USD, UCSD GET READY TO START CONFERENCE
College baseball teams have been dodging wet weather for much of the first month of the season.
The skies have cleared — for the weekend, anyway — and the University of San Diego and UC San Diego will both begin conference play with home series.
A glance at what’s on tap:
University of San Diego
Notable: The Toreros (68-1), who won the 2022 West Coast Conference Tournament, were picked for second place in a preseason conference coaches poll.
USD was picked behind Gonzaga (3-12), which surprisingly had the poorest nonconference record among the WCC’s 10 teams. USF (9-4) and Santa Clara (9-4) share the best record coming into conference play.
USD’s starting rotation this weekend against University of Pacific (6-8) at Fowler Park will include RHPs James Sashin (1-0, 2.33 ERA, 19 SO/12 BB in 19.1 IP), Garrett Rennie (0-2, 3.22 ERA, 25 SO/6 BB in 221⁄3 IP) and Ryan Kysar.
The Toreros’ offense has produced 51⁄2 runs a game while batting .239, though the Toreros played the WCC’s strongest nonconference schedule (ranked 30th in the nation).
Junior 3B/OF Jack Costello (.263, 6 HR, 19 RBIs) leads the USD offense, along with junior 1B Kevin Sim (.200, 4 HR, 14 RBIs) and junior OF Anthony Peraza (.320, 2 HR, 10 RBIs).
This week: Today-Sunday vs. Pacific, 6 p.m./5 p.m./1 p.m.
UC San Diego
Notable: The Tritons (9-6) were picked for eighth place — the same place they finished last season — in a preseason Big West Conference coaches poll.
They had the fifth-best preseason record among conference opponents, one game behind the Long Beach State (10-5) team that visits Triton Ballpark this weekend.
UC Santa Barbara (12-3), UC Irvine (11-3) and Long Beach State were the coaches’ top picks in the conference.
UCSD leads the Big West in average (.311) — led by freshman 1B Brandon Larson’s .406 average — as well as runs (120) and RBIs (111). Senior 3B Jalen Smith (.328, 2 HR, 16 RBIs) has been the Tritons’ top run producer.
UCSD’s rotation for the series will be RHPs Michael Mitchell (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 14 SO/1 BB in 9 IP), Nick Gregson (2-0, 3.18 ERA, 19 SO/3 BB in 17 IP) and Anthony Eyanson (1-0, 3.45 ERA, 19 SO/3 BB in 152⁄3 IP) in the starting rotation for the series, with sophomore RHP Ryan Forcucci (San Marcos High), taking the weekend off to heal a minor injury.
The Dirtbags’ strength is a pitching staff that has compiled a 3.68 ERA, led by starting pitchers Graham Osman (2-0, 1.59 ERA, 24 SO/9 BB in 222⁄3 IP) and Nico Zeglin (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 34 SO/4 BB in 22 IP).
This week: Today-Sunday vs. Long Beach State, 6 p.m./2 p.m./1 p.m.
San Diego State
Notable: The Mountain West includes an odd number of schools for baseball, which means one team is playing out of conference each weekend.
This weekend that is the Aztecs (4-8), who invited a UConn (9-4) team which just won three of four games at Hawaii.
The teams opened the four-game set Thursday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
SDSU junior left-handed pitcher TJ Fondtain (1-1, 6.86 ERA, 20 SO/7 BB in 192⁄3 IP) struck out nine without walking a batter over seven innings last week vs. San Jose State.
The Huskies’ roster includes senior outfielder T.C. Simmons (.259, 1 HR, 11 RBIs), a Santana High graduate.
This week: ThursdaySunday vs. UConn, 6 p.m./6 p.m./6 p.m./1 p.m.
Point Loma Nazarene
Notable: The Sea Lions (13-7, 4-4 PacWest) concluded their eight-game Hawaii trip with a doubleheader sweep on Monday at Hawaii Pacific, providing some momentum heading into a four-game conference series with Biola (7-14, 2-6).
Sophomore 1B Jakob Christian (.382, 12 HR, 25 RBIs) continues to lead PLNU in two of three Triple Crown categories.
Junior SS Scott Anderson has boosted his batting average to .413, which ranks fourth in the PacWest. The Sea Lions’ .327 team batting average leads the conference.
PLNU junior righthander Dylan Miller (2-1, 3.69 ERA, 33 SO/10 BB in 312⁄3 IP) is averaging more than a strikeout an inning.
This week: Saturday at Biola, Noon (DH); March 20 vs. Biola, Noon (DH).
Cal State San Marcos
Notable: The Cougars (6-9, 0-5 CCAA) should be well into conference play, but have lost five games while seeing four contests canceled and three others postponed.
Cal State Los Angeles (5-9, 0-5) also is winless in conference play, tied with San Marcos for last place.
The biggest challenge for both teams has been on the mound, where the Cougars’ 6.77 team ERA is almost a run better than only Cal State L.A’s 7.61.
Sophomore right-hander Pat McDonald Jr. (2-1, 3.20 ERA, 15 SO/4 BB) has been San Marcos’ top starting picher. Sophomore SS Luke Reece (Serra High) is batting .354, the only hitter above .300 on a Cougars team batting a collective .267.
This week: Today-Sunday at Cal State Los Angeles, 6 p.m./1 p.m. (DH)/Noon.