'Eaters Claim Two Major Big West Awards, Eight Honorees
May 29, 2019 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine's baseball season came to a close this week, but with it came the announcement of eight Anteaters named All-Big West including two major awards.
Starring on the mound was sophomore Trenton Denholm who took home four Big West Pitcher of the Week awards and finished as the Big West leader in ERA (1.81), innings pitched (99.2), and opponents batting average (.178) while finishing near the top in strikeouts (2nd), strikeouts looking (T3rd), and wins (T2nd). His 9-4 record overall and 1.61 conference ERA earned him Big West Pitcher of the Year honors, the first for an Anteater since 2013 and Andrew Morales. Denholm joins the list of Morales, Matt Summers, Scott Gorgen, and two-time winner Daniel Bibona as the seventh Anteater to claim the honor. Denholm shone with four complete games as a starter and picked up a pair of shutout streak during the year of 20.2 IP and 21.1 IP. Nationally, he finished in the top 10 with his four complete games along with the third-best WHIP of 0.81
Joining Denholm among the major award winners was junior Christian Koss taking home UCI's third Big West Defensive Player of the Year honor. UCI's previous two winners, Brian Hernandez and D.J. Crumlich, each won in back-to-back years of 2011 and 2012. Koss's impeccable arm, range, and field presence came together to make spectacular plays look routine all year long compiling a Big West-leading 160 assists from shortstop as he started and played all 54 games. Koss committed just 10 errors in 245 chances while registering 32 double plays, tied for second-most in the entire conference and the most for someone not at first base.
As a team, the Anteaters finished with the second-lowest ERA and opposing batting average in the conference while walking the least amount of hitters and striking out the second-most hitters. UCI's defense also rose to 12th in the nation committing just 38 errors which broke the old program record of 39 in a season set in 2013.
Both were also honored on All-Big West squads starting with Denholm leading the charge of four Anteaters on the first team all making their first appearance on all-conference. Denholm was joined in the pitching ranks with closer Taylor Rashi. Rashi finished with 12 saves, second in the Big West, after filling in as a starter down the final month of the regular season. Rashi was 5-1 on the year, 3-0 out of the closer role, and started the season with 26.2 consecutive scoreless innings totaling 32.2 IP dating back to last season for a program record. Rashi finished with an ERA of 2.36 allowing a total of 12 earned runs with one of them coming in relief work. He also walked just seven hitters to his 56 strikeouts, and picked up a Big West Pitcher of the Week accolade.
First teamers on offense came from the corners in Adrian Damla and Brandon Lewis. Damla at first base hit .299 for the season ranking eighth in the Big West with a .419 on-base percentage. He was instrumental walking 28 times to 30 strikeouts while finishing second on the squad with 39 RBI, but really turned it on in Big West games leading all hitters with 27 conference RBI. Lewis was among the offensive leaders throughout helped by 14 home runs, tying him for the most in a season in UCI history, and tied for second in the conference. He also finished as the club's leader in hitting, fifth in the Big West in slugging, fifth in hits, and third in total bases behind his conference-leading marks in runs scored (51), doubles (20), and RBI (54). He also ended the season as UCI's leader in longest streaks of hits (18), and games reaching base (36), and was the only two-time winner of Big West Field Player of the Week for the Anteaters in 2019.
The 'Eaters also dropped four of their own on the second team starting with three offensive players in Christian Koss, Jake Palmer, and Mike Peabody. Koss added to his defensive resume with a .306 average, top 10s in the Big West in runs and total bases, and led the Anteaters with 11 stolen bases and five triples. He capped off a marvelous season with six hits and six runs in the season finale to earn his first Big West Field Player of the Week honor while lifting him to a .371 average in Big West games (5th) in addition to top 10 marks in conference games in runs scored (T7th), doubles (T3rd), hits (T8th), and slugging (7th).
Palmer and Peabody, like Koss, each earned their first All-Big West awards in addition to each bringing home a Big West Field Player of the Week honor. The outfield duo each hit over .300 on the season with the third and fourth-best on-base percentages among the Big West, respectively. Palmer led the conference in walks with 39 to add to 43 runs scored and 22 RBI. Peabody was the conference's leader being hit by the pitch 16 times while sporting 11 doubles and 28 RBI in 50 games played.
The lone pitcher on the second team was 2018 All-American Andre Pallante. He rose near the level of his 2018 performance leading the team and tied for the conference lead with 10 wins. He struck out 89 hitters, good for fourth in the Big West, with the most strikeouts looking at 31. He added the fifth-best ERA (2.68), third-most innings (94.0), and the fourth-lowest batting average against (.212). He made a dent in the national rankings as 1 of 21 pitchers to record double-digit victories along with a top 80 WHIP of 1.09. Pallante also brought home a Big West Pitcher of the Week award.
UCI's eight honorees tie for the second-most in a season, and makes it the second straight season with eight joining the 2018 squad. The 2007 and 2009 squad still hold the torch with nine each. UCI took home two major awards in the same season for the fourth time joining the 2009, 2011, and 2013 squads. Its the second time winning pitcher and defensive player in the season season after Matt Summers and Brian Hernandez did it in 2011.
