LAS VEGAS — San Diego baseball is set to defend its 2024 WCC Tournament title this week, returning to Las Vegas Ballpark in search of a second consecutive NCAA Regional berth.

The Toreros (25-28, 19-5 WCC) enter this year's WCC Tournament as the event's top seed, earning that designation after capturing the 2025 WCC Regular-Season Championship on May 15 at Fowler Park.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
• USD began the 2025 season 6-24 after embarking on the nation's 11th-most difficult non-conference schedule. Winless against the Top 25 entering a Sunday afternoon finale at No. 14 UCLA, the Toreros stunned the Bruins in a five-hour, 14-inning marathon, prevailing 4-3 after senior Austin Smith slugged two homers.

• Nine straight wins followed the Toreros' extra-innings triumph in Los Angeles, giving San Diego the momentum it needed heading into conference play. USD won seven consecutive conference series to close out its schedule, including four sweeps of WCC foes (Saint Mary's, Portland, San Francisco, and Pacific). The Toreros enter Thursday afternoon's WCC Tournament opener having won 19 of their last 24 games.

WCC SUCCESS UNDER HEAD COACH BROCK UNGRICHT
The Toreros have won four West Coast Conference Championships under head coach Brock Ungricht, including two WCC Tournament titles.

• 2022 WCC Tournament Championship

• 2024 WCC Regular-Season Championship

• 2024 WCC Tournament Championship

• 2025 WCC Regular-Season Championship

WCC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
• While San Diego's 2024 and 2025 WCC Regular-Season Championships were the programs' first since 2015, the Toreros have been a staple in the WCC Tournament since head coach Brock Ungricht took over in 2022.

• USD won the final conference tournament at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, California that year, prevailing 15-12 over top-seeded Gonzaga in the 11-inning 2022 championship game.

• A first-round exit in 2023 (the inaugural year of the tournament taking place at Las Vegas Ballpark) fueled a furious run through the WCC Tournament bracket from the Toreros in 2024, with San Diego capturing the conference crown by beating Portland twice by scores of 7-5 (semifinal) and 8-6 (championship game) to go undefeated in the event.

• Eight Toreros have earned WCC All-Tournament Team honors since the event's inception in 2013, including Justin DeCriscio (2024), Angelo Peraza (2024), Ivran Romero (2024 and 2022), Austin Smith (2024), Jack Costello (2022), Cody Jefferis (2022), and Kris Bryant (2013).

WHAT'S AT STAKE
• Winning 2025 WCC Tournament Championship would secure the Toreros the fourth WCC title and 11th NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

TICKETS PUNCHED
San Diego has appeared in two NCAA Regionals in the last three seasons, and has won a game in each one.

• 2022 NCAA Corvallis Regional (Hosted by Oregon State)
      -  Beat Vanderbilt 3-2 in game one

• 2024 NCAA Santa Barbara Regional (Hosted by UC Santa Barbara)
       - Beat Fresno State 7-5 in elimination game

USD DOMINATES WCC END-OF-YEAR AWARDS
• After engineering the most stunning midseason turnaround in program history and leading San Diego baseball to a second consecutive WCC Regular-Season Championship, Brock Ungricht has been named the 2025 WCC Coach of The Year, Cal Scolari has been named the 2025 WCC Pitcher of the Year, and catcher Jayden Lobliner has been named the 2025 WCC Defensive Player of the Year, the West Coast Conference announced on Tuesday morning.

• Ungricht, Scolari, and Lobliner headlined a flurry of end-of-year conference awards for USD that saw four Toreros named to the 2025 All-WCC First Team, three selected to the 2025 All-WCC Second Team, two earn 2025 All-WCC Honorable Mentions, and three pick up 2025 All-WCC Freshman Team nods.

2025 WCC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
• Coach of the Year – Brock Ungricht, San Diego
• Pitcher of the Year – Cal Scolari, San Diego
• Defensive Player of the Year – Jayden Lobliner, San Diego
 
ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM
• Jack Gurevitch, San Diego
• Logan Reddemann, San Diego
• Cal Scolari, San Diego
• Austin Smith, San Diego
 
ALL-WCC SECOND TEAM
• Isaiah Lane, San Diego
• Jayden Lobliner, San Diego
• Rex Watson, San Diego

ALL-WCC HONORABLE MENTION
• Connor Meidroth, San Diego
• Andrew Mosiello, San Diego
 
ALL-WCC FRESHMAN TEAM
• Adrian Beltre Jr., San Diego
• Cal Scolari, San Diego
• Rex Watson, San Diego

BACK-TO-BACK WCC COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS FOR UNGRICHT
• For Ungricht, it's his second straight WCC Coach of the Year honor after also being recognized in 2024. He's the first WCC coach to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Gonzaga's Mark Machtolf in 2021 and 2022, and the first USD skipper to do so since Rich Hill in 2007 and 2008. 2025 marks the eighth time that San Diego has received the WCC Coach of the Year award.

