LA JOLLA, Calif. – Returning to La Jolla, UC San Diego softball will host four games in the sixth week of play as they wrap up nonconference competition vs. Princeton in a one-game matchup at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13. The Tritons will then open Big West conference play vs. Cal State Bakersfield in a three-game series beginning on Thursday, March 14 with a doubleheader set for 1 p.m.
 
THE MATCHUPS
After going 3-2 at the Lance Up Invite, the Tritons enter the four-game homestand at 7-17 and a one-game win streak. Deena Pederson led UC San Diego over the weekend with a .438 batting average. The senior scored five runs and batted two more in. On the base paths, Pederson was 3-for-3 and averaged a .444 on base percentage with 10 total bases.
 
In the circle, right-hander India Caldwell went 3-0 from the circle, tossing 10 strikeouts and allowing only three earned runs on 21 hits over 21 innings of work. Sporting a 1.00 ERA, Caldwell forced a .259 batting average at the invite. She has now tossed five complete games overall and her ERA has improved to 2.17 on the season. Caldwell continues to lead the conference in batters struck out looking (20), and is fourth overall in batters struck out (44).
 
Princeton (7-7) enters the week on a two-game winning streak after going 2-3 at the Fullerton-Long Beach Tournament over the weekend. The Tigers will face Cal Baptist on Tuesday, March 12 before facing the Tritons on Wednesday. At the plate, Lauren Sablone leads the Tigers with a .350 batting average and 11 runs batted in over seven games. In the circle, Cassidy Shaw has tossed 34 innings for a 5.35 ERA and leads the Tiger pitching staff with 24 strikeouts.
 
Cal State Bakersfield (2-18) enter the week on an eleven-game skid after falling by one run to Pacific in extras. The 'Runners have had several one run losses and have taken wins over Utah State and Montana. Logan-Ray Gaspar leads CSUB at the plate with a .327 batting average for six runs scored and six more batted in. Over 35 innings of work, Anisa Reynolds is averaging 3.40 from in the circle with three complete games.
 
GAME DETAILS

Game 25	Games 26/27	Game 28
vs. Princeton	vs. Cal State Bakersfield	vs. Cal State Bakersfield
La Jolla, Calif.	La Jolla, Calif.	La Jolla, Calif.
Triton Softball Stadium	Triton Softball Stadium	Triton Softball Stadium
March 13 | 1 pm	March 14 | 1 pm/3 pm	March 15 | 1 pm
Live Stats | Watch	Live Stats | Game One                    Game Two	Live Stats | Watch

 
ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
2024 Overall: 7-17
2023 Big West: 9-18
2024 Home: 3-7
2024 Away: 0-3
2024 Neutral: 4-7
Streak: W1
 

ABOUT THE TIGERS	ABOUT THE 'RUNNERS
Roster | Sched | Stats	Roster | Sched | Stats
2024 Overall: 7-7	2024 Overall: 8-1
2023 Ivy League: 16-5	2023 Ivy League: 16-5
2024 Home: 0-0	2024 Home: 0-0
2024 Away: 2-3	2024 Away: 1-1
2024 Neutral: 5-4	2024 Neutral: 7-0
Streak: W2	Streak: W5
All-Time vs: 2-0	All-Time vs: 7-8

 
LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego softball defeated Harvard in the final game of the Lance Up Invite in a 4-1 decision.
 
Tossing her second complete game of the weekend and her fifth one overall, India Caldwell fanned five batters to hold Harvard to a single run scored in the second inning. The junior transfer gave up five hits and two walks over seven innings of work.
 
At the plate, Lexi O'Gorman went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Adding their support were Morgan Eng and Mariah Melendez, who both went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a run batted in.
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will head north to UC Santa Barbara for a three-game series as Big West play continues. The series begins on Sunday, March 24 with a doubleheader set for 12 pm. On Monday, March 25, the series will wrap with a single-game scheduled to begin at 1 pm.
 
CALDWELL AND LEE EARN CAREER-FIRST WEEKLY HONORS
On March 11, India Caldwell and Brooklyn Lee earned Big West weekly honors after their solid performances at the Lance Up Invite. Caldwell earns pitcher of the week with Lee earning freshman of the week honors.
 
