"This is what it looks like when a program is aligned. Our student-athletes are excelling in the classroom, our staff is elevating every aspect of the experience, our supporters are leaning in, and our teams are delivering in competition. That's not a coincidence. That's Aggie Pride, and it's what makes UC Davis special right now."
– Rocko DeLuca, Director of Athletics
STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT – Engineering Night at Men's Basketball
Competing at the Division I level while balancing academics is something all UC Davis student-athletes manage day in and day out. For the 38 Aggie athletes majoring in the College of Engineering, that challenge goes a step further in one of the most demanding engineering programs in the nation.
Prior to UC Davis men's basketball's game against Hawai'i on Feb. 26, Dean of the College of Engineering Richard Corsi brought these athletes together for Engineered to Lead: A Meet & Greet for Student-Athletes and College Leadership, a casual mixer for students and faculty.
"Being an engineering student can be a challenge. Imagine being a competitive athlete on top of that," Corsi said. "I am so impressed by their focus, time management skills and excitement about their engineering studies and sports."
During the game, several engineering clubs and organizations set up tables in the concourse to promote their work, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, AggieWorks, Clubly and Expresso, Women in Robotics and the Cyber Security Club.
At halftime, the all-engineering faculty and staff rock band, The Technically Hip, brought energy to the University Credit Union Center with a live performance.
Of the 38 student-athletes pursuing engineering, four are working toward two engineering degrees simultaneously. UC Davis men's water polo had the largest presence at the event, with Colton Fine, Colin Nicholls, Oleg Shatskikh, Luka Palavra, Mateo Ruano and Tim Kerr in attendance. Kerr previously earned national recognition for his work in the classroom, winning the 2025 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Elite Scholar-Athlete award in December.
"We are proud of our student-athletes in demanding majors such as engineering," said UC Davis Child and Meisel Families Director of Men's Water Polo Daniel Leyson. "They provide an excellent example of how to manage the rigors of academics alongside those of our program, and they make it look easy. I'm always fascinated to hear about the innovative projects our engineering majors are working on."
STAFF SPOTLIGHT – Gregory LaBella, Marketing & Gameday Experiences Manager
Joining the Aggies in January 2025, Marketing and Gameday Experiences Manager Gregory LaBella has elevated the UC Davis gameday experience, working behind the scenes to bring fans to the stands for some of the biggest moments in Aggie history this season.
"I pretty much run anything that isn't the game itself," LaBella said. "That includes videoboard, music, on-field or on-court games, student groups, campus groups, community groups, and finding ways to get as many people involved with UC Davis Athletics as possible."
That outreach takes many forms, from connecting with campus organizations to build relationships, to hosting weekly meetings to gauge interest, to developing game themes that resonate with those groups.
As marketing manager, getting fans through the gates is only the first step in elevating the experience.
"It's important to find different ways to keep fans engaged," LaBella said. "We have some go-to elements, like tic-tac-toe at center court, but finding ways to enhance the experience—like Engineering Night for men's basketball—helps us connect with students and faculty even more."
"For many of our fans, this is their first game, so creating ways to keep them engaged—even if they don't know much about the sport—is crucial to what makes our in-game experience special."
With that approach, LaBella and his team have executed promotions that helped drive some of the largest crowds in UC Davis history this season, including a record 17,217 fans at football's home opener against Southern Utah and a program-record 5,567 fans at women's basketball's Field Trip Day game against Idaho.
As a central figure in every Aggie Athletics event, LaBella credits his colleagues for helping bring these experiences to life.
"For events like football's home opener, I leaned heavily on coworkers such as Jack (Keys), Dani (Judal) and Jordan (Kurtz) in ticketing to make sure everything ran smoothly," LaBella said. "Leading up to the game, I also worked closely with David (Collins) and James (Wilson) in communications to ensure everything was promoted effectively on the digital side."
As UC Davis prepares to elevate its brand in the Mountain West next season, the in-game experience will continue to play a key role—helping make every contest feel special for fans, donors, faculty and student-athletes alike.
DONOR IMPACT – Aggie Football Wine Tasting a Big Win for the Program
Aggie Football recently hosted its first-ever Wine Tasting fundraiser, bringing together alumni, supporters and friends of the program for a memorable evening in support of UC Davis student-athletes.
The inaugural event drew close to 200 attendees and raised more than $100,000 for the football program, marking a strong start for what the program hopes will become a new annual tradition. The room was filled with great energy as members of the Aggie community gathered to connect, enjoy a curated selection of wines and spend time with fellow supporters of Aggie Football.
More than anything, the night reflected the strength of the Aggie community and the growing excitement around the future of the program. Supporters showed up in a big way, helping create an atmosphere that was both welcoming and meaningful for everyone involved.
"I couldn't be more thankful for Saturday's event," UC Davis football head coach Tim Plough said. "It shows that we have a large number of people with the same goal that I have. We want this program to continue to reach its full potential.
Events like this play an important role in supporting Aggie student-athletes and continuing to build momentum around the program. Aggie Football is incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, contributed and helped make the evening such a success. With such a strong first event, the wine tasting set a great foundation for future gatherings that bring the Aggie Football family together.
IN THE COMMUNITY – Student-Athletes Participate in Read Across America Week
Several UC Davis programs took part in Read Across America Week, a national event held March 2–6 that promotes reading among children and teens. The Aggies visited schools across Davis, reading to and interacting with students ranging from kindergarten through sixth grade.
UC Davis football, volleyball, field hockey, women's swimming and diving, and women's soccer participated in events throughout the community, sharing their passion for reading and education that led them to UC Davis. At each school, the programs spent time with multiple classes, reading books, answering questions, and signing autographs for students.
"The students at Birch Lane [Elementary] are still talking about how much they loved having 'celebrities' come to school to read to them," said Birch Lane Elementary reading specialist Ellie Miller. "The college athletes talked about classes and how to balance life while playing sports in college. The players were fantastic with the kids, and everyone had so much fun. We are grateful that UC Davis took the time to join us for Ready, Set, Read Day!"
AGGIES IN COMPETITION – Aggie Baseball Builds Momentum With Series Win Over Gauchos
UC Davis baseball delivered one of its most impressive weekends of the season at Dobbins Stadium, securing a series victory over UC Santa Barbara, which entered the matchup ranked No. 2 nationally in RPI. The series win marked the Aggies' fourth consecutive weekend series victory and their first series triumph over the Gauchos since 2018. With the performance, UC Davis also climbed to No. 25 in the latest RPI rankings.
After dropping Friday's opener, the Aggies responded in dramatic fashion Saturday night, snapping UC Santa Barbara's 13-game winning streak. Down to his final strike in the bottom of the ninth inning, Elijah McNeal delivered a walk-off RBI double to lift UC Davis to a 5-4 victory. Korey Williams sparked the rally and led the offense, finishing with four hits, three RBIs and scoring the game-winning run.
The Aggies carried that momentum into Sunday's rubber match, where the offense erupted for 15 hits in a decisive 10-6 win to clinch the series. Two-way standout Keenan Anzai played a pivotal role throughout the weekend, tossing four key innings on the mound during Saturday's win before leading the charge at the plate Sunday with a 3-for-4 performance that included a home run, two doubles and three RBIs.
The series victory over a nationally ranked opponent continues a strong stretch of play for the Aggies as they build momentum in Big West competition and further establish themselves as one of the conference's top contenders.
