San Diego Toreros (0-0, 0-0 WCC)  •  Charlotte 49ers (0-0, 0-0 American)

Hayes Stadium (1,135)  •  Charlotte, North Carolina

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CHARLOTTE, NC — College baseball is back, and this weekend the San Diego Toreros will open their season on the road for the first time since traveling to No. 16 Texas in 2024.

San Diego (0-0, 0-0 WCC) heads to Charlotte, North Carolina to face the Charlotte 49ers (0-0, 0-0 AAC) in a three-game series at Hayes Stadium from Friday, February 13 through Saturday, February 14, before returning home to Fowler Park the following Friday for Opening Night against Utah.

First pitch on Friday is set for 1:00 p.m. PST and will be followed by a Saturday doubleheader (necessitated by impending inclement weather in the Charlotte area) that is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. PST.

Zach McKinstry will have the call on ESPN+ for the entire series, with live statistics available throughout the weekend on StatBroadcast.

The Toreros enter 2026 as two-time defending West Coast Conference Regular Season champions, carrying the momentum of one of the most remarkable turnarounds in program history and pursuing their third straight WCC title under Brock Ungricht, the reigning WCC Coach of the Year.

OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS UNDER BROCK UNGRICHT
Since taking the helm at USD in 2022, Brock Ungricht has made a habit of scheduling the some of the nation's best programs to open the season. The 2026 trip to Charlotte marks the first time the Toreros have opened on the East Coast under Ungricht, as well as the fifth consecutive season in which San Diego opens its schedule against a formidable non-conference opponent.

Past Opening Weekend highlights include…
• 2022: San Diego hosts Oregon at Fowler Park and wins three of four against the Ducks, narrowly missing a sweep.

• 2023: USD wins its first three games at home against Nebraska before finishing in a wild 16-16 tie with the Cornhuskers in the series finale, with San Diego scoring six times in the final frame to even the score.

• 2024: Ungricht leads his team into a three-game bout at No. 16 Texas and steals a thrilling 6-5 Saturday win in extra innings, capped by then-redshirt freshman Ryan Ward's go-ahead two-run homer in the 10th and Dustin Allen stealing home as part of a double steal in the 11th.

• 2025: USD hosts No. 23 TCU at Fowler Park for a four-game Opening Weekend series.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST CHARLOTTE
• Friday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between San Diego and Charlotte. The two programs have never previously faced each other.

USD PICKED FIRST IN 2026 WCC PRESEASON POLL
• San Diego was selected as the favorite to win the 2026 West Coast Conference Baseball championship in the Conference's annual preseason coaches' poll, the WCC announced on January 21. The poll and preseason all-conference team were selected solely by a vote of the conference's 10 head coaches.

• USD claimed five of the 10 available first-place votes for a total of 77 points, edging second-place Gonzaga (four first-place votes, 73 points) and third-place Saint Mary's (one first-place vote, 67 points).

• It marks the second consecutive year that USD has been selected as the WCC's preseason favorite, after claiming the top spot in the 2025 poll as well.

• San Diego has now been picked first in the WCC preseason coaches' poll in 2016, 2017, 2025, and 2026.

2026 WCC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. San Diego (5) — 77 points
2. Gonzaga (4) — 73 points
3. Saint Mary's (1) — 67 points
4. Portland — 55 points
5. LMU — 52 points
6. Santa Clara — 38 points
7. San Francisco — 29 points
8. Pacific — 24 points
9. Pepperdine — 23 points
10. Seattle U — 12 points

2026 WCC Baseball Preseason Team — Position Players:
• Ian Armstrong, Saint Mary's
• Mikey Bell, Gonzaga
• Diego Castellanos, Saint Mary's
• Jayden Lobliner, San Diego
• Jared Mettam, Saint Mary's
• TJ Rogers, San Francisco
• Jonas Salk, Portland
• Hudson Shupe, Gonzaga
• Zion Williams, LMU

FOR STARTERS (PROBABLE)
FRIDAY — Diego Gutierrez | RHP | Graduate | Norwalk, CA | Lakewood HS / CSUN
• Graduate right-hander Diego Gutierrez is set to make his Torero debut on Opening Day in what will be his first start in a USD uniform.

