THE SCHEDULE
Games 35-37
at Sonoma State (12-15, 10-6 CCAA)
Saturday, April 9 • 12 p.m. (DH)
Seawolf Diamond • Rohnert Park
Live Stats

Sunday, April 10 • 10 a.m.
Seawolf Diamond • Rohnert Park
Live Video • Live Stats

The UC San Diego baseball program heads back to Northern California this week for another three-game series against an opponent from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division. The Tritons (22-12, 12-10 CCAA) face their third of six straight three-game weekends against the North, and will be in Rohnert Park to take on Sonoma State (12-15, 10-6 CCAA). UCSD is back up to second in the South Division, with the Seawolves second in the North. The doubleheader on Saturday, April 9, has been moved from an 11 a.m. start to 12 p.m. at Seawolf Diamond, with rain in the forecast. Both ends of the twin bill will go the regulation nine innings. The single finale on Sunday, April 10, has changed as well, from 11 a.m. to a 10 a.m. start. UCSD is 5-6 on the road, while Sonoma State is 8-7 at home in 2016.

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. All three this weekend at Sonoma State were supposed to, but with rain forecasted, video will no longer be offered on Saturday. A video stream is still expected on Sunday, weather permitting, for free in standard definition or $6.95 in HD. 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 carries 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. Events are archived.

RANKINGS REPORT
UCSD was completely left out of Monday's latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN) poll, after falling out of its top 30 for the first time this season and only receiving votes in the previous week's edition. The Tritons' No. 5 CBN position on Feb. 29 was their highest under fifth-year head coach Eric Newman, and best since they were No. 3 on March 7, 2011. UCSD was ranked as high as fourth by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on March 1. Regionally speaking, the Tritons were rated No. 1 in the West for four weeks in a row by both D2 Baseball News and the NCBWA. They are currently No. 4 in each.

QUICK STATS

LAST TIME OUT
UCSD won a three-game series at home last weekend over Stanislaus State, 2-1. The Tritons rallied from 4-0, 9-5 and 10-9 deficits to win the opener, 11-10 in 10 innings. Steven Coe's one-out, bases-loaded single down the right field line drove in Tyler Plantier with the decider. Plantier had knotted the score at 10-10 with a home run to left to lead off the eighth. UCSD then scored seven runs in the first inning and rolled to a 10-2 triumph to complete the doubleheader sweep on Saturday. Freshman right-hander Kyle Mora, in just his second start, went a season-long 6.0 innings in shutout fashion in that one, and fanned a season-best six. Stan State took the Sunday finale, 11-8, despite the Tritons' best efforts to come back again after going down 10-0 early.

ODDS AND ENDS
Jack Larsen leads UCSD with seven outfield assists, with three on plays at the plate ... Catcher Steven Coe has cut down 15 would-be base-stealers on 30 tries to rank second in the CCAA in that category, with the most since former Triton backstop Michael Benton threw out 18 in 2008 ... UCSD as a team leads the CCAA in walks (158) for the third year in a row, having paced all of the NCAA Division II a season ago with 310 ... A pair of true freshmen, left-hander Preston Mott (6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, K) and right-hander Kyle Mora (3.0, 0 H, 2 BB), combined on UCSD's first shutout of 2016 (3-0), at home against Cal Poly Pomona on March 20, after the Tritons posted a program-record 13 to rank No. 3 nationally in that category a season ago.

THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
UCSD was a perfect 16-0 when scoring three or more runs in a game in 2016, before finally suffering a 9-8 extra-inning defeat against Cal State Dominguez Hills in a contest that began in La Jolla on March 11 and ended in Carson on March 13. The Tritons are now 21-3 in such games. Conversely, they won their first game when managing fewer than three runs after six straight defeats, in come-from-behind, walk-off fashion, 2-1, at home vs. CPP on March 20. UCSD is 1-9 with two runs or less.

STREAK STUFF
UCSD's recent four-game losing skid was its longest since dropping five in a row early in the 2012 campaign, Feb. 4-11 ... The Tritons have produced win streaks of five straight to begin the year, and a season-best seven straight from Feb. 20-28 ... Justin Flatt has UCSD's best current hit streak at five ... Jack Larsen and Gradeigh Sanchez (season-opening) have each had a 10-game hit streak in 2016 ... Larsen earlier had a hit in each of the first seven contests, giving him a career-best 11-gamer going back to the end of 2015, with the same holding true for Sanchez, who notched three hits in the 2015 finale ... Tyler Plantier (17) and Steven Coe (16) have had the longest reached base streaks, with Tim White currently sporting an 11-gamer and JD Hearn one of 10.

