Tritons Finish Best Season in Baseball Team’s History
Team takes runner up at College World Series

Ioana Patringenaru and Ryan Hall | June 1, 2010

Outfielder Kyle Saul hit a home run for UC San Diego Saturday.

UC San Diego’s baseball team ended its best season in history Saturday with an appearance in the College World Series championship game in Cary, N.C.  The Tritons had an early lead but fell 6-4 to the University of Southern Indiana.

"Our guys did exactly what they needed to do and battled to the very end," said UCSD Head Coach Dan O'Brien. "They stayed resilient, they stayed loose. We just didn't get it done. I can't tell you how proud I am of this ball club for how they go about their business day in and day out."

To come this far and fall short was painful, O’Brien said later. The team was prepared and composed but made uncharacteristic mistakes that added up to the loss of the game, he said. O’Brien also said his first thoughts were with the team’s seniors. “I wanted this so badly for them,” he said. Over time, students will realize that this has been the best experience in their life as athletes, he predicted. “It was an incredible season,” he said.
The team already shares a sense of pride, said Kellen Lee, one of the Tritons’ catchers, who will be a senior next year. “I’m proud of the brotherhood we created,” he said Sunday by phone from North Carolina, as he was waiting for the plane that would take him and his teammates back to San Diego.  

Lee had spoken and shared his feelings in front of the whole team Saturday. He thanked the team’s seniors. “I’m just proud of everybody and of how far everybody has come,” he said.  Lee also said he wanted to emphasize how much the team appreciated all the support from the university, students and the UCSD community.

Coach Dan O'Brien and teammates during a conference at the mound.

More than 150 students packed Home Plate Café near RIMAC Saturday to watch the championship game and root for the Tritons. Getting to know the players’ personalities was fun, said Kelsey Quigley, a Roosevelt College sophomore. The announcer also gave a shout out to the GPAs of the UCSD athletes, he added. “It was exciting to hear the cheers,” Quigley said. “I’ve never been in this kind of place where everyone was rooting for the same team. It’s the first time I’ve seen so many students come together like this to watch a UCSD event.”

Back in Cary, spending time with fellow student athletes was definitely the highlight of the week, said shortstop Vince Albitz. “It was perfect pretty much until the last day,” he said. Between games, students found time to attend minor league baseball games and visit Duke University and the University of North Carolina.

They also ate a lot of meals together. A favorite spot was Jason’s Deli, a restaurant near their hotel. Someone on the team would end up eating there at least once or twice every day, Albitz said. He got the Ruben sandwich every time.

One of Albitz’ favorite memories from the past week is watching teammate Grant Bauer hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to deliver the win for UCSD during the Tritons’ first game in Cary. The team had to claw their way to victory against Georgia State and College University.

The Tritons’ performance improved in their second game, when they dominated the University of Central Missouri 2-1. Pitcher Matt Rossman, the team’s captain and a senior, took a no-hitter into the eighth and allowed a total of just two hits in the game’s 11 innings.
“Right now all I can talk about is the courageous outing that Matt Rossman just gave us," head coach O'Brien said at the time. "He's a senior, he's a veteran, he's our team captain, but most importantly, he's a flat-out winner."

Senior first baseman Brandon Gregorich went 3-for-5 with a run scored, but it wasn't enough Saturday.

The Tritons went on to defeat New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce University to secure a spot in the championship game. The Triton offense pounded their opponents pitching for 13 hits and six runs Thursday, overcoming the team's first deficit of the tournament behind a three-run sixth inning.

"It was just a great team win tonight," O'Brien said. "We found a way to score some runs. This program's all about playing team ball and that was a great team win."

The Tritons then came up short against Southern Indiana Saturday in the championship game. UCSD jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Indiana rallied for three runs in the second and added two more in the fourth to take control. The Tritons would pull to within two in the eighth, but their comeback bid ultimately fell short and the Screaming Eagles held on to claim the program's first national championship.
After the championship, Coach O’Brien already had an answer when asked about the baseball team’s plans for the future. Watching another team celebrate a championship win is all the motivation his athletes need to come back next year and take the title, he said. Lee, the catcher, echoed his coach’s comments.

“We’re going to come back next year and take care of business,” he said.

Ken Grosse contributed to this story.