAA) had lost 11 straight prior to taking the final three games of its split-venue set with Cal State San Marcos last weekend, to win the series and jump into second place in the CCAA South behind UCSD. The Golden Eagles began their year with an 8-2 triumph at California Baptist on Feb. 4, prior to the lengthy drought. The Tritons took on CSUSB last weekend with the Coyotes entering the series with a .241 team batting average. CSULA is currently hitting at a similar .240 clip, though it leads the league with 88 walks, ahead of UCSD's 82. Cal State L.A. went 35-22 overall in 2013 en route to the program's first conference tournament banner. Vince Beringhele is in his ninth season at the helm of the Golden Eagles.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series between these league and now-division rivals, 41-37. The sides split their four meetings a year ago. CSULA pinned All-American Justin Donatella with just his second loss in the home opener in Los Angeles, 3-2 behind three first-inning runs, before the Tritons won there the next night, 6-1, as Trevor Scott and Jack Rupe, Jr., combined on a gem. The doubleheader in La Jolla was then split, UCSD taking game one, 7-4, and the Golden Eagles rallying from a 2-0 deficit going into their final at-bat and pulling out a 3-2 decision in eight in the nightcap. A win in that one would have given the Tritons a share of the CCAA regular-season crown. UCSD went 5-2 against the Golden Eagles in 2014, as Cal State LA took two of three in an early-season non-conference series. The teams split a doubleheader in La Jolla on Feb. 8, before the Golden Eagles held off a late charge by the Tritons to win 9-8 at home the next day. CSULA scored seven in the fourth and UCSD rallied with six in the eighth in that one. In early April, UCSD won 6-3 and 4-3 at home before sweeping a twin bill in Los Angeles, 13-2 and 2-0. UCSD won the 2013 regular-season series, 3-1, as the teams split a pair in Los Angeles before the Tritons swept a home doubleheader. The sides played to a 2-2 series split in 2012, each winning twice at home.

MIGHTY 1090 INTERVIEWS
Mighty 1090 AM talent Jordan Carruth is conducting flavorful interviews with UC San Diego student-athletes and coaches on a weekly basis, and they are definitely worth a listen. The station has launched a page dedicated to UCSD athletics, where you can find all of the archived interviews. Here are the links to baseball interviews:
• Coach Newman (2/3/16)
• Plantier (2/18/16)
• Larsen (3/3/16)

GEAR UP
For the latest in Triton athletic gear, make sure to visit ucsdtritonsgear.com. Run by UCSD Athletics' online partner, Advanced-Online, the site provides an on-demand option for Triton athletic apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours.

FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are in eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UCSD home athletic events, and much more!

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UP NEXT
UCSD faces a third straight, four-game, split-venue series with a CCAA South foe next week against Cal State Dominguez Hills. The set begins with back-to-back night games in La Jolla on Thursday, March 10, and Friday, March 11, each at 6 p.m. It wraps up on Sunday, March 13, with a doubleheader in Carson starting at 11 a.m.

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