LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball will continue its 18-game homestand, playing host to Long Beach State to begin Big West play this weekend. The Tritons (9-6) will begin the three-game series with the Dirtbags (9-5) on Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's game will begin at 2 p.m. and the Sunday finale is slated for 1 p.m.
 
All games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.

DETAILS
Games 16-18
UC San Diego (9-6) vs Long Beach State (9-5)
Friday at 6 p.m. | Saturday at 2 p.m. | Sunday at 1 p.m.
Triton Ballpark (500) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: 3-4
Game 1 on ESPN+ | Game 2 on ESPN+ | Game 3 on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 9-6
Big West: 0-0
Home: 8-3
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 1-3
Vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-1
Streak: W4
 
ABOUT LONG BEACH STATE
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 9-5
Big West: 0-0
Home: 6-3
Away: 1-2
Neutral: 2-0
Vs. Ranked Opponents: 1-1
Streak: L1
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will wrap up their 18-game homestand, playing host to CSU Bakersfield for a three-game weekend series March 24-26 and hosting cross-town rival San Diego State on Tuesday, March 28. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego earned its first series sweep of the season, finishing the weekend 3-0 against Northern Colorado. The Tritons won Friday's opener, 17-10, and took both games in Sunday's double-header, 6-2 and 8-0 (the first shutout of the season). UC San Diego extended a four-game winning streak on Tuesday, topping UC Riverside 14-8.
 
Weekend Top Performers
Patrick Hackworth: 8-for-12 (.667 avg), 5 r, 1 3b, .833 slg%, .714 ob%
Emiliano Gonzalez: 6-for-13 (.462 avg), 5 r, 2 rbi, 1 2b, .538 slg%, .500 ob%
Doyle Kane: 6-for-14 (.429 avg), 3 r, 2 2b, .571 slg%, .467 ob%
Jalen Smith: 4-for-14 (.286 avg), 3 r, 6 rbi, 1 3b, 1 hr, .643 slg%, .375 ob%
 
Anthony Eyanson: 0.00 era, 1-0, 1 gs, 0/1 sho, 5.0 ip, 5 h, 0 r, 1 bb, 8 so, .263 b/avg
Izaak Martinez: 0.00 era, 0-0, 2 app, 0/1 sho, 4.1 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 3 bb, 7 so, .000 b/avg
Nic Gregson: 1.80 era, 1-0, 1 gs, 5.0 ip, 2 h, 1 r, 1 bb, 5 so, .125 b/avg
 
TRITON TRIPLES
The Tritons currently rank third in the country in triples (13) and first in the Big West. Matt Halbach leads the conference with four triples—tied for 5th nationally—and three other Tritons rank in the top four—Jalen Smith (3rd, three triples), Michael Fuhrman (4th, two triples) and Noah Sudyka (4th, two triples).
 
HEART OF THE ORDER
Sophomore Matt Halbach has been red hot to start the season, batting third. The third-baseman leads the Big West in hits (23) and triples (4) and ranks 9th in batting average (.367). Following Halbach in the cleanup spot, Doyle Kane has been just as tough of an out for opponents. The redshirt sophomore transfer also leads the Big West with 23 hits and ranks eighth in batting average (.371) and the pair are tied for sixth in the conference in runs scored (13).
 
DOWN TO THE WIRE
The Tritons have combined to score 52 of their 120 runs in the final three innings (seventh: 18, eighth: 27, ninth: 7)—including outscoring their opponents 27-7 in the eighth. UC San Diego have dropped three of its six losses by only one run, including Arizona, Washington State and Santa Clara.
 
STACKING UP AGAINST THE BIG WEST
The Tritons rank first in the Big West in batting average (.311), as the only team batting over .300 and well ahead of second place CSUN (.289). UC San Diego also ranks first in runs batted in (111), runs scored (120), total hits (165), doubles (36) and triples (13).
 
UC San Diego ranks fourth in opponent batting average (.249), fifth in team ERA (4.57) and first in total strikeouts (165).
 
Four Tritons rank in the top 10 in batting average, including Brandon Larson (fourth, .406), Patrick Hackworth (sixth, .386), Doyle Kane (eighth, .371) and Matt Halbach (ninth, .365). Kane and Halbach rank first in the conference in total hits (23) and both rank sixth in runs scored (13) as well as Hackworth.
 
Other Tritons in the Top 10

Brandon Larson	On base percentage	5th	.750
	OPS	7th	1.191
Patrick Hackworth	On base percentage	11th	.472
Jalen Smith	Hits	6th	19
	RBI	4th	16
	Stolen bases	6th	4
Michael Fuhrman	Walks	8th	10
Luke Glascoe	Stolen bases	6th	4

 
EYANSON NAMED UCU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (FEB. 27)
Anthony Eyanson was dominant in his first collegiate start, pitching 5.0 shutout innings against Arizona on Feb. 20. The freshman right-hander allowed just two hits with no walks and six strikeouts, holding the Wildcats to a .118 batting average in the Tritons' final game of the MLB Desert Invitational.
 