Starring on the mound was sophomore Trenton Denholm who took home four Big West Pitcher of the Week awards and finished as the Big West leader in ERA (1.81), innings pitched (99.2), and opponents batting average (.178) while finishing near the top in strikeouts (2nd), strikeouts looking (T3rd), and wins (T2nd). His 9-4 record overall and 1.61 conference ERA earned him Big West Pitcher of the Year honors, the first for an Anteater since 2013 and Andrew Morales. Denholm joins the list of Morales, Matt Summers, Scott Gorgen, and two-time winner Daniel Bibona as the seventh Anteater to claim the honor. Denholm shone with four complete games as a starter and picked up a pair of shutout streak during the year of 20.2 IP and 21.1 IP. Nationally, he finished in the top 10 with his four complete games along with the third-best WHIP of 0.81
Joining Denholm among the major award winners was junior Christian Koss taking home UCI's third Big West Defensive Player of the Year honor. UCI's previous two winners, Brian Hernandez and D.J. Crumlich, each won in back-to-back years of 2011 and 2012. Koss's impeccable arm, range, and field presence came together to make spectacular plays look routine all year long compiling a Big West-leading 160 assists from shortstop as he started and played all 54 games. Koss committed just 10 errors in 245 chances while registering 32 double plays, tied for second-most in the entire conference and the most for someone not at first base.
As a team, the Anteaters finished with the second-lowest ERA and opposing batting average in the conference while walking the least amount of hitters and striking out the second-most hitters. UCI's defense also rose to 12th in the nation committing just 38 errors which broke the old program record of 39 in a season set in 2013.
Both were also honored on All-Big West squads starting with Denholm leading the charge of four Anteaters on the first team all making their first appearance on all-conference. Denholm was joined in the pitching ranks with closer Taylor Rashi. Rashi finished with 12 saves, second in the Big West, after filling in as a starter down the final month of the regular season. Rashi was 5-1 on the year, 3-0 out of the closer role, and started the season with 26.2 consecutive scoreless innings totaling 32.2 IP dating back to last season for a program record. Rashi finished with an ERA of 2.36 allowing a total of 12 earned runs with one of them coming in relief work. He also walked just seven hitters to his 56 strikeouts, and picked up a Big West Pitcher of the Week accolade.
First teamers on offense came from the corners in Adrian Damla and Brandon Lewis. Damla at first base hit .299 for the season ranking eighth in the Big West with a .419 on-base percentage. He was instrumental walking 28 times to 30 strikeouts while finishing second on the squad with 39 RBI, but really turned it on in Big West games leading all hitters with 27 conference RBI. Lewis was among the offensive leaders throughout helped by 14 home runs, tying him for the most in a season in UCI history, and tied for second in the conference. He also finished as the club's leader in hitting, fifth in the Big West in slugging, fifth in hits, and third in total bases behind his conference-leading marks in runs scored (51), doubles (20), and RBI (54). He also ended the season as UCI's leader in longest streaks of hits (18), and games reaching base (36), and was the only two-time winner of Big West Field Player of the Week for the Anteaters in 2019.
The 'Eaters also dropped four of their own on the second team starting with three offensive players in Christian Koss, Jake Palmer, and Mike Peabody. Koss added to his defensive resume with a .306 average, top 10s in the Big West in runs and total bases, and led the Anteaters with 11 stolen bases and five triples. He capped off a marvelous season with six hits and six runs in the season finale to earn his first Big West Field Player of the Week honor while lifting him to a .371 average in Big West games (5th) in addition to top 10 marks in conference games in runs scored (T7th), doubles (T3rd), hits (T8th), and slugging (7th).
Palmer and Peabody, like Koss, each earned their first All-Big West awards in addition to each bringing home a Big West Field Player of the Week honor. The outfield duo each hit over .300 on the season with the third and fourth-best on-base percentages among the Big West, respectively. Palmer led the conference in walks with 39 to add to 43 runs scored and 22 RBI. Peabody was the conference's leader being hit by the pitch 16 times while sporting 11 doubles and 28 RBI in 50 games played.
The lone pitcher on the second team was 2018 All-American Andre Pallante. He rose near the level of his 2018 performance leading the team and tied for the conference lead with 10 wins. He struck out 89 hitters, good for fourth in the Big West, with the most strikeouts looking at 31. He added the fifth-best ERA (2.68), third-most innings (94.0), and the fourth-lowest batting average against (.212). He made a dent in the national rankings as 1 of 21 pitchers to record double-digit victories along with a top 80 WHIP of 1.09. Pallante also brought home a Big West Pitcher of the Week award.
UCI's eight honorees tie for the second-most in a season, and makes it the second straight season with eight joining the 2018 squad. The 2007 and 2009 squad still hold the torch with nine each. UCI took home two major awards in the same season for the fourth time joining the 2009, 2011, and 2013 squads. Its the second time winning pitcher and defensive player in the season season after Matt Summers and Brian Hernandez did it in 2011.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballLAND’ON one over the fence 👊
Monday, March 23
UCI Athletics 2026 Hall of Fame Ceremony - Keston Hiura
Monday, February 16
UCI Baseball | 2026 Season Preview
Friday, February 13
Choose Your Character 🎮
Tuesday, February 10
