No. 14 UC Irvine Travels To Stillwater Super Regional To Take On No. 3 Oklahoma State

NCAA TOURNAMENT | STILLWATER SUPER REGIONAL
No. 14 UC Irvine at No. 3 Oklahoma State
Stillwater, Okla. / Allie P. Reynolds Stadium
June 6-8, 2014
8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM (CT)


QUICK HITS

  • After being sent to the campus of the No. 1 national seed Oregon State, UC Irvine continues its trek into hostile territory this weekend as the Anteaters travel to Oklahoma State for a best-of-three series at the Stillwater Super Regional.
  • The Anteaters make their fourth trip to the Supers since bringing the program back in 2002.
  • As a team, UCI is ranked fourth in the country in walks allowed per nine innings (2.09) and strikeout to walk ratio (3.36).
  • This is the second time a Big West school will be facing an opponent from the Big 12 Conference in Super Regional action. In 2006, Cal State Fullerton defeated Missouri, two games to none.
  • It is the 11th time in the last 12 years that the Big West Conference has had a team advanced to the Super Regionals.
  • UCI's win over UNLV snapped a six-game losing streak, the longest of the year and the longest under Head Coach Mike Gillespie.
  • The 'Eaters had an offensive outburst, scoring 24 runs in the first two games after being held to 15 in the final nine Big West contests.
  • It is the first time this year the Anteaters have recorded double-digit runs on consecutive days.
  • UCI is also manufacturing runs, and in regional play has posted 12 sacrifice hits while capitalizing on 11 base on balls and 13 hit batsmen.
  • With the 'Eaters win of the Corvallis Regional, the team has jumped into the rankings and is rated as high as 14.

SPENCER NAMED CORVALLIS REGIONAL MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

  • The 2013 Big West batting champion, came away with the NCAA All-Tournament Most Outstanding Player award.
  • Spencer hit .400 and led UCI with five RBI while tying for first with six hits. The junior had three doubles and scored five runs.
  • He had a hit in three of the four games, including posting multiple hits in the first two and tops the 'Eaters with 28 multiple-hit contests.

TAYLOR SPARKS EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT NOD

  • After struggling as the clean-up hitter for the majority of the year, the third baseman is thriving in the leadoff role.
  • Sparks batted .400 last week and shared the team lead with six hits last week.
  • Sparks had a triple, a home run and scored six runs while driving in one.
  • He also had multiple hits in the first two games and is tied for second on the team with 17.
  • With his triple, Sparks is now tied for first in the country with eight.

PALMER DRIVES IN GAME-WINNER

  • Grant Palmer was selected as the All-Tournament second baseman.
  • The sophomore labored offensively but came up with the game-winning run in Game 7.
  • With the bases loaded and one out, Palmer stroked a single through the left side to drive in a run and give the 'Eaters a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish.

RABAGO'S EXECUTION LEADS TO ALL-TOURNEY AWARD

  • Chris Rabago had just one hit but the junior drove in three runs and scored four to come away with All-Tournament shortstop honors.
  • He posted four sacrifice hits, including squeezing home a run against OSU.
  • His 20 sacrifice hits put him in third in the UCI single-season records behind assistant coach Ben Orloff, who holds the program's top two spots.
  • Rabago is six sacrifices shy of tying Orloff in the No. 2 position with 26.

PAULINO SLAMS HIS WAY INTO ALL-TOURNAMENT RECOGNITION

  • Kris Paulino blasted his first career grand slam against the Beavers Saturday.
  • Paulino, voted an all-tournament outfielder, hit .308 with four hits, four RBI and six runs scored.
  • The junior reached safely in three of four plate appearances against UNLV and came around to score all three times.
  • His grand slam propelled UCI to an eight-run inning, the most runs scored by the 'Eaters in single frame this year.

 MORALES STARTS TWICE, GARNERS ALL-TOURNAMENT NOD

  • Andrew Morales, who led UCI to its first NCAA postseason win since 2011, made the starts against Oregon State and UNLV.
  • The right-hander, now fourth in the country in starts (17) and strikeouts (128), earned his 10th win against the Rebels.
  • He logged seven innings and held UNLV to three runs (two earned) on four hits.
  • Morales then started against No. 2 Oregon State and held the Beavers to one run on three hits in 4.1 frames while fanning five.
  • Morales is expected to take the hill Saturday.

SURREY WINS IT, SAVES IT AND DUE TO START FRIDAY

  • Elliot Surrey, who sent the Beavers to an elimination game against UNLV, recorded a win and a save last week but was left off the all-tournament team.
  • The sophomore struck out eight, one shy of his career high, and held OSU to a pair of runs on three hits while walking three in the win.
  • He then returned to the mound Monday in his first appearance as a closer and pitched a shutout inning to collect the save.
  • Surrey, who is 7-4 with a 2.1 ERA is slated to open the series against the Cowboys Friday.

McCLANAHAN REMAINS CONSISTENT FORCE

  • Catcher Jerry McClanahan batted .444 to lead the starters in four games last week.
  • The junior was 4 for 9 with four runs batted in and a run scored.
  • McClanahan also coaxed four base on balls, was hit twice and stole a base.
  • He has reached safely in 12 straight games and is riding a nine-game hit streak.

MANARINO RECORDS FIRST POSTSEASON VICTORY

  • Evan Manarino gave UCI 3.1 solid innings of one-run, two hit relief to earn the win against Oregon State and improve to 4-3.
  • The lefty picked up for Morales and limited the Beavers to one hit from the fourth through the seventh.
  • He gave up a two-out triple in the eighth and that run would score on a wild pitch by the Anteater bullpen.
  • Manarino has held teams to two earned runs or less in the last 13 appearances.

BROCK GOES THE DISTANCE

  • Evan Brock pitched his first career complete game but suffered the loss in a 4-0 shutout against OSU Sunday.
  • The senior allowed a single run in the first and three in the fourth before shutting down the Beaver offense over the final five frames.
  • Brock's previous best was an eight-inning outing at UC Davis this year.
  • Brock is 8-6 with a 3.16 earned run average.

COOPER DELIVERS OFF THE BENCH

  • Junior Ryan Cooper came up with one of the biggest hits of the night in Game 7.
  • The outfielder came off the bench with a runner on third and hit a high bouncer that glanced off the glove of starter Jake Thompson and went to the second baseman, allowing the tying run to score.
  • It was the second pinch-hit for Cooper, who is hitting .571 with a runner on third and less than two outs.

A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA STATE

  • Oklahoma State is 48-16 overall and 18-6 in the Big 12.
  • The Cowboys cruised past Binghamton and then handled No. 22 Cal State Fullerton to win the Stillwater Regional.
  • OSU is batting .278 as a team with Gage Green leading the way with a .322 average.
  • Donnie Walton tops the Cowboys in hits with 76 while Zach Fish and Tanner Krietemeier are the team's RBI leaders with 48 apiece.
  • OSU owns a team ERA of 3.27.
  • Scheduled to start Friday is right-hander Jon Perrin, who is 8-4 with a 2.23 earned run average.
  • Perrin has logged 12 starts and has struck out 80 in 97 innings while allowing 24 earned runs.
  • Expected to make the start Saturday is right-hander Tyler Buffett.
  • Buffett is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA and has fanned 36 in 55 innings of work.
  • The Anteaters and Cowboys squared off once in 1979 with UCI losing 4-3 at the Las Vegas Tournament.

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