The third-seeded Tritons opened NCAA tournament play last Thursday, May 17, dropping 7–3 to second-seed Dixie State. UCSD battled to stave off elimination in its second match against first-seed Western Oregon the following day with an 11–1 win, before conceding its second tournament loss to Dixie State 6–4.
The Tritons will end the season with a 33–24 overall record, a regular season conference and CCAA tournament title.
Despite losing for the second straight time in the West Regional round, the Tritons will come into 2013 with only one Triton — Gregg Ringold — missing from their batting order.
The UCSD bullpen, on the other hand, will graduate five of their best arms — Justin Burns, Jeff Rauh, Greg Selarz, Elias Tuma and Tony York. The Tritons will retain junior right-hander Ryan Goodbrand (11–0). The junior, who didn’t see much time last year behind Triton ace Tim Shibuya, has grown to become UCSD’s most reliable starter. Goodbrand went the distance in the Tritons’ 1–1 win over Western Oregon, allowing just five hits in his nine innings.
GAME 1
UCSD had a tough time in the box. The Tritons only managed to record three hits in their first five innings, as the Red Storm took a 6–0 lead off a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning.
UCSD right-hander Trevor Scott was relieved in favor of Justin Burns in the sixth, as the Tritons mounted their comeback. The Tritons took one back, with sophomore Nick La Face — named the CCAA tournament’s most outstanding player — picking up his fifth homerun of the season.
Dixie State’s Michael Dedrick tallied his only two walks of the game to load the bases in the seventh. The Tritons scored sophomore Sam Michaels on a passed ball to bring the score to 6–2. UCSD picked up another run in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
GAME 2
UCSD recorded five runs in the second inning, as the bottom of the Triton batting order loaded the bases, bringing junior Danny Susdorf up to bat. The All-West Region selection singled to left field for two RBI and advanced to second on a throwing error. Batting in the two-hole, junior Richard Siegel was walked, while sophomore Garrett Tuck singled through the left side to bat in two more runs. Western Oregon’s Kirk Lind gave up his fourth walk in two innings to put the Tritons up 5–0.
Susdorf picked up his third RBI in the third inning to put the Tritons up 6–0.
UCSD used another five run inning in the sixth to secure the win. With two outs Michaels batted in Ringold to score. Susdorf batted in another run, before Siegel struck a double for one RBI. Tuck capped the inning by singling to right center for two RBI.
Right-hander Goodbrand went the distance, recording his 11th straight win.
GAME 3
Neither team got on the board until the fifth inning, when Dixie State’s Joe Andrade homered down the rightfield line for two RBI.
The Red Storm put UCSD 3–0 in the hole in the sixth, as the Tritons rotated through three pitchers in the inning — Selarz, junior Richard Kilbury and Tuma.
Dixie State hit up Tuma for three runs in the seventh, with two doubles.
UCSD recovered four runs in the eighth, as Susdorf singled with bases loaded, for two RBI. Siegel followed up with a hit to score one more, while Susdorf was brought in on a Tuck groundout.