• Gutierrez arrives at USD after five seasons at CSUN, where he accumulated 160.1 career innings and 132 strikeouts across 46 total appearances.

• He posted a career-best 73 strikeouts in 73.1 innings during the 2025 season, his most productive campaign on the mound and one in which he led the CSUN staff in punchouts.

• His finest single-game performance in 2025 came against Cal State Fullerton (April 5), when he struck out a career-high 10 batters in 6.2 innings.

• Gutierrez also displayed durability and the ability to work deep into games, going a career-long seven innings against UC San Diego (April 12).

• As a true freshman in 2022, he showed immediate promise with a 3-1 record and a 2.92 ERA across 16 appearances and 49.1 innings.

SATURDAY — Drake Frize | RHP | Grad. Student | Orange, CA | Orange Lutheran HS
• Graduate right-hander Drake Frize will make his highly anticipated return to the mound in Game 2, coming off a season away from the field after missing all of 2025 with an injury.

• Frize last pitched in 2024, when he was one of the most dominant relievers in the country — posting a 3-1 record and a 2.38 ERA across 18 appearances and 22.2 innings while striking out 41, walking just nine, and holding opposing batters to a .158 average.

• He also notched a pair of saves that season and was a key piece of the Toreros' bullpen on their run to both the 2024 WCC Regular Season and Tournament championships.

• Frize was selected in the 17th round (524th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a testament to his electric stuff — but chose to return to USD to rehab his arm injury and pursue a graduate certificate in Coaching and Leadership Studies.

• He earned undergraduate degrees in Business Administration and Real Estate from USD in 2024 and will be pitching for the Toreros for the final time this spring.

• A product of Orange Lutheran High School, Frize was part of back-to-back Trinity League Championships (2018 and 2019) and back-to-back National High School Invitational Championships.

• Frize's return gives the Toreros' pitching staff one of its most intriguing wildcards: an experienced, draft-caliber arm who hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a single appearance at the college level since 2023.

SUNDAY — TBD
• USD has not yet announced a starter for Game 3 on Sunday.

RECAPPING LAST SEASON
USD achieved the following in 2025:
• Won the WCC Regular Season Championship for the second consecutive season (19-5 WCC), the program's third title in the last four years under Ungricht.

• Overcame a historically difficult 3-18 start to the season to finish the campaign on a 20-12 run.

• Advanced to the WCC Tournament Championship Final at Las Vegas Ballpark, with Aden Howard's walk-off home run propelling San Diego to the title game.

• Brock Ungricht was named the 2025 WCC Coach of the Year.

WCC & POSTSEASON SUCCESS UNDER BROCK UNGRICHT
Since taking over as head coach in 2022, Brock Ungricht has built San Diego into one of the most consistently successful programs in the West Coast Conference. The Toreros have hoisted a WCC trophy in three of his four seasons at the helm and have made the postseason in two of the last four years, including an NCAA Tournament victory in each of their two appearances.

• 2022 — WCC Tournament Champions | NCAA Tournament: USD won the WCC Tournament championship in Ungricht's first season as head coach, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Toreros earned a signature win at the Corvallis Regional by defeating Vanderbilt.

• 2024 — WCC Regular Season Champions | WCC Tournament Champions | NCAA Tournament: San Diego dominated the WCC, winning both the regular season title — its first outright since 2015 — and the WCC Tournament championship. The Toreros advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time under Ungricht and won an elimination game against Fresno State at the Santa Barbara Regional before falling to host UC Santa Barbara in an elimination game.

