Oct. 28, 2009

IRVINE, Calif. --- Former UC Irvine baseball players Bryan Petersen and Justin Cassel are putting up strong performances in the Arizona Fall League for their respective teams.

Petersen, a member of the Mesa Solar Sox, is batting .410 in eight games played. Petersen tops the team with 16 hits and fie doubles and has driven in a team-high 24 runs. The outfielder, who played at UCI from 2005-07, has a pair of home runs and boasts a .615 slugging percentage. Petersen went 2 for 5 against Scottdale today, hitting a solo home run and driving in a run on a sacrifice fly. Mesa takes on the Peoria Javelinas tomorrow (Oct. 29) at 12:35 (MT).

Cassel, who pitched at UCI from 2004-06, has logged a team-high 9.2 innings in three games for the Peoria Javelinas. Cassel picked up his first win after holding the Surprise Rafters hitless through four innings of work and walking just one. On the season Cassel has struck out six while allowing six earned runs and holds a 5.59 ERA.

Scott Gorgen, who plays for the Rafters, pitched an inning of relief the Javelinas and walked three while yielding a run on one hit. The right-hander, who played for the Anteaters from 2004-06, has pitched 4.1 innings and struck out six while allowing three earned runs.

Cody Cipriano, UCI's second baseman from 2004-07, is playing outfield for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Cipriano is batting .250 with a double and an RBI for the team.