Mar. 12 No. 25 UC IRVINE (12-4) vs. San Diego State (7-9) - Anteater Ballpark
Mar. 15-17: No. 25 UC IRVINE vs. Nebraska (5-9) Anteater Ballpark

Game 17: RHP Evan Brock (1-0, 3.27) vs. LHP Michael Robards (0-0, 2.08)
6:30 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Mark Roberts

Game 18:  RHP Andrew Thurman (1-2, 3.24) vs. RHP Christian DeLeon (1-1. 1.69)
6:30 PM - Internet Only/Tim Becwar

Game 19:  LHP Matt Whitehouse (2-1, 2.45) vs. RHP Ryan Hander (0-2, 5.00)
1:00 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Tim Becwar

Game 20:  RHP Andrew Morales (5-0, 2.66) vs. RHP Brandon Pierce (1-2, 6.05)
1:00 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Mark Roberts

GAME NOTES: UCI posted a 2-2 record, beating CSU Bakersfield in a midweek game before dropping its first series of the year at BYU. With the series loss, the Anteaters dipped in the rankings and they are currently ranked 25th (USA Today), 26th (NCBWA) and 28th (NCBWA). The weekend series against Nebraska will pit current pitching coach Danny Bibona against former UCI pitching coach, Ted Silva, who manages the pitchers for the Cornhuskers and mentored Bibona from 2008-10. UC Irvine is currently ranked second in the nation in fielding percentage at .993.

MORALES WINS AGAIN: Andrew Morales improved to 5-0 and continues to lead the nation in victories.

• The right-hander pitched 6.1 innings and held BYU to two runs on three hits while striking out one and walking four.
• Morales has pitched at least 6.1 innings in his last three starts and struck out a career-high five against Portland.
• He looks for his sixth win Sunday against Nebraska and will face right-hander Brandon Pierce.

TOUGH LOSS FOR WHITEHOUSE: Matt Whitehouse logged his second consecutive complete game but suffered his first career loss in a 3-1 decision at BYU last Friday.

• The lefty is second in the Big West in innings pitched with 29.1 and is fourth in the nation in complete games.
• Whitehouse struck out six and did not walk a batter while giving up three runs on seven hits in the loss.
• Whitehouse is holding opposing teams to a .162 batting average which tops the Big West Conference.

BROCK GETS WIN, GETS START: Evan Brock earned a win in relief last week and will make the start against San Diego State Tuesday.

• Brock picked up for lefty Elliot Surrey against CSU Bakersfield and held the Roadrunners to one hit while striking out three to earn his first win.
• Brock has made four appearances and one start this season with the lone start coming against Baylor in which he pitched four innings and fanned three while allowing three runs on six hits.
• The righty also made an appearance last week against BYU, logging 2.2 innings and holding the Cougars to a run on three hits.

SPENCER LEADS BIG WEST: Connor Spencer batted .412 in four games last week to move into first in the Big West in batting average.

• Spencer had seven hits, including two doubles, drove in three runs and scored three times.
• Spencer scored the go-ahead run to snap a 0-0 tie in the series opener against the Cougars. He then went 3 for 4 the next day but was left stranded twice and drove in the game-winning run in the first in the series finale with his fifth double of the year.
• He is tied for first with Dominique Taylor with nine multiple-hit games and is tied for first in the Big West with Ronnie Shaeffer in hits with 26.

DUARTE, COOPER PROVIDE SPARK: Mikey Duarte and Ryan Cooper posted identical .364 averages last week.

• Duarte was 4 for 11 with a double and four RBI. He drove in two of UCI's three runs last Thursday in support of Andrew Thurman and added two more RBI in the team's win Saturday.
• The second baseman has hit in five straight to lead the team and is currently batting .400 with 10 hits and eight RBI.
• Cooper also totaled four hits last week and has been filling the designated hitter's role.
• The sophomore reached base in four plate appearances Thursday, hitting a pair of singles and drawing a walk as well as taking first on a fielder's choice.
• He then tacked on two more singles the next day but was left stranded. Cooper is hitting .412 on the year with seven hits, two RBI and three runs scored.

THURMAN DROPS SECOND STRAIGHT: Andrew Thurman will look to get back into the win column this Friday in the series opener against Nebraska.

• Thurman suffered his second consecutive loss after the Anteaters lost 6-3 last week.
• The right-hander blanked the Cougars through four innings before a passed ball and a two-out RBI triple would give BYU a 2-1 lead.
• Thurman is second on the team with 25 innings pitched and 20 strikeouts. He is holding opposing teams to a .238 batting average to sit ninth among the conference pitchers.

SHAEFFER BACK AT IT FROM BEHIND HOME: Ronnie Shaeffer, who had a 57-percent success rate in throwing out baserunners in 2011, is currently tied for second in the Big West after erasing six on the base-paths this year.

• Shaeffer is holding teams to a .250 average in stolen bases this season. UC Davis' Spencer Brann currently edges Shaeffer with seven baserunners nabbed but has allowed eight for a .533 stolen base average.
• Offensively Shaeffer drove in five runs on four hits last week, including belting his team-leading third home run of the season Saturday.
• He is hitting batting .382 and is tied for first in the Big West with 26 hits. Shaeffer also shares the Big West lead in RBI with Dominique Taylor at 18 apiece.
• Taylor kept pace with Shaeffer with four hits, including a double and smacked his first home run of the year against CSU Bakersfield.

ALL ABOUT THE AZTECS: San Diego State is 7-9 overall and bring a four-game losing streak to Anteater Ballpark.

• The Aztecs have played three ranked teams, opening the season with a sweep against No. 12 San Diego. The team then played No. 6 Oregon State and just completed a four-game series at No. 16 Arkansas.
• Left-hander Mike Robards will get the start against UCI. Robards, who makes his first start of the year, has not registered a decision.
• He has pitched 4.1 innings and struck out five while giving up a run on two walks and no hits.
• Leading the Aztecs is Jake Romanski, who is hitting .333 with 17 hits and three doubles.
• Tim Zier is the team's RBI leader with 11 and is batting .234 with 15 hits.
• San Diego State leads the all-time series against the Anteaters and sports a 47-31-1 mark. UCI has won five straight against SDSU and 11 of the last 12 games.

CORNHUSKER CONVERSATION: Nebraska is 5-9 on the year after falling twice in a three-game series against Louisiana Tech.

• The team is led offensively by Chad Christensen, who is hitting .400 in 14 games with 20 hits and four RBI.
• Austin Darby and Josh Scheffert top the team in runs batted in with nine apiece. Darby is batting .283 while Scheffert owns a .240 average.
• The pitching staff, led by former UC Irvine pitching coach, Ted Silva is paced by projected Friday starter, Christian DeLeon.
• DeLeon has struck out 14 in 26.2 innings and given up five runs on 22 hits. He pitched a complete game against Louisiana Tech, allowing just two earned runs on six hits but came away with the loss.
• Ryan Hander will oppose Matt Whitehouse Saturday and is 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA. The righty opened the series against Louisiana Tech and pitched 6.2 innings and struck out six. Hander gave up five runs on seven hits in the loss.
• Brandon Pierce is slated to face Andrew Morales in the series finale. Pierce is 1-2 with a 6.05 ERA and has struck out 12 in 19.1 innings.
• The series between the two teams is tied at 1-1. UCI and Nebraska last squared off in 2008 at the Lincoln Regional, where the Anteaters posted a 3-2 win. The winning pitcher in the contest was Danny Bibona.

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