• 2025 — WCC Regular Season Champions | WCC Tournament Final: USD claimed its second consecutive WCC Regular Season Championship despite a historically difficult 3-18 start to the year. The Toreros rallied to go 19-5 in WCC play, then advanced to the WCC Tournament Championship Final at Las Vegas Ballpark — propelled by Aden Howard's walk-off home run in the semifinal — before falling just one run short of an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

In total, Ungricht's Toreros have won two WCC Regular Season Championships (2024 and 2025), two WCC Tournament Championships (2022 and 2024), made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2022 and 2024), and won at least one game in each of those tournament appearances.

KEY RETURNERS
Jayden Lobliner | C | Senior | St. Charles, IL | St. Charles North HS / Kansas State
• The 2025 WCC Defensive Player of the Year returns as one of the most accomplished catchers in the conference.

• Lobliner hit .286 in 52 games with an OPS of .815 in 2025, providing consistent offense to go with his award-winning defense.

• He came to USD ahead of the 2025 season after spending two seasons at Kansas State, where he appeared in 50 career games and slashed .252/.350/.361.

Aden Howard | OF | RS Sophomore | Carrollton, TX | Hebron HS / Dallas Baptist
• Howard was one of the defining players of USD's thrilling 2025 WCC Tournament run, earning WCC All-Tournament Team honors after his walk-off home run in the semifinal at Las Vegas Ballpark.

• He hit .272 on the season with nine stolen bases on 13 attempts in 2025, giving the Toreros a dynamic presence in the outfield.

• He joined USD ahead of the 2025 season from Dallas Baptist, where he spent his true freshman year.

Adrian Beltre Jr. | INF/RHP | Sophomore | Bradbury, CA | Maranatha HS
• The son of 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Beltre earned 2025 All-WCC Freshman Team honors in his debut season, hitting .257 with four home runs in 44 games while also contributing on the mound.

• The Bradbury, California native and Maranatha High School alum batted .330 during his senior prep season with a .435 on-base percentage, 31 runs scored, and 22 RBIs.

Connor Meidroth | INF | Soph. | Manhattan Beach, CA | El Camino College
• The younger brother of former Torero Chase Meidroth — who was named to the 2022 All-WCC First Team before being selected by the Boston Red Sox in that year's MLB Draft — played in 39 games in 2025 and hit .269.

• Meidroth brings experience at multiple infield positions and WCC familiarity heading into his sophomore season.

Fernando Palencia | RHP | Sophomore | South El Monte, CA | Arcadia HS
• Palencia got better as his freshman campaign went on, logging four scoreless outings in his last five appearances down the stretch — including high-leverage action in the WCC Tournament.

Vincent Venverloh | INF | Sophomore | San Diego, CA | Cathedral Catholic HS
• The San Diego native and Cathedral Catholic alum enters his sophomore year off one of the standout performances of the 2025 WCC Tournament, hitting .429 (6-for-14) with seven RBI and two doubles across the conference tournament — one of the best individual performances on the field in Las Vegas.

• Venverloh was at his best in the Toreros' come-from-behind win over LMU in the tournament's elimination bracket, delivering a two-RBI double in the seventh inning to help flip a 4-run deficit and retake the lead at 9-8. He added two more RBI via walks in the eighth as USD pulled away for a 14-8 victory.

• Batting in the No. 9 spot for much of the tournament, Venverloh was a catalyst in USD's charge through the bracket and continued his strong play all the way through the WCC Championship Final against Saint Mary's, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored in that game.

WORKING THE PORTAL
• San Diego added 13 transfers ahead of the 2026 season, joining the Toreros from schools including Stanford, Cal, Columbia, Cal Poly, Oklahoma State, Gonzaga, NJIT, Loyola Marymount, San Diego State, CSUN, and El Camino College.

Gabe Springer | UTIL | Graduate | Boulder, CO | Fairview HS / Stanford
• Springer arrives at USD after spending four seasons at Stanford, becoming the first Cardinal transfer to join the Toreros under Ungricht, who coached there from 2011-2016.

