Malibu / Honolulu, HI

Apr. 1
Game 28  - 3:00 PM
at Pepperdine
(L) Evan Manarino vs. (L) Matt Mauer
Live stats
Internet Only
Mark Roberts

QUICK HITS

• UC Irvine goes on the road for four games this week, taking on 29th-ranked Pepperdine Tuesday in Malibu before traveling to Hawai'i for a Big West series. 
• The Anteaters are 5-3 in away contests and also look to avenge an 6-0 loss to the Waves earlier this month.
• In the Big West, UCI is second in ERA at 2.40 and fifth in batting average at .271.

• Connor Spencer batted .688 and boasted a 1.000 slugging percentage in four games last week to earn Big West Player of the Week honors.
• Spencer registered 11 hits, including a double and his first career home run, and now leads the team with a .384 average.
• The first baseman was perfect at the plate against the Roadrunners, batting 4 for 4 and reaching safely in all five plate appearances. 
• He recorded multiple hits in all four games and has now reached safely in 25 consecutive contests.
• He is fourth in the Big West in batting average, second in on-base percentage (.487) and tied for fourth in hits with 38.

MORALES DOES IT AGAIN

• Andrew Morales pitched his second consecutive complete-game shutout to extend his shutout streak to 18 innings.
• The right-hander tied a career-best with 12 strikeouts against UC Riverside and faced just two over the minimum, walking one and scattering four hits.
• Morales, who leads the Big West in ERA at 0.51, is holding opposing teams to a .148 average.
• He is second in the conference in strikeouts with 56 and tied for third in wins with five.

MANARINO TAKES ON MAUER

• Southpaw showdowns have become a regular midweek feature as Evan Manarino will be opposed Tuesday by lefty Matt Mauer.
• Manarino pitched 4.2 innings against CSU Bakersfield last week, striking out four and giving up four runs (one earned).
• The junior is 1-2 with a 3.64 ERA. He has struck out 24 in 29.2 innings and walked just three on the year.
• He made the start against Pepperdine earlier this year and struck out four and allowed six runs (three earned) in five innings to suffer the loss.

• Catcher Jerry McClanahan put together another productive week at the plate, batting .429 (6 for 14) with three RBI and two runs scored.
• With the effort, McClanahan climbed to third among the starters in average and is now batting .293.
• McClanahan plated the eventual game-winning run against Bakersfield, scoring on Ryan Cooper's pinch-hit double.
• Saturday, he drove in the game-tying run and capped the series with a pair of hits and a walk.

SPARKS' HOME RUN TIES FOR FIFTH IN CAREER RECORDS

• Taylor Sparks belted a solo home run against Bakersfield, giving the junior his 16th career round-tripper.
• Sparks moved into a tie for fifth in the UCI career records and shares the spot with Jeff Malinoff, who hit 16 home runs from 1971-74.
• Sparks needs one to move into a tie for fourth with Jeff Cusick (2007-10).
• In four games last week, Sparks batted .417 and was particularly efficient by driving in five runs on five hits.

SURREY SOLIDIFYING SATURDAYS

• Elliot Surrey followed up a complete-game shutout against Grand Canyon with another strong effort against the Highlanders.
• The lefty pitched 6.2 innings and struck out five while yielding a pair of unearned runs on six hits.
• Surrey is 3-2 with a 2.56 earned run average and has 27 strikeouts in 38.2 innings of work.
• He has not allowed an earned run in 15.2 innings and has walked just one batter in the last 19.1 frames.

• Sam Moore emergence as the team's closer has been key to UCI's success. The junior posted two saves last week and continues to lead the nation.
• Moore entered the game against Bakersfield  in the eighth, inheriting a runner at first. He allowed a single but held off the rallying Roadrunners, leaving two stranded in the inning and one in the ninth for his 10th save.
• He was called from the bullpen Saturday against Riverside with two outs in the eighth and set down three of the four batters he faced for his 11th save.
• Moore holds a 1.46 ERA and has struck out 25 in 24.2 innings of work while allowing four earned runs. He is limiting opposing teams to a .155 average. 
• He is six saves away from tying the single-season record, held by Eric Pettis and Blair Erickson, who posted down 17 saves apiece.

• Senior Jimmy Litchfield improved to 3-1 after coming away with the win against Bakersfield.
• Litchfield struck out one and walked three in two scoreless innings in relief of Kyle Davis to earn the win.
• He then logged a hitless inning against UC Riverside before handing the ball off to Sam Moore.
• Litchfield holds a 2.11 ERA and is second on the team with 13 appearances. He has struck out 15 in 21.1 innings and is limiting teams to a .176 batting average.

• Pepperdine cracked the national polls this week, coming in at No. 29 in Collegiate Baseball's poll.
• The Waves are an impressive 20-7 and have won seven of their last eight games.
• The team is led by Aaron Brown, who is batting .349 with a team-best 37 hits and 22 RBI.
• Expected to start for Pepperdine is Matt Mauer, who is 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA.
• Mauer struck out five and held UCI scoreless in six innings in the two teams' last meeting while Brown and Bryan Langlois combined for five of the team's nine hits in a 6-0 win over the 'Eaters.
• UCI trails 41-25-2 in the series.

• Hawai'i is 14-13 after coming off a series upset of No. 10 UC Santa Barbara last week .
• The Rainbow Warriors have won seven of their last nine games and are led by Marc Flores, who has a team-leading 31 hits and 21 RBI.
• Expected to open the series is Big West Pitcher of the Week, Matt Cooper, who tossed a one-run complete game in the series opener against UCSB.
• Cooper is 3-1 with a 1.26 ERA and has struck out 46 in 50 innings pitched while yielding seven earned runs.
• The UH rotation will follow with a pair of left-handers in Scott Squier and Jarrett Arakawa.
• Squier is 2-2 with a 3.15 ERA and has posted 39 strikeouts in 45.2 innings while giving up 16 earned runs.
• Arakawa is undefeated at 2-0 with a 1.95 ER and ahs fanned 13 in 37 innings while surrendering eight earned runs.
• The team owns the fifth-best ERA in the league at 3.31.
• UCI leads the series 18-6 against the 'Bows.