No. 23 UC Irvine Breaks For Finals Week

Mar. 26 No. 23 UC IRVINE (15-5) at CSU Bakersfield - Bakersfield, CA
Mar. 29-31: UC IRVINE at UC Riverside - Riverside, CA

Game Notes:  UC Irvine, ranked 23rd in the USA Coaches, NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball polls, will take the week off for finals. The Anteaters return to action Mar. 26 at Cal State Bakersfield and open Big West action at UC Riverside (Mar. 29-31). UCI went 3-1 last week in four close games that were decided by three runs or less. The Anteaters' 15-5 start through the first 20 games is second-best since the program was reinstated in 2002. Only Mike Gillespie's 2008 team did better, going 18-2.

  • UCI favors early scoring, recording 13 more runs in the first three innings (44) than the last four (31) frames.
  • In contrast, opposing teams have done the most damage in the seventh inning with 15 runs.
  • The offense is in a cooling trend after posting three runs or less in five of the last seven games. The Anteaters opened the season scoring four or more runs in eight consecutive games.
  • UCI's pitching staff lowered its ERA to 2.66 after holding Nebraska to five runs in three games. The Anteaters logged their second shutout of the season with a 2-0 decision Sunday.
  • The team's 2.66 ERA is second in the Big West while the Anteaters' batting average of .304 tops the league.
  • The Anteater pitching staff has allowed just 56 runs this season, lowest in the conference. The offense's 108-run out-put is fourth-best in the Big West with UC Riverside leading the league with 126 runs scored.

CAREER-HIGH FOR MORALES: Andrew Morales earned his sixth win of the year after a career-high 7.2 inning effort to clinch the series win against Nebraska.

  • Morales struck out a personal-best six batters in the win and limited the Huskers to just four hits.
  • The right-hander is holding opposing teams to a .227 batting average and lowered his ERA to 2.01.
  • Morales has logged 31.1 innings of work and struck out 21 while giving up seven runs on 25 hits.

THURMAN HURLS FIFTH COMPLETE GAME: Andrew Thurman pitched his fifth career complete game in the series opener against Nebraska to return to the win column and earn Big West Pitcher of the Week honors. 

  • Thurman struck out a career-high 11 Husker batters, walked just one and scattered five hits with an unearned run.
  • Thurman leads the team with 31 strikeouts in 34 innings and has walked just six batters. He has a 2.38 ERA and the opposition is hitting .225 against him.

HOOPER HOLDS AZTECS HITLESS FOR WIN: Kyle Hooper did not allow a hit against San Diego State last Tuesday and earned his first win of the year.

  • The right-hander retired 12 consecutive batters and struck out four in relief of starter Evan Brock.
  • Hooper made a second appearance later in the week against Nebraska and allowed a run on two hits in 2/3 innings while striking out one.
  • Hooper is 1-0 with a 3.92 ERA and has struck out 19 in 20.2 innings. He has walked seven and allowed nine runs on the year.

PARMENTER SAVES IT FOR 'EATERS: Race Parmenter made two appearances last week and earned his third save of the year.

  • The senior did not allow a hit against Nebraska, striking out one in an inning of work Saturday.
  • He then entered with one out in the ninth and retired the two batters he faced to preserve UCI's 2-0 shutout.
  • Parmenter is 0-1 and has made eight appearances. He has posted seven strikeouts in 7.1 innings and walked three while allowing four runs.

SPARKS HIGHLIGHTS 'EATER OFFENSE: Taylor Sparks led UCI in four games last week, batting .400 and tying for the team-high with six hits.

  • The third baseman was held hitless against San Diego State but rebounded with a perfect day at the plate in the series opener against Nebraska. Sparks was 3 for 3 and recorded the game-winning RBI in the first inning.
  • Sparks homered in the middle contest for his second round-tripper of the year and then went 2 for 4 with a single and a double in the final game of the series.
  • Sparks was a triple shy of hitting for the series cycle. He is batting .301 and is fourth with 25 hits and 12 RBI.

STRONG START FOR BROCK: Evan Brock gave UCI five solid innings against San Diego State but came away with a no-decision after leaving the game tied in the fifth.

  • Brock pitched three shutout innings before giving up a run in the Aztec fourth. An unearned run scored on a passed ball in the fifth.
  • The right-hander struck out four and allowed seven hits before handing the ball off to the Anteater bullpen.
  • Brock holds a 2.81 ERA and has recorded 11 strikeouts in 16 innings hwile walking just one batter.

McCLANAHAN BACK IN THE GAME: Jerry McClanahan was inserted back into the Anteater lineup last week after sitting out with an arm injury.

  • McClanahan pinch hit Saturday against Nebraska and made his first start since Mar. 1 in the series finale.
  • The catcher/designated hitter did not record a hit but sported an on-base percentage of .400 after reaching safely twice in the start.
  • He took care of the Anteaters defensively, applying the tag on a double-steal attempt at home and then cutting down a runner at second base.
  • McClanahan is hitting .364 with 12 hits and five RBI.

SPENCER, TAYLOR VIE FOR DOUBLES LEAD: Connor Spencer and Dominique Taylor each belted two doubles apiece last week and are tied for first on the team with seven apiece.

  • Taylor was 6 for 17 and hit .353 with an RBI and a run scored.
  • Taylor did not record a hit against SDSU but did reach safely on a fielder's choice.
  • He bounced back with two hits Friday but was left stranded twice and added a double Saturday.
  • Taylor doubled in the game-winning run in the series finale in the third. He then singled, stole second and scored on an error to give the team an insurance run.
  • Taylor is hitting .337 and is third with 28 hits and tied for first with 19 RBI.
  • Spencer had one hit each of the four games last week.
  • The first baseman/designated hitter has reached safely in seven straight games

IN THE BIG WEST

  • UCI leads the Big West schools with a .991 fielding percentage.
  • The Anteaters have thrown out 10 base-runners and is third in the league behind Long Beach State and Cal Poly, both tied at 13.
  • Connor Spencer holds the top spot in batting average at .405 and on-base percentage at .477.
  • Ronnie Shaeffer and Spencer are tied for first in hits (30) while Dominique Taylor is third with 28.
  • Shaeffer and Taylor are tied for first in RBI with 19.
  • Spencer and Taylor are tied for second in doubles with seven and Shaeffer is tied for fourth with four home runs.
  • Andrew Morales is ninth in the conference in ERA at 2.01.
  • Matt Whitehouse, Kyle Hooper and Andrew Thurman all sit in the top 10 in opposing batting average at second (.175), ninth (.216) and 10th (.225), respectively.
  • Whitehouse is tied for second with 36.1 innings pitched
  • Thurman and Whitehouse are third (31) and sixth (29) in strikeouts.
  • Jimmy Litchfield, who made two appearances of hitless relief last week, is tied for second with 10 appearances.
  • Race Parmenter is tied for third with three saves.

 

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