No. 16 Anteaters Travel to No. 24 San Diego, No. 5 Cal Poly In Big West Showdown

San Diego / San Luis Obispo

May 6
Game 47 - 6:00 PM
at San Diego
(L) Evan Manarino vs. (R) Ryan Olson
Live stats
Internet Only
Mark Roberts

May 9
Game 48 - 6:00 PM
at Cal Poly
(R) Andrew Morales vs. (L) Matt Imhof
Live stats
KUCI 88.9 FM
Mark Roberts
Tim Becwar 

May 10
Game 49 - 6:00 PM
at Cal Poly
(L) Elliot Surrey vs. (R) Justin Calomeni
Live stats
Internet Only
Mark Roberts
Tim Becwar

May 11
Game 50 - 1:00 PM
at Cal Poly
(R) Evan Brock vs. Casey Bloomquist
Live stats
Internet Only
Mark Roberts
Tim Becwar

QUICK HITS

  • UC Irvine, ranked 16th by Collegiate Baseball, has begun to garner additional attention from national outlets with the 'Eaters jumping into the Baseball America (23), USA Today/ESPN Coaches (24) and the NCBWA (25) polls for the first time this year.
  • The Anteaters have won seven of their last eight games and won five conference series.
  • The team is ranked 14th in the country in team ERA at 2.42, fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.45 and third in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings at 2.03.
  • UCI will celebrate Mother's Day weekend by facing its highest-ranked team this year when the Anteaters take on fifth-ranked Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

SPENCER'S THREE GAME WINNERS LEADS TO PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

  • Connor Spencer went 8 for 16, hitting a cool .500 with two doubles, five RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored to pick up Big West Player of the Week honors for the second time this year and third overall.
  • Spencer was also named the College Sports Madness Big West Player of the Week.
  • Three of Spencer's hits drove in the game-winning run for the 'Eaters, who went 4-0 last week.
  • Spencer singled in the go-ahead run against USC to snap a 2-2 tie, stole third and plated an insurance run in a 6-2 win.
  • In the series opener against UCSB, he doubled in the game-winner, unlocking a 2-2 tie and Sunday cashed in a Grant Palmer single in the first in an 8-0 win.
  • Spencer, who had two hits in each of the four contests, is batting .376 with a team-high 65 hits and 37 runs batted in.

MANARINO TACKLES TOREROS

  • Evan Manarino looks to continue what has been a string of solid appearances for the lefty this Tuesday when he faces No. 24 San Diego.
  • The junior took on the Trojans in a start last week and handcuffed the USC lineup, striking out six and holding the team to three hits in four shutout innings.
  • Manarino did not figure in the decision but dropped his ERA to 2.92 and has now struck out 35 and walked just four in 40 innings of work.
  • Manarino made a relief appearance against UCSB, tossing 2/3 hitless innings and earned the win to improve to 2-3 after the team posted the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.
  • Manarino has not allowed an earned run in five straight appearances.

MOORE BREAKS BIG WEST RECORD, EYES NCAA MARK

  • Sam Moore locked down his 20th and 21st saves last week, breaking a 19-year old Big West  record that was previously held by Gabe Gonzales (Long Beach State).
  • The right-hander entered in the ninth Friday against UCSB with the tying run on deck. After walking one, he retired the final two batters to end the game.
  • Moore was called out of the bullpen again Saturday to protect a one-run lead and faced the minimum in the ninth to help the 'Eaters seal the series and set the conference mark.
  • Moore is 0-2 with a 1.46 ERA and has struck out 32 in 37 innings. He is holding teams to a .185 batting average.

LITCHFIELD LOGS SAVE, TWO AWAY FROM TYING UCI RECORD

  • Senior Jimmy Litchfield posted a save and made two appearances and is now just two shy of tying the UCI career mark of 113 appearances.
  • Litchfield recorded the save against USC, his second one of the year after shutting down a two-on, two out situation with the tying run on deck.

