UCSanDiego Softball
Tritons Head to Mizuno’s Best of the West Invitational The UC San Diego softball team will start its 2010 campaign in Turlock, Calif., the site of Mizuno’s Best of the West Invitational. The tournament, held on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus, features many of the top teams from the Division II West Region. UCSD Selected to Finish Fourth in CCAA The Tritons were tabbed to finish fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association regular season standings in 2010, according to the conference’s annual preseason poll released two weeks ago. Three-time defending conference regular-season champion Humboldt State was selected as the favorite to win the league crown again with five first-place votes and 76 total points, while the league coaches picked Cal State Monterey Bay to win the conference tournament. UCSD received one first-place vote and 42 total points, just two behind No. 3 San Francisco State. In 2009, the Tritons finished with an overall record of 30-25 and earned their second-ever NCAA postseason victory with a 2-1 win over CCAA rival CSUMB. Lesovsky, Saari and Gaito Among Key Returners Kris Lesovsky put together a brilliant first season offensively at UCSD as a sophomore transfer, earning both Louisville Slugger/NFCA and Daktronics First Team AllAmerican honors after being named the CCAA’s Newcomer of the Year. Hitting primarily out of the leadoff spot, Lesovsky set new single-season program records in batting average (.446) and walks (44) while collecting 17 doubles and eight home runs. Nicole Saari, one of three seniors on this year’s squad, received All-CCAA Second Team honors in 2008 after batting .301 and starting in 54 of UCSD’s 55 games. Even more impressively, Saari posted a .992 fielding percentage at the catcher position. Camille Gaito, a right-handed pitcher entering her sophomore season, hopes to build on the success she found last year, when she threw 124.1 innings while recording 80 strikeouts with a 1.85 earned run average. Head coach Patti Gerckens relied on Gaito heavily during the stretch run, as the young pitcher appeared in 13 of the season’s final 14 games. Scouting the Invitational Field In the 2009 season, UCSD went a combined 16-8 against the six teams scheduled to face the Tritons this weekend at Mizuno’s Best of the West Invitational. The most recent games between CSUMB and UCSD have had significant stakes, including a CCAA Tournament opener that went in favor of the Otters, 7-3, and an NCAA Tournament second-round game that the Tritons won, 2-1.
February
2/5 2/5 2/6 2/6 2/7 2/7 2/12 2/12 2/13 2/13 2/17 2/17 2/19 2/19 2/20 2/20 2/26 2/26 2/27 2/27
Central Washington # Chico State # Cal St. Monterey Bay # Grand Canyon # Cal St. San Bernardino # Sonoma State # Chico State* Chico State* Chico State* Chico State* Cal St. San Bernardino* Cal St. San Bernardino* Cal St. East Bay* Cal St. East Bay* Cal St. East Bay* Cal St. East Bay* Sonoma State* Sonoma State* Sonoma State* Sonoma State*
11 a.m. 1:15 p.m. 1 p.m. 3:15 p.m. 9:45 a.m. 12 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 11 a.m. 1 p.m.
3/5 3/5 3/6 3/6 3/9 3/9 3/12 3/12 3/13 3/13 3/21 3/21 3/26 3/26 3/26 3/27 3/27 3/28
San Francisco State* San Francisco State* San Francisco State* San Francisco State* Dixie State Dixie State Cal St. Stanislaus* Cal St. Stanislaus* Cal St. Stanislaus* Cal St. Stanislaus* Cal St. San Marcos Cal St. San Marcos Hawaii Pacific ! Western Oregon ! St. Martin’s ! Montana St. Billings ! Central Washington ! TBA !
1 p.m. 3 p.m. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 5 p.m. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. 12 p.m. 2 p.m. 8:45 a.m. 11 a.m. 3:45 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 3:45 p.m. TBA
March
April-May
4/2 Cal St. Dominguez Hills* 1 p.m. 4/2 Cal St. Dominguez Hills* 3 p.m. 4/3 Cal St. Dominguez Hills* 12 p.m. 4/3 Cal St. Dominguez Hills* 2 p.m. 4/9 Humboldt St.* 1 p.m. 4/9 Humboldt St.* 3 p.m. 4/10 Humboldt St.* 11 a.m. 4/10 Humboldt St.* 1 p.m. 4/16 Cal St. Monterey Bay* 1 p.m. 4/16 Cal St. Monterey Bay* 3 p.m. 4/17 Cal St. Monterey Bay* 11 a.m. 4/17 Cal St. Monterey Bay* 1 p.m. 4/23 Cal St. San Bernardino* 12 p.m. 4/23 Cal St. San Bernardino* 2 p.m. 4/24 Cal St. San Bernardino* 12 p.m. 4/24 Cal St. San Bernardino* 2 p.m. 4/30-5/2 CCAA Championship Tournament TBA 5/14-5/31 NCAA D-II Tournament TBA Home games played at Triton Softball Field * California Collegiate Athletic Association game # Mizuno’s Best of the West Invitational in Turlock ! Mizuno’s Tournament of Champions in Turlock
Game 1
UC San Diego vs. Central Washington Friday, Feb. 5 11 a.m.
Game 2
UC San Diego vs. Chico State Friday, Feb. 5 1:15 p.m.
Game 3
UC San Diego vs. Cal St. Monterey Bay Saturday, Feb. 6 1 p.m.
Game 4
UC San Diego vs. Grand Canyon Saturday, Feb. 6 3:15 p.m.
Game 5
UC San Diego vs. Cal St. San Bernardino Sunday, Feb. 7 9:45 a.m.
Game 6
UC San Diego vs. Sonoma State Sunday, Feb. 7 12 p.m.