THE SCHEDULE
Games 42-45 - CCAA Series
vs. Cal State LA (22-19, 19-17 CCAA)
Thursday, April 26 • 6 p.m.
Triton Ballpark • La Jolla
Live Video • Live Stats • Tickets

Friday, April 27 • 6 p.m.
Triton Ballpark • La Jolla
Live Video • Live Stats • Tickets

Saturday, April 28 • 1 p.m. (DH)
Reeder Field • Los Angeles
Live Video G1 • Live Video G2 • Live Stats • Tickets

The red-hot University of California San Diego baseball program takes its season-best eight-game win streak into the second of three straight split-venue California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) sets to round out the regular season, this week against Cal State LA. The second-place Tritons (28-13, 24-12 CCAA), owners of the CCAA's longest current win streak, are now just a game back of 16th-ranked league leader Cal State Monterey Bay (31-11, 25-11 CCAA). They begin their series with the fifth-place Golden Eagles (22-19, 19-17 CCAA) with a pair of primetime tilts at Triton Ballpark on East Campus in La Jolla, on Thursday, April 26, and Friday, April 27, both at 6 p.m. The set then shifts north to Los Angeles for its conclusion on Saturday, April 28, with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at Reeder Field. The nightcap will be a shortened seven innings, with about a 40-minute gap in between contests.

UC San Diego is the only one of the 12 CCAA teams to post a four-game sweep in either of the last two weeks, much less both, and has thus, in addition to whittling a four-game deficit down to one, gained a two-game cushion on third place, and five on seventh. The top six teams qualify for the CCAA Championship. The Tritons could clinch a fifth straight trip this weekend. CSUMB is home for four with San Francisco State beginning Friday at 3 p.m. The Tritons are 17-5 at home and 11-8 on the road in 2018.

ADMISSION POLICIES FOR TRITON BALLPARK
General admission tickets to all regular-season home dates at Triton Ballpark are $5, whether a single game or doubleheader. UC San Diego students are admitted FREE with valid identification. Dogs and other pets are not allowed, nor are coolers. Bullseye Kettle Corn is on site for all home contests, with the menu featuring hot dogs, nachos, and of course, kettle corn, among other snacks, as well as both cold and hot beverages, like coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

PARKING INFO
Parking on the UCSD campus is free on weekends, but a permit is required for weeknight contests. 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 adjacent to the aquatics facility (across freeway bridge), or in the opposite direction, further down Voigt Drive and well beyond the right field wall and trolley construction site.

LIVE COVERAGE
A majority of UC San Diego home games at Triton Ballpark feature live online video on UCSDtritons.tv. All broadcasts are in high definition, and can be viewed from smartphones and tablets. Viewing is subscription-based, though it is free from UCSD campus IP addresses. The single-day fee is $5.99 (24-hour window), meaning doubleheaders are two-for-one. The play-by-play commentary is again provided by local radio personality Ted Mendenhall (@TedMendenhall). Events are archived. Some road contests also have video and/or audio. This week, all four games will have pay-per-view video, with Saturday's doubleheader in Los Angeles costing $5.95, with commentary. 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 this year primarily by following Triton Baseball all season long at their own Twitter handle (@UCSDbsb), with Instagram stories at @ucsd_baseball. Fans are encouraged to also still follow @UCSDtritons. Finally, check out the CCAA live scoreboard here to keep up on results around the league.

THIRD IN FIRST NCAA REGIONAL LISTING
The first release of the all-important NCAA regional rankings occurred on Wednesday, April 25, with UC San Diego third in the West behind CCAA leader Cal State Monterey Bay and fourth-ranked Pacific West Conference (PacWest) leader Azusa Pacific. The Tritons are ahead of city rival Point Loma, California Baptist, MSU Billings, Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona. The second edition will come on Wednesday, May 2. The top six teams in the final version on May 13, make up the NCAA Division II Championship West Regional. The winner of the 2018 CCAA Championship, May 9-12, earns an automatic berth into the West Regional, as does the regular-season champion of the PacWest. APU (24-6) has the upper hand in that race, by two games over Point Loma (23-9). Chico State is at CPP, Friday through Sunday, in a key series. The 56-team field for the 2018 NCAA Division II Championship will be unveiled at 7 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 13, and streamed live on NCAA.com.

