SAN DIEGO — A week before USD's season opener in Charlotte, Torero head baseball coach
Brock Ungricht met with the media inside Fowler Park's hospitality suite to address his squad's upcoming campaign. Two key themes emerged right off the bat.
A family-driven culture and confidence.
"Family is our first core value, and we're a family for 11 months", Ungricht emphasized.
The 2025 (and 2024) WCC Coach of the Year looks to lead San Diego to a third consecutive conference title after an stunning turnaround to what was a 6-24 start last season. The Toreros went on to win 19 of their last 24 contests, sweeping four of their eight WCC series.
Heading into his fifth season at the helm, Ungricht's tenacity and charisma has not only brought sustained on-field success to San Diego's baseball program, but has also obtained the essential buy-in from young players chasing Major League dreams.
As much as baseball is physical, the mental side of the game can take a toll on any player at any level.
So, how does Ungricht do it?
He lets his guys be themselves.
"You gotta know who you is," Ungricht described, quoting baseball legend Tony Gwynn, who he played for at San Diego State.
"We talk about it all the time. Allowing our guys to be themselves within the confines of our program, within the boundaries of our program and our core values, I think is paramount — it allows them to be comfortable", Ungricht added.
That comfort level showed last year with second-year student-athlete
Adrian Beltre Jr. In his first season at USD, Beltre earned All-WCC Freshman Team honors while hitting .257 (37-for-144) with 30 runs scored, four home runs, four doubles, and 28 RBIs.
As the son of National Baseball Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre, one would assume that the pressure to uphold such an iconic name in the baseball world would weigh on a 19 year old. Instead, the culture established by Ungricht and the Torero coaching staff has Beltre Jr. blossoming in America's Finest City. Joining his skipper and fellow teammate, graduate right-handed pitcher
Drake Frize, Beltre spoke glowingly of his decision to attend USD.
"It's a winning program," said Beltre. "They have guys getting drafted every year, they compete every year, win a lot of WCC championships. Being able to have opportunity and the opportunity to win were the two biggest things for me. It's easy to play for a program like this."
Frize, the sixth-year senior who missed all of 2025 due to an arm injury and is entering his final year of college eligibility, shared the same sentiment.
"We're a very gritty group of guys. We're blue collar, letting the process take care of the results on the field. Sometimes you might get hit in the mouth early, but we're gonna hit you two times harder. We're gonna get back up, smile with some blood in our mouth, and we're gonna chomp right back at you."
To say Beltre's and Frize's comments border on arrogance would be misleading. These are two individuals who are a product of a sustained belief that no roadblock is immovable and no goal is too lofty to attain. Which is why Ungricht's Omaha aspirations are understandable.
When asked if a College World Series is realistic, Ungricht replied, "Anything's realistic., you know. You can't think about it, it's always a dream, but you gotta take care of one day, one pitch at a time. The first thing that we get to take care of is that first goal, and that's winning the WCC".
On Friday, his team will begin its 2026 season more than 2,000 miles away from Fowler Park, but the message remains the same.
"Play for one another, interlock arms. We have a strong brotherhood, and really appreciate the moment you get to be on that field with one another. And have the time of your life. That's it."
The road to Omaha begins now.
