UCSD Baseball: 17 Strikeout Record Then Heartbreaking Extras Loss – Ready to Win Big West?

UC San Diego baseball just had one of its most telling weekends of the season. Steele Murdock set a program record with 17 strikeouts in a dominant 4-3 opening win over UC Santa Barbara — looking like the best team in the Big West. But then reality hit: they blew a late lead and lost 11-10 in extras (including a go-ahead grand slam), followed by a quiet 3-1 loss on Sunday, dropping the series. The Tritons can compete with anyone and have explosive offense + elite pitching flashes, but they’re still struggling to finish close games and close out weekends. They sit near the top of the Big West at 11-4 in conference play, yet this weekend showed exactly what separates good teams from champions. On the softball side, the Tritons are heating up with a series win over Cal Poly, powered by Malia Cherry (new Division I era home run record) and Callie Howard’s complete game shutout. Braden Surprenant from the Braden Surprenant Show on 97.3 The Fan breaks it all down and compares UCSD to the other San Diego college baseball/softball teams. UCSD Tritons fans — what do you think? → Is this team still “learning how to win” or ready to take the next step and win the Big West? → Who’s the biggest X-factor — Steele Murdock’s pitching or the offense? → How frustrating was that 11-10 extras loss? → Of SDSU, USD, and UCSD — which team has the best shot at a conference title/run this year? Drop your honest take, bold prediction, or biggest frustration below and let’s discuss! #UCSDBaseball #Tritons #BigWestBaseball Braden Surprenant Show | 97.3 The Fan Be sure to subscribe to the show! youtube.com/@b_surp Follow the show on social! https://x.com/b_surp https://x.com/b_surpshow https://x.com/fmarkz324 https://x.com/973TheFanSD https://www.instagram.com/b_surp https://www.tiktok.com/@b_surp