Right-hander, India Caldwell led the Tritons to a 3-2 record at the Lance Up Invite. The junior went 3-0 from the circle, tossing 10 strikeouts and allowing only three earned runs on 21 hits over 21 innings of work. Sporting a 1.00 ERA, Caldwell forced a .259 batting average at the invite. She has now tossed five complete games overall and her ERA has improved to 2.17 on the season. Caldwell continues to lead the conference in batters struck out looking (20), and is fourth overall in batters struck out looking (44).
 
Catcher, Brooklyn Lee was perfect behind the plate with 11 putouts and one assist over five games at the Lance Up Invite. At the plate, Lee went 4-for-12 with two doubles hit, a run scored, and six total bases. Slugging at .500 percent, the freshman is currently riding a four-game hitting streak.
 
Caldwell and Lee are the sixth and seventh Tritons to earn Big West weekly honors and the third and fourth Tritons to earn conference honors this season.
 
MULLIGAN NAMED CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
On March 4, Hailey Mulligan was selected as the Big West Field Player of the Week after her outstanding seven-game week in the doubleheader sweep of St. John's and the ASU Invitational.
 
Starting the week with a home doubleheader vs. St. John's, Mulligan was critical in the sweep during game number two when she powered a double to the left field warning track to bring in the go-ahead run. After the hometown kid took back the lead, the Tritons never gave it up.
 
At the ASU Invitational, Mulligan went 7-for-12 with two runs scored and three more batted in. In her first at-bat of the invite, Mulligan hit an inside the park home run to left field and sped her way around the bases to score.
 
Mulligan is the fifth Triton to earn Big West weekly honors and the second Triton to earn conference honors this season.
 
D1SOFTBALL – ACE'S START INTERRUPTED BY QUIZ
India Caldwell was keeping her eye on the clock while she was in the circle, only it wasn't the new pitch clock.
 
The UC San Diego pitcher had to leave the game a few minutes before 2 p.m. PT on Friday afternoon no matter what was taking place. Caldwell needed to take a quiz for her PSYC 2, Biological Foundations class.
 
Read full story here.
 
O'GORMAN EARNS FIRST WEEK CONFERENCE HONORS
On Feb. 12, Lexi O'Gorman was selected as the Big West Freshman Player of the Week after her outstanding five-game homestand at the La Jolla Invitational.
 
In her collegiate weekend debut, the first year started all five games and led the gold and blue at the plate through the invitational. Finishing the weekend with a .400 batting average after going 6-for-15 with five runs batted in, eight total bases, a run scored, and 100% in the field.
 
In her first collegiate at-bat the San Carlos product laced a single to the left side and the hits didn't stop. Against FDU, O'Gorman earned her first collegiate RBI on a sacfly when Gabby Williams scored after her at-bat. With two outs on the board, she then cracked a triple to left field warning track to plate two more runners.
 
Looking to start a comeback against Cal Baptist, O'Gorman stepped up to the plate with two outs on the board and the bases load to lace a single up the middle to score two runs. Her at-bat cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning.
 
O'Gorman is the fourth Triton to earn Big West of the Freshman of the Week honors and the first Triton to earn conference honors this season.
 

First week honors for ????????! ??
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— UC San Diego Softball (@UCSDsoftball) February 12, 2024

 
2023 RECAP
In the 2023 season, the Tritons finished at 19-33 overall and 9-18 in the Big West. The third season in the Big West proved to be a challenge for the gold and blue as they dropped seven of their nine conference series.
 
Over the course of the season, UC San Diego lost 11 games by one run as the team's batting average dropped from .250 in 2022 to .242 in 2023. Jada Cecil led the Tritons from in the circle with another outstanding year with a 1.97 ERA and 171 strikeouts. The pitching staff combined for 310 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA.
 
Deena Pederson was on her way to a career season sporting a .398 batting average through 29 games before an injury ended her season early. The outfielder recorded five doubles, two triples, and one homerun. She started the season with a four-game hitting streak and ended her season on a six-game hitting streak.
 
