![\"UC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Santa_Barba.png\")
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Next Game:<\/p>\n
at UC Santa Barbara<\/p>\n
4\/11\/2026 | 1 PM<\/p>\n
\n Apr. 11 (Sat) \/ 1 PM
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<\/p>\n
\n at\u00a0UC Santa Barbara
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History <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n SANTA BARBARA, Calif. \u2014\u00a0UC San Diego baseball secured a 4-3 victory over UC Santa Barbara to open the series on Friday afternoon in Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. The Tritons (15-14, 11-2 Big West) were led by Steele Murdock<\/a> who set the program’s all-time single game record with 17 strikeouts against the Gauchos (20-11, 8-5 Big West).
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\nMurdock (4-1) was outstanding, pitching 8.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits with no walks to go along with his 17 punchouts. He allowed just four base runners, with 76 of his 106 pitches going for strikes. Murdock retired 11 of the last 10 batters he faced via strikeout. Devon King<\/a> earned his first save of the season, pitching out of a jam in the ninth inning.
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\nTrevian Martinez<\/a> was responsible for the majority of the Tritons’ offense, recording a double and three RBI. Nick Costello<\/a> also added a double, finishing with one hit, one run and one walk. Anthony Potestio<\/a> recorded one hit and the other RBI, while also drawing a walk.\u00a0
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\nHOW IT HAPPENED
\nThe game remained scoreless through the first four innings, with both pitchers dominating on the mound. Murdock faced the minimum through the first two innings and struck out the side in the fourth.
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\nIn the fifth inning, the Tritons broke the stalemate when Costello walked and advanced on a fielding error. He eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Potestio, bringing the score to 1-0. The run ended a streak of 37.2 consecutive scoreless innings for top draft prospect Jackson Flora.\u00a0
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\nUCSB responded with a leadoff home run by Nate Vargas in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 1-1. After a one-out single, Murdock recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning, beginning a streak of five in-a-row.
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\nThe eighth inning proved pivotal for the Tritons, after loading the bases with two outs via fielder’s choice, a walk and a hit batter. Martinez then dropped a double in no man’s land in left center, clearing the bases to put the Tritons ahead, 4-1.
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\nMurdock struck out the side in the sixth and the eighth, retiring the Gauchos in order for his final three innings of work before giving way to the Triton bullpen.
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\nThe Gauchos made a push in the ninth inning after loading the bases with no outs on three consecutive singles off of Julian Cazares<\/a>. King came in and forced a double-play ground-out on his first pitch, but inching UCSB closer, 4-2. A double brought in the second run of the inning to make it 4-3 before a fly-out to left field ended the threat and secured the victory for UC San Diego.
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\nQUOTABLE
\n“That’s as good as two pitchers going at it anywhere in the country,” said head coach Eric Newman<\/a>. “Steele made pitches, was very efficient and throwing three pitches. He held his velocity late into the outing which is a testament to his hard work.”\u00a0\u00a0
\n“As good as he was today, I still think there is more to come for him.”
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\nTRITON TIDBITS<\/p>\n
\n\tSteele Murdock<\/a> set the Tritons’ single game record with 17 strikeouts, surpassing the previous mark of 13 set by Spencer Seid<\/a> last season (March 1, 2025 vs Cincinnati).
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\n\t\tMurdock’s 17 punchouts matched the game high this season for any NCAA Division I pitcher at the time, before being surpassed the same evening by UCLA’s Logan Reddemann (18 vs Rutgers).
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\n\tDevon King<\/a> recorded his first save of the season.
\n\tUC San Diego is now 5-18 in the all-time series (4-15 in D-I) with UC Santa Barbara and 1-0 this season.
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\n\t\tIt is the first road victory for the Tritons who are 1-6 at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
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\nUP NEXT
\nUC San Diego will remain at UC Santa Barbara for the second game of the weekend series on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
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\nArticle partially generated by FanWord.
\nAbout UC San Diego Athletics
\nAfter two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
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