LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego head coach
Patti Gerckens announced the Tritons' 2023 softball schedule. UC San Diego will take on a challenging selection of top teams from across the country, including hosting UCLA and returning to the competitive Mary Nutter Classic, as part of their 54-game schedule.
The Tritons begin their third season of Division I competition on Feb. 10 against Utah and Stonehill College as part of the second annual La Jolla Invitational. UC San Diego will then head to the Bay for the Saint Mary's tournament to face Saint Mary's, Utah State, and San Jose State.
Returning to the road the following weekend in the annual Mary Nutter Classic, UC San Diego has games lined up against high-caliber programs like defending Pac-12 champions, Arizona State, and competitive Washington. Returning home to the Triton Softball Field, the Tritons will host Boston College for a weekend series.
"Out of the gate we will face a lot of great teams from across the country. Our goal is to be competitive and improve during and after every game. With all this great competition, we will feel ready to begin conference play against another group of strong teams," said Gerckens. "There are no down weekends in the Big West so every game will be a battle."
UC San Diego begins Big West conference play away against Cal State Bakersfield March 16. After a series against UC Santa Barbara at home beginning March 26, the Tritons will traverse the Pacific to take on the Rainbow Wahine before returning home to host UCLA for a non-conference game on April 4.
Rounding out conference play, UC San Diego will travel to Long Beach State starting April 7, then will host Cal State Fullerton beginning April 14. Going back on the road, the Tritons will face UC Davis (4/22) before returning home for back-to-back home series against UC Riverside and CSUN, before finishing the season at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on May 12.
At the beginning of the season, the Tritons will host crosstown foe University of San Diego on Feb. 20 and will then travel later in the season, across town to face San Diego State on April 18.
Entering its third season as a Division I program, UC San Diego will bring back five 2022 All-Big West honorees including freshman pitcher
Jada Cecil, who was named to the All-Big West First Team, Big West All-Freshman Team, Pitcher of the Year, and Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Senior outfielder
Keila Bosinger and sophomore pitcher
Gabby Williams were named to the All-Big West Second Team, and first baseman redshirt-senior
Bobbi Aguirre and third baseman junior
Sophia Real earned Big West Honorable Mention honors.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