#BIGWESTBOUND
On Nov. 27, UC San Diego was officially invited to become a member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. The Tritons will begin a four-year reclassification period starting in the fall of 2020. They will play a full Big West schedule that season and will be eligible for the NCAA Championship in men's volleyball, men's and women's water polo, and fencing. For the 2024-25 academic year, all sports will be eligible to compete in Big West and NCAA Division I championships. Read the full press release here.

RANKINGS REPORT
UC San Diego was at No. 7 in the preseason edition of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NCAA Division II top-40 poll (Dec. 20). The Tritons were No. 4 and No. 19 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Perfect Game preseason polls, respectively. UCSD is No. 4 in the NCBWA West Region poll.

QUICK STATS

LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego produced a second straight four-game sweep, this time emphatically over Cal State San Bernardino in a split-venue matchup. Over the four games, the Tritons collected 69 runs on 64 hits, including 16 doubles, one triple and 13 home runs, and an incredible 41 walks. Scores were 12-1 and 19-0 in La Jolla, followed by 26-8 and 12-3 in seven innings in Saturday's doubleheader in San Bernardino.

GREAT WEEK FOR BECK
Senior second baseman Justin Beck parlayed an outstanding series against Cal State San Bernardino, into his first CCAA Player of the Week award. The senior second baseman on Monday was also one of seven standouts, the only one from the Division II ranks, named among the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Players of the Week. Beck hit .600 (9-15) with 10 runs, nine hits, three doubles, three home runs, 13 RBI and 21 total bases, all team highs. He slugged 1.400 with a .632 on-base percentage, and also fielded all 20 of his defensive chances cleanly. Beck scored three runs and drove in four, season bests, in each of the final three games of the series, with a double among multiple hits in each and three total home runs. He improved his season average by 42 points over the weekend, from .280 up to a season-best .322. Beck has reached base safely in 27 consecutive games.

SINGLE-GAME SPECS
UC San Diego's 26 runs at CSUSB on April 21 are second-most in the CCAA this season, only behind San Francisco State's 27-2 win at CSUSB on April 13. The Tritons also scored 25 at home against Cal State East Bay on March 29. Those two UCSD totals are tied for 11th and 22nd nationally, respectively. The Tritons hit six home runs in both of those games, which are tied for 16th in the nation, tied for second in the West Region, and tops in the CCAA. UCSD's 17 walks in that same game against CSUSB are tied for third in both the CCAA and country.

CLARKE CHASING TRIPLE CROWN
First-year Triton rightfielder Zander Clarke is making a bid for the CCAA triple crown, as he is currently third with a .380 batting average, tied for first with teammate Alex Eliopulos with 52 RBI apiece, and tied for second with 11 home runs, two behind CSUMB senior Hayden Duer.

SERIES STATS
UC San Diego has posted back-to-back four-game sweeps, over Stanislaus State and Cal State San Bernardino, on the heels of its first series loss at rival Chico State. The Tritons had previously won three CCAA sets by 3-1 counts, and split the other three. That was after a three-game sweep and two-game split in non-conference action. They are thus 6-1-4 in sets in 2018.

SHAY SETTING THE TABLE
True freshman shortstop Shay Whitcomb's incredible 31-game reached-base streak to begin his college career, was snapped through an 0-for-4 performance in the series finale at Chico State on April 9. It was the sixth-longest such streak in UC San Diego's Division II era, since 2001. The Newbury Park native has missed a single contest and started the other 40 at shortstop, and in the leadoff position of the batting order. From that spot, Whitcomb is fifth in the CCAA in on-base percentage (.457), tied for second in walks (32) and fourth in runs (42). Senior second baseman Justin Beck incidentally boasts the Tritons' best current reached-base streak, now up to 27 games.

