UCSD Baseball Camps - University of California at San Diego

UC San Diego Baseball Camps
Head Coach Dan O'Brien

Dan O’Brien enters his 11th season as head coach of the UC San Diego baseball team in 2008. Last season, the Tritons tied a school record with 37 wins and advanced to the NCAA West Regionals for the first time at the Division II level. UCSD would set six more team records, along with two, NCAA D-II All-American selections in Matt Cantele and Matt Lawson.

In 2006, UCSD set several team records and advanced to the CCAA Playoffs for the third consecutive season, after a 23-13 conference record, winning their last eight conference games and finishing second in the regular season standings. Six Tritons earned All-CCAA honors, including the conference Freshman of the Year. UCSD was ranked nationally for five weeks.

In 2005 he directed the Tritons to a school record 37 victories and the CCAA playoffs. In doing so, the Tritons won 10 of their last 11 games, including victories in four consecutive elimination games to capture the school’s first-ever CCAA title. O’Brien recorded his 200th career win and eight Tritons were selected to the All-CCAA team.

In 2004, O’Brien guided the Tritons to a 35-24 overall record and 22-18 record in conference play. The Tritons were ranked as high as #10 in the nation and notched a victory in their first-ever CCAA tournament appearance. UCSD had six players earn All-CCAA recognition for the 2004 season.

After taking the program into NCAA Division II and the challenging California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2001, O’Brien’s squad surprised everybody in their sophomore year in the CCAA, narrowly missing out on postseason activity. UCSD finished with a 30-23-1 overall record, reaching the 30-win plateau for the first time since the 1994 season. The Tritons wound up in fifth place with a 23-17 record in conference play, with just the top four teams qualifying for the CCAA Championship in Chico. UCSD still had a shot to get there heading into the season’s final day. The Tritons placed one player on the All-West Region team, with five garnering recognition from the CCAA. UCSD was the second-most improved team in the country in Division II from 2001, and completed the season with the top team fielding percentage in the land, 10th all-time in Division II. O’Brien earned UCSD’s Excellence in Coaching Award for the first time in his career.

O’Brien was named head coach of the Tritons following the 1998 season, when he served as interim head coach. In his first season at the helm, he led the Tritons to a 20-18 record and, serving also as the team’s hitting instructor, he helped the Tritons break five school records, including team batting average (.343), runs per game (8.84), hits per game (12.0), doubles (89) and team slugging percentage (.506). In 1999, the Tritons again posted a winning record of 19-18, followed by a 22-13 campaign in 2000, the team’s final year of Division III competition. The Tritons now compete in one of the nation’s strongest Division II conferences, and O’Brien again brings a talented combination of returning veterans and promising young players into the 2004 season.

O’Brien attended UC San Diego, graduating from Muir College with a Communications degree. As a member of the baseball team, he won both the John Rolph Memorial Award and the Most Inspirational Award. He played third base in his first season at UCSD, leading the team in home runs, then shifted to first base in 1994. He was the team captain for the 1994 team which posted a record of 33-8 and finished third at the NCAA Division III College World Series. He completed his collegiate playing career as captain for the 1995 team.