UCSanDiego Softball
TRITONS TRAVEL TO TURLOCK FOR TOURNY The UC San Diego softball team, playing some of its best ball and holding a nine-game winning streak, travels to Turlock this week for the Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State Stanislaus. The Tritons, 19-9 overall this season, have reeled off sweeps over Dixie State, Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State San Marcos in the past two weeks. That winning streak will be put to the test Friday, when UCSD opens up tournament play with an 8:45 a.m. game against No. 3 Hawaii Pacific (21-1). The Tritons, receiving votes in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll themselves, have been led recently by the conference’s best pitching staff featuring Camille Gaito, Christine Zankich, Tess Granath and Brittany Sheats. The UCSD’s pitching depth will be pivotal to the team’s success this weekend, with the potential to play eight games in a span of three days if the Tritons move to the championship in game in one of the three brackets (Gold, Silver or Bronze). GAITO, GRANATH GO PERFECT ON SUNDAY Granath started game one, throwing four innings and striking out four Cougars’ hitters without allowing a hit or a walk. Zankich followed in the pitching order for the Tritons and closed out the 2-1 victory with three solid innings. Gaito, owner of the lowest earned run average in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, picked up her first save of the season with three efficient innings to finish game two. Without allowing a single baserunner, Gaito recorded six flyouts, two groundouts and a strikeout along the way. SCOUTING THE TOURNAMENT FIELD The Tritons, part of a six-team Pool A, will need to finish in the top two of that group to advance to the Gold Bracket on Sunday. The middle two teams go to the Silver Bracket, while the last two squads advance to the Bronze Bracket. UCSD finished strong last season at the same competition, defeating Hawaii Hilo 10-2 in the final game to capture the Bronze Bracket title. Pool A features Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay, the two squads directly above third-place UCSD in the CCAA standings. On Friday and Saturday the Tritons’ pool will be playing against the teams from Pool B, a group that features teams relatively new to UCSD. The Tritons have gone 3-6 all-time against HPU, including two one-run losses in last year’s NCAA Division II West Regional. At 11 a.m. Friday, UCSD will challenge Western Oregon, a team the Tritons have 5-2 against all-time. The remaining three opponents already scheduled are a combined 0-3 against UCSD.
Game 29
UC San Diego (19-9) vs. Hawaii Pacific (21-1) Friday, March 26 8:45 a.m.
February
2/5 2/5 2/12 2/12 2/13 2/13 2/17 2/17 2/19 2/19 2/20 2/20 2/27 2/27 2/28 2/28
Central Washington # W, 2-0 Chico State # L, 3-2 (8 inn.) Chico State* L, 0-2 Chico State* L, 6-7 Chico State* W, 4-0 Chico State* W, 10-9 Cal St. San Bernardino L, 1-3 Cal St. San Bernardino W, 7-5 Cal St. East Bay* W, 9-0 (5 inn.) Cal St. East Bay* W, 3-1 Cal St. East Bay* W, 3-0 Cal St. East Bay* L, 3-4 Sonoma State* L, 0-3 Sonoma State* L, 2-4 Sonoma State* W, 2-0 Sonoma State* L, 3-4
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 !
March
April/May
W, 6-1 W, 3-1 L, 1-3 W, 9-2 W, 8-2 W, 3-2 W, 2-0 W, 5-3 W, 5-1 W, 2-1 W, 2-1 W, 8-3 8:45 a.m. 11 a.m. 3:45 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 3:45 p.m. TBA
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 30
UC San Diego (19-9) vs. Western Oregon (13-8) Friday, March 26 11 a.m.
Game 31
UC San Diego (19-9) vs. St. Martin’s (8-17) Friday, March 26 3:45 p.m.
Game 32
UC San Diego (19-9) vs. Montana St. Billings (11-10) Saturday, March 27 1:30 p.m.
Game 33
UC San Diego (19-9) vs. Central Washington (13-5) Saturday, March 27 3:45 p.m.