CAL SCOLARI EMERGES AS WCC'S TOP ARM
• Scolari needed just one season to establish himself as the premier pitcher in the West Coast Conference, posting a 4-1 record across eight conference starts and 39.1 WCC innings. The redshirt freshman right-hander struck out 39 WCC batters and limited opposing conference hitters to a .200 batting average. His emergence as a top-tier talent on the mound was crucial in San Diego's postseason push; he posted five straight starts of five innings or more to conclude the 2025 regular-season, four of which saw him allow three runs or less. Scolari, who secured both WCC Pitcher of the Week (May 5) and WCC Freshman of the Week (May 12) recognition this season, was also selected to the All-WCC First Team. He is just the fifth Torero to be named WCC Pitcher of the Year, and the program's first since David Hill in 2015.

LOBLINER MAKES IT TWO STRAIGHT WCC DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR FOR USD
• Lobliner earned both WCC Defensive Player of the Year and All-WCC Second Team recognition in his first season as a Torero. The Kansas State transfer became the second consecutive USD player (Ariel Armas, 2024) and second Torero ever to win the WCC Defensive Player of the Year award after posting a .992 fielding percentage with only three errors behind the dish while throwing out runners trying to steal on 15 occasions.

• He started every conference game for USD, hitting .298/.353/.532 with 17 runs scored, seven doubles, five home runs, and 18 RBI's.

SMITH KEEPS LEADING THE WAY
• Austin Smith was selected to the All-WCC First Team after a strong season both at the plate and on the mound. The senior lefty ranked fifth in the league with a .398 (33-for-83) batting average in conference play alongside 10 doubles, three home runs, and 27 RBIs. He posted. 2-1 record and a team-high three saves while pitching against WCC teams, striking out 24 batters across 19.1 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .222 batting average. He was named to the All-WCC Second Team in 2023 and to the All-WCC First Team and All-WCC Tournament Team in 2024. On April 7, he was named the WCC Co-Player of the Week.

JACK GUREVITCH EARNS ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM NOD
• Infielder Jack Gurevitch joined Smith and Scolari on the All-WCC First Team after batting .380 (38-for-100) across all 24 league games with 30 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, 18 walks, and two stolen bases. This is Gurevitch's third end-of-year conference honor after being selected to the All-WCC Freshman Team in 2023 and the All-WCC Second Team in 2024. He was named the WCC Player of the Week on April 21.

REDDEMANN BUILDS OFF OF 2024 WCC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN
• Reddemann built off of his 2024 WCC Freshman of the Year selection by earning a spot on the 2025 All-WCC First Team. The sophomore righty appeared in five games on the mound in conference play, compiling a 3-0 record and 2.48 ERA across 29 innings while holding opponents to a .215 batting average and striking out 22. His 2.48 ERA was the third-lowest in the WCC and the 15th-lowest nationally. Reddemann received two WCC Pitcher of the Week honors in 2025 (March 10 and April 21).

LANE NAMED TO SECOND TEAM AFTER STRONG WCC DEBUT
• Shortstop Isaiah Lane was named to the All-WCC Second Team after batting .358 (29-for-81) across 21 league games with 22 runs scored, seven doubles, four home runs, 14 RBIs, 10 walks, and two stolen bases.

WATSON REWARDED WITH SECOND TEAM AND FRESHMAN TEAM SELECTIONS
• Outfielder Rex Watson took the league by storm in his first college season, garnering both All-WCC Second Team and All-WCC Freshman Team honors after batting . 337 (31-for-92) with 20 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, six home runs. He was named the WCC Freshman of the Week on March 17 and April 14.

MEIDROTH AND MOSIELLO EARN ALL-WCC HONORABLE MENTIONS
• Junior Infielder Connor Meidroth picked up an All-WCC Honorable Mention by batting .347 (25-for-72) in conference games with 22 runs scored, seven doubles, a triple, a home run, and 14 RBIs along with 12 walks.

• Right-handed pitcher Andrew Mosiello received an All-WCC Honorable Mention alongside Meidroth after posting a minuscule 1.29 ERA in WCC play. The graduate student surrendered just three runs across 21 conference innings as he earned two wins and picked up two saves while striking out 29.

BELTRE JR MAKES HIS MARK IN YEAR ONE
• Infielder Adrian Beltre Jr. joined Watson and Scolari on the All-WCC Freshman Team after a strong college debut, one in which he batted .295 (18-for-61) in conference games with 16 runs scored, three doubles, three home runs, and 19 RBIs.