NAVIGATING THE BIG THREE
The Nos. 2-4 hitters in the Triton order, Tyler Durna, Zander Clarke and Alex Eliopulos, have been difficult, to say the least, for opponents to contend with. They are all batting .325 or better, led by Clarke at .380. They have combined for 28 of UC San Diego's league-best 51 home runs. Together with leadoff man Shay Whitcomb, 158 of UCSD's 332 runs (.476), and 166 of 308 RBI (.539), have come from that formidable quartet. Durna leads the league with his on-base percentage, reaching exactly 50 percent of the time.

RUPE RETURNS
In his four starts since returning to the starting rotation, fourth-year senior right-hander Jack Rupe, Jr. (San Marcos/Mission Hills HS), is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA, 24.0 innings pitched and 28 strikeouts against just three walks. He has gone at least 5.0 frames in these last four outings, with a minimum of six strikeouts.

KKKKKKURZ
Fourth-year Triton right-hander Cameron Kurz struck out all six batters he faced in his most recent outing, with 19 of 28 pitches going as strikes, to close out the series finale at CSUSB on April 21. He is 3-0 with seven saves and a 0.90 ERA over his 14 appearances, tied for the team lead, and 20.0 innings. Kurz has fanned 31, against eight walks, with opponents batting just .145. The seven saves are third in the CCAA and tied for 17th nationally. The San Diego product last gave up an earned run on March 4, striking out 17 against a single walk over six stints and 10.0 innings since.

GRAND SLAMS
UC San Diego has remarkably blasted six grand slams this season. The first two were by Alex Eliopulos, against then-fourth-ranked Colorado Mesa at home on Feb. 11, and at Sonoma State on March 9. Zander Clarke and Tyler Durna both got in on the act on March 29 at home against Cal State East Bay. Clarke added his second to break open the series opener at home with Cal State San Bernardino last Thursday, April 19. Steven Schuknecht produced the most recent slam, in the ninth inning of the 26-8 romp at CSUSB on April 21.

CLARKE HAS FOUND POWER STROKE
Junior rightfielder Zander Clarke, a first-year transfer from UCLA, homered in each of the first three games of the Cal State Monterey Bay series, and added his first two-home-run game as a Triton, including a grand slam, in the opener against Cal State East Bay on March 29. Having tallied seven long balls in the month of March, he opened his April account with a three-run shot at Chico State on April 8. Clarke has 11 on the season, first on the team and tied for second in the CCAA. The Newbury Park native drove in nine runs against the Otters and seven versus the Pioneers. He is tied for first in the CCAA, with teammate Alex Eliopulos, at 52 RBI apiece, and is batting a team-best .380.

DURNA LEADS SWEEP
On April 17, Tyler Durna was named the CCAA Player of the Week for the second time this year and fourth for his career, and later the NCBWA West Region Player of the Week for the first time. He hit a team-best .571 (8-for-14) with team highs of five runs (tied), eight hits (tied), four doubles, seven RBI, four walks, an .857 slugging percentage and .632 on-base percentage, in leading UC San Diego to its first sweep of the season, at home over Stanislaus State. Durna's one-out single ignited a two-run game-tying rally in the sixth inning on April 13. He bookended the weekend by reaching base in all five trips in Sunday's 9-4 win, going 4-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, two runs and three RBI.