ENG BREAKS PROGRAM SINGLE-GAME RECORD
On March 11, 2023 Morgan Eng stole 6 bases against Harvard University to set the UC San Diego program record for a single game. The sophomore led Division I with that record and finished the season 35-for-36 on the base paths.
 
BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL
The UC San Diego softball team was picked to finish ninth according to the 2024 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll, as determined by the conference's head coaches. They were awarded 22 points in the poll.
 
TRITONS HEAD TO PUERTO VALLARTA COLLEGE CHALLENGE
UC San Diego softball will be one of eight programs competing in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge hosted by Triple Crown Sports from Feb. 14-18.
 
Split into two sessions, the Tritons will compete in the second session with Clemson, Auburn, Utah, South Carolina, UC Davis, Wichita State, and Mississippi State. Three of the teams UC San Diego will face finished the 2023 season in the top 25. UC San Diego is one of three Big West schools that will make the trip to Mexico.
 
This is the eighth edition of the event and games will be played at Nancy Almaraz Stadium. All games will be live-streamed by FloSoftball.
 
BALINT BECOMES PITCHING COACH
Head coach Patti Gerckens added Maggie Balint as the team's new pitching coach. 
 
Commenting on Balint's experience, Gerckens said, "She is very knowledgeable both with the mental game as well as the mechanics of pitching. Our pitchers and catchers are already eager to work with her and learn from her."
 
Balint joins the Triton softball staff after a stellar career at Oregon and San Diego State.
 
The right-hander finished her Aztec career with a 43-19 record, 10 saves and a 2.20 ERA in 433 1/3 innings, striking out 504 against 120. In 2022, Balint was named to the first-team All-NFCA West Region and the Mountain West Pitcher of the Year.
 
She earned All-Mountain West honors for three consecutive years and was named MW Pitcher of the week nine times before taking the conference title. In her time as an Aztec, Balint was name all-conference three times and was named to all-NFCA West Region two times.
 
At the University of Oregon, Balint had a 28-4 record helping the Ducks to a 53-10 finish in 2018. In her freshman season, she helped Oregon reach the semifinals of the WCWS and finish with a 54-8 record. In her breakout season, she was 21-3 with a 1.22 ERA and three saves in 126 innings, striking out 152 batters.
 
Balint earned first-team All-Region and All-Pac-12 honors, and being a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award, she was one of 34 finalists (and the only freshman) for the USA Softball Player of the Year award. She was also on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and earned a spot on the NCAA All-Eugene Regional team.
 
Balint majored in interdisciplinary studies at San Diego State and also has a Master's degree in education counseling.
 
SPERL ADDED TO COACHING STAFF
Dan Sperl brings over 10 years of experience to UC San Diego, including time at Big West member Cal State Bakersfield.
 
"I'm excited to remain in the Big West Conference and to work with such a talented, welcoming and committed group of coaches and scholar-athletes," Sperl said, "I'm so impressed with all that this city and campus have to offer our scholar-athletes and am looking forward to playing my small role in what I believe is a very bright future for Triton softball."
 
Sperl joins the Tritons most recently from Cal State Bakersfield where he led the program as the head coach for the 'Runners from 2019 to 2022. During his tenure, Sperl improved the 'Runners in nearly every statistical category including a 40-point improvement in Big West Conference batting average. He also coached two All-League Selections in Karissa Munsey and Savanna Montoya while competing against nation's 57th-toughest strength of schedule.
 
WHO'S BACK?
The team is returning 15 players, six seniors: Teagan Dobson, Zoë Richards, Mariah Melendez, Deena Pederson, Shelby Thompson, and Gabby Williams, four juniors: Marissa Hassis, Alexa DeMarse, Reilly Erickson, and Morgan Eng, five sophomores: Kayleigh Coberly, Lily Hermosillo, Georgia Heathcock, Hailey Mulligan, and Claire Adams.
 
NEW FACES
Joining the team this season are four new additions with three true freshmen: Lexi O'Gorman, Brooklyn Lee, and Jackie Tremper, and one junior transfer: India Caldwell.
 
FOLLOW THE TRITONS
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The team's handle is @UCSDsoftball.
 
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!
 
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.