OVER THE WEEKEND:
USD WINS 2025 WCC REGULAR-SEASON TITLE WITH SWEEP OF TIGERS
• San Diego closed out its 2025 regular-season schedule last weekend (May 15 through May 17) with three wins over Pacific at Fowler Park.

• The Toreros beat the Tigers 13-1 in seven-inning run-rule fashion on Thursday night to secure the 2025 WCC Regular-Season Championship, then prevailed 2-1 on Friday night after Aden Howard came up clutch with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. USD sent its graduating players off in style on Saturday afternoon, earning a 9-3 victory on Senior Day.

HOWIE'S HEATING UP
• Redshirt freshman outfielder Aden Howard has caught fire over his last 26 games; across that span he has batted .306 (30-for-98), with six doubles, two triples, and two home runs while driving in 13.

• He delivered a ninth-inning walk-off single for the Toreros on May 16, leading San Diego to a 2-1 win over Pacific at Fowler Park.

• With USD tied 8-8 in the top of the eighth inning at Gonzaga on April 27, he sent the second pitch he saw over the Patterson Baseball Complex's right-field wall for a stunning go-ahead solo shot that helped the Toreros take the series in Spokane.

• Howard has started 49 games for the Toreros in 2025, including 27 in center field, 21 in left field, and one in right field.

THE KID CAN DRIVE IN RUNS
• True freshman outfielder Rex Watson's 50 RBIs in 2025 entering Thursday afternoon's action are the most of any player on the USD roster and are the fourth-most within the WCC.

• Watson's 15 multi-RBI games in 2025 lead the Toreros. He's driven in two runs six times, three runs four times, and four runs five times.

AND HE'S CLUTCH, TOO
• Eleven of Watson's 50 RBIs in 2025 have come via a trio of either game-tying or go-ahead home runs.

• On March 16 against Columbia, he broke a 2-2 tie at Fowler Park with a grand slam as he put the Toreros ahead by a 6-2 margin.

• On April 8, he tied the game with a seventh-inning grand slam that helped USD beat crosstown rival UC San Diego at Fowler Park.

• And on April 22 against crosstown rival San Diego State, he erased a late deficit with a seventh-inning go-ahead three-run homer that led to an 8-6 victory for the Toreros over the Aztecs. His towering three-run shot landed on the roof of the Manchester Village Apartments  beyond Fowler Park's right-field wall, adjacent to a sign denoting 452 feet of distance from home plate.

• Watson was named the WCC Freshman of the Week twice this year (March 17 and April 14) and was selected to both the All-WCC Second Team and All-WCC Freshman team this week.

SMITH'S STREAK
• Senior left-handed pitcher/designated hitter/outfielder Austin Smith put together a 26-game hit streak from March 1 to April 16 that included 14 multi-hit performances.

• He was 41-for-114 (.359) during the hit streak with 12 doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 29 RBIs.

• As a whole in 2025 Smith is batting .365 (70-for-192) with 18 doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 44 RBIs, which rank second on the USD roster.

• The longest hit streak in USD baseball history is 31 games, achieved by Josh Harris in 2000; research on historical Torero hit streaks prior to 2021 is ongoing.

• Smith was selected to the All-WCC First Team earlier this week and has also been recognized as a Semifinalist for the 2025 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and a Finalist for the 2025 Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy.

GUREVITCH STAYS HOT
• Junior infielder Jack Gurevitch has posted a strong .356 (73-for-205) batting average in 2025 and is pacing the team with 13 homers and 130 total bases. His 48 RBIs and 14 doubles this season rank second on the San Diego roster.

• In January, Gurevitch was selected to the 2025 WCC Preseason Team and was named the 2025 Perfect Game WCC Preseason Player of the Year.

• On April 21, he was recognized as the WCC Player of the Week, and earlier this week he was named to the All-WCC First Team.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
• Isaiah Lane, who is hitting ..326 (57-for-175) overall so far this season with eight home runs and 26 RBIs, has recorded 18 multi-hit games in 2025 and has hit safely in 37 of his first 48 games as a Torero.

• He has compiled seven multi-RBI games in 2025, including a two-home run performance on March 1 against Cal State Bakersfield, a five-RBI effort on May 11 at Santa Clara in which he launched a grand slam, and another two-home run outburst on May 15 that saw him help USD secure the WCC Regular-Season Championship.

• A native of nearby Chula Vista, California and a graduate of Eastlake High School, Lane joined USD as a transfer after spending his freshman year at Oklahoma.

• On April 18, he was named to the 2025 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List, which honors the nation's top shortstop annually, and earlier this week he was named to the All-WCC Second Team.

