Â
| Â Probable Tuesday Starters |
| UC Irvine |
vs. |
San Diego |
| Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
Day |
Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
| David Vizcaino |
RS-Fr. |
RHP |
(2-0, 1.50) |
Tuesday |
Cole Colleran |
So. |
RHP |
(0-3, 8.56) |
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| Â Probable Weekend Rotation |
| UC Irvine |
vs. |
UC Santa Barbara |
| Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
Day |
Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
| Nick Pinto |
RS-So. |
LHP |
(1-3, 3.50) |
Friday |
Cory Lewis |
So. |
RHP |
(6-0, 3.15) |
| TBD |
|
|
|
Saturday |
Ryan Gallagher |
Fr. |
RHP |
(4-0, 2.86) |
| Cameron Wheeler |
RS-So. |
RHP |
(2-4, 4.91) |
Sunday |
Mike Gutierrez |
So.. |
LHP |
(6-1, 3.36) |
Around The Horn
T1st -Â The Anteater defense enters the week tied for
1st in the Big West with a .973 fielding percentage. Over the team's last 16 contests, they've committed 8 total errors and had 8 errorless games
5th -Â UC Irvine boasts the
5th-toughest non-conference schedule with an RPI of 66 and five Quadrant 1 wins coming on the road to Oregon State, Louisiana, and UCLA, and two vs. GCU
12 -Â 12 'Eater alums are currently playing across Major and Minor League Baseball with eight in Double-A or higher. Andre Pallante made an opening day roster becoming the 9th 'Eater in the MLB
9 -Â UC Irvine's seven-game road trip featured a total of
9 walks issued by UCI pitching. Nationally, UCI has issued the 18th-fewest walks that included 0 BB issued in a 12-inning win vs. Arizona State
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LEADING OFFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
+ UC Irvine played a tightly-contested, well-pitched week scoring eight total runs in four games where they went 2-2. It did feature a road win at No. 13 UCLA for its second win over a ranked program so far in 2022.
+ UCI pitching led the way with a 3.18 ERA on the week.
Michael Frias posted his second quality start in a loss,
Cameron Wheeler went five innings with just one unearned run, and
Troy Taylor earned a win and one of two UCI saves on the week in his two outings.
Gordon Ingebritson notched the other save, and in a weekend where the staff walked three Dirtbags, one came from Ingebritson breaking his string of 96 straight hitters without issuing one.
+ The bats were stifled hitting .160 on the week and .136 at Long Beach.
Taishi Nakawake led the bats hitting .375 and reaching five times including Sunday's game-winning RBI, his team-best 12th sacrifice bunt, and a stolen base.
Caden Kendle continues to produce with three runs to lead the team, his fourth HR of the season Tuesday, four walks, and Sunday's game-winning run. He also robbed a three-run homer Tuesday to help with the upset win.
+ The 'Eaters are among the national leaders in sacrifice bunts (11th), fewest walks allowed (18th), triples (22nd), strikeout-to-walk ratio (29th), ERA (39th), hit by pitch (40th), and WHIP (47th). National leaders start with
Gordon Ingebritson who is third in walks per 9 innings, eighth in K-to-BB ratio, 12th in WHIP, and 14th in ERA at 1.81 that leads the Big West.
Taishi Nakawake has 12 sac bunts to rank third nationally.
Nick Pinto and
Michael Frias rank third and fifth in the Big West in Ks and the two leaders in Ks looking.
LAST WEEK
+ UCI went 2-2 all on the road starting with a win over No. 13 UCLA to improve to 21-15 against the Pac-12 since coach Orloff took over in 2019.
+ The Anteaters dropped its fourth weekend series in the last five. UCI mustered a total of 12 hits and four runs while tossing a 3.18 ERA over all four contests.
THIS WEEK VS. SAN DIEGO, UC SANTA BARBARA
+ UCI and USD reconnect after a spirited midweek game in March. The Anteaters sent the game to extras on a 9th-inning HR only to fall in the 10th for its lone midweek loss
+ The weekend series is vital for UCI's hopes at a postseason berth and Big West title. UCI sits 7.5 games back of first-place UC Santa Barbara with nine games remaining
+ The Anteaters and Gauchos were Big West representatives in last year's NCAA Tournament. The sides will matchup Friday night on nationally-televised ESPNU at 7:30 p.m.
