No. 23 UC Irvine Takes on Toreros, Matadors

Apr. 8: UC Irvine (20-8) at San Diego (19-12) - Cunningham Stadium
Apr. 12-14: UC Irvine (20-8, 3-3) vs. CS Northridge (16-15, 4-2) - Anteater Ballpark

Game 29: RHP Mitch Merten (1-1, 1.08) vs. LHP Louie Lechich (1-0, 1.93)
6:00 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Mark Roberts

Game 30:  RHP Andrew Thurman (3-3, 2.22) vs. TBA
6:30 PM - Internet Only/Mark Roberts

Game 31:  LHP Matt Whitehouse (3-2, 2.61) vs. TBA
1:00 PM - Internet Only/Mark Roberts

Game 32:  RHP Andrew Morales (7-0, 1.81) vs. TBA
1:00 PM - KUCI 88.9 FM/Mark Roberts

Game Notes: UC Irvine went 4-0 last week to match its longest win streak of the season. The Anteaters strung together four wins to open the season and also won four straight in a stretch against Portland and CSU Bakersfield. The team, which sports a sparkling 16-3 home record, looks to improve on its 4-5 road mark this week at San Diego.

  • After the second weekend of conference action, UCI sits in a tie for fourth at 3-3. Cal State Fullerton is undefeated at 6-0 while Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge are tied for second at 4-2.
  • The weekend rotation got back into the win column with all three starters picking up key Big West wins.
  • The staff dropped its team ERA to 2.53, second in the Big West behind Cal State Fullerton (2.49).
  • The offense is hitting .292 to tie for first in the league with Cal Poly in batting average and has out-scored opposing teams 143-77.
  • The team has scored in double figures in every inning, except the eighth and ninth. UCI's most productive frame is the third with 30 runs scored.
  • UCI remains at the top of the Big West with a .987 fielding percentage.

NATIONAL SCENE

  • UC Irvine is ranked 3rd in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings (2.02) and strikeout to walk ratio (3.82).
  • After lowering the team ERA to 2.53, the Anteater staff jumped up to 11th in the nation.
  • The staff is also ninth in hits allowed per nine innings (7.12).
  • Individually, Ronnie Shaeffer has been fanned just six times in 113 at-bats and is 11th in the "Toughest to Strikeout" category.
  • Andrew Morales' seven wins place him third in the nation in victories.
  • Matt Whitehouse also dots the national leaderboard. He is 13th in WHIP (0.81), 25th in strikeout to walk ratio (7.17) and 39th in walks allowed per nine innings (1.12).

MORE WINS FOR MORALES: Andrew Morales collected his seventh win of the season after a one-hit effort against Hawai'i.

  • The right-hander was voted the Big West Pitcher of the Week after his performance against the Rainbows.
  • Morales was perfect through six innings with his effort slightly marred in the seventh by a leadoff single. However, he rebounded to retire the next three batters before handing the ball off to the Anteater pen.
  • Morales is undefeated and lowered his ERA to 1.81, third-best in the conference.
  • He is holding opposing teams to a .220 average.

MERTEN MAKES THE START: Junior Mitch Merten will start against San Diego Tuesday.

  • Merten is 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA. His last decision came against USC last week in which he tossed 3.1 innings of one-hit relief and struck out three for a season-best. 
  • Tuesday marks his first start of the year and Merten has allowed one earned run on six hits.
  • Opposing teams are hitting .207 against him.

SPARKS FIRES UP 'EATERS WITH LONG BALL: Three of Taylor Sparks' four hits last week were home runs as the sophomore moved to first on the team and fourth in the Big West with five round-trippers.

  • Sparks hit a solo home run in the Saturday game against the 'Bows and then came back and hit two Sunday.
  • His three-run blast in the first and two-run shot in the third made him the first Anteater since 2010 to go yard in back-to-back at-bats.
  • The last Anteater to accomplish the feat was Jeff Cusick, who homered twice against Saint Mary's at Anteater Ballpark.
  • Sparks upped his average to .295 and has 33 hits and 20 RBI.

THURMAN, WHITEHOUSE BACK TO WINNING WAYS: Starters Andrew Thurman and Matt Whitehouse were stellar in the starts against Hawaii and each picked up their third wins of the year.