LARSEN LEADING ON OFFENSE
Jack Larsen has started all 34 games and leads the team with a .341 batting average, 46 hits, seven (tied) doubles, four home runs, 71 total bases and a .526 slugging percentage. He is second with three triples, 27 runs and 27 RBI. Of those 27 RBI, 20 came in a pair of 10-RBI weeks over the first four. His first three home runs were hammered out to right, with the fourth one to right center. Larsen has at least one hit in 28 of 34 games. He is tied for seventh in the CCAA in hits, home runs and RBI, tied for fourth in triples and tied for 10th in runs.

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, hitting .299, is eighth in the CCAA with his team-best 29 runs scored. A remarkable 12 of those runs came in the four-game series with CSUSB. He reached based on four occasions in the finale on Feb. 28 and crossed the plate each time. Sanchez had a career-high 33 runs in 51 games played in 2015. He is tied for fifth in the CCAA with 20 walks.

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 (10 games) this season. He now has six errors in 184 chances, three of which came over a three-game stretch from Feb. 20-26, for a fielding percentage of .967. Howsley and Jack Larsen, teammates throughout their days at Mission Viejo's Capistrano Valley High School, are the only two Tritons to have started all 34 games. In fact, Howsley has drawn 91 consecutive starts, all at shortstop, going back to the 2015 opener. He had zero errors in 11 straight contests (64 chances), before one on March 19. Offensively, Howsley produced a pair of game-winning RBI, including his first collegiate walk-off hit, against rival Cal Poly Pomona. He leads the team in sacrifice hits for a second year, with six after producing 10 in 2015, and his 20 career sacrifices put him fourth for the program's Division II era (since 2001).

PLANT GROWING
Sophomore Tyler Plantier is hitting .293 and now leads the team with 28 RBI while second in home runs (three), both ahead of his freshman output. Plantier is tied for fifth in the CCAA in RBI. He batted a team-best .440 (11-for-25) through eight games. 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 second home run came on Feb. 27 in San Bernardino, a three-run blast to left in the first inning of a 20-4 rout. Most recently, his solo blast to left to lead off the eighth tied the April 2 series opener with Stanislaus State at 10-10, before Plantier himself scored the walk-off winner in the 10th. His two-run double in a five-run first at Cal State LA on March 6 spurred a 6-5 victory to earn the series split.

PITCHER NOTES
Senior right-hander Alon Leichman (2-2, 3.55 ERA) and freshman left-hander Preston Mott (1-0, 3.43) have drawn eight starts apiece to lead the Tritons ... Leichman pitched at least five full innings in his first seven, and went seven, his long for the program, in three consecutive starts from Feb. 12-26 ... Leichman has tossed the lone complete game by a Triton, in the seven-inning doubleheader nightcap against UT-Permian Basin (2/12), allowing three runs, two of them earned, six hits and one walk in the 5-3 win, while striking out five ... Against CUI (2/19), Leichman scattered two hits while striking out a UCSD-best six, retiring 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 ... Sophomore right-hander Jack Rupe, Jr. (3-3, 4.85 ERA) has turned in three great outings ... In his second start of the year and third of his career, Rupe went a career-long 7.0 shutout innings in a 14-4 win at Cal State Dominguez Hills (3/13), scattering three singles and a walk while striking out five ... Rupe's other two wins came in lengthy relief stints, the first after a then-career-long 5.2 innings of shutout baseball in a 6-2 home decision over Concordia (2/21), with two singles and an intentional walk against him and three strikeouts ... Followed that with another 5.1 frames at CSUSB (2/27), fanning a career-high eight (2 H, R, 0 BB) ... Retired 14 straight from the third to the eighth, and struck out the side in the seventh.

