UCSD Baseball Team, Pitcher Shibuya Going Strong

Tim Shibuya broke another career record and Evan Kehoe closed in on a number of schools records as the No. 17-ranked UCSD baseball team swept a four-game series with Cal State Stanislaus, running its winning streak to a season-best seven straight.

With their first series sweep of the season, the Tritons improved to 28-12 overall and 21-11 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play.

On Friday, in a 4-1 win, Shibuya, the senior from Jackson, WY, struck out four Warriors to become UCSD's all-time leader in Ks. With 71 strikeouts this season, Shibuya has 286 for his career, topping Rick Nowak’s total of 283 between 1986 and 1988. Shibuya (7-3) took over UCSD's career wins and career innings pitched records earlier this season.

On Sunday Kehoe, an infielder,  went 3-for-5, with a home run and double and five RBIs as the Tritons banged out a season-high 18 hits in an 18-1 win over Cal State Stanislaus at Triton Ballpark.

The last time UC San Diego scored more than 18 runs was Apr. 30, 2010 in a 19-3 victory at San Francisco State. That was also the last time the team booked over 18 hits as it produced 24 against the Gators.

Kehoe currently has 292 hits and needs 38 to break the school record of 329. He’s amassed 61 career doubles and needs five more to own that record. In the RBI department, Kehoe has 183 for his career, 26 short of the record.
 
Left fielder Aaron Bauman and infielder Matt Hubbard each had three hits for UCSD on Sunday.

Bauman also homered in the sixth, a solo bomb over the center field fence. Hubbard finished with a pair of RBI. Center fielder Danny Susdorf, left fielder Scott Liske, designated hitter Nick La Face and shortstop Grant Bauer all had two hits each for the Tritons.
 
Not to be lost among all of the offense, starting pitcher Jeff Rauh threw a solid five innings to improve to 2-2. He gave up just the one run on three hits and struck out three while walking four. Eric Abraham, Daniel Simmons and Greg Selarz combined for four scoreless innings to finish the game.

On Saturday UCSD swept a doubleheader with Stanislaus by matching 2-1 victories.

Pinch runner Scott Liske scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one. Designated hitter Nick La Face drove in the winning run in the last of the sixth in game two.

UCSD starter Guido Knudson (5-3) threw a gem, striking out 10 batters, one short of his career high, in the complete-game effort in game one. He gave up just one unearned run on eight hits and walked none.

For his efforts Knudson was named CCAA Baseball Picher of the Week.

A senior from Bonita, Calif., he holds a 2.69 ERA and is second on the team with 70.1 innings pitched. His 60 strikeouts also rank second on the staff. Knudson has amassed a solid 25-12 record on the hill since 2008, his freshman season. His win total ranks fifth in program history.

Triton game two starter Taylor Austin threw 5.1 innings and gave up one run on four hits while striking out five but didn't figure in the decision. Reliever Tony York tossed one scoreless frame to improve to 2-0, while Elias Tuma earned his fourth save in the last five games.
 
UCSD hosts a two-game series against non-conference opponent Academy of Art on Friday and Saturday. Friday's game is under the Triton Ballpark lights with a 6 p.m. start, while Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for noon.

SOFTBALL

A four-game series did nothing to separate the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s top two teams this weekend, as No. 11 UC San Diego maintained its half-game lead over Sonoma State after splitting a pair of doubleheaders with the Seawolves last Friday and Saturday.

The Tritons are 31-10 overall and 19-8 in CCAA play while the Seawolves moved to 31-18, 21-11 CCAA.

On Saturday UCSD won the first game, 2-0 and Sonoma took the second 7-6. On Friday, Sonoma won the opener, 2-1, but the Tritons came back with an 8-2 victory.

Both teams have four games remaining in league play before the CCAA postseason tournament at the end of the month.
 
Camille Gaito (22-2) allowed two hits in the 2-0 win on Saturday for the Tritons. Her seventh shutout marked her 19th complete game and third two-hitter of the season.
 