EAST BAY OPENER SUPERLATIVES
UC San Diego's 25-2 victory over Cal State East Bay on March 29 marked the second-best run output of its NCAA Division II era, since 2001. The Tritons had won 26-5 in a seven-inning doubleheader nightcap at Cal State Monterey Bay on April 15, 2007, and have since posted a 26-8 decision at CSUSB on April 21. UC San Diego managed two grand slams, by Zander Clarke and Tyler Durna, and back-to-back-to-back shots, by Durna, Clarke and Alex Eliopulos, among six home runs, tying its D-II-era record from a 14-7 win at Cal State San Bernardino on April 2, 2010. Durna finished with career highs of five runs and eight RBI, which both equal D-II-era program standards. Justin Rahn had knocked in eight during a 20-5 home victory over Cal Poly Pomona in the NCAA West Regional on May 16, 2014. He also had a grand slam among two home runs that night.

FIRST WEEKLY HONORS FOR MOTT AFTER LIGHTS-OUT START
On March 6, junior left-hander Preston Mott was selected the CCAA and NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week, both for the first time in his career. The awards came thanks to seven shutout innings against then-14th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona in a 6-4 home victory on March 2, with a career-best 10 strikeouts. Mott scattered three singles and a walk. He had two perfect frames and also struck out the side twice. Mott had won three starts in a row prior to a no-decision at Sonoma State on March 9. He allowed just two runs over four outings from Feb. 17-March 9, in 24.0 innings for a 0.75 ERA. Mott is 6-1 over his 10 starts, with a season ERA of 3.07, and is seventh in the CCAA with 64 strikeouts. Mott has improved on his single-game career best in strikeouts three times in 2018, and had at least five in each of his first seven appearances. That season total is against 16 walks, for a team-best 4.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

BIG WEEK NETS ELIOPULOS SEVERAL AWARDS
For the week of Feb. 19-25, Alex Eliopulos was named among the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Players of the Week, with the other 11 all being from Division I, as well as the CCAA Player of the Week for the first time, and then NCBWA West Region Player of the Week. That all came after a Cal State Dominguez Hills series in which he hit .600 (9-15) and slugged 1.467, with a .714 on-base percentage, four home runs, one double, six runs, eight RBI and six walks. The La Jolla native produced back-to-back two-home-run games at home on Feb. 23 and in Carson to begin the Feb. 24 doubleheader, and in fact has three of them on the season, as well as a pair of grand slams. Eliopulos' 10 home runs, all to right field, are second on the team and fourth in the CCAA. He is the only Triton to start or even appear in all 41 games in 2018.

TOP 50 IN NATIONAL STATISTICS
As of the NCAA Division II statistical report from April 24, Nick Kitzmann is tied for 14th with 16 hit-by-pitches. Cameron Kurz is tied for 17th with his seven saves. Tyler Durna is tied for 33rd in base on balls (32), 17th in base on balls per game (0.89), 43rd in on-base percentage (.500), 50th in runs (47), and 11th in runs per game (1.31). Zander Clarke is tied for 27th in RBI (52) and 14th in RBI per game (1.33). Alex Eliopulos is tied for 27th in RBI (52), 28th in RBI per game (1.27), and 36th in toughest to strike out (14.3). Shay Whitcomb is tied for 33rd in base on balls (32) and 38th in base on balls per game (0.80). The Tritons as a team are fourth in fielding percentage (.975). They are sixth in base on balls (232), 21st in scoring (8.1 runs per game), 11th in on-base percentage (.424), 46th in batting average (.309), 44th in ERA (4.18), 35th in hit-by-pitches (59), 45th in hits (434), 43rd in hits allowed per nine innings (8.81), 31st in home runs (51), 27th in home runs per game (1.24), 24th in runs (332), 31st in slugging (.493), 49th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.9), 43rd in WHIP (1.41), and 39th in win-loss percentage (.683).

CCAA LEADERS
Tyler Durna leads the CCAA in base on balls per game (0.89), on-base percentage (.500), runs (47) and runs per game (1.31). Zander Clarke and Alex Eliopulos lead in RBI (52), with Clarke also first in RBI per game (1.32) and slugging percentage (.660). As a team, UC San Diego paces the conference in base on balls (232), batting average (.309), fielding percentage (.975), home runs (51), home runs per game (1.24), on-base percentage (.424), runs (332), scoring (8.1 runs per game), slugging percentage (.493), and strikeouts per nine innings (8.9).

