LA JOLLA, Calif.— UC San Diego baseball will play host to No. 23 Cincinnati in a four-game series this weekend in Triton Ballpark.
The Tritons (4-3) will begin the series with the Bearcats (4-3) beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. The teams will face off again on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. The series will wrap up on Sunday at 10 a.m. The finale was pushed up due to inclement weather and travel obligations for the visitors.
All four games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available via UCSDTritons.com.
DETAILS
Games 8-11
UC San Diego (4-3) vs No. 23 Cincinnati (4-3)
Thursday at 6 p.m. | Friday at 6 p.m. | Saturday at 1 p.m. | Sunday at 10 a.m.
Triton Ballpark (500) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: First meeting
Game 1 on ESPN+ |
Game 2 on ESPN+ |
Game 3 on ESPN+ |
Game 4 on ESPN+ |
Live Stats
UP NEXT
The Tritons will travel for a two-game midweek series at Texas Tech on March 4 and 5 before beginning Big West play. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
| ABOUT THE TRITONS |
ABOUT CINCINNATI |
| Roster | Schedule | Stats |
Roster | Schedule | Stats |
| Overall: 4-3 |
Overall: 4-3 |
| 2024 Big West: 17-13 |
2024 Big 12: 17-13 |
| Home: 3-1 |
Home: 0-0 |
| Away: 1-2 |
Away: 4-3 |
| Neutral: 0-0 |
Neutral: 0-0 |
| vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0 |
vs. Ranked Opponents: 2-1 |
| Streak: W3 |
Streak: L1 |
SERIES PROBABLES
Thurs: RHP
Nic Gregson (UCSD) vs LHP Kellen O'Connor (CIN)
Fri: RHP
Matthew Dalquist (UCSD) vs RHP Nathan Taylor (CIN)
Sat: LHP
Spencer Seid (UCSD) vs LHP Adam Mrakitsch (CIN)
Sun: RHP
Nathan Ries (UCSD) vs TBA
LAST TIME OUT
The Tritons went 3-0 at the Tony Gwynn Legacy Series, matching UC Santa Barbara for the best record at the joint event hosted with San Diego State. UC San Diego's offense exploded in the first game to take down Pepperdine, 18-1. The Tritons scored three runs in the ninth to earn a walk-off victory against California Baptist on Saturday and handed Utah its first loss of the season on Sunday, 9-8. For his efforts,
Alex Leopard was named UCU Athlete of the Week.
Weekend Top Performers
Noah Lazuka: 8-for-13 (.615), 8 r, 2 2b, 2 rbi, .769 slg%, 2 bb, 1 hp, .688 ob%
Anthony Potestio: 5-for-9 (.556), 3 r, 1 3b, 3 rbi, .778 slg%, 2 bb, .636 ob%, 1-1 sb-att
Alex Leopard: 5-for-10 (.500), 5 r, 2 2b, 1 3b, 2 hr, 6 rbi, 1.500 slg%, 4 bb, .667 ob%
Matthew Dalquist: 0.00 era, 1-0, 1 gs, 6.0 ip, 4 h, 0 r, 1 bb, 5 so, .190 b/avg
Sam Hasegawa: 2.25 era, 1-0, 1 app, 4.0 ip, 5 h, 2 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 5 so, .278 b/avg
Devon King: 0.00 era, 0-0, 2 app, 1 sv, 1.0 ip, 1 h, 1 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 2 so, .250 b/avg
LEOPARD NAMED UCU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Alex Leopard had a stellar week as UC San Diego won all three of its games in the Tony Gwynn Legacy. The lefty was 6-for-12 (.500) with all six of those hits going for extra bases: three doubles, a triple, and two homers. He drove in seven runs and scored seven runs for the week, posting a 1.417 slugging percentage. Leopard was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a homer in a win over Pepperdine, and he was 2-for-4 with a key two-run homer as the Tritons handed Utah its first loss of the season on Sunday night.
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
The Tritons rank first in the Big West in four statistical categories including base on balls (52), doubles (22), doubles per game (3.14) and on base percentage (.425). UC San Diego ranks second in the conference in runs (58), scoring (8.3 runs per game), slugging percentage (.488) and sacrifice flies (4) and third in home runs (8), home runs per game (1.14), stolen bases (7) and stolen bases per game (1.00).
UC San Diego currently ranks seventh in the NCAA in doubles per game, 14th in base on balls, 15th in doubles, 51st in on base percentage and 58th in slugging percentage.
Alex Leopard ranks first in the conference in walks per game (1.14), second in total walks (8) and home runs (3 total, 27th nationally), third in slugging percentage (.957) and on base percentage (.559) and fifth in RBI (10).
Noah Lazuka ranks seventh in the Big West in hits (11 total) and fifth in runs scored (9).
Anthony Potestio ranks first in stolen bases (4 total, 0.67 per game) and fifth in hits per game (1.67).
DALQUIST DEALIN'
Right-hander
Matthew Dalquist has been solid in his first two Friday starts this season. The redshirt sophomore ranks first in the Big West in walks allowed per nine innings (0.82), second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.00) and fifth in ERA (0.82) and WHIP (0.73). He is currently tied for second in the Big West with 11 innings pitched.
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.
