LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball will play host to Cal State Fullerton for a three-game series this weekend in Triton Ballpark. The Tritons (13-3) will begin the Big West schedule on Friday against the Titans (7-8) at 6 p.m.
 
The teams will meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. and wrap up the weekend on Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
DETAILS
Games 17-19
UC San Diego (13-3) vs Cal State Fullerton (7-8)
Friday at 6 p.m. | Saturday at 2 p.m. | Sunday at 1 p.m.
Triton Ballpark (500) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: 8-4
Last season: UC San Diego took the series, 3-0
Game 1 on ESPN+ | Game 2 on ESPN+ | Game 3 on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will play its first series away from Triton Ballpark, traveling to face UC Davis in a conference series beginning Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Tritons will face the Aggies again on Sunday at 1 p.m. and wrap up the series on Monday at 1 p.m. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available via UCSDTritons.com.
 

ABOUT THE TRITONS	ABOUT CAL ST. FULLERTON
Roster | Schedule | Stats	Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 13-3	Overall: 7-8
2023 Big West: 21-9	2023 Big West: 20-10
Home: 13-2	Home: 5-4
Away: 0-1	Away: 2-2
Neutral: 0-0	Neutral: 0-2
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0	vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-1
Streak: W9	Streak: L1

 
PROJECTED STARTING ROTATION
Friday: RHP Ryan Forcucci (UCSD) vs LHP Mikiah Negrete (CSUF)
Saturday: LHP Zack Ernisse (UCSD) vs RHP Christian Rodriguez (CSUF)
Sunday: RHP Matthew Dalquist (UCSD) vs TBD
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego swept its third weekend series of the season, taking all three against Pacific. The Tritons got their first walk-off victory of the season on Friday night, scoring three runs with two outs in the ninth to win, 4-3. UC San Diego took care of business on Saturday and Sunday, winning both contests by a score of 9-4. The Tritons earned their ninth consecutive victory on Monday night, defeating Nevada, 7-6. For his efforts, Emiliano Gonzalez was named UCU Athlete of the Week. 
 
Weekend Top Performers
Emiliano Gonzalez: 8-for-13 (.615), 2 r, 5 rbi, 1 2b, .692 slg%, .615 ob%
Matt Halbach: 5-for-13 (.385), 4 r, 4 rbi, 1 2b, 1 hr, .692 slg%, 2 bb, .467 ob%
Noah Sudyka: 3-for-9 (.333), 1 r, 4 rbi, 1 hr, .667 slg%, 2 bb, .417 ob%
 
Anthony Eyanson: 0.00 era, 1-0, 1 app, 5.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 1 bb, 6 so, .133 b/avg
Matthew Dalquist: 0.00 era, 1-0, 1 gs, 5.0 ip, 4 h, 0 r, 1 bb, 6 so, .222 b/avg
Izaak Martinez: 0.00 era, 1-0, 2 app, 1 sv, 4.1 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 1 bb, 6 so, .133 b/avg
Ryan Forcucci: 3.00 era, 0-0, 1 gs, 6.0 ip, 3 h, 3 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 10 so, .136 b/avg
 
NEWMAN APPROACHES ANOTHER MILESTONE
Head coach Eric Newman enters his 13th season at the helm of the Triton baseball program in 2024 and recorded his 400th victory at UC San Diego on Mar. 3 against Stephen F. Austin. Newman currently holds a 404-243 (.620) record at UC San Diego and a 499-315 (.609) all-time career record after coaching three seasons at Dallas Baptist (2005-2007). He is currently one win away from his 500th career victory.
 
GONZALEZ NAMED UCU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (MAR. 11)
Emiliano Gonzalez finished 8-for-13 (.615) to lead UC San Diego to a 3-0 sweep of Pacific. The Tritons' catcher recorded five RBI and two runs scored with a .692 slugging percentage and .615 on base percentage. He was pivotal in the Tritons' walk off victory on Friday night, knocking a two-run single with two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, 3-3. Gonzalez finished the contest 3-for-5 with three RBI, following the performance on Saturday 2-for-4 with a run scored and wrapping up Sunday 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. He currently leads the Big West with a .429 batting average. Gonzalez also recorded a perfect fielding percentage with 35 putouts and one assist.
 
TRITONS TOUGH OUT OF THE 'PEN
UC San Diego currently ranks second in the Big West with a 3.45 team era. Izaak Martinez and Anthony Eyanson hold the top spot in eight different statistical categories between the two of them, including earned run average (Martinez, 0.49), opposing batting average (Martinez, .102), saves (Martinez, 4), hits allowed (Martinez, 6), runs allowed (Martinez, Eyanson; 2), earned runs allowed (Martinez, 1), doubles allowed (Martinez, 1), walks allowed (Eyanson, 3). 
 
Three Tritons rank among the top five in ERA, with Martinez in first (0.49), Anthony Eyanson in second (1.00) and Ryan Forcucci in fifth (2.14). The trio also ranks among the top five in opponent batting average (1-Martinez, .102; 3-Forcucci, .151; 4-Eyanson, .153). Forcucci also ranks second in batters struck out looking (11) and third in strikeouts (29) with two double-figure strikeout games this season.
 
UC San Diego currently ranks 13th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.22), 16th in walks allowed per nine innings (3.09), seventh in WHIP (1.14) and 14th in earned run average (3.45). 
 
