LAS VEGAS - No. 1 seed San Diego held off No. 2 seed Portland with an 8-6 victory, and the Toreros won the 2024 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament Championship from Las Vegas Ballpark. With the title, USD has earned the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. 

San Diego became the first WCC baseball team to win the WCC Tournament for a third time. The Toreros also won their second Conference tournament title in the last three years. 

The Pilots got on the board first in the bottom of the second when Christian Cooney doubled, sending home Ben Patacsil. 

San Diego took control of the game with a five-run fourth inning. Justin DeCriscio knocked in the game's first run with an RBI single. Following a bases loaded walk, Will Worthington made it 3-1 with another RBI single. Another bases loaded walk increased the lead to 4-1. Ariel Armas reached on a fielder's choice to cap off the inning at 5-1. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Portland got back in the game with a pair of RBI doubles. Tyler Howard slapped one to left center plate one before Jake Holcroft brought home two more runs with his double to right center, cutting the Portland deficit down to one at 5-4. Holcroft was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player. 

San Diego padded its lead with two RBI ground outs and a sacrifice fly in the later innings to hold Portland at bay from tying the contest. In the ninth inning, the Pilots had the game-winning run at the plate for Jack Thomson who smacked a deep fly to center but it just came up short. 

For the tournament, Holcroft batted .474 with a tournament-best nine hits and 16 RBI. 

The NCAA Selection Show will air on Monday at 9 a.m. on ESPN2. 

2024 WCC Baseball All-Tournament Team
Dalton Mashore, Saint Mary's
Justin Feld, Gonzaga
Tyler Griggs, Gonzaga
Brady Bean, Portland
Spencer Scott, Portland
Justin DeCriscio, San Diego
Angelo Peraza, San Diego
Ivran Romero, San Diego
Austin Smith, San Diego
The 2024 WCC Baseball Tournament Most Outstanding Player - Jake Holcroft, Portland