  • Thurman pitched 8.2 innings, striking out eight and holding the 'Bows to three hits while allowing one unearned run.
  • The right-hander, who is 3-3, holds a 2.22 ERA and has registered 45 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.
  • Thurman is holding opposing teams to a .225 batting average to sit sixth in the Big West and his 45 strikeouts rank fourth in the conference.
  • Whitehouse struck out a season-high nine batters in a 7.2 inning stint.
  • The lefty walked two and gave up just two hits while yielding an unearned run.
  • The junior is 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA. Whitehouse has struck out 43 and is seventh in the Big West.
  • Opposing teams are hitting .193 against him and the lefty is second in the Big West in opposing batting average.

RABAGO SHINES IN LEADING ROLE: Chris Rabago was moved to the leadoff spot in the series against Hawaii and the role fit as the sophomore batted .429 on the week.

  • The shortstop tied a team-high with six hits, batting 6 for 14 with a double and led the team with five runs scored.
  • Rabago was held hitless but sacrificed and scored against USC Tuesday and then went 2 for 4 Friday.
  • He added three hits to tie a season-high and then posted one RBI on one hit Sunday.
  • Rabago, who has only one defensive error on the year, is batting .270 with 27 hits and 10 RBI.

TAYLOR, SHAEFFER BATTLE IN RBI RACE: Dominique Taylor and Ronnie Shaeffer each had three RBI apiece and remain tied for the team-high with 23.

  • Taylor batted .400 with six hits, including a double and a triple, and scored four runs.
  • The centerfielder is hitting .330 to sit third on the team and is tied for second with Shaeffer with 38 hits.
  • Taylor is also tied for first with Connor Spencer with nine doubles and the duo is currently third in the conference.
  • Shaeffer struggled at the plate, hitting .143 but managed to drive in three runs with a sacrifice fly and a two-run single.
  • The catcher is second on the team with a .336 batting average and has been stellar defensively. He halted three consecutive stolen-base attempts and opponents have only five steals against the nominee for the Johnny Bench Award.
  • Shaeffer is ranked ninth in the Big West in batting average and tied for fifth in RBI.

SPENCER TOPS HITS CHART: Connor Spencer was 5 for 14 at the plate and hit. 357 in four games.

  • The first Anteater to reach 40 hits this year with 42, Spencer is also tied for first with nine doubles and owns the team-high in triples with three.
  • Spencer, who is batting a Big West-leading .408, has 18 RBI and has struck out just eight times in 103 at-bats.
  • He leads the Big West with a .484 on-base percentage and is fourth in hits and tied for third in doubles and triples.
  • Spencer has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games for the team-high and at one time held a team-best hitting streak of 11 games.

HAT TRICK FOR PARMENTER: Race Parmenter converted all three save opportunities last week and now has six to tie for fourth in the conference.

  • The senior made three shutout appearances last week for the Anteaters.
  • After logging a shutout inning in the ninth against the Trojans, Parmenter posted saves in the first two games against Hawai'i.
  • He did not give up a hit in all three appearances and has allowed just one earned run in nine appearances.
  • Parmenter is 1-1 and has struck out 10 in 11.1 innings of work.

SAN DIEGO STATS: San Diego is 19-12 overall and are formidable at home with a 13-7 record at the Torero's new stadium.

  • The team is batting .288 and is led by Kris Bryant, who is hitting .351 with 39 hits and 35 RBI.
  • Bryant also has 14 home runs and drawn 36 base on balls to lead the team.
  • Left-hander Louie Lechich is slated to start on the mound for the Toreros.
  • Lechich is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA. He has struck out 22 in 23.1 innings and allowed just five earned runs in five starts.
  • UCI holds a 49-43-1 edge against San Diego. The Anteaters won two games against USD in 2012, posting victories of 10-5 and 6-2.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE SITS SECOND IN BIG WEST: Cal State Northridge is tied for second in the Big West at 4-2 after sweeping UC Riverside last weekend.

  • The Matadors have won four straight after posting a walk-off win against Washington Monday night and face Cal State Bakersfield on the road Tuesday before traveling to UC Irvine.
  • CSUN is batting .265 and is paced by Kyle Attl, who is batting .312 with 34 hits.
  • Reigning Big West Player of the Week, Josh Goossen-Brown, leads the team with 24 RBI and has 30 hits to sit third on the team.
  • UCI is 32-28 against the Matadors but CSUN won two of three games last year in Northridge.

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