EXPERIENCED ROSTER
The Tritons return 25 scholar-athletes from the 2022 roster, including six starters from a team that finished 13-17 in The Big West a season ago. UC San Diego's 2023 roster includes 2022 All-Big West second team honorees Emiliano Gonzalez and Jalen Smith, along with 2021 Big West second team selections Michael Fuhrman and Michael Mitchell (who returns to action after sitting out the 2022 campaign due to injury).
 
FRESH FACES
UC San Diego will add 14 newcomers to its roster for the 2023 season, including nine true freshmen, four junior college/college transfers. The Triton additions include six pitchers and eight position players. 
 
JALEN SMITH NAMED TO BIG WEST PRESEASON TEAM
Senior Jalen Smith was selected to The Big West's first-ever Baseball Preseason Coaches' Team. It was the first preseason honor for Smith, who is also a two-time All-Big West Second Team selection. The infielder was recognized in 2022 for his performance with UC San Diego and in 2021 while a member of the UC Davis program.
 
Smith was exceptional in his first season at UC San Diego, appearing in a team-high 54 games and making 53 starts at third base. The junior transfer finished with a .305 average with seven homeruns and 34 runs batted in.
 
Smith led the Tritons in almost all statistical categories, including OPS (.921), at bats (203), hits (62), doubles (16), triples (3), total bases (105), slugging percentage (.517), walks (30), on-base percentage (.404) and stolen bases (7-10). Smith also ranked among the top hitters in the Big West in doubles (6th), hits (12th), triples (3rd), homeruns (10th), walks (12th), and stolen bases (12th).

TRITONS PICKED 8TH IN PRESEASON POLL
UC San Diego was picked to finish eighth in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll with 33 total points.Defending Big West champion UC Santa Barbara was picked to finish first in the preseason coaches' poll with 96 points and eight of the 11 first-place votes. UC Irvine was tabbed to finish second (84 points), followed by Long Beach State (79), Cal Poly (71), Cal State Fullerton (68) and Hawai'i (66). LBSU, CSUF and UH all received one of the remaining first-place votes. 
 
Rounding out the group was CSUN (45), UC San Diego (33), UC Davis (28), CSU Bakersfield (23) and UC Riverside (12). 
 
HOME SWEET HOME
After spending opening weekend on the road in Arizona, the Tritons will return to La Jolla to play their next 18 games inside Triton Ballpark. UC San Diego will open its home season with the Tony Gwynn Legacy against UNLV on Feb. 24 and remain home until March 28 when the Tritons face crosstown rival San Diego State for the first of four midweek contests with the Aztecs.

TRITONS SIGN EIGHT TO NLIS
UC San Diego signed eight incoming freshmen who will join the Tritons for the 2023-24 season. The Tritons will welcome Michael Crossland (Seattle, Wash.), Julian Custer (San Diego, Calif.), Nathan Huy (Yorba Linda, Calif.), Devon King (San Diego, Calif.), Steele Murdock (Herriman, Utah), Kerim Orucevic (Park Ridge, Il.), Anthony Potestio (Brentwood, Calif.) and Landon Runyan (Huntington Beach, Calif.) for the 2024 season.
 
The 2023 signing class includes four pitchers, two outfielders, one infielder and one utility player. Five scholar-athletes join the Tritons from California, while Illinois, Washington and Utah were also represented. Four of the eight signees ranked among the top-11 or above for their position in their state by Prep Baseball Report (PBR), including Crossland, Huy, Murdock and Orucevic.
 
ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program is in its third year of a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE
While at the Division II level, UC San Diego baseball experienced great success for 20 years as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Tritons amassed six regular season titles in arguably the toughest conference nationally in the NCAA Division II. UC San Diego made five appearances in the NCAA D-II World Series, and most recently appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2019. 
 
During his nine seasons coaching the Tritons at Division II, Eric Newman was named ABCA/Diamond West Region Coach of the Year for three consecutive seasons (2017-2019) and also twice recognized as CCAA Coach of the Year (2012, 2019).

WHY THE TRITONS
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.

EXCELLING IN THE CLASSROOM
UC San Diego baseball had seven current scholar-athletes named to the 2022 Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Team. Those Tritons earning academic recognition were Cole Dale, Michael Fuhrman, Brock Kleszcz, Izaak Martinez, Luke Saunders, Joe Soberon and Noah Sudyka. 
 
In order to qualify for the Academic All-Conference Team, scholar-athletes had to carry a minimum 3.00 cumulative institutional grade point average (GPA), must have completed one full academic year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received, and must have competed in at least 50 percent of the institution's contests in the student-athlete's respective sport.

GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO BASEBALL
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through Twitter and Instagram. The team's handle is @ucsdbsb.
 
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!

GEAR
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, click here.
 
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 began a new era in 2020 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.