#FRESHMANINVASION
UCSD has started 19 of its 34 games with a true freshman on the mound, and is 14-5 after winning the first 10. During the marathon six-game weekend Feb. 11-14, right-handers Kyle Mora and Kyle Lucke and left-handers Brent Bell and Preston Mott led the Tritons to four victories. Mott took the hill against 10th-ranked defending conference and region champion Cal Poly Pomona, and tossed five shutout frames. The quartet combined to allow just three earned runs over 19.0 innings pitched, for a 1.42 ERA. Lucke (3-2), Bell (2-0) and Mott (1-0) made up the rotation around senior Alon Leichman for the following three weeks. The freshman arms have combined for a 14-4 record overall and 3.02 ERA (52 ER) over 155.0 innings pitched. Lucke started his first series opener March 3 at Cal State LA, with Mott firing a season-long 7.0 shutout frames in a 9-1 home loss to CSULA on March 5, both taking no-decisions. Mott (6.0) then combined with Mora (3.0) on UCSD's first shutout on March 20, also vs. CPP. Alongside three redshirt freshmen who have seen action, the numbers are 16-7 and a 3.39 ERA (67 ER) in 178.0 frames, with eight saves.

TRIPLES ALLEY
Through 34 games, UCSD has 15 triples, second 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 triples in all in that twin bill. Brandon Shirley and Jack Larsen have career highs of four and three triples, respectively. Eight teammates have notched one. The program record for triples is 22, from the 1984 and 2010 seasons.

WALK-OFF WINNERS
UCSD has three walk-off victories in 2016. Steven Coe scored the run in the first two, and drove in the decider in the most recent one on April 2. Jack Larsen has two walk-off hits for his career, the first 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 but the two most recent walk-offs (2-1 and 11-10), was 4-3.
• Feb. 6: UCSD 4, TMC 3 (10) (Watch)
Larsen walked off The Master's College on Opening Day, his two-out RBI single through the right side chasing Coe home from second in the 10th inning of the doubleheader nightcap for a 4-3 Triton win. Coe was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved to second on Tyler Howsley's sacrifice.
• March 20: UCSD 2, CPP 1 (Watch)
Howsley provided his first collegiate walk-off, also a two-out RBI single, to right center, to complete a late rally in the seven-inning nightcap with the Broncos. Coe scored from third after reaching on an infield error with two gone.
• April 2: UCSD 11, STAN 10 (10) (Watch)
Coe looped a one-out, opposite-field RBI single just inside the right field line to send Tyler Plantier home from third after the Warriors had walked the bases full in the 10th.

OVERTURNING FIRST-INNING DEFICITS
UCSD is 7-3 when allowing a first-inning run to the opposition in 2016. The losses came at home against Cal State Dominguez Hills, 9-2, on March 10, at Chico State (7-0) on March 25, and vs. Stan State (11-8) on April 3. The Tritons had a string of four such games, all wins, from Feb. 20-27.

LARSEN A TWO-TIME CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack Larsen on March 22 was named for the second time this season as the CCAA Player of the Week, for his performance over the first three games of the Cal Poly Pomona series, all Triton wins. He hit a team-best .455 with a team-leading four RBI, and added two key defensive plays on a catch in center and an assist at the plate from right. Larsen is a three-time honoree for his career.

START NOTES
UCSD got out to a 5-0 start for the first time in its NCAA Division II history (since 2001) ... The Tritons' 14-2 overall start was also their best in Division II ... The Tritons were 6-2 in CCAA play for the second straight year, and had gone 7-1 to start league play in 2003, 2008 and 2009.

SAN BERN SWEEP SUPERLATIVES
UCSD's 9-4 victory on Feb. 26 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 Feb. 27 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 was the top run total by any CCAA team in 2016 until CSUMB scored 23 at CPP on April 3 ... 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 was named both the NCBWA West Region and CCAA Player of the Week on March 1, 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. It marked his first career NCBWA honor.

#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 this season have been junior transfers and regular infield starters Vince Mori (Palomar College) and JD Hearn (UC Santa Barbara), senior transfer Trey Ferketic (Long Beach State), 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) is tied for second in the CCAA and 21st nationally with five saves ... Ferketic missed the first 28 games recovering from injury before working around a one-out walk in the ninth at Chico State (3/25).

