UC Irvine Hosts Pepperdine, Grand Canyon in Final Tuneup Before Big West Action Opens

Irvine, Calif. / Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.

Mar. 18
Game 20  - 6:30 PM
vs. Pepperdine
(L) Evan Manarino vs. (L) Matt Mauer
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Tim Becwar

 Mar. 21
Game 21 - 6:30 PM
vs. Grand Canyon
(R) Andrew Morales vs. (R) Jorge Perez
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Mar. 22
Game 22 –1:00 PM
vs. Grand Canyon
(L) Elliot Surrey vs. (L) Andrew Naderer
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Mar. 23
Game 23 - 1:00 PM
vs. Grand Canyon
(R) Evan Brock vs. (R) Coley Bruns
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 QUICK HITS

  • UCI, hosting Pepperdine and Grand Canyon this weekend, will play seven of the next eight games at Anteater Ballpark
  • This weekend's non-conference series will serve as a tune-up as Big West play opens for the Anteaters next weekend (Mar. 28-30) against UC Riverside.
  • The team's 13-6 overall record is third best in the Big West with Cal Poly (17-3) and UC Santa Barbara (13-3) holding the top two spots. 
  • UCI was out-scored 32-18 in five games last week, dropping the team's earned run average to 2.67, second in the Big West. The Anteaters remain fifth in batting average at .271.

MANARINO SOLID IN RELIEF, GETS BALL TUESDAY

  • Evan Manarino rebounded from a rough start last Tuesday and gave UCI 2.1 innings of solid relief against Nebraska to earn the start tomorrow against Pepperdine.
  • The crafty southpaw held the Cornhuskes to an unearned run on two hits while striking out two.
  • Manarino is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and suffered his first lost last Tuesday against No. 24 UCLA after surrendering three runs in 1.1 innings.
  • Manarino's best start was a six-inning effort against Loyola Marymount in which he fanned a career-high nine batters in six innings and limited the Lions to an unearned run.

SPENCER VAULTS TO SECOND

  • Connor Spencer led all players with nine hits and a .474 batting average in five games last week and now is tied for second on the team with a .333 clip.
  • The first baseman doubled twice, drove in three runs, scored three times and is second on the team with 23 hits and 14 runs batted in. 
  • He and Taylor Sparks are battling for the lead in doubles and triples with both players belting four doubles and three triples apiece.
  • Spencer is eighth in the Big West with a .452 on-base percentage.

LITCHFIELD REACHES 100 APPEARANCES

  • Senior Jimmy Litchfield made his 100th career appearance last week, becoming just the third Anteater to reach the milestone.
  • He needs 10 appearances to surpass Eric Pettis (2007-10), who sits in the No. 2 spot with 109, and 14 appearances to dethrone Blair Erickson, who logged 113 from 2004-07.
  • Litchfield recorded his second win after pitching 2.1 innings and holding Nebraska to a run on one hit while striking out two.
  • Litchfield is 2-1 with a save and a 2.60 ERA. He has struck out 12 in 17.1 innings and holding opposing teams to a .197 batting average.

McCLANAHAN MAKING NOISE

  • Jerry McClanahan, starting in 18 of 19 games behind the plate this year, had a big weekend at the plate with his bat, hitting .467.
  • The junior posted a hit in all five games and was 7 for 15 while posting a .579 on-base percentage.
  • McClanahan also hit his first home run of the season against Nebraska, smacking an opposite-field homer that cut a 'Husker lead to one.
  • McClanahan is hitting .246 with 16 hits and seven runs batted in.

SPARKS GOES YARD TWICE AGAINST NEBRASKA

  • Taylor Sparks also joined McClanahan in hitting his first home runs of the year against Nebraska.
  • The third baseman  batted .350 last week and slugged .700 after posting seven hits, including a double and a home run.
  • His two-run home run gave UCI a 5-0 lead Friday and he launched a solo shot Saturday that cleared the ballpark and landed in the nearby street.
  • Sparks tops the team with a .342 batting average, is fifth in the Big West in slugging (.562) and tied for seventh in RBI with 16.

BROCK WINS AGAIN

  • Evan Brock capped the series against Gonzaga last Monday by pitching seven innings and limiting the 'Zags to one run on six hits while striking out four for his fourth victory.
  • He gave UCI another solid start Saturday, pitching 6.1 innings and holding the 'Huskers to three runs on nine hits but came away with a no-decision. In two appearances, the right-hander struck out seven in 13.1 innings and yielded just four runs.
  • Brock currently sits in a five-way tie for second in the Big West in wins. 
  • He owns a 2.48 earned run average and has struck out 20 in 32.2 innings while giving up nine runs.

MORALES LOOKS TO REBOUND FRIDAY AFTER POSTING SHORTEST START

  • Andrew Morales suffered a slight bump in the road of an already stellar Anteater career after making his shortest start in two years.
  • The right-hander, who pitched 4.2 innings in the start against Nebraska, had not pitched less than six innings in any start since Feb. 24, 2013.
  • Sixteen of Morales' 18 starts are categorized as quality starts. He leads the Big West with a 0.78 ERA and saw his scoreless inning streak halted at 34 1/3.
  • He remains undefeated this year at 3-0 and has struck out 33 in 34.2 innings.

LUCKY SEVEN FOR RABAGO

  • Chris Rabago joined teammates McClanahan and Sparks with seven hits of his own last week and batting .304 for the 'Eaters.
  • Rabago, batting in the No. 2 hole for UCI, is third on the team with 21 hits and three doubles.

MATCHING UP AGAINST THE WAVES

  • Pepperdine has won six of the last nine games and will bring an identical 13-6 record to Anteater Ballpark Tuesday.
  • The Waves are led by Aarons Brown and Barnett. Brown tops the team with a .378 average, 28 hits and 16 runs batted in.
  • Barnett is second, hitting .361 with 26 hits and 13 RBI.
  • Pepperdine is hitting .282 as a team with six starters batting .280 or better.
  • The pitching staff owns a 2.87 ERA. Making the start for Pepperdine is lefty Matt Maurer, who is 1-1 with a 2.05 ERA.
  • The lefty has struck out 10 in 22 innings and given up just five earned runs.
  • The two teams last met in 2012 at the Dodgertown Classic with the Waves winning 3-2 and leads the series, 40-25-2.

WHERE THE ANTELOPES PLAY

  • Grand Canyon is 9-9 overall in its first year of Division I competition.
  • The Antelopes are led by Humberto Aranda, who is batting .474 while David Walker is batting .394 with a team-leading 26 hits.
  • Both the Anteaters and Antelopes open the week with .271 batting averages.
  • The pitching staff holds a 3.87 ERA with Coley Bruns pacing the starters with a 2.15 ERA, a 3-0 record and 28 strikeouts.
  • Grand Canyon University, which began a four-year reclassification process to Division I last summer, won back-to-back Division II Learfield Cups.
  • The two teams will meet for the first time this weekend.

FORMER ANTEATERS NOW RUN WITH THE ANTELOPES

  • Current Grand Canyon coaches Nathan Choate and Gregg Wallis make their return to Anteater Ballpark.
  • Choate was on UCI's staff for the 2006 and '07 seasons while Wallis was the very first recruit to sign with UC Irvine Baseball in the new era.
  • Wallis was the program's Director of Operations in 2007 following his collegiate career.

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