OPENING DAY
+ Keston Hiura of the Milwaukee Brewers returns for his fourth season as utility infielder and designated hitter
+ Andre Pallante made his MLB debut Sunday, April 10, allowing one run in one inning in St. Louis for the Cardinals as the ninth Anteater to reach the Major Leagues, and picked up his first strikeout in his next outing.
+ Pallante is 1 of 8 players from the 2019 MLB Draft class to make a 2022 Opening Day roster. Hiura was the first player from the 2017 MLB Draft class to reach the majors.
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SAN DIEGO TOREROS
San Diego makes their annual trip to UCI Tuesday for the 111th all-time meeting in the series; the most for UCI against a single non-conference opponent. The 'Eaters hold a 60-49-1 record against them including 28-25-1 at home, but USD has won the last three including an extra-inning game in mid-March that the Toreros won on a walk-off fielder's choice.
The Toreros were in a good spot in the first meeting which was half a season ago, and continue to rise with a 27-15 record and sit in second in the WCC at 13-8. Since the first matchup, USD has gone 15-8 winning 4 of 6 weekend series and still have just one midweek loss in 2022.
The March 22 game leaned mostly toward USD scoring single runs in the third and fourth before UCI broke through with a pair in the sixth to tie it, 2-2. USD took advantage of errors in the seventh to plate three on a three-run Kevin Sim home run. The 'Eaters homered right back as
Justin Torres hit a three-run to tie things and send it to extras. The game was decided in the 10th on a groundball mistakenly thrown home to allow the winning run to score for USD, 6-5.
USD averages 6.6 runs a game on offense hitting .293 as a team led by Caleb Ricketts (.353, 8 HR, 32 RBI), Chase Meidroth (.349, 8 HR, 37 RBI), and Kevin Sim (.335, 11 HR, 43 RBI) swinging the bats. The staff has a 4.31 ERA, similar to UCI, with Cole Colleran, last matchup's starter, coming in at a 1.84. Conner Thurman was the big arm late in the game that earned the win, and has struck out 42 hitters in 21 innings to command the Torero bullpen.
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UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara is scorching hot coming into the series at Anteater Ballpark. UCSB is 30-10 overall and 19-2 in Big West play with five sweeps and only Sunday losses to Cal State Fullerton and Hawai'I as blemishes. One win in this series will end UCI's chances at a Big West title. The other eight losses have come in non-conference play including four consecutive midweek defeats to teams like UCLA twice, USC, and Pepperdine.
The Gauchos reached the 2021 NCAA Tournament much like UCI, but made it as an at-large losing in the Tucson Regional. The Gauchos were picked to finish third in the preseason poll. UCI and UCSB meet for the 120th time in the series on Friday with UCI holding the slimmest of 60-59 edges in the series after winning the final three games of last year's series at UCSB to take the series. UCI holds the home advantage handily, 33-22.
The offense is hitting .280 as a team with 7.1 runs scored per game that goes up to .306 in Big West contests and 8.3 runs a game. Players like Jordan Sprinkle and Broc Mortensen get all the headlines, but the production has come from hitters like Kyle Johnson and Nick Vogt, each with 43 hits and 17 XBH, Christian Kirtley (7 HR, 27 RBI), and recently Blake Klassen hitting .368 with 9 HR. The Gauchos top the Big West in slugging and stolen bases.
Pitching is the Gauchos' strength with a Big West-best 3.87 ERA, 19th in NCAA. Cory Lewis heads the rotation with a 6-0 weekend mark, 3.15 ERA, and 12 strikeouts per nine innings. Ryan Gallagher (4-0, 2.86) and Michael Gutierrez (6-1, 3.36) make a formidable starting trio. The backend has been more than capable led by closer Ryan Harvey (10 saves, 19 IP, 27 K) and compliments of bullpen anchored by Matt Ager (2-0, 4 saves, 1.84) and Michael Rice (6-0, 3.60). The staff also allows the 12th-fewest hits per game nationally.
