The University of San Diego added a tournament title to their regular-season crown Saturday by defeating Portland 8-6 at the West Coast Conference tourney.
With the win in Las Vegas, the Toreros (40-13) clinched their second WCC Tournament title since 2022, which hands them an automatic berth in the NCAA regionals as teams try to reach the College World Series.
They also became the first WCC team to win the conference baseball tournament a third time. In addition, USD recorded its 10th straight victory as well as its 18th win in its last 19 games.
Down 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Toreros rode a five-run rally, aided by two walks with the bases loaded, to take the lead for good. Portland (39-19), though, continued to nip at their heels, scoring three in the fifth to make it a one-run game.
USD continued to play small ball, as runs scored on two ground outs and a sacrifice fly in the seventh and ninth. Portland added runs in the eighth and ninth inning, but Conner Thurman induced Pilot Jack Thomson, representing the game-winning run, to hit a deep fly ball that made it to the warning track but landed in the glove of Dustin Allen to seal the victory.
Calvin Schapira pitched 2.2 innings to get the win, after he spelled starter Logan Reddemann, who went 4.2 innings.
Meanwhile, USD placed four on the WCC All-Tournament Team – infielders Justin DeCriscio and Angelo Peraza and pitchers Ivran Romero and Austin Smith, who also slots in as a DH.
Three of the four have local prep ties – Peraza attended St. Augustine High, Romero, Poway High and Smith, Granite Hills High.
The Toreros will find out what comes next at 9 a.m. Monday on the NCAA Selection Show, airing on ESPN2. The regionals begin May 31.