LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego sophomore first baseman Maalia Cherry has been named to the inaugural D1Softball Preseason Mid-Major D100 list, the site announced Monday. The Mid-Major D100 aims to recognize the best players outside the P4 conferences. Freshmen are not eligible for the rankings, but any other player currently on a non-P4 team is eligible, including transfers.

A first-year Triton, Cherry played her freshman season at Cal State Bakersfield, posting a .336 batting average with 13 home runs and 37 runs batted in. Cherry led The Big West with an OPS of 1.129 and her 13 homers ranked second. During conference play, Cherry paced The Big West with a .526 slugging percentage.
 
UC San Diego begins its 2026 season on Feb. 5, hosting the three-day La Jolla Invitational at Triton Softball Field.
 
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 in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 84 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 NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.