TRIPLE THREAT
• Ten different Toreros (Isaiah Lane, Jack Gurevitch, Austin Smith, Rex Watson, Aden Howard, Nico Libed, Connor Meidroth, Jayden Lobliner, Gabe D'Arcy, and Ryan Ward)) have notched a triple in 2025.

• Lane (two), Gurevitch (two), and Howard (two) are the only USD players with more than one.

• San Diego's 13 total triples through 53 games this season are the second-most in the WCC (LMU, 15), and have surpassed the final tally of nine triples the Torero achieved across 56 games in 2024.

OUCH!
• Freshman outfielder Rex Watson has been hit by 15 pitches across 49 games so far in 2025, which is the most of any Torero and the eighth-most HBPs among all WCC players.

• In total, San Diego has been hit by 104 pitches this season, which ranks second in the WCC and 28th nationally.

FOR STARTERS (PROBABLE)
THURSDAY: Redshirt freshman RHP Cal Scolari (5-3, 4.27 ERA), who was named the 2025 WCC Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday, is scheduled to start for San Diego in its first WCC Tournament game on Thursday afternoon.

• Cal Scolari got his 14th start of 2025 in last Thursday night's series opener against Pacific, throwing a tied-for-career-high six scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit, walking none, and striking out six.

• He has started game one of a series seven times (including each of the Toreros' first four series openers in 2025), game two of a series three times, and game three of a series twice.

• He was named the WCC Pitcher of the Week on May 5 and the WCC Freshman of the Week on May 12. Scolari also earned 2025 All-WCC Second Team and All-WCC Freshman Team honors alongside his WCC Pitcher of the Year selection this week.

• Scolari was inactive for the entirety of his true freshman year at USD and his final year of high school while recovering from an arm injury.  He attended Bishop Manogue Catholic High School in Reno, Nevada, where he last pitched as a junior, posting a 2.50 ERA across 50.1 innings on the mound.

• As a high school sophomore, he earned Second Team All-Region honors, followed by First Team All-Region honors as a junior

• Scolari was ranked the No. 7 player in Nevada and was one of Collegiate Baseball Newspapers' Top High-School Players list in 2023.

USD BASEBALL ALUM CHASE MEIDROTH MAKES MLB DEBUT
• San Diego baseball alum Chase Meidroth was recalled by the Chicago White Sox from Class AAA Charlotte on April 11 and made his Major League debut and recorded his first MLB hit that same day.

• Meidroth helped lead the Toreros to a WCC Tournament Championship and an upset win over Vanderbilt in the NCAA Corvallis Regional as a junior in 2022.

• A two-time WCC Player of the Week, he was selected to the 2022 All-WCC First Team after appearing in 56 of San Diego's 57 games that season, including 49 starts at second base and seven at third. He batted .329 (85-for-228) with 53 runs scored, 19 doubles, 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, a team-high 40 walks, and six stolen bases as USD posted a 37-20 (17-10 WCC) record.

• Meidroth, already one of 138 Toreros to either be drafted by or sign with a MLB team, is the 26th player in program history to reach the Major Leagues.

• He is the fourth Torero on an active MLB roster in 2025, joining Riley Adams (Washington Nationals), Paul Sewald (Cleveland Guardians), and Connor Joe (San Diego Padres).

• Chris Murphy, who prior to Meidroth was the most recent former USD player to reach the big leagues when he got the call from the Boston Red Sox in 2023, is currently on the 60-Day Injured List.

• Torero Legend and USD Athletics Hall of Famer Kris Bryant (Colorado Rockies) is currently on the Injured List as well.

• Meidroth is the first player to have played under Brock Ungricht as head coach at USD to make his MLB debut.

A GOOD WEEKEND TO BE A MEIDROTH
• As his older brother — former Torero standout Chase Meidroth — made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox, San Diego infielder Connor Meidroth put together a highly productive weekend for the Toreros at Saint Mary's.

• Connor was 5-for-9 (.555) across five games in Moraga from April 11-13 with six runs scored, his first college homer, and five RBIs.

• The series saw the younger Meidroth set career highs in runs scored (four, April 11) and hits (three, April 12).

USD PICKED FIRST IN 2025 WCC PRESEASON POLL
• San Diego was picked first in the WCC Coaches Preseason Poll for the first time since 2017, the West Coast Conference announced on February 6 as part of its 2025 Baseball Preseason Honors.

• USD took home the top spot in the league's 2025 poll with 64 points and eight first-place votes, putting it 16 points and seven first-place votes ahead of Portland, which was picked second. San Diego was also picked to win the league in both 2017 and 2016, but had not been named the WCC preseason favorite since then. The Toreros placed second in the poll in both 2023 and 2024.