LAS VEGAS – San Diego Baseball did everything it could do to try to get off to a good start as the No. 1 seed in the West Coast Conference Tournament Thursday afternoon against No. 4 LMU at Las Vegas Ballpark. 

Despite having an early 2-0 lead after two first-inning runs, it was not enough as the Toreros lost 8-3 to the Lions. 

In the fifth inning, USD sent seven men to the plate. Four of them walked. However, only one run was able to score on an RBI single to tie the game by Rex Watson.  However, Austin Smith got tripped up rounding third base. As a result, Jayden Lobliner was unable to react fast enough, getting out trying to get back to second base for the first out of the inning. 

Despite reloading the bases with two outs, San Diego was held to just one run in the inning. 

LMU (29-27) retook the lead with two runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth. All five runs combined between the two innings were unearned as a result of two Toreros errors. 

San Diego (25-29) threatened in the eighth inning after Connor Meidroth singled. Nico Libed replaced Meidroth, who suffered a lower body injury while trying to get to first base. Jack Gurevitch and Isaiah Lane both walked to load the bases with one out. However, USD did not score, with a popup and a strikeout. 

Gurevitch opened the game with his fourth leadoff home run of the season on the first pitch he saw. His homer stayed just inside the right field foul pole as it traveled 450 feet. Later on in the inning, Watson recorded a sacrifice fly, scoring Lane to give the Toreros an early 2-0 lead. 

Cal Scolari, who was named the WCC Pitcher of the Year earlier in the week, got the start for the reigning two-time WCC Coach of Year, Brock Ungricht. 

Scolari went five innings, allowing three runs (two earned), which all came in the third inning. He also allowed three hits and three walks while striking out eight. 

NOTABLE

• Jack Gurevitch, who was named to the All-WCC First Team, went 3-for-4 and a walk Thursday. His first-inning home run marked his 14th blast of the season and his 49th RBI of 2025. 
• It marked Gurevitch's eighth three-hit game of the season and 26th multi-hit performance. 
• Rex Watson went 2-for-3 with two RBI. That marks his team-leading RBI total to 52. 
• Watson registered his 14th multi-hit game and his team-leading 16th multi-RBI game of 2025. 
• Cal Scolari, who joined Gurevitch, Smith and Logan Reddemann on the All-WCC First Team, recorded eight or more strikeouts for the third time in his last four starts.  

UP NEXT
The Toreros are now put to the brink of elimination in the losers bracket with their season on the line as they face the loser of No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 3 Saint Mary's. First pitch between the Toreros and either the Bulldogs or the Gaels will be Friday at 12 p.m. at Las Vegas Ballpark. If San Diego wins Friday afternoon, they will move on to the semifinals of the losers bracket later that evening with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 p.m. All games throughout the WCC Tournament are streamed live on ESPN+.