POWER SURGE
UC San Diego used seven home runs in its four-game series with Cal State East Bay, including six in the opener, to move clear of Cal State Monterey Bay atop the league. With 13 against Cal State San Bernardino, the Tritons now have 51, just two off their CCAA-leading 53 from a year ago. Six of them have been grand slams. UC San Diego's 53 long balls last season included 11 in a four-game series against CSUSB to wrap up the regular season, and 11 more in six contests at the CCAA Championship. The Tritons topped the league thanks to a late-season outburst that saw them hit at least one long ball in a Division II-era (since 2001) program-record 11 consecutive games (May 4-18), with multiple blasts in eight of them, and 26 in all over the last 20 contests. It was the most home runs by a UCSD squad since the Tritons had 60 in 2010. The 53 were more than what UCSD managed in the previous three years combined (41), and is the fourth-largest single-season total in the program's D-II history.

DURNA NAMED CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior first baseman Tyler Durna was named the CCAA Player of the Week on Feb. 13. Durna hit .524 (11-21) and slugged .810 (2B, 3B, HR, 17 TB) with a .615 on-base percentage, all team bests, producing 11 hits, seven runs and 10 RBI. He walked five times without a single strikeout, and handled all 39 defensive chances cleanly. Durna reached base at least twice in each game.

PRIME PITCHING
The UC San Diego pitching staff finished with a 3.67 ERA a season ago, 24th in the nation, fourth in the West Region and third in the CCAA. The Tritons have thus placed among the top three in the CCAA in ERA in five of the past six years. The UCSD staff in fact threw the most total innings in all of Division II in 2017, at 557.1, with fellow national semifinalist St. Thomas Aquinas closest at 530.1. The Tritons are currently fourth in the CCAA with a 4.18 ERA.

STRONG FIELDING
UC San Diego continues a tradition of being strong defensively, first in the CCAA and West Region and fourth nationally with a .975 fielding percentage. The Tritons fielded at a .974 clip in 2017, ninth nationally and second in both the West and CCAA behind Division II-leading Chico State's .983. UCSD had finished at .970 for two straight years in 2015 and 2016, topping the CCAA and ranking 20th in Division II in the latter. The Tritons were second in the CCAA, behind only Cal Poly Pomona (.971), and 21st in Division II, in 2015. UCSD has been in the top 30 nationally and top three in the conference in fielding for each of the past eight seasons. The Tritons were also second in the CCAA (behind Chico State) in 2014 with a .974 clip, and fifth in the country. In 2013, they 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. Only one program in the country has even fielded at a .980 rate since 2010, and that was Chico State a year ago, falling just short of the Tritons' D-II standard.

LAST SEASON
UC San Diego wound up second in the CCAA South in 2017 behind Cal Poly Pomona (27-11) for the second year in a row, with a league record of 24-13, qualifying for a fourth consecutive CCAA Championship. That's when the Tritons caught fire, winning three straight elimination games at the CCAA Championship in Stockton before dropping a winner-take-all final to rival Chico State, and then sweeping through the NCAA West Regional with two victories each against higher seeds Dixie State and host Azusa Pacific. In its first return to the NCAA Championship since 2010, UC San Diego dropped a heartbreaker in its opener, only to take four more elimination games within a five-day span, and make it to the final round. Needing to beat West Chester of Pennsylvania twice on that final day of the season on June 4, the Tritons fell by a score of 5-2 in the initial meeting. Their final overall record stood at 44-19, marking the second-most wins in program history.

BANNER YEAR
Last year, the Tritons were NCAA Division II West Region champions for the first time under head coach Eric Newman and third since moving up to Division II for the 2001 season. They were previously crowned in back-to-back years in 2009 and 2010, finishing as national runners-up in the latter season, as well as in 2017. UC San Diego also won a pair of West titles in Division III, in 1987 and 1994.

