LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego softball returns to the La Jolla campus to host UC Riverside in a three-game series starting on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23. The opening matchup is set for 6 p.m. at Triton Softball Field and the doubleheader is set to being at 1 p.m. the following day; all three games will be live on ESPN+ with live statistics on UCSDTritons.com.
The Tritons will remain at home to break up Big West play with a Tuesday matchup on March 25 against New Mexico at 11 a.m. The single game will be live on ESPN+ with live statistics available via UCSDTritons.com.
MATCHUPS
After the first two weekends of conference play, UC Riverside (14-14) is 5-1 in Big West play after dropping the conference opener to UC Santa Barbara and going on a five-game winning streak. The Highlanders won the series over the Gauchos (2-1) and sweeping Cal State Bakersfield (3-0) in the most recent weekend of play. In the second game of the doubleheader vs. the Runners, UCR scored 18 runs to win it in five innings. At the plate, Kamryn Davis is hitting a .385 batting average with 16 runs scored and nine teammates batted in on 35 hits over 28 games. Maddie Heinlin leads UCR from in the circle with a 3.04 ERA and an 8-5 record. The right-hander has tossed 9 complete games with 56 strikeouts tallied over 80.2 innings of work.
In the second weekend of conference play, UC San Diego (3-18, 1-5) snapped a 12-game losing streak taking a win over Long Beach State in the second game of the series. The Tritons ultimately dropped the series after falling in the first and last games of the series.
Jaden Hill leads the Tritons at the plate so far in Big West play batting a .529 average with four runs scored on 9 hits and 3 doubles knocked.
Alexa DeMarse,
Zara Wasserman, and
Lily Hermosillo have knocked in 4 teammates in the opening 6 games.
India Caldwell has pitched 22.2 innings, allowing 13 earned runs on 32 hits with 14 strikeouts. The senior right-hander continues to shoulder the pitching work for UC San Diego with two complete games tossed out of the 6 played so far.
In the all-time vs. series, the two teams are even at 6-6 with the Tritons winning the last matchup in 2024. UC San Diego won the 2024 series (2-1) and in the last meeting battled it out in a pitchers' duel to win, 2-1. A two-run top of the fifth held the Highlanders at bay and Caldwell tossed a complete game retiring the final five batters to shut the door.
New Mexico (16-13-1, MW 2-1) enters the week on a series win after going 2-1 over San Jose State. The Lobos have played a total of 30 games so far this season compared to the Tritons 21. They are led at the plate by Ashley Archuleta who is sporting a .383 batting average in the 29 games she has played. Batting from the left side of the plate, the senior Lobo has scored 22 runs, has knocked 11 extra base hits, and has only struck out 9 times in her 81 at-bats. Leading the black and red defense, McKenna Guest has tossed 13 complete games with a 2.27 ERA, the right-hander has pitched 4 shutouts and 88 strikeouts in 80.1 innings of work.
The matchup on Tuesday between the Lobos and Tritons will be the teams' first meeting.
DETAILS
| Game 22 |
Game 23 (DH) |
Game 24 (DH) |
Game 25 |
| vs. UC Riverside |
vs. UC Riverside |
vs. UC Riverside |
vs. New Mexico |
| Triton Softball Field |
Triton Softball Field |
Triton Softball Field |
Triton Softball Field |
| 6:00 p.m. | March 22 |
1:00 p.m. | March 23 |
3:00 p.m. | March 23 |
11:00 a.m. | March 25 |
| Watch | Live Stats |
Watch | Live Stats |
Watch | Live Stats |
Watch | Live Stats |
| ABOUT THE TRITONS |
ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS |
ABOUT THE LOBOS |
| Roster | Schedule | Stats |
Roster | Sched | Stats |
Roster | Sched | Stats |
| 2025 Overall: 3-18 |
2025 Overall: 14-14 |
2025 Overall: 16-13-1 |
| 2025 Big West: 1-5 |
2025 Big West: 5-1 |
2025 Mtn. West: 2-1 |
| 2025 Home: 1-7 |
2025 Home: 5-2 |
2025 Home: 2-1 |
| 2025 Away: 1-5 |
2025 Away: 3-3 |
2025 Away: 2-9 |
| 2025 Neutral: 1-6 |
2025 Neutral: 6-9 |
2025 Neutral: 12-3-1 |
| Streak: L1 |
Streak: W5 |
Streak: W2 |
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will resume Big West play as they travel to Cal State Bakersfield for a three-game series vs. the Roadrunners on March 28 and 29. The series will begin with a Friday doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m. and will then conclude on Saturday in a single game at 1 p.m. in Bakersfield. All three games will stream live on ESPN+ with live statistics available on UCSDTritons.com.
