LA JOLLA, Calif.— UC San Diego baseball will host the Tony Gwynn Legacy series this weekend, with six games on the schedule in Triton Ballpark.
 
The Tritons (1-3) will take on Pepperdine (0-4) on Friday at 6 p.m. and California Baptist (3-1) on Saturday at 6 p.m., wrapping up the weekend against Utah (4-0) on Sunday at 5 p.m. UC San Diego will also host three neutral contests with Seattle U vs UC Santa Barbara on Friday (1 p.m.), Pepperdine vs Long Beach State on Saturday (1 p.m.) and Long Beach State vs Seattle U on Sunday (12 p.m.).
 
The Tritons' three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available for all games via UCSDTritons.com.
 
DETAILS
Game 5
UC San Diego (1-3) vs Pepperdine (0-4)
Friday at 6 p.m.
Triton Ballpark (500) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: First meeting
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Game 6
UC San Diego vs California Baptist (3-1)
Saturday at 6 p.m.
Triton Ballpark (500) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: 29-31
Division I series: 0-0
Last meeting: UCSD 5, CBU 3 (May 19, 2018)
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Game 7
UC San Diego vs Utah (4-0)
Sunday at 5 p.m.
Triton Ballpark (500) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: 1-4
Division I series: 0-1
Last meeting: UCSD 3, Utah 4 (Feb. 23, 2024)
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will wrap up an eight-game home stand, playing host to Cincinnati in a four-game series beginning Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. and concluding on Sunday, Mar. 2. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 

ABOUT THE TRITONS

Roster | Schedule | Stats

Overall: 1-3

2024 Big West: 17-13

Home: 0-1

Away: 1-2

Neutral: 0-0

vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0

Streak: L2

 

ABOUT PEPPERDINE	ABOUT CAL BAPTIST	ABOUT UTAH
Roster | Schedule | Stats	Roster | Schedule | Stats	Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 0-4	Overall: 3-1	Overall: 4-0
2024 WCC: 9-15	2024 WAC: 18-12	2024 Pac-12: 16-14
Home: 0-4	Home: 3-1	Home: 0-0
Away: 0-0	Away: 0-0	Away: 4-0
Neutral: 0-0	Neutral: 0-0	Neutral: 0-0
vs. Ranked: 0-0	vs. Ranked: 0-0	vs. Ranked: 0-0
Streak: L4	Streak: W1	Streak: W4

 
SERIES PROBABLES
Fri: RHP Matthew Dalquist (UCSD) vs RHP Tommy Scavone (PEPP)
Sat: LHP Spencer Seid (UCSD) vs RHP Andrew Rudd (CBU)
Sun: RHP Nathan Ries (UCSD) vs RHP Merit Jones (UTAH)
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Tritons dropped their season-opening series at Pacific, 1-2. A walk-off home run in the ninth by the Tigers was the difference in a 1-2 loss on Friday night. The Tritons bounced back to even the series on Saturday, 11-4, but ultimately dropped the Sunday finale, 3-6. 
 
In the Tritons' midweek home opener on Tuesday, San Diego State came out on top, 10-7.
 
Weekend Top Performers
Anthony Potestio: 5-for-11 (.455), 4 r, 1 rbi, 1 2b, .545 slg%, 3 bb, 1 hp, .600 ob%, 3-3 sb-att
Michael Crossland: 4-for-13 (.308), 2 r, 4 rbi, 1 2b, 1 hr, .615 slg%, 1 bb, 1 hp, .400 ob%
Noah Lazuka: 3-for-8 (.375), 1 r, 1 2b, .500 slg%, 2 bb, .500 ob%
 
Matthew Dalquist: 1.80 era, 0-0, 1 gs, 5.0 ip, 3 h, 1 r, 0 bb, 3 so, .176 b/avg
Trevor Rector: 2.70 era, 0-1, 1 app, 3.1 ip, 1 h, 1 r, 1 bb, 4 so, .100 b/avg
Devon King: 0.00 era, 1 app, 2.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 3 so, .000 b/avg
 
GONZALEZ LANDS ON PRESEASON COACHES' TEAM
UC San Diego catcher Emiliano Gonzalez was named to the 2025 Big West Preseason Coaches' Team. Gonzalez was one of 11 scholar-athletes recognized by the conference's 11 head coaches and one of just four position players on the preseason team. The team was made up of seven pitchers, three infielders and one catcher, Gonzalez.
 
The graduate student returns for his fourth season in La Jolla after another impressive campaign in 2024. Gonzalez led the team in hits (52), RBI (46), slugging percentage (.426) and on-base percentage (.343), and finished second with a .317 batting average and third in runs scored (30).Gonzalez appeared in 48 games, making 45 starts for the Tritons, collecting 10 doubles, six home runs, 14 multi-hit games and a team-high 16 multi-RBI performances.
 
TRITONS PICKED FIFTH IN PRESEASON POLL
UC San Diego was picked to finish fifth in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll with 63 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. Cal Poly rounded out the top three with 79 points.
 
Hawai'i was picked to finish fourth with 76 points, followed by UC San Diego (63 points), CSUN (50), UC Davis (47), Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State (36), Cal State Bakersfield (18) and UC Riverside (12).
 
EXPERIENCED ROSTER
The Tritons return 22 scholar-athletes from their 2024 roster, including four starting position players and two starting pitchers from a team that finished 17-13 in conference play last season. UC San Diego's 2025 roster includes 2024 All-Big West Honorable Mention Nick Costello leading a veteran group of 17 upperclassmen. 
 
FRESH FACES
The Tritons add 19 talented newcomers to their roster in 2025, including eight junior college/college transfers and 11 true freshmen. UC San Diego's additions include nine pitchers and 10 position players. 
 
BIG SHOES TO FILL
The Tritons will look to fill some big shoes on the mound from last season with the departure of pitchers Ryan Forcucci and Izaak Martinez as well as infielder Matt Halbach, who were all selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Forcucci became the highest draft pick in program history after going in the third round (101 overall) to the Houston Astros. 
 
Martinez was selected in the 18th round (535 overall) by the Cleveland Guardians after a standout season that saw him as a finalist for NCBWA Stopper of the Year and semifinalist for both Dick Howser Trophy and College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year. 
 
Third baseman Halbach was selected in the 10th round (302 overall) by the Chicago Cubs, making the trio the first Tritons to be drafted in UC San Diego baseball's Division I era.
 
NEWMAN LEADING THE WAY
Head coach Eric Newman enters his 14th season at the helm of the Triton baseball program, compiling a 421-263 (.615) 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.
 
LOCAL DUO RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO ON NEWMAN'S STAFF
Head coach Eric Newman announced the addition of Justin Beck '19 and Tyler Nordgren to his coaching staff this offseason. After three seasons at San Jose State, Beck was a scholar-athlete for the UC San Diego baseball program in 2018 before spending three seasons as a volunteer assistant for the Tritons from 2019-21. Most recently, Beck served for three seasons on the staff at Cal Poly Pomona.
 
Nordgren comes to La Jolla after two seasons as an assistant coach at California Baptist and stints as director of baseball operations at LSU and Arizona. A San Diego native, Nordgren played his collegiate career at Point Loma Nazarene from 2010-14 and spent one season as an assistant coach for the Sea Lions in 2020. The pair join associate head coach Matt Harvey and director of baseball operations Matt Grangetto to round out Coach Newman's staff.

ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program has completed a four-year transition to NCAA Division I and now has full DI status as a member of the Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. All sports are now 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.