2018 SYNOPSIS
UC San Diego head coach Eric Newman, the 2017 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Diamond NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year, has 19 returners and 16 newcomers to form a 35-player roster for 2018, after last season's edition posted a 44-19 overall record and secured the program's first regional crown since 2010. It marked UCSD's second-best win total all-time, as Newman's club went 12-4 in postseason play, including 7-2 in elimination games.

The Tritons are led by junior first baseman Tyler Durna, who produced the opposite of a sophomore slump and took a star turn a year ago, with his team-best .363 batting average, dazzling defense, a memorable 28-game hitting streak, and a stretch of 41 straight contests in which he reached base safely. Redshirt junior Alex Eliopulos, a La Jolla native (La Jolla HS) and second-year transfer from San Diego Mesa College, should be across the diamond from Durna again at third base. Jack Rupe, Jr. (San Marcos/Mission Hills HS), is a fourth-year senior right-hander, and Preston Mott a junior left-hander who was the Opening Day mound starter in 2017.

Among the prized incoming contingent are a pair of notable transfers from Pac-12 Conference powerhouses in redshirt junior power-hitting outfielder Zander Clarke from UCLA and senior right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Hickey out of Oregon State. Clarke, who bats from the right side, slammed 15 total home runs over an incredible summer as the Great West League (GWL) Player of the Year with the Portland Pickles, adding a second straight GWL All-Star Game appearance and in fact, GWL All-Star Game Most Valuable Player distinction as well. All of that netted the Newbury Park native an outfield spot on the 2017 Perfect Game/Rawlings Summer Collegiate All-America First Team. Hickey was one of 13 arms who saw action for Oregon State during a historic 2017 campaign that finished at 56-6 at the College World Series. That staff completed the year with a 1.93 team ERA. Hickey, a product of Morgan Hill in Northern California, compiled a 4.91 ERA over seven relief appearances, with one save.

Not to be outshone is an exciting crop of true freshmen, highlighted by the likes of right-handers Noah Conlon and Cameron Leonard, and shortstop Shay Whitcomb. In late September, Whitcomb and Conlon made Perfect Game's Top NCAA Division II Freshmen list at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, among 34 total prospects recognized. UC San Diego was one of four programs with multiple freshmen honored, but the lone one from the West Region, and the only one nationally with two in the top 10.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
UC San Diego's 2018 schedule consists of 49 regular-season games, including 26 at home. Having contested four of just five non-conference dates in La Jolla, including two top-10 matchups with No. 4 Colorado Mesa, the Tritons dove right into league play with a four-game home split against San Francisco State, Feb. 16-18. UCSD also split a four-game set with then-14th-ranked 2015 and 2016 West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona, March 1-4. The Tritons traveled north for a four-gamer at two-time reigning CCAA tournament champion, 2017 CCAA regular-season champion and league favorite Chico State. The CCAA Championship will be held in the neutral-site city of Stockton for the sixth year in a row, returning to Banner Island Ballpark of the minor-league Stockton Ports, May 9-12. UCSD has earned four successive trips.

DURNA LOCKED IN
Tyler Durna finished fifth in the league with his team-best .363 batting average as a sophomore a year ago. He started each of the last 54 games at first base, reached safely in all but one, and had a hit in all but eight of them, including a 28-game streak from March 4-April 29 that was a record for UCSD's Division II era (since 2001), and likely a program standard. It is tied for the third-longest hit streak in the CCAA's unofficial record book. Durna had multiple hits in 16 of those 28 contests. He was fourth in the CCAA in on-base percentage (.469).

