TRITONS EARN UC SAN DIEGO'S FIRST BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
After being picked to finish eighth in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Tritons went 21-9 in conference play (34-18 overall), winning six of their 10 conference series—all via 3-0 sweeps. UC San Diego set a Division I program record with a midseason 12-game winning streak and closed out the season in impressive fashion, winning 12 of their final 14 contests, including a sweep at NCAA Regional-bound Cal State Fullerton (7-4, 11-2, 4-1).
 
UC San Diego was led by a veteran group, including fifth-year seniors Michael Fuhrman and Michael Mitchell. Fuhrman led the team in runs (44) and steals (10), batting .287 with 11 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. Mitchell posted a 4-1 win-loss record and finished with a 1.42 ERA over 44.1 innings with 42 strikeouts and just seven walks. 
 
Izaak Martinez was instrumental in the Tritons success out of the bullpen, collecting nine saves—including twice saving all three games in a weekend series. The lefthander finished with a 6-1 record and a 2.84 ERA which ranked fifth overall in the conference. Newcomer Doyle Kane hit .327 with 14 doubles and 39 RBI, and true freshman Brandon Larson slugged .537 with team bests of nine home runs and 45 RBI.
 
BIG WEST COACH OF THE YEAR
In just the third season of Division I competition, head coach Eric Newman led UC San Diego Baseball to its first Big West Championship—and the first for any of UC San Diego's membership sports. The Tritons posted a 21-9 record to win the 2023 conference title outright after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches' poll. Under his leadership, UC San Diego holds a 55-45 (.550) record in three seasons of Big West competition.
 
During his 12 seasons at the helm of UC San Diego, Newman has posted a 391-240 (.620) overall record and 270-160 (.628) record in conference play. He has led the Tritons to four conference titles combined in both Division I and II competition and three NCAA Division II West Region crowns (2017, 2018, 2019). Including this season, Newman has garnered three conference coach of the year awards (2012, 2019 CCAA Coach of the Year) and earned three ABCA/Diamond West Region Coach of the Year accolades (2017, 2018, 2019).
 
ACCOLADES CONTINUE FOR CLOSER IZAAK MARTINEZ
Left-handed closer Izaak Martinez was named to Collegiate Baseball's All-America Third Team, becoming the first Triton to earn All-America honors in the Division I era. The redshirt junior collected nine saves, which ranked second in the Big West and his six wins ranked seventh overall. He earned saves in all three games of two different series this season—at Cal Poly and at UC Riverside—earning Big West Pitcher of the Week both times. Martinez led the team with 24 appearances, collecting 63 strikeouts in 57.0 innings pitched. 
 
Martinez was also named UC San Diego Male Athlete of the Year at the annual Triton Awards banquet on Thursday, June 1.
 
SEVEN TRITONS EARN ALL-BIG WEST HONORS
Michael Fuhrman, Matt Halbach and Izaak Martinez were selected to the All-Big West First Team, after leading the Tritons to their first Big West title in just their third season of Division I competition. Ryan Forcucci, Brandon Larson and Michael Mitchell all picked up All-Big West Second Team accolades and Patrick Hackworth was an All-Big West Honorable Mention.
 
It is the second All-Big West recognition for Fuhrman and Mitchell, who were both named to the All-Big West Second Team in 2021. Forcucci, Hackworth, Halbach, Larson and Martinez are all first-time honorees. Additionally, it is the first time the program has had any scholar-athlete named to the All-Big West First Team.
 
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. 
 
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.
 
MORE ABOUT UC SAN DIEGO

• UC San Diego is in the third year of a four-year transition to the Division I level, and eligible for NCAA post-season competition during the 2024-25 academic year
• UC San Diego (Tritons) is one of three NCAA Division I athletic programs in the greater San Diego area
  • Others are San Diego State (Aztecs) and the University of San Diego (Toreros)
• Est. 1960 and located in La Jolla, Calif.
• Sponsors 23 intercollegiate sport programs—Baseball currently competes in The Big West 
• While at the D-II and D-III levels, UC San Diego earned 30 NCAA national championships (team sports) and 138 scholar-athletes have earned individual national titles
• During its recently-concluded 20-year affiliation with NCAA Division II, UC San Diego consistently ranked as one of the most successful athletic programs in the nation, ranking among the top 10 nationally in the Learfield/IMG College Directors' Cup in 20 of the last 25 years – five of which were Division III. The program claimed the Director's Cup title as a member of Division III in 1998 and finished as runner-up three times while in Division II, including most recently in 2018-19.

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 earned 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.