The college baseball season begins this weekend, and the University of San Diego Toreros are preparing for another run at a West Coast Conference title with a familiar name leading the charge.
Adrian Beltre Jr., son of Hall of Fame third baseman Adrian Beltre, enters his sophomore season looking to build on a strong freshman campaign that earned him All-Freshman WCC honors.
"My Dad is a great resource for me. Not just for on the field stuff, but how to go through a season mentally. Little things that most parents don't get to see that he can kind of point out that he sees on the field," Beltre Jr. said ahead of the team's opener at Charlotte on Friday.
The Toreros are coming off a remarkable 2025 season that saw them overcome early struggles to capture a conference championship. After losing 24 of their first 30 games, USD turned things around dramatically, going 24-2 down the stretch to finish in first place in the WCC.
"Going 6 and 24 to start the year, totally turn it around to win 24 out of 26 games and win a WCC title...they got to see that adversity and know how to get through that. There's no flinch," said USD head baseball coach Brock Ungricht.
While Beltre Jr. plays third base like his Hall of Fame father, he's expanding his role this season as part of the Toreros' pitching rotation, showcasing his versatility as a two-way player.
"I get a lot of adrenaline when I'm out there. When I'm on the mound or coming up to hit. It's something I kind of use as an advantage. It kind of gets me going, gets me fired up," Beltre Jr. said.
The younger Beltre emphasized that his baseball career is his own choice, despite his father's legendary status in Major League Baseball.
"Like, he always told me, you don't have to play baseball. It's something I love, I grew up loving. Playing baseball was my decision," he said.
Coach Ungricht praised the Beltre family's approach to raising their son, noting that character development takes precedence over baseball success.
"I think they've done a great job raising Adrian because the most important thing for the family was, how are you going to take care of our son, as a person?" Ungricht said.
After a 3-game series in Charlotte, and a road game at Long Beach State on Tuesday, the Toreros open their home schedule next Friday evening when they host Utah at Fowler Park.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
