SAN DIEGO, Calif. — For the first road conference series of the season, the Pepperdine baseball team heads south to San Diego this weekend.
 
GAME #25 — Pepperdine (5-19, 1-2) vs San Diego (4-20, 1-2) |Friday, March 25 | 6:00 p.m. | Fowler Park | San Diego, Calif.
 
GAME #26 — Pepperdine vs San Diego |Saturday, March 29 | 5:00 p.m. | Fowler Park | San Diego, Calif.
 
GAME #27— Pepperdine vs San Diego |Sunday, March 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Fowler Park | San Diego, Calif.
 
COVERAGE: The games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). Links to the broadcasts as well as live stats will be available at pepperdinewaves.com.
 
SERIES VS. SAN DIEGO: Dating back to 1954, the Waves hold an all-time advantage over the Toreros at 136-89. In the most recent 10 games between the teams, San Diego holds the advantage 8-2. The last win for Pepperdine came at Fowler park in 2023, where a three-run first inning carried the Waves to a 8-3 victory.
 
SCOUTING THE TOREROS:  Picked to finish at the top of the conference, San Diego is currently tied for fifth with the Waves at 1-2. Last weekend, the Toreros took just one from LMU in Los Angeles. In non-conference play, San Diego has faced #23 TCU, #8 Oregon State, and #16 UC Santa Barbara. Through 24 games, LHP/OF Austin Smith has emerged as a leader on the defensive and offensive side of the ball, posting a 6.94 ERA with 13 extra-base hits
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LAST TIME OUT: The Waves hosted Cal Poly to end the six-game homestand in Malibu. Redshirt sophomore Joe Cardinale became the eighth different Wave to go yard this season in the 2-10 loss. Sophomore Jackson Pace also saw his first start on the mound for Pepperdine this season.

WCC PRESEASON: Identical to last season, Pepperdine is predicted to finish seventh in the West Coast Conference this year. The whole list is as follows:
1. San Diego 2. Portland T-3. Gonzaga T-3. Saint Mary's 5. Santa Clara 6. LMU 7. Pepperdine 8. San Francisco; 9. Pacific.
 
YARD SALE: So far this season, eight different Waves have notched a home run, with seniors Andrew Savage and Julian Nunez hitting multiple. All but two have been solo shots, accounting for just under 19 percent of total runs scored this season.
 
FIND A WAY: Leading the Waves, Nunez has a .404 on-base percentage with a team-high 12 walks as well as being hit by a pitch six times. The senior is only one of two on the squad to start every game so far this season, joining senior shortstop Justin Rubin.
 
WAVES IN THE DRAFT: In the 2019 MLB Draft, Easton Lucas was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 14th round with the 411th overall pick. He made his big league debut with the Oakland Athletics on 9/8/23 as a relieving pitcher against the Texas Rangers. In 2023, middle infielders Ryan Johnson and John Peck were both selected in the MLB Draft. Peck was the Waves' highest drafted player since 2016, having been selected in the seventh round by the Detroit Tigers. Johnson was drafted in the eighth round by the Houston Astros. This is the first time since 2010 that Pepperdine had two picks in the first eight rounds. Left handed pitcher Shane Telfer also signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on 7/17/23. Most recently, 2021 grad Billy Cook has premiered in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates, originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. 
 
POSTSEASON HISTORY:  Pepperdine won its only College World Series title in 1992 and also played in the 1979 CWS. The Waves made their 30th and most recent appearance in NCAA postseason play in 2015, advancing to the NCAA Fullerton Regional final. In 2014 Pepperdine made its first ever NCAA Super Regional after winning the San Luis Obispo Regional Tournament. The Waves eventually fell to TCU, two games to one in the best-of-three series.
 
TICKETS: Season tickets are now available for just $99! Any group inquiries for discounted rates can contact alrick.drummond@pepperdine.edu. All tickets can be purchased at tickets.pepperdinewaves.com. Register your youngster today to get exclusive perks like a JR WAVES t shirt and access to home events. Email joey.swett@pepperdine.edu for all interests.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, five times (most recently in back-to-back years during the 2022-23 and 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #76 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.