• He earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford and brings Pac-12/ACC-caliber experience to the Torero lineup as a graduate utility player who can contribute at multiple positions.

• Springer was part of Stanford's 2023 Pac-12 Championship team.

Logan Piper | LHP | Graduate | Vacaville, CA | Vacaville HS / Cal
• Piper is a left-handed pitcher who arrives from Cal, where he spent his undergraduate career with the Golden Bears.

• His southpaw arm gives the Toreros a valuable commodity in a rotation and bullpen that is being rebuilt after the departures of two right-handed starters.

• Piper adds veteran left-handed depth to what has historically been a right-hand-heavy Torero staff.

Jagger Edwards | LHP | Graduate | San Antonio, TX | Reagan HS / Columbia
• Edwards brings an Ivy League pedigree to the Torero pitching staff, arriving at USD after his career at Columbia.

• The 6-foot-2, 205-pound left-hander adds another southpaw arm to the staff and his strong academic profile fits the mold of the high-character, high-ceiling players Ungricht has prioritized in the portal.

Nico Button | C | Graduate | San Mateo, CA | Serra HS / Cal
• Button joins Lobliner to give USD one of the deepest catcher tandems in the WCC, arriving from Cal, where he spent his undergraduate career.

• A San Mateo native who prepped at Serra High School, Button provides veteran catching experience and familiarity with the Bay Area baseball pipeline.

• His addition gives Ungricht flexibility behind the plate and adds experienced depth at one of the most demanding positions on the field.

Gage Mestas | UTIL | Graduate | Durango, CO | Durango HS / Gonzaga
• Mestas comes to USD from conference rival Gonzaga, making him one of the most WCC-savvy newcomers on the roster with an intimate understanding of the league's top programs.

•  Mestas was one of Gonzaga's most consistent offensive contributors in 2025, batting .352 with 37 hits, 22 RBI and 22 runs scored — third-best average on the team — while also tying for the team lead with seven stolen bases.

•  He totaled 28 starts for the Zags last season, and his contact-first approach gives USD a versatile bat that can play multiple positions across the field.
Nate DeSchryver | RHP | Graduate | Silverdale, WA | Bainbridge Island HS / Gonzaga & NJIT

• DeSchryver is a right-handed pitcher who brings a well-traveled resume to Fowler Park, having pitched at both Gonzaga and NJIT over the course of his career.

• The Silverdale, Washington native gives the Toreros another experienced arm with multi-program familiarity and the durability that comes with graduate-level pitching experience.

Kyle Bade | INF | Junior | Plano, TX | Plano Senior HS / Oklahoma State
• Bade arrives at USD after two seasons pitching in the Big 12 at Oklahoma State, bringing Power Four experience to a Torero rotation and bullpen that is adding depth across the board in 2026.

• He earned Academic All-Big 12 honors at Oklahoma State in 2025, reflecting the kind of high-character profile Ungricht has prioritized in the portal.

• Bade was a standout prep arm at Plano Senior High School in Texas, where he was a three-time first-team all-district performer. As a senior he went 6-3 with a 1.07 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 59 innings, earning All-Area Second Team honors from the Dallas Morning News.

CJ Moran | UTIL | Soph. | Murrieta, CA | Murrieta Mesa HS / San Diego State
• Moran arrives at USD after being one of the most productive freshmen in the Mountain West in 2025, when he batted .377 with 60 hits, 36 RBI, 25 runs scored and 77 total bases across 44 starts for the Aztecs.

• His .943 OPS and .458 on-base percentage reflect a disciplined approach at the plate to go with his natural hit tool: Moran drew 20 walks and was hit by eight pitches, reaching base at an elite clip for a true freshman.

• He was SDSU's cleanup hitter for much of the season and ranked among the Mountain West leaders in batting average and on-base percentage, cementing himself as one of the conference's best freshman bats.