TRITON NOTES
Nick Kitzmann has a team-best 16 hit-by-pitches (third in CCAA), after six all of last year, and on Feb. 11 against Concordia Irvine became the first Triton to be hit by a pitch three times in the same game, since Nick La Face at Cal State LA on April 1, 2011 ... The 18 runners the Tritons stranded in their CCAA opener with SF State on Feb. 16 were their most since leaving 19 at Chico State over a decade ago on May 14, 2005, in a 12-inning, 7-6 triumph for the program's first CCAA tournament title ... UCSD's first 10 home runs of 2018 were all to right field ... The Tritons' biggest frame this year has been eight runs, in the sixth inning of a 25-2 home romp over Cal State East Bay on March 29, and the fifth inning of a 26-8 decision at Cal State San Bernardino on April 21 ... The largest inning they have surrendered was a seven-run fifth at Cal State Monterey Bay on March 25 ... UCSD is 6-1 in season openers under Eric Newman and 15-3 since moving to Division II status for 2001 ... UCSD is 5-2 in CCAA openers with Newman in charge, having this year had its five-game win streak snapped by SF State, 4-1, since another 4-1 loss to Chico State in La Jolla on Feb. 17, 2012 ... The Tritons are 10-8 in CCAA openers all-time (since 2001), and 10-1 with seven splits in sets to begin the league season ... UCSD was picked to place second in the 2018 CCAA race by the league's head coaches, as announced on Jan. 29, with defending CCAA regular-season and tournament champion Chico State the favorite for the sixth time in seven years.

CCAA FORMAT
The CCAA baseball landscape has changed again, and after having two six-team divisions, North and South, the past two seasons, there are no divisions in 2018. The top six teams, by straight winning percentage, in the final standings, will qualify for the 2018 CCAA Championship. Third-year member and city rival Cal State San Marcos is eligible for the postseason for the first time. The CCAA has also gone away from a 38-game league slate, with four-game sets within the division and three-gamers against the opposite division. Each team now plays a four-game series with the other 11 squads, for a 44-game schedule. UC San Diego is either entirely at home or away against the six northern teams, and faces split-venue sets with the southern ones. The automatic qualifier into the NCAA West Regional is still the winner of the CCAA tournament, which remains a four-day, double-elimination event.

ROSTER NOTES
UC San Diego returns two all-conference performers from 2017 at the corners in All-CCAA First Team first baseman Tyler Durna and third baseman Alex Eliopulos, who earned honorable mention ... Durna was also a unanimous All-West Region selection by ABCA/Rawlings (First Team), the NCBWA (First) and D2CCA (Second) ... Eliopulos represented the Tritons on the NCBWA's preseason All-West Region Second Team ... All but five players on the 35-man 2018 roster, senior Jesse Moore (Port Orchard, WA) and newcomers Warren King (Bainbridge Island, WA), Garett Lake (Henderson, NV), Nick Senicka (Oak Brook, IL) and Tom Simpson (Port Orchard, WA), are California natives ... There are four San Diego products in senior Jack Rupe, Jr. (San Marcos/Mission Hills HS), redshirt juniors Eliopulos (La Jolla/San Diego Mesa College/La Jolla HS) and Cameron Kurz (Encinitas/La Costa Canyon HS), and freshman Evan Ianniciello (San Marcos/San Marcos HS) ... Junior right-hander Jonah Dipoto is the son of Jerry Dipoto, who pitched eight seasons for three Major League Baseball organizations, and is the general manager of the Seattle Mariners ... Redshirt sophomore utility Keenan Brigman (San Jose/UOP) is the younger brother of former University of San Diego shortstop and current Seattle Mariners top-30 prospect (No. 27) Bryson Brigman, a third-round selection in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft ... True freshman right-hander Noah Conlon is the younger brother of PJ Conlon, a former left-handed ace for the University of San Diego who is currently the No. 24 prospect in the New York Mets organization.

