The Tritons were one run away. But a Big West Championship title and a first NCAA Championship berth will have to wait at least one more year.
On Sunday, No. 3 seed UC San Diego baseball’s (27-28, 18-12 Big West) first-ever Big West Championship appearance ended with a 4-3 loss to No. 2 seed Cal Poly (36-22, 22-8 Big West) in Irvine. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise remarkable postseason run for UCSD which — despite falling in its first game — battled to three successive victories in the losers’ bracket before dropping in the final to the Mustangs. It was the second time in a week that UCSD fell to Cal Poly by a single run. The two defeats proved to be the difference between Big West Championship glory and a trophyless jaunt back to La Jolla.
A resurgent pitching core led UCSD — despite struggles all season in the pitching department — to quickly establish itself as the tournament’s best. The Tritons gave up only eight runs in five games, the lowest for the team in any five-game stretch since UCSD transitioned to Division I in 2021. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Steele Murdock and sophomore pitcher Nathan Ries threw the first complete games of their collegiate careers on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Murdock got the nod from head coach Eric Newman on Thursday night to kick off the tournament against Cal Poly in the first of three contests between the Tritons and Mustangs. Coming into the game with a 5.73 ERA, he delivered one of the best pitching performances of his career, allowing a single earned run and three hits in eight innings. However, he was outdueled by Mustang junior starting pitcher Griffin Naess, who threw a two-hit, seven inning shutout. The Tritons fared slightly better in the ninth against Cal Poly senior closer Nick Bonn, who gave up a one-out single to sophomore catcher Trevian Martinez. An error advanced freshman pinch runner Raphael Dunne, substituted in for Martinez, to third base. Bonn retired the next two batters to end game one 1-0, sending the Tritons into the losers’ bracket.
With their backs against the wall, the Tritons rallied to three straight victories, emerging atop the losers’ bracket. On Friday against No. 5 seed Cal State Fullerton (24-32, 15-15 Big West), graduate student pitcher Nic Gregson took the mound for the Tritons, giving up only a single run in the fifth. While the Titans similarly limited UCSD’s offense to a run in the first seven innings, the floodgates opened in the eighth. Sophomore designated hitter Addison Klepsch opened the inning with a double and scored on a squeeze bunt from senior left fielder Alex Leopard to break the tie. Freshman center fielder Nathaniel Widelski added two more runs, doubling to deep left field to score Leopard and Martinez. The Tritons scored a final run in the ninth to close out the game 5-1.
Ries continued an era of good feelings for the Triton pitching core against top-seeded UC Santa Barbara (38-18, 22-8 Big West). Ries, who had never pitched more than five innings in a game during his collegiate career, shut out the Gauchos across nine innings as UCSD eliminated the tournament favorites 7-0.
Hours later, in their fourth game of the tournament, the Tritons got their revenge against the Mustangs in a commanding 12-2 victory. The Triton offense flexed its muscles early, scoring four runs in the second inning, including a stolen home base by Widelski. An additional seven runs came in the seventh and eighth inning as UCSD hammered the Mustang bullpen. The Tritons secured a 12-2 mercy rule win after the eighth inning to force a winner-take-all rematch the following day.
UCSD’s season came to an end on Sunday in a 4-3 loss. Having exhausted every one of its usual starters in the first four games, UCSD turned to the rest of its bullpen for the final. Junior pitcher Trevor Rector allowed an early run in the second before being pulled for graduate student pitcher Jake Villar. In the fifth, Villar gave up a three-run Mustang homer, which proved to be the difference maker. The Triton offense responded immediately, with junior first baseman Gabe Camacho reaching third base on an error to lead off the Triton sixth. Camacho scored on a groundout for the first Triton run of the game and Martinez would join him in crossing home plate later that inning.
The ninth inning saw a final chance for the Tritons to mount a comeback. Sophomore second baseman Thomas Maher opened the inning with a shallow single to left field before a two-out Klepsch double scored him. With the tying run, Klepsch, in scoring position, senior third baseman J.C. Allen was unable to capitalize, lining out to left field to end the Tritons’ season.
