Feb. 26: No. 21 UC IRVINE (6-1) vs. Loyola Marymount (3-4) - Los Angeles
Mar. 1-3: No. 21 UC IRVINE vs. Portland (2-6) - Anteater Ballpark

Game 8: LHP Elliot Surrey (0-0, 1.69) vs. RHP Patrick McGrath (0-0, 0.00)
2:00 PM - Internet Only/Mark Roberts

Game 9:  RHP Andrew Thurman (1-0, 3.09) vs. LHP Travis Radke (0-1, 4.97)
6:30 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Mark Roberts

Game 10:  LHP Matt Whitehouse (1-0, 2.92) vs. RHP Zach Torson (0-2, 5.23)
12:00 PM - Internet Only/Tim Becwar

Game 11:  RHP Kyle Hooper (0-0, 2.00) vs. RHP Kurt Yinger (0-1, 2.63)
3:00 PM - Internet Only/Tim Becwar

Game 12: RHP Andrew Morales (3-0, 3.38) vs. TBA
12:00 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Mark Roberts

Game Notes: UCI has outscored the opponents 24-15 in the first seven games and has posted a team-best 15 runs in the fifth inning. Five Anteaters have reached double-figure hits. Jerry McClanahan leads the team with a seven-game hitting streak.

• UCI has jumped into the Top 25 in four of college baseball's polls sitting at No. 21 in the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball's polls.

Shaeffer Earns Big West, College Sports Madness Honors

• Ronnie Shaeffer was named the Big West and College Sports Madness Player of the Week after leading UCI to a 3-1 series win over Cal last weekend.
• Shaeffer accounted for a game-winning RBI in the series opener and drove in the game-tying and plated the game-winning run in the UCI's 4-3, 10-inning victory.
• Shaeffer batted .474 in four games with nine hits and a team-leading six RBI. He leads the team with a .469 batting average, 15 hits and nine RBI.

Surrey To Face Lions

• After taking on the Golden Bears twice over the weekend, freshman Elliot Surrey will make his first collegiate start Tuesday against the Lions.
• Surrey came out of the bullpen Friday and pitched 2/3 scoreless innings while walking one.
• He then dealt a season-high 3.1 innings in the second game of the double-header Saturday and struck out four while giving up a run on three hits.

More Wins For Morales

• Andrew Morales improved to 3-0 after winning twice against the Golden Bears. The right-hander logged 1.1 shutout innings in relief Friday night and came up with a key strikeout in the seventh to keep the score tied at 3-3. He struck out three in the outing and yielded a lone hit.
• He returned Sunday afternoon and made the start in the series finale. Morales pitched 6.1 innings and struck out three while scattering five hits and yielding an earned run.
• He also flashed the leather, fielding three come-backers in the win.
• Morales is tied for the team-high with four appearances and has struck out nine in 10.2 innings while walking just two.

Litchfield Logs First Win

• Jimmy Litchfield picked up his first win of the season, also in  relief, for his first decision on the mound.
• With Cal leading 3-2 in the top of the 10th and threatening again with runners on first and third with two outs, Litchfield induced a slow roller to second to snuff out the rally and went on to register the decision after UCI's walk-off win.
• Litchfield is tied for the team-high with four appearances and has pitched 4.1 scoreless innings.

Career Weekend For Sparks

• Taylor Sparks had his best weekend outing of his career at the plate, batting .500, posting 10 hits, including a triple while driving in three runs.
• The sophomore was 3 for 5 in the series opener and chipped in three more hits in the double-header.
• Sparks then tied a career-high with four hits to go along with a personal-best three RBI in the series finale. His double in the first drove in what would be the game-winning run in UCI's 9-1 victory.
• The third baseman has reached safely in six straight plate appearances.

McClanahan Streak Stretches To Seven

• Jerry McClanahan tops the team with a seven-game hitting streak and was a steady presence in the DH role.
• The sophomore batted .538, posting seven hits and recording two hits in three of the four games.
• McClanahan had two hits in the series opener and he singled and walked twice in the first game of the double-header. McClanahan then chipped in two more hits in the following contest.
• He reached safely in all four plate appearances Sunday with two hits, a walk and was hit by the pitch. 
• The designated hitter and catcher raised his average to .435 to sit fourth among the starters and is one of five Anteaters to have at least 10 hits.

Spencer Spends Time At First

• Connor Spencer looks to have locked down first base, making the start in three of the four games last week.
• The new position hasn't fazed the sophomore as Spencer, who spent the majority of his freshman campaign as the team's designated hitter.
• Spencer has recorded 22 put-outs and has a lone error. He continues to deliver at the plate and hit .375 with six hits and four RBI last weekend.
• Although he was held hitless in the first contest, Spencer did drive in a run and scored once.
• He then added two hits in each of the next three games, including driving in a tying run.
• Spencer has reached safely in all seven games for the UCI, as has McClanahan and Dominique Taylor.

UCI Starters Look To Pick Up Weekend Wins

• Junior trio Andrew Thurman, Matt Whitehouse and Kyle Hooper are penciled in to start against Portland this weekend and will be searching for wins after all three came away with no-decisions against California.
• Thurman pitched six innings and struck out a season-high nine batters while walking one and allowing three runs on five hits.
• The righty was lifted in the seventh after giving up an RBI triple that tied the game.
• Thurman is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA and has struck out 13 in 11.2 innings. He is holding opposing teams to a .233 average.
• Whitehouse also pitched six innings, striking out seven while walking one.
• Cal answered UCI's three-run second with three runs in the third and tagged on a fourth run in the fifth against Whitehouse.
• Whitehouse is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA and has fanned 13 in a team-best 12.1 innings. Batters are hitting just .146 against him.
• Hooper held Cal to just two runs in 6.1 innings while striking out five in his first start since his redshirt year in 2012.
• The right-hander gave UCI a solid outing before handing the ball off to the bullpen in the top of the seventh with the score tied at 2-2.
• Hooper has not registered a decision and holds a 2.00 ERA. He has nine strikeouts in nine innings and allowed two runs on seven hits. Teams are also hitting below average against him at .219.

About LMU

• LMU is 3-4 after losing two of three against No. 14 Oregon. The Lions picked up a 7-2 win before falling twice, 6-1.
• The team is led by Cullen Mahoney, who is hitting .375 with nine hits and three RBI.
• Tanner Donnels tops the team in RBI with five while adding seven hits, including two doubles.
• Patrick McGrath is slated to make the start Tuesday. The junior right-hander has made one start and hurled six shutout innings while striking out three and walking one.
• UCI owns a 40-33-3 series lead against LMU and won two of three games when the teams last met in 2011.

Pilots Fly To Orange County

• Portland is 2-6 on the year. The Pilots opened the season with four losses against then-No. 5 Mississippi State. After defeating Seattle University, Portland dropped two of three against Utah Valley.
• The team plays Oregon in a mid-week game before traveling to Orange County.
• UP is led by senior infielder, Jeff Melby, who tops the team with nine hits while hitting .391. Sophomore Cody Lenahan owns the team lead in RBI with five and is batting .296.
• UCI leads 5-3 in the series against Portland. The two teams last faced one another in 2007 with UCI winning, 5-0, at Cicerone Field.

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