• Had a nine-game hitting streak mid-season during which he batted .500 (16-for-32) with three doubles, seven RBIs and nine runs scored,

Andrew Gauna | OF | Grad. | San Diego, CA | Patrick Henry HS / San Diego Mesa
•  The San Diego native is one of the most intriguing power bats in USD's portal class, arriving after leading CSUN in home runs in 2025 with a team-high eight on the season — up from three homers in 2024, more than doubling his output in his final year with the Matadors.

•  Gauna slashed .311/.373/.557 in 2025 with 38 hits, 27 RBI and 26 runs scored in 36 games, showing plus raw power to go with on-base ability. His .557 slugging percentage ranked among the best on the CSUN roster.

•  He was especially dangerous in Big West play, clubbing seven of his eight homers and driving in 23 of his 27 RBI in 26 conference games

•  His biggest stretch of the season came against UC San Diego, where he homered twice and drove in three runs in a win at Triton Ballpark on April 11, then homered again in the series finale the following Sunday — going deep three times across the weekend series.

•  Gauna brings a well-rounded local pedigree: he's a Patrick Henry High School product who tied the all-time hits record at San Diego Mesa College before earning two all-conference honors and All-SoCal Region Second Team recognition with the Olympians in 2023.

TRUE FRESHMEN
Nine true freshmen join the 2026 Torero roster, bringing a wave of young talent from top programs across California and beyond.

Those players include…
• Phoenix Brant | RHP/1B | Point Loma, CA — A two-way player from Point Loma, Brant is one of the most geographically local additions in the 2026 class and brings versatility as both a pitcher and a first baseman.

• Christian Garcia | RHP | San Diego, CA | Clairemont HS — The 6-foot-3, 250-pound right-hander from Clairemont High School is a San Diego native who adds size and projection to the Torero pitching staff.

• Diego Gonzalez | INF | El Dorado, CA, | El Dorado HS — An infield prospect who gives the Toreros a young option in the middle of the diamond.

• Lucas Shannon | RHP | Tucson, AZ | Salpointe Catholic HS — A 6-foot-3 right-hander from Salpointe Catholic in Tucson, Shannon was one of the top arms in the Arizona prep class.

• Caleb Sebek | RHP | Ventura, CA | Ventura HS — A right-handed pitcher from Ventura, Sebek is one of several freshman arms who could push for a roster role early in the season.

HOMETOWN HEROES
Seven players on the 2026 USD roster hail from the San Diego area or attended local high schools, continuing one of the program's most cherished traditions of representing America's Finest City:

• Andrew Gauna | San Diego, CA | Patrick Henry HS | San Diego Mesa

• Cade Martinez | San Diego, CA | St. Augustine HS

• Vincent Venverloh | San Diego, CA | Cathedral Catholic HS

• Christian Garcia | San Diego, CA | Clairemont HS

• Chaz McRoberts | La Mesa, CA | St. Augustine HS

• Phoenix Brant | Point Loma, CA | Point Loma HS

• Porter Rovin | Carlsbad, CA | Sage Creek HS

2026 SCHEDULE NOTES
• 51 games total
• 26 home games at Fowler Park
• 25 road games
• 27 West Coast Conference games
• 24 non-conference games
• Road trip to Charlotte, N.C. (Feb. 13–15) marks the program's first East Coast opening series under Brock Ungricht
• Home opener: February 20 vs. Utah at Fowler Park
• USC (Mar. 11, road) — first meeting since 2024
• UC Irvine (Apr. 7, road; May 5, home)
• Cal State Fullerton (Mar. 24, home; Apr. 14, road)
• WCC Home series: Gonzaga (Mar. 20–22), Santa Clara (Apr. 2–4), Seattle U (Apr. 17–19), Saint Mary's (Apr. 24–26), LMU (May 14–16)
• WCC Road series: Pepperdine (Mar. 27–29), San Francisco (Apr. 10–12), Portland (Apr. 30–May 2), Pacific (May 8–10)
• 2026 WCC Tournament: May 20–23 at Scottsdale Stadium