Conference Play Begins with UC Davis Saturday Doubleheader

This Week in Anteater Baseball
Dates	March 19-20, 2022
*Opponents*	vs. UC Davis Aggies (0-6)
Location	Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark (3,408) - Irvine, Calif.
Times	Saturday - 1:00 PM ESPN+ Live Stats KUCI 88.9 FM Buy Tickets	Saturday - 40 minutes after Game 1 ESPN+ Live Stats kuci.org Buy Tickets	Sunday - 1:00 PM ESPN+ Live Stats KUCI 88.9 FM Buy Tickets
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Social Media	@UCIbsb @UCIbsb UC Irvine Baseball #EatersGottaEat #RipEm #TogetherWeZot

Probable Weekend Rotation
UC Irvine				vs.	UC Davis
Pitcher	Year		Stats	Day	Pitcher	Year		Stats
Nick Pinto	RS-So.	LHP	(0-2, 4.09)	Saturday Game 1	Nate Freeman	So.	RHP	(0-0, 2.25)
Michael Frias	RS-Sr.	RHP	(2-1, 6.30)	Saturday Game 2	Kaden Riccomini	So.	RHP	(0-1, 6.75)
Danny Suarez	Fr.	RHP	(0-1, 6.11)	Sunday	Bryan Green	Fr.	LHP	(0-2, 5.40)

Around The Horn

0.40 - The nation's leader in WHIP again is Gordon Ingebritson, and he enters the week 0.40. The third-year Anteater has allowed nine total baserunners and averages just over 2.2 IP an outing
4 - The 2021 Anteaters were 1 of 4 teams to finish top 40 in ERA (3.80), batting (.300), and fielding (.981), and they were top-25 in ERA and batting, 1 of 3 schools to be top-25 in each
7-1 - UCI had five straight wins by one run for a 7-1 record in one-run games already with three different Anteaters recording their six saves, two extra inning wins, and a walkoff 12th-inning win
11.2 - The Anteaters bullpen served up 11.2 shutout innings in their midweek games not allowing a run to Arizona State. On the season, the bullpen touts 3.32 ERA and eight of UCI's wins

LEADING OFF
+ UCI continues its longest homestand with the final three of eight games. Big West Conference play begins with a doubleheader Saturday, March 19, with Game 1 starting at 1:00 p.m. UCI is the reigning conference champion going 32-8 in 2021 winning eight of 10 series and splitting two.
+ Gordon Ingebritson continues to lead the nation in WHIP at 0.40. He has allowed a baserunner in just 3 of 7 appearances averaging just over 2.2 IP in each relief appearance. He's allowed 3.15 hits per nine innings and 0.45 walks per nine innings both ranking ninth-fewest in the nation, 31st in ERA at 0.90, and 12-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 27th nationally and second in the Big West
+ Ingebritson is among three Anteaters with a save. The team has six saves tied for sixth-most nationally.
+ UCI's 14 sacrifice bunts rank sixth in the nation, and Taishi Nakawake has four to rank him seventh in the NCAA.
+ The Anteaters have six triples to lead the Big West topped by Ben Fitzgerald with two to lead the conference
+ UCI pitching is 1 of 26 programs with 50+ strikeouts looking of their 146 total strikeouts. Michael Frias has 15 to lead the conference of his 27 that ranks fourth in the conference
+ The Anteaters were 9-5 through the first quarter of the season. Since 2002, UCI has gotten to nine wins 13 times in 21 season through the first quarter. It's the 18th time in 21 season the 'Eaters have had a winning record through the first 14 games. The 2021 Anteaters were just 7-7 through the first quarter of the season.

AWARD SEASON
+ A pair of Anteaters are on award watch lists first with Jacob King on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch list and Thomas McCaffrey on the watch list for the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
+ Big West Coach of the Year from 2021 Ben Orloff returns for his fourth season. He stands four wins from 100 in his career with 37 wins in his first year, eight in 2020, and 43 a year ago finishing top two in the Big West each season.

LAST WEEK
+ UCI finished a 5-game week going 4-1 all against Power 5 program. UCI had a five-game win streak, all by one run, snapped Sunday in a two-run loss.
+ The Anteaters defeated Arizona State twice now 4-0 all-time against them in Anteater Ballpark. UCI came from behind to win, 4-3, Tuesday, and outlasted the Sun Devils for a 12-inning Wednesday win, 3-2.
+ UCI continued the week with a series win over Iowa winning Friday from seven runs on two hits over two innings, a pitcher's duel 2-1 win Saturday, and finished by a near-comeback from down 10 runs to lose, 12-10, Sunday

WEEKEND SERIES VS. UC DAVIS
+ The 'Eaters host UC Davis after winning all four at Davis in 2021. UCI is 39-10 all-time in the series, 20-4 at home
+ The Aggies are projected to finish 11th in the conference after a 14-43 season in 2021 and 8-32 Big West record
+ UCI swept the series at Davis last year and have won the last seven games in the series dating back to a 2019 sweep

UC DAVIS AGGIES
UC Davis and UC Irvine start Big West play with a three-game series over two days starting Saturday to allow the student-athletes to finish Finals Week. UCI holds a 39-10 lead in the all-time series including 20 wins in 24 home contests. The 'Eaters have won the last seven in the series including all four last year in Davis ending with an 11-inning victory

The 2021 season started well with a win over Washington State and a series win over Portland, but fell down the stretch with 14 overall wins, eight in conference, and just two series ending in splits against UC Riverside and CSU Bakersfield.

The Aggies haven't played much in 2022 with just six games and two in March losing all of them They opened with a series loss to Saint Mary's and three midweek losses since then to San Francisco, Pacific, and again at Saint Mary's under new leadership of Tommy Nicholson coming over after being an assistant at Stanford.

The offense has struggled averaging two runs a game with a high of four runs last game to Pacific. The team is hitting .157 with redshirt sophomore Jonah Henrickson leading all with five hits, three runs, and two of their three home runs, both solo. Other familiar faces are Kyler Arenado, Jake Brandel, and Nick Iverson.

Pitching has a 6.58 ERA allowing opponents to hit .301. Nathan Peng returns after four scoreless against UCI. Kaden Riccomini will start Saturday night after seven quality innings in relief against UCI last year. Bryan Green has 16.2 innings and 14 strikeouts to this point. Nate Freeman (8 IP, 2.25 ERA) and Nolan Meredith (0-1, 13.50) completes the rotation

Schedule