PALMER RELISHES LEADOFF ROLE

  • Grant Palmer, who is hitting .359 as the team's leadoff batter, posted multiple hits in three of the four games last week.
  • The outfielder batted .533 with eight hits, including a double and scored five runs and is now hitting .296 with 47 hits, third-best on the team.
  • After going 3 for 5 with a double against USC, Palmer tacked on two hits in the series opener against the Gauchos.
  • He posted a hit, drew a walk and plated the winning run Saturday as UCI sealed the series and finished the three-game set with two hits, two walks and two runs scored.
  • Palmer is second on the team with 15 multiple-hit games and has recorded a hit in six straight games.

MORALES, BROCK BOOKEND WEEKEND WITH EIGHTH WINS

  • Andrew Morales and Evan Brock both secured their eighth wins of the year last weekend.
  • Morales struck out seven in 7.2 innings while allowing a pair of earned runs on six hits to post his seventh consecutive quality start.
  • The right-hander is 8-0 and second nationally with a 0.91 earned run average. He has 94 strikeouts in 88.2 innings and yielded nine earned runs.
  • Brock pitched seven shutout innings Sunday, striking out four and scattering four hits to improve to 8-3. The Gauchos were held to a .160 batting average against him.
  • The senior right-hander, who lowered his ERA to 2.85, has posted four straight quality starts and has 49 strikeouts in 75.2 innings of work.

FIELDING FEELING GOOD, WINS AGAIN

  • Matt Fielding earned his first win of his Anteater career two weeks ago against UC Davis and added another win in relief against USC.
  • The junior transfer picked up for Mitch Merten in the sixth with a 1-1 tie and the go-ahead run at third but induced a fly-ball to center to end the threat.
  • The 'Eaters responded with four runs in the seventh to give Fielding the lead and the lefty pitched an additional 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to improve to 2-0.
  • Fielding boasts a 1.27 ERA in 18 appearances and has fanned 11 in 21.1 innings. He has walked one, surrendered just three earned runs and is holding teams to a .213 batting average.

MUSIC MAN MAKES NOISE

  • Also a talented musician, Jonathan Munoz has been wielding a loud bat and is second on the team with a .340 average.
  • The designated hitter went 5 for 13 with a pair of doubles, four RBI and three runs scored and hit .385 in four games.
  • Munoz singled in UCI's first run against USC and added an RBI in the seventh and he put UCI on the board Friday in the second with an RBI double.
  • He went 2 for 4 and plated the team's first run Saturday and doubled and scored in the series finale Sunday.
  • Munoz has 32 hits with 11 runs batted in and has 16 runs scored.

ABOUT THE TOREROS

  • San Diego is ranked 24th in the country and is 33-16 overall and 15-9 in the WCC.
  • Connor Joe leads the team with a .376 average, 74 hits, 20 doubles  and 47 RBI.
  • The team is batting .322 while the pitching staff owns a 3.30 ERA.
  • Taking the mound to oppose Evan Manarino will be right-hander Ryan Olson, who is 0-1 with a 5.35 ERA.
  • Olson has fanned 30 in 33.2 innings and walked 15 while allowing 20 earned runs.
  • UCI will look to avenge a 6-3 loss against the Toreros but lead the series 50-45-1.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

  • Cal Poly, bidding for a national seed, is ranked in all four of the major polls and sits as high as fifth (USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll).
  • The Mustangs are batting .298 and are led by Mark Mathias, who is hitting a Big West-leading .396 and is tied for first with Connor Spencer with 65 hits. 
  • Nick Torres is the team's leading RBI man with 40.
  • Casey Bloomquist owns a 10-1 record to lead the Big West in wins after coming away with the victory Sunday. Bloomquish pitched six innings and struck out three while giving up two runs on nine hits.
  • Ace Matt Imhoff is 8-3 with 103 strikeouts, also a conference high and pitched three innings against UCR Friday, striking out two and giving up four earned runs. 
  • Justin Calomeni came away with a no-decision Sunday after putting in 3.1 innings and allowing three runs on four hits.
  • The 'Eaters were swept in their last trip to Baggett Field in 2012 but came away with two of three wins last year at Anteater Ballpark to improve to 22-17 in the all-time series.

 

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