LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego baseball will play its first series away from Triton Ballpark, traveling to face UC Davis beginning Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Tritons (15-4, 2-1 Big West) will play three against the Aggies (10-9, 1-2 Big West) in the second week of Big West play.
 
The teams will meet again on Sunday at 1 p.m. and wrap up the series on Monday at 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
DETAILS
Games 20-22
UC San Diego (15-4, 2-1) at UC Davis (10-9, 1-2)
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. | Sunday at 1 p.m. | Monday at 1 p.m.
Dobbins Stadium (3,500) | Davis, Calif.
All-time series: 11-17 (7-3 in D-I)
Last season: UC San Diego took the series, 3-0, including back-to-back walk-off wins (5-4 and 6-5)
Game 1 on ESPN+ | Game 2 on ESPN+ | Game 3 on ESPN+
Live Stats Game 1 | Live Stats Game 2 | Live Stats Game 3
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will return to Triton Ballpark to play host to UC Riverside beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. The Tritons will face the Highlanders again on Friday at 2 p.m. and wrap up the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available via UCSDTritons.com.
 

ABOUT THE TRITONS	ABOUT UC DAVIS
Roster | Schedule | Stats	Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 15-4	Overall: 10-9
Big West: 2-1	Big West: 1-2
Home: 15-3	Home: 6-2
Away: 0-1	Away: 4-7
Neutral: 0-0	Neutral: 0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0	vs. Ranked Opponents: 1-2
Streak: W2	Streak: W1

 
LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego got its first conference series win of the season, taking two of three against Big West opponent, Cal State Fullerton. The Tritons fell in a tightly contested pitcher's duel on Friday night, 1-2. On Saturday, UC San Diego erased a six-run deficit with the help of a program record (D-I) five home runs to defeat the Titans, 10-9. The Tritons rallied again on Sunday to take the finale, 4-2.
 
Weekend Top Performers
Matt Halbach: 7-for-10 (.700), 3 r, 4 rbi, 4 2b, 1 hr, 1.400 slg%, 1 bb, 2 hbp, .769 ob%
Patrick Hackworth: 6-for-8 (.750), 3 r, 2 rbi, 2 hr, 1.500 slg%, .750 ob%
Nick Costello: 4-for-11 (.364), 3 r, 1 rbi, 1 hr, .636 slg%, 2 bb, 1 hbp, .500 ob%
 
Izaak Martinez: 0.00 era, 0-0, 2 app, 1 sv, 4.2 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 1 bb, 5 so, .077 b/avg
Matthew Dalquist: 1.80 era, 1-0, 1 app, 5.0 ip, 5 h, 1 r, 0 bb, 6 so, .263 b/avg
Ryan Forcucci: 2.25 era, 0-1, 1 gs, 4.0 ip, 3 h, 1 r, 2 bb, 8 so, .200 b/avg
 
NEWMAN REACHES TWO MILESTONES IN 2024
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. He recorded his 500th career victory on Mar. 16 against Cal State Fullerton. Newman currently holds a 406-244 (.620) record at UC San Diego and a 501-316 (.609) all-time career record after coaching three seasons at Dallas Baptist (2005-2007). 
 
TRITONS TOUGH OUT OF THE 'PEN
UC San Diego currently ranks second in the Big West with a 3.48 team era. Izaak Martinez holds the top spot in six different statistical categories, including earned run average (0.39), opposing batting average (.097), saves (5), hits allowed (7), runs allowed (2) and earned runs allowed (1).
 
Three Tritons rank among the top ten in ERA, with Martinez in first (0.39), Anthony Eyanson in fourth (2.11) and Ryan Forcucci in sixth (2.16). The trio also ranks among the top ten in opponent batting average (1-Martinez, .097; 3-Forcucci, .159; 4-Eyanson, .194). Forcucci ranks second in strikeouts (37), with Eyanson just behind him in fifth (32). Forcucci also joins Martinez in third with 12 batters struck out looking.
 
UC San Diego currently ranks fifth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.39), eighth in walks allowed per nine innings (3.02), eighth in WHIP (1.17) and 13th in earned run average (3.48). 
 
NO SHORTAGE OF OFFENSE
UC San Diego currently ranks first in the Big West with a .303 batting average—the only team currently hitting over .300. The Tritons rank first in hits (199), second in runs scored (150), runs batted in (137) and home runs (22) and third in doubles (42). UC San Diego also ranks second in slugging percentage (.480) and third in on-base percentage (.410).
 
Matt Halbach ranks third in the conference with a .408 batting average, while Emiliano Gonzalez ranks fifth (.383), Michael Crossland ranks 18th (.328), and Bradlee Preap ranks 20th (.327). Halbach also ranks third in slugging percentage (.662) and OPS (1.173) and fifth in on-base percentage (.511). Nick Costello ranks seventh in slugging (.577), sixth in on-base (.494) and seventh in OPS (1.071).
 
Costello ranks second in home runs (5), third in walks (18) and eighth in runs scored (19). Crossland ranks second in stolen bases (10) and first in runs scored (24), while Halbach ranks second (23). Three Tritons rank in the top 20 in hits (2-Halbach, 29; 10-Gonzalez, 23; 16-Crossland, 22). 
 
DOWN TO THE WIRE
The Tritons have outscored their opponents 150-77 this season, including outscoring opponents 25-9 in the third, 28-10 in the fifth and 25-5 in the eighth inning. All four of UC San Diego's losses this season have been by one run, with three in extra innings. The Tritons are 4-4 in one-run ballgames and 4-0 in two-run contests.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
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. The Tritons also erased a six-run deficit to defeat Cal State Fullerton, 10-9, on Mar. 16.
 
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.