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LA JOLLA, Calif. \u2013\u00a0UC San Diego softball returns home to host Long Beach State in a pivotal Big West series. The Tritons look to get back on track after dropping a series last weekend in Fullerton. UC San Diego (12-18 overall, 2-7 Big West) has performed well at home, posting an 11-3 mark in La Jolla, including a 2-1 conference record here. Long Beach State (18-13, 6-3) had won five straight Big West games before dropping its final two to Hawai’i last weekend at home. All three games from Triton Softball Field this weekend will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with live stats on UCSDTritons.com. Friday’s game can also be heard on KSDT radio.<\/p>\n
SERIES DETAILS ABOUT THE BEACH FOLLOW THE TRITONS
\nUC San Diego vs. Long Beach State
\nFriday, 5 p.m. ESPN+<\/a> | KSDT Radio<\/a> | Live Stats<\/a>
\nSaturday, 1 p.m. ESPN+<\/a> | Live Stats<\/a>
\nSaturday game two ESPN+<\/a> | Live Stats<\/a>
\n\u00a0
\nABOUT THE TRITONS
\nRoster<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Schedule<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Stats<\/a>
\nOverall: 12-18
\nBig West:\u00a02-7
\nHome:\u00a011-3
\nAway:\u00a00-8
\nNeutral:\u00a01-7
\nStreak: L4<\/p>\n
\nRoster\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Schedule<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Stats<\/a>
\nOverall: 18-13
\nBig West:\u00a06-3
\nHome:\u00a05-7
\nAway:\u00a03-2
\nNeutral:\u00a010-4
\nStreak: L2
\n\u00a0
\nUP NEXT
\nUC San Diego continues Big West action next weekend, traveling to UC Riverside. The Tritons visit the Highlanders for a doubleheader on Friday followed by a Saturday game at 1 p.m. All three games can be seen on ESPN+ with live stats available on UCSDTritons.com.
\n\u00a0
\nOFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
\nUC San Diego’s .309 team batting average, .451 slugging percentage, and 143 runs batted in are all third best in The Big West. The Tritons are also third The Big West in scoring (149 runs) and third in home runs (22).
\n\u00a0
\nCHERRY BOMB(S)
\nSophomore designated player Maalia Cherry<\/a> is having a miraculous season at the plate. Entering this weekend, she leads The Big West in on-base percentage (.516) and home runs (seven). Cherry is second in the conference with a .704 slugging percentage, 1.220 OPS, 28 runs batted in, and 19 walks.
\n\u00a0
\nMAALIA MAKES HER MARK
\nUC San Diego sophomore designated player\u00a0Maalia Cherry<\/a><\/a>\u00a0was named The Big West Softball Field Player\u00a0of the Week (Feb. 16) after a dominant performance in the USD\/UCSD Co-Host Tournament. A first\u00a0year\u00a0Triton, Cherry ripped nine\u00a0hits\u00a0in 12 at-bats (.750 batting average)\u00a0\u2014\u00a0including\u00a0a double and two homers\u00a0\u2014\u00a0as UC San Diego went a\u00a0perfect 6-0. Cherry slashed .750\/1.333\/.778 for the week, walking four times while not striking out.
\n\u00a0
\nDYLAN DELIVERS
\nFreshman catcher Dylan Kunkle<\/a> was named UCU Athlete of the Week (Feb. 23). She was 4-for-9 (.444) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a two-run homer. She scored a pair of runs and drove in three, making two starts at Mary Nutter.
\n\u00a0
\nSETTEMBRO STARTS STRONG
\nFreshman RHP Bella Settembro<\/a> was named Big West Freshman of the Week (Feb. 9). Playing in her first collegiate games, Settembro picked up a win and a save for the Tritons out of the bullpen in the La Jolla Invitational. For the week, she threw seven shutout innings, scattering four walks and seven hits. In her collegiate debut, Settembro threw five shutout innings in relief to secure a 6-2 win over Wagner. The following night, Settembro earned her first save, shutting the door with two scoreless innings as UC San Diego blanked 2025 NCAA Tournament participant Saint Louis, 3-0.
\n\u00a0
\nMARLEY’S MARK
\nFirst-year Triton Marley Espiau<\/a> had a strong UC San Diego debut. She hit .571 (8-for-14) with a homer and nine runs batted in as the Tritons went 4-1 at the fifth annual La Jolla Invitational (Feb. 5-7). Five of her nine hits went for extra bases and she scored six runs.\u00a0Espiau\u00a0had an RBI double and a three-run homer in an 11-3 win over 2025 NCAA tournament team Saint Louis on Feb. 6.