NO SHORTAGE OF OFFENSE
UC San Diego currently ranks first in the Big West with a .308 batting average—the only team currently hitting over .300. The Tritons rank second in runs scored (135), hits (171) and runs batted in (123) and third in doubles (36). UC San Diego also ranks third in slugging percentage (.473) and fourth in on-base percentage (.416).
 
Emiliano Gonzalez ranks second in the conference with a .429 batting average, while Bradlee Preap ranks sixth (.364), Matt Halbach ranks eighth (.361), Benjamin Rosengard ranks 14th (.352) and Michael Crossland ranks 16th (.345). Nick Costello ranks second in home runs (4) and fourth in walks (16). Crossland ranks first in stolen bases (10) and first in runs scored (20) and Halbach ranks second (20). Four Tritons rank in the top ten in hits (Halbach, 5th, 22; Gonzalez, 6th, 21; Kane, 9th, 20; Crossland, 9th, 20). 
 
The Tritons .308 batting average ranks 45th nationally and their 171 hits ranks 50th.
 
DOWN TO THE WIRE
The Tritons have outscored their opponents 135-64 this season, including outscoring opponents 24-8 in the third, 26-6 in the fifth and 22-5 in the eighth inning. All three of UC San Diego's losses this season have been by one run and all in extra innings. The Tritons are 3-3 in one-run ballgames and 3-0 in two-run contests.
 
UC San Diego recorded its largest comeback victory of the Division I era this season, defeating San Jose State 12-11 on Feb. 18 after falling behind early to the Spartans, 11-0.
 
FORCUCCI SETS DIVISION I RECORD
Junior right-hander Ryan Forcucci set the program's Division I single game record with 11 strikeouts in his season debut against San Jose State on Feb. 16. The San Marcos, Calif. native pitched a perfect game through 4.0 innings, facing just one batter over the minimum in his 5.0 innings of shutout baseball. Of his 64 pitches, 48 were thrown for strikes and he finished the night with 11 strikeouts, one hit, no walks and no runs. For his efforts, Forcucci was named Big West Pitcher of the Week—the first conference weekly honor of his career—as well as UCU Athlete of the Week.
 
FORCUCCI, HALBACH AMONG TOP PROSPECTS
Junior right-hander Ryan Forcucci is among the top draft prospects in the nation, ranking No. 46 on D1 Baseball's list of the top 200 college prospects and No. 55 in the MLB's similar rankings. In 2023, Forcucci led the team with 68 strikeouts which ranked 12th in the Big West. Forcucci made 14 appearances and nine starts, holding opponents to a .206 batting average which was third among all Big West pitchers. He pitched 53.2 innings for the Tritons and finished the season with a 3.86 earned run average which ranked 12th.
 
Third baseman Matt Halbach has also drawn attention from MLB scouts, ranking 124th on D1 Baseball's top 200 prospects list. Halbach finished his sophomore season with a .306 batting average, good enough for third on the team and tallied 63 total hits which ranked 14th in the Big West. Halbach started 51 of the Tritons' 52 games—the most on the team—and recorded 15 doubles and five home runs, while leading the conference with five triples. His 41 runs scored tied for 16th in the conference and his .500 slugging percentage ranked 19th in the Big West.
 
EXPERIENCED ROSTER
The Tritons return 26 scholar-athletes from their 2023 roster, including six starting position players and two starting pitchers from the Big West championship team that finished 21-9 in conference play last season. UC San Diego's 2024 roster includes 2023 All-Big West first team members Matt Halbach and Izaak Martinez, second team honoree Ryan Forcucci and honorable mention Patrick Hackworth.
 
FRESH FACES
UC San Diego will add 13 newcomers to its roster for the 2024 season, including 10 true freshmen and three junior college/college transfers. The Triton additions include five pitchers and eight position players. 
 
TRIO OF TRITONS LAND ON PRESEASON COACHES' TEAM
Ryan Forcucci, Matt Halbach and Izaak Martinez were all named to the 2024 All-Big West Preseason Coaches' Team. Halbach and Martinez were All-Big West first team honorees last spring, while Forcucci earned a spot on second team in 2023. The Tritons were one of three teams with three players on the preseason team, including UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.

TRITONS PICKED 3RD IN PRESEASON POLL
UC San Diego was picked to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll with 78 total points. UC Santa Barbara was picked to finish first with 99 points and nine of the first-place votes, while UC Irvine received the other two first-place votes and 89 points to rank second.
 
Just behind the Tritons in fourth place was Hawai'i (70 points), followed by CSUN (65), Cal State Fullerton (59), Cal Poly (46), Long Beach State (42), UC Davis (25), Cal State Bakersfield (21) and UC Riverside (11).
 
NEWMAN LEADING THE WAY
Head coach Eric Newman enters his 13th season at the helm of the Triton baseball program, compiling a 396-243 (.620) record at UC San Diego and earning 2023 Big West Coach of the Year. Newman has also been named ABCA/Diamond West Region Coach of the Year three times (2017, 2018, 2019) during his tenure in La Jolla.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Tritons will play 18 of their first 20 games inside Triton Ballpark. UC San Diego will open the season against San Jose State (Feb. 16-18) and remain home for its weekend series through the first week of conference play against Cal State Fullerton (Mar. 15-17). The Tritons two road trips during that span will be to USC on Feb. 20 and across town to San Diego State on Mar. 6.
 
ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program is in its final 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.

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.