Gaito was on the losing end in game one on Friday after   giving up a seventh inning home run to Sonoma’s Ali Palermo.

Gaito won her third Worth/CAA Pitcher of the Week award for the week of April 4-10.

Her victory total this season already ranks third in a single season by any Triton player and her 52 career wins are third-most in school history. Still a junior, she needs just 10 more victories to break Melissa Ward’s (2005-08) school record of 61 wins.

Prior to Saturday's game one, six Triton seniors- Lyndsay Gaylord, Rhiannon Ousley, Katrin Gabriel, Sarah Woofter, Jennifer De Fazio and Kris Lesovsky- were honored for their years of service to the UCSD softball program.

UCSD will have its CCAA regular season destiny in its hands when it travels this weekend to Cal State East Bay for a pair of doubleheaders in Hayward. Friday’s game one will start at 1 p.m. while Saturday’s games will get under way at 11 a.m.
 
 TRACK & FIELD

UC San Diego track and field teams won a total of 11 events during the two-day Soka Peace Invitational as both men’s and women’s teams gear up for this weekend’s Triton Invitational.

Triton women recording top marks in seven events and the men posting victories in four. In addition, three student-athletes earned NCAA provisional qualifying marks

On Friday junior Ab Shaheen won the men's hammer throw with a solid toss of 183'7". He not only recorded an NCAA provisional qualifier with his performance, but he also set a new Lebanese national record, as the Trabuco Canyon native is a dual U.S. and Lebanese citizen.
 
UCSD's other two NCAA qualifiers came in the 400 hurdles, as Deyna Roberson and Lauren Irish collected pro marks in the event. Roberson finished second with a time of 1:02.14, while Irish was third at 1:02.34. Point Loma's Victoria Anderson had the top time at 1:01.40.
 
The Triton women recorded three individual victories on the track as Kelly Fogarty won the 100 hurdles (11.68), Jacqueline Rose placed first in the 400 (56.38) and Caitlin Meagher posted the top time in the 100 hurdles (14.79).
 
Bailey Weaver, Kathleen Hitchens, Rose and Fogarty teamed to win the women's 4x100 relay with a time of 47.18.
 
Erin Langford earned a victory for the jumps team with a leap of 37'4" in the triple jump, while Danielle Thu and Shana Emile recorded wins in throwing events. Thu won the discus with a toss of 139'6" and Emile captured first place in the hammer with a mark of 146'1".
 
Clint Rosser was one of four individual event winners for UCSD on the men's side, clearing 15'1" to best the field in the pole vault.
 
The Triton men were dominant in the throwing events, as Ryan Eckert and Zachary Nagengast joined Shaheen on the podium. Eckert took first place in the shot put with a toss of 49'5", while Nagengast won the discus at 156'6".

The annual UCSD Triton Invitational will be held this Friday and Saturday at the Triton Track and Field Stadium on campus.
 
WOMEN’S WATER POLO

The No. 20 UC San Diego women’s water polo team fell to No. 6 Michigan, 11-7, in non-conference play Saturday in Canyonview Pool.

Reigning Western Water Polo Association Player of the Week Sarah Lizotte led the Tritons for the seventh consecutive game with three goals.The loss snaps UCSD’s three-match win-streak after the squad took down Santa Clara, Colorado State and Cal State San Bernardino in succession at The Bronco.

The Tritons will wrap-up their season this Friday at 3 p.m. at San Diego State in The Harper Cup.

Then, UCSD will head to Hayward for the WWPA Championships, Apr. 30 - May 2. The Tritons earned the conference’s No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season 9-1 against WWPA opponents. They trail only No. 8 Loyola Marymount (11-0) in the WWPA standings.

 Prior to the match, UCSD seniors Hanalei Crowell, Orozco, and Stephanie Sasaki were honored for their years of service to the women’s water polo program.

UCSD is 14-17 overall on the year. Michigan improves to 28-4.

 MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

 Joel Davidson and Shane Veiga combined for 25 kills, but the 11th-ranked UC San Diego men's volleyball team fell in straight sets to No. 3 UC Irvine Saturday at RIMAC Arena. It was the final match of the season for the Tritons and the last career outing for four seniors.
 
Scores went 25-19, 25-15 and 25-21 in favor of UC Irvine, which improved to 18-11 overall and 14-8 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with its sixth consecutive victory. UC San Diego finished its season at 9-20 and 5-17.
 
Veiga led all players with 13 kills on a .500 attack percentage at opposite hitter. Outside Davidson, one of the four seniors, put away 12 kills, the sixth time he's finished with a double-digit kill total this season. Senior middle Paul Spitsen got the start and didn't waste the opportunity. He set a new career-high with five kills and matched his career-best .333 attack percentage.
 
Also playing in their final contest for the Tritons was setter Phil Bannan and middle blocker Calvin Ross. Bannan, the school's all-time leader in assists and service aces, had 36 assists, an ace and a block against the Anteaters. Bannan and libero Chase Frishman each had a match-high six digs. Ross, who became UCSD's career leader in blocks earlier this season, had five points on two kills and three blocks.
 
Bannan amassed 4,399 assists, 110 aces and 522 digs, making him just the fifth Triton to total over 500 scoops in a season.
 
The squads split the season series as UCSD upset UCI, 3-1, in Irvine back in January.
 
UCSD tied for a 10th-place finish in the MPSF with Cal State Northridge and Pacific.

MEN’S CREW

The UC San Diego men's crew team had three boats racing in the finals of the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship Regatta on Sunday and two of the three came away with second place finishes on Melton Hill Lake.
 
The Tritons claimed second place out of six squads in both the Novice Eight and Junior Varsity Eight races, while the Varsity Eight finished in sixth place following a disappointing miscue.
  
The University of Virginia had the top boat in both the Novice Eight and Junior Varsity Eight, while Florida Tech posted the top time in the Varsity Eight race.
  
The Novice Eight started UCSD's day off with a bang, beating Purdue, George Washington, Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina. The Tritons were neck and neck with Virginia and the race came down to the officials' call of the photo finish. The difference proved to be .15 seconds in the favor of the Cavaliers, as UCSD's time of 6:02.00 was just shy of Virginia's 6:01.85.
 
The Tritons again found themselves trailing the Cavaliers in another tight battle in the Junior Varsity Eight race. UCSD recorded a final time of 5:57.90, one second behind Virginia, which clocked in at 5:56.90. The Tritons finished three seconds ahead of third-place Temple, with the rest of the field, including George Washington, Jacksonville and St. Joseph, in fourth through sixth place, respectively.
 
UC San Diego's Varsity Eight had a great start and a solid performance, but one mishap spoiled their hopes for a victory in the final. After the 500-meter mark, the Tritons caught a crab and were unable to recover, although they were able to catch back up to the pack towards the end of the race. Despite the late charge, UCSD finished in last place with a time of 6:13.04, 11.34 seconds behind champion Florida Tech. When it was all said and done, fifth-place Jacksonville finished less than two seconds in front of the Tritons.
 
The Tritons will return to competition with the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championship Regatta, which is scheduled for April 30 and May 1 in Rancho Cordova.

 WOMEN’S CREW

The UC San Diego women's crew team swept all five races against UC Irvine in a series of dual races at Mission Bay on Saturday winning the Varsity Eight, Novice Eight, Varsity Four, Lightweight Four and Novice Four in a dominant performance.

The regatta was the Tritons' last home competition of the season, so it was also Senior Day for the team’s five graduating seniors.

The Novice Eight was UCSD's first race of the day, with the Tritons beating out UC Irvine for the victory. UCSD posted a time of 7:38.2, which was well in front of UCI, considering the Tritons caught their blade on a wash and it twisted out of six seat's hands. Irvine would catch up and make it close, but the Tritons pulled back into the lead over the final 1,000 meters.
 
The Lightweight Four and Novice Four led from start to finish for a clean sweep. The Lightweight Four boat won by 14 seconds, while the Novice Four's victory came by nearly a full minute.
 