LAST TIME OUT
UC San Diego (3-18) and Long Beach State (13-10) faced off in a doubleheader on Friday, with the Tritons splitting the games. In the first game, UC San Diego secured a victory, defeating Long Beach State 8-2. In the second game, the Tritons fell to Long Beach State with a final score of 9-4.
Jaden Hill excelled for the Tritons in the opener, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI, while also scoring twice.
Alexis Jimenez contributed significantly by hitting a home run, driving in one run, and scoring twice, alongside a stolen base.
Zara Wasserman impressed with two hits, including a double, and she drove in two RBIs.
Alexa DeMarse also stood out with a home run, two RBIs, and a walk. On the mound,
Claire Adams delivered a complete game, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings and striking out five.
Jaden Hill, stood out again with two hits, including a double, and a walk in her three at-bats, contributing a stolen base as well.
Alexis Jimenez, a freshman designated player, drove in two runs with a hit and a sacrifice fly in three at-bats. Staying at third in the final game,
Alexa DeMarse, made an impact by hitting a home run, driving in one run, and scoring once with two hits in three at-bats.
The Tritons move to 3-18 overall and 1-5 in conference play while Beach improves to 13-10 and 4-2 in Big West play.
CALDWELL NAMED TO BIG WEST PRESEASON TEAM
UC San Diego softball was selected to finish sixth in the Big West as announced in the 2025 Big West Softball Preseason Poll on Thursday afternoon. The Tritons were awarded 43 points by the conference's head coaches and senior,
India Caldwell was named to the preseason team.
The Fallbrook product led the gold and blue defense from in the circle, tossing 105 strikeouts over 171.1 innings pitched. The right-hander forced a .277 batting average with only 52 walks and 66 earned runs given up in her 16 complete games pitched.
WHO'S BACK?
The team is returning 10 players, five seniors:
Morgan Eng,
India Caldwell,
Reilly Erickson,
Alexa DeMarse, and
Marissa Hassis; four juniors:
KayLeigh Coberly,
Lily Hermosillo,
Hannah Allen, and
Claire Adams; one sophomore:
Jackie Tremper.
NEW FACES
Head coach Nikki Palmer brought in six transfers, one senior,
Jaden Hill, one junior,
Haley Garcia, and four sophomores:
Zara Wasserman,
Gabrielle Flores,
Elise Nishimura, and
Chloe Lesko. Plus, nine true freshmen will don the gold and blue this season:
Alyssa Doucette,
Scarlette Chapman,
Lexi Ellenwood,
Ryanna Alano,
Samantha Womack,
Alexis Jimenez,
Lauren Rozell,
Emma Umemura, and
Callie Christian.
PALMER JOINS TRITONCAST
On this week's show, it's our 2025 UC San Diego softball season preview! New head coach and Triton alum Nikki Palmer joins us in the Triton Spotlight to talk about building on the tradition and foundation, and what kind of team we can expect to see at Triton Softball Field this season. As always, host
Jeff Tourial takes us around campus for the latest in Triton Athletics.
Episode 111 of
Tritoncast, the official podcast for UC San Diego Athletics, has dropped and is available to download or stream on every major podcast platform.
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 has begun a new era 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