DEBUT DETAILS
Over the first week of UC San Diego's season, redshirt freshman Antonio Barrios, Blake Baumgartner, Aaron Kim, Kyle Selor and Brandon Stewart, and true freshmen Noah Conlon, Garett Lake, Cameron Leonard and Shay Whitcomb, all earned their college debuts. Transfers Justin Beck, Zander Clarke, Mitch Hickey, Rj Prince, Mark Quinby, Christopher Schasteen and Tom Simpson made their first appearances as Tritons.

HEAD COACH ERIC NEWMAN
Eric Newman is in his seventh season as the UC San Diego head coach. The 2017 ABCA/Diamond Division II West Region Coach of the Year and 2012 CCAA Coach of the Year has a 236-138 record (167-99 CCAA) in charge of the Tritons and 331-210 overall in his nine-plus seasons as a head coach. 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. After reaching the finals of the West Regional in both 2014 and 2015, UCSD won its first West crown since 2010 last week in Azusa. Newman has led the Tritons to three CCAA banners, four NCAA postseason berths and one regional championship in his six years, as well as six plus-.500 and five 30-win campaigns. Last year's was his first 40-win squad. He earned win No. 200 in charge of UCSD against Chico State, 13-4, on the final day of the 2017 CCAA Championship on May 13. Newman won his 100th CCAA contest at home against Cal State San Bernardino, 9-4, on Feb. 26, 2016. 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 has Justin James back on his staff for a second year as the pitching coach, and J.T. Bloodworth for a sixth season in the UC San Diego dugout, now in his fourth year as the Tritons' recruiting coordinator. Jeff Calhoon is in his third go-around with Newman, who has also retained two former star right-handed Triton pitchers and Chula Vista natives who graduated in 2017 in Troy Cruz and Adrian Orozco. Bloodworth coaches third base and Calhoon is again at first base.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Cal State LA (22-19, 19-17 CCAA) is coming off a 3-1 series loss to Cal State San Marcos this past weekend. The Golden Eagles walked off 5-4 winners in Saturday's second meeting to even the set, before getting swept in Sunday's doubleheader in San Marcos, 9-3 and 6-2 in seven innings. The walk-off came courtesy of a two-out, bases-loaded Spencer Sundahl single in the ninth. Cal State LA was once atop the CCAA, after, similarly to UCSD's current stretch, it swept back-to-back league sets to move to 11-5 in the conference. CSULA is 10th in the CCAA in hitting (.267), eighth in pitching (5.11) and 12th in fielding (.952). Cal State LA is 13-10 at home and an even 9-9 away from Reeder Field. CSULA went 35-22 overall in 2013 en route to the program's first conference tournament banner. Vince Beringhele is in his 11th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles.

SERIES HISTORY
UC San Diego leads the all-time series between these league rivals, 45-42. CSULA won three of five last year, taking the regular-season series, 3-1, before the Tritons earned a dominant 16-6 victory in a CCAA Championship elimination game in Stockton. The sides split their four meetings in each of the previous two years. The 2015 doubleheader in La Jolla was a 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.

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 included 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 Marye Anne Fox Clubhouse down the right field line, which was introduced to the players on March 17, 2015. The official Triton Ballpark re-opening and clubhouse dedication took place on April 10, 2015. View photo galleries from the ballpark construction, Opening Day and dedication.

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 (#BigWestBound)
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Coach Newman on Twitter (@CoachEricNewman)
Coach James on Twitter (@CoachJames_3)
Coach Bloodworth on Twitter (@CoachBlood_)
Coach Calhoon on Twitter (@CoachCalhoon)
Coach Cruz on Twitter (@TroyCaseyCruz)
Coach Orozco on Twitter (@AdOrozco13)

UP NEXT
UC San Diego has a third straight four-game, split-venue CCAA series with a southern rival to round out its regular season next week, against crosstown foe Cal State San Marcos. The teams will play in San Marcos on Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4, at 3 p.m. The Senior Day doubleheader at Triton Ballpark on Saturday, May 5, begins at 12 p.m. Seven Triton seniors will be recognized in between games.

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