The Tritons' Varsity Four powered out to start opening up on UC Irvine's top four rowers. The final 500 meters was a neck and neck battle, but UCSD would prevail in the closest finish of the day, winning by half a second.
 
UC San Diego's Varsity Eight opened with the lead and continued to hold it after the first 30 strokes. They managed to record hull speeds in the race, which ended up being the highest of the season, and went on to win by 18 seconds to compete the sweep of the Anteaters.
 
“Our goal is to be at our fastest at the end of the season and we are beginning to see it all come together,” said coach Pattie Pinkerton “We have a few more things we can sharpen up and we are really looking forward to the Western Intercollegiate Championships in two weeks.”
 
Saturday marked the last time five seniors would race at Mission Bay. This group included Denise Kleckner, who was on the varsity squad for four years and was a co-captain this season. Kelly Temes also knotted four years on the varsity, while Daisy Orta, another captain, and Julie Montes were three-year members of varsity. Jennifer Burke rounded out the seniors with two years on varsity.
 
UCSD is back in action with the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships April 30 and May 1 in Gold River, Calif.

MEN'S GOLF

The UC San Diego men's golf team carded a final round 302 on Tuesday, finishing in sixth place out of eight teams at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships at the Hunter Ranch Golf Course. Senior Keith Okasaki finished tied for 11th place individually to lead the way.

The Tritons were in fifth place at +17, 593 after the first two rounds of play on Monday, but dropped one spot in the team standings following their second consecutive 302. UCSD, which opened the tournament with a 291 in the first round, wrapped things up with a final tally of +31, 895, eight strokes behind fifth place Cal State San Bernardino.

The Tritons have now finished in sixth place at the conference tournament in each of the last four seasons.

Okasaki entered the day four strokes behind the leader at 2-under par following rounds of 70 and 72 on Monday, but carded a 75 in the final round to fall out of contention. The Sacramento native finished at +1, 217 overall, which was his lowest total in a tournament this season.

Okasaki came in one shot in front of teammate Lewis Simon, who finished in a two-way tie for 13th place at +2, 218. After posting rounds of 71 and 72 on Monday, Simon finished with a 75 on Tuesday. David Smith carded UCSD's best round of the day, turning in a 71 to wrap up the tournament at +12, 228. His score was good enough for a share of 26th place.

Daniel De La Torre rounded out the scoring for the Tritons, finishing with a three-round total of +18, 234. He followed rounds of 74 and 79 on Monday with an 81 on Tuesday.

Cal State Monterey Bay, which held a four shot lead entering the final round, carded a 279 to hold off Chico State and secure a second consecutive CCAA Championship. The Otters finished at minus-18, 846 overall, posting the lowest total at the conference championships since the 2001 season. The Wildcats made a late charge to make things interesting in the final two rounds, but wound up two strokes shy of Monterey Bay's total at minus-16.

Cal State Stanislaus finished third at 12,-over 876, while Sonoma State was fourth at 883.

Cal State Monterey Bay's Scott Yeakel won individual medalist honors on the third playoff hole against teammate Oskar Nystrom and Chico State's Kyle Souza. The trio posted identical scores of 6-under 210 through three rounds.

Last week the men's golf team carded a final round 289 to finish 12th out of 20 teams competing at the 38th Annual Hanny Stanislaus Invitational at the Turlock Golf and Country Club.
 
The Tritons were sitting in 16th place with a two-round total of 618 (306-312) at the end of the day on Monday, but they came back with a strong effort in the third round to climb four spots in the final team standings. UCSD wrapped up the tournament with a final tally of +43, 907, seven strokes in front of Cal State East Bay and Hawaii-Hilo, which tied for 13th place.

The Tritons' 289 was not only the third-best round of the day, it also marked the squad's lowest round of the season, topping a 290 in the final round of the Cal State San Marcos Cougar Invitational back in February.

--Compiled from press releases issued by the UCSD sports information office