LENGTHY HOMESTAND
UCSD's 13-game homestand from Feb. 6-26 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. 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) 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 beat reigning conference and region champion and unanimous CCAA favorite Cal Poly Pomona in a split-venue, four-game series, 3-1, March 19-21. UCSD then traveled to Chico for the first time since 2013 and dropped all three games to the rival Wildcats of Chico State, picked to win the CCAA North. 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 34 games in 2016, the Tritons' ERA stands at 3.78, third in the league and 37th 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 34 games in 2016, the Tritons' fielding percentage is up to .969 (879-411-41), first in the CCAA and 34th in the nation. Their 31 double plays are tied for first in the league and 13th nationally.

TRITON NOTES
UCSD is 7-4 in one-run games and a perfect 15-0 when out-hitting the opponent in 2016 ... The Tritons are an even 2-2 in extra innings, with a long of 11 in losses at Cal State LA (3/3) and vs. CSUDH (3/11) ... UCSD's largest offensive inning this year has been of seven runs, which it accomplished in the first frame of the April 2 nightcap vs. Stanislaus State ... The biggest inning against the Tritons has been of nine runs, in the eighth vs. CSULA on March 5 ... 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 155-97 record (111-67 CCAA) in charge of the Tritons and 250-169 overall in his seven-plus seasons as a head coach. He won his 100th CCAA contest at home against Cal State San Bernardino, 9-4, on 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.

ABOUT THE SEAWOLVES
Sonoma State (12-15, 10-6 CCAA) is coming off of a 12-1 non-conference home loss to CCAA North foe SF State on Tuesday afternoon. The Seawolves had just won their league series over the weekend, 2-1, at Cal State LA, splitting a lengthy Saturday doubleheader, 6-5 in 14 innings and 3-4 in 10, before taking Sunday's rubber game by the final score of 8-3. Ryan Luna (2-2, 2.38 ERA), a senior right-hander out of Corcoran and second-year transfer from Fresno City College, is the Seawolves' No. 1 starter. The offensive star is Ryan O'Malley, a San Jose native and senior transfer from Florida Gulf Coast who is hitting .398 (41-for-103) with 26 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 27 RBI. Sonoma State is 8-7 at home in 2016, and has won six straight CCAA contests in Rohnert Park after suffering a season-opening doubleheader sweep at the hands of Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 30. John Goelz is in his 31st season in charge at Sonoma State, and has 1,013 career wins.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 35-30. The Tritons are headed back to Rohnert Park for a second straight season after posting a 3-1 series victory there in 2015. All four contests were close. UCSD edged out 4-3, 4-1 and 4-3 decisions with a 5-3 loss in the seven-inning doubleheader nightcap. The four-game set in La Jolla in 2014 was entirely and uncharacteristically (for San Diego) wiped out by rain, even after Sonoma State had made the trip south. The Seawolves won three of four at home in 2013, with UCSD only salvaging the finale, 11-3. The 2012 season saw the Tritons take six out of a total of seven head-to-head matchups, all in La Jolla. After sweeping the four-game regular-season set, UCSD faced off with Sonoma State three more times at home in the CCAA Championship, and ultimately retained its tournament trophy. UCSD's last series defeat to SSU prior to 2013 came in its 2009 visit to Rohnert Park, also by a 3-1 count. That set featured some remarkable pitching and great drama as all four contests were decided by a single run (1-2, 2-3, 2-3, 3-2).

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)
• Coach Newman (3/24/16)

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!

SOCIAL MEDIA (#TritonsRising)
UCSD Athletics on Facebook (UCSanDiegoTritons)
UCSD Athletics on Instagram (@UCSDtritons)
UCSD Athletics on Twitter (@UCSDtritons)
UCSD Athletics on YouTube (UCSDathletics)
Triton Baseball on Facebook (Tritonsbaseball)
Triton Baseball on Instagram (@ucsdbaseball)
Triton Baseball on Twitter (@UCSDbsb)
Coach Newman on Twitter (@CoachEricNewman)
Coach Avila on Twitter (@CoachAvi)
Coach Bloodworth on Twitter (@CoachBlood_)
Coach Calhoon Twitter (@CoachCalhoon)

UP NEXT
UCSD is back in home action next weekend, hosting SF State for a three-game series at Triton Ballpark on Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. (doubleheader), and Sunday, April 17, at 11 a.m.

#TritonsRising