\n\u00a0
\nHOME COOKING
\nUC San Diego is 11-3 at Triton Softball Field so far this season. The Tritons’ 11 home victories are second most in the conference behind Cal State Fullerton.
\n\u00a0
\nCHERRY SELECTED TO D1SOFTBALL PRESEASON TOP 100
\nUC San Diego sophomore Maalia Cherry<\/a><\/a>\u00a0has been named to the inaugural D1Softball Preseason Mid-Major D100 list. A first-year Triton, Cherry played her freshman season at Cal State Bakersfield, posting a .336 batting average with 13 home runs and 37 runs batted in. Cherry led The Big West with an OPS of 1.129 and her 13 homers ranked second. During conference play, Cherry paced The Big West with a .526 slugging percentage.
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\nCHERRY NAMED TO BIG WEST PRESEASON TEAM
\nUC San Diego softball was selected to finish in a tie for fourth place in The Big West, as announced in the 2026 Big West Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Tritons were awarded 50 points by the conference’s head coaches and sophomore\u00a0Maalia Cherry<\/a><\/a>\u00a0was named to the preseason team.
\n\u00a0
\nHEAD COACH NIKKI PALMER
\nNow in her second season, Nikki Palmer<\/a> ’07 became the 12th coach in program history, taking over the\u00a0Triton squad which recently completed its four-year NCAA reclassification period from Division II to Division I with 14 All-Big West selections, a Big West pitcher of the year, and three NFCA All-Region selections.
\n\u00a0
\nIn her eight seasons at the helm of UC Riverside, Palmer became the winningest head coach in program history in 2023 and tallied her 200th career-win in the same season. Out of her eight seasons, Palmer holds five of the winningest seasons on the top 10 list.
\n\u00a0
\nYOUTH MOVEMENT
\nSeven true freshmen will don the blue and gold this season: RHP Alyanna Gonzales<\/a>, RHP Bella Settembro<\/a>, RHP Auddrey Lira<\/a>, RHP Callie Howard<\/a>, middle infielder Tori Hinostro<\/a>, utility Gianna Ioja<\/a>, LHP Zo\u00eb Rutherford<\/a>, and catcher Dylan Kunkle<\/a>.
\n\u00a0
\nTRANSFER TALENT
\nThree transfers joined the Tritons for the 2026 season: Maalia Cherry<\/a> (Cal State Bakersfield), Marley Espiau<\/a> (Utah) and Tyla Arbuckle<\/a> (West Valley College).
\n\u00a0
\nWHY THE TRITONS?
\nThe Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego’s close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
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\nUC SAN DIEGO TO THE WCC
\nIn the fall, UC San Diego announced that it has accepted an invitation to join the West Coast Conference beginning in 2027-28. Triton softball will face a trio of WCC foes this season: Pacific, Seattle U, and USD.
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\nSOFTBALL TALK ON UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS’ PODCAST
\nProduced by UC San Diego Athletics, Tritoncast features in-depth interviews with UC San Diego personalities including scholar-athletes, alums, coaches, and administrators. New episodes are available on the most popular podcasting apps and UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on X @Tritoncast.
\n\u00a0
\nANDY FEE NAMED ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT UC SAN DIEGO
\nAndy Fee<\/a> took the helm of UC San Diego Athletics in September, just the fourth Director of Athletics at UC San Diego since 1966. Fee joined the Tritons after spending the 2024-25 season as Deputy AD at Seattle University. Prior to Seattle U, Fee spent two years at Washington as Deputy AD and Chief of Staff.\u00a0 Before relocating to Seattle, Fee spent five years as Director of Athletics at Long Beach State from 2017 to 2022. The Beach claimed The Big West Commissioner’s Cup three times in those five years.
\n\u00a0
\nNo stranger to conference transition, Fee will help guide the Tritons into the West Coast Conference in 2027-28. He also helped guide Washington into the Big Ten and Seattle U into the WCC in July.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nKeep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through X, Facebook, and Instagram. The team’s handle is @UCSDsoftball.
\n\u00a0
\nFOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
\nGot some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!
\n\u00a0
\nAbout UC San Diego Athletics
\nAfter two decades as one of the most successful\u00a0programs in\u00a0NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as\u00a0a\u00a0member\u00a0of The Big West in\u00a0NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in\u00a0Divisions\u00a0II\u00a0and III and helped guide\u00a01,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II.\u00a0For more information on the Tritons, visit\u00a0UCSDtritons.com<\/a>\u00a0or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media\u00a0@UCSDtritons<\/a>.\u00a0
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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