Â
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| Â Probable Weekend Rotation |
| UC Irvine |
vs. |
CSUN |
| Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
Day |
Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
| Michael Frias |
RS-Sr. |
RHP |
(3-1, 5.10) |
Friday |
Blaine Traxel |
Sr. |
RHP |
(3-1, 3.66) |
| Nick Pinto |
RS-So. |
LHP |
(0-3, 3.55) |
Saturday |
Blake Sodersten |
Sr. |
RHP |
(3-2, 4.58) |
| TBD |
|
|
|
Sunday |
Ryan Wentz |
So. |
RHP |
(2-2, 3.62) |
Around The Horn
0.56 -Â
Gordon Ingebritson's WHIP remains low at
0.56 which is second-lowest in the nation along with the fifth-fewest hits allowed per nine innings, 10th-fewest walks allowed, and 22nd-best ERA
4 -Â 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
25 -Â This will be the
25th game all-time on April Fools Day. UCI is 9-13 all-time, but have 6 wins at home, are 5-4 since 2002, and have played CSUN twice winning both
100 -Â Head Coach
Ben Orloff, the 10th-youngest head coach in the nation at 34, won his 99th and
100th games on Saturday's doubleheader sweep of UC Davis
Â
LEADING OFF
+ The 'Eaters return home after a 2-2 week on the road. UCI's two losses were at USD in 10 innings and at Hawai'i, both by one run, and also won a one-run game at Hawai'i.
+ Last week, UCI averaged just over five runs a game hitting just .206 as a team.
Justin Torres had six hits to build an eight-game hit streak, and led UCI with four extra-base hits and five RBIs. He homered along with
Nathan Church's third to lead the team and the second of
Jacob Castro's career.
+ The pitching last week posted a 1.77 ERA helped by nine unearned runs. Reliever
Troy Taylor led all pitchers with 6.2 innings, seven strikeouts, and a 1.35 ERA in three outings including his third save. The bullpen allowed two earned runs in 21 innings including 7.1 scoreless in Sunday's win lowering the bullpen's ERA on the year to 2.72
+
Gordon Ingebritson continues to thrive as one of the nation's best relievers with the NCAA's second-best WHIP at 0.56. He's also allowed the fifth-fewest hits per nine innings (4.13) and 11th-fewest walks (0.95). He's among the Big West leaders with four wins to tie for first and is third in ERA (1.27), games (11), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.67). As a team, UCI is 26th in ERA (3.57) and 44th in WHIP (1.31). They're also up there in fewest walks per nine innings and hits, both 53rd, and the 57th-best K-to-BB ratio
+ UCI's 18 sacrifice bunts rank ninth in the nation, and
Taishi Nakawake has six to rank him eighth in the NCAA. The Anteaters have eight triples to lead the Big West. They're also tied for the HBP lead at 36 with CSUN. Offensively, the team is also second in the Big West in doubles and third in walks.
AWARD SEASON
+ A pair of Anteaters are on award watch lists 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 logged his 100th career victory on Saturday. He has winning campaigns in all three seasons with 37 wins his first year, eight in 2020, and 43 a year ago.
LAST WEEK
+ UC Irvine is 5-1 in Big West play after two weeks tied atop the standings with UCSB and Cal Poly, and CSUB at 3-0.
+ UCI is 15-8 after a 2-2 mark on the road with both losses by one run. UCI returns home where they are 10-2 this year.
+ The 'Eaters won their third straight road series at Hawai'i. Under head coach
Ben Orloff, UCI is now won 15 Big West series with one loss and two splits since taking over.
THIS WEEK VS. CSUN
+ CSUN enters the month of April at 13-10 overall which includes wins over UCLA, Grand Canyon, and LMU
+ The Matadors are 2-4 in Big West play beginning at Cal Poly where they were swept followed by a home series win last weekend over Long Beach State
+ UCI leads the all-time series vs. CSUN 48-34. Since 2002, UCI is 23-7 against the Matadors at Anteater Ballpark
+ CSUN's head coach Dave Serrano will retire following the season. He was 114-66-1 as UCI's head coach from 2005-07.
CSUN MATADORS
CSUN is back for a third and final season under head coach Dave Serrano. The Matadors are 13-10 with non-conference play playing at No. 22 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford taking a win from each in the series, and have added a four-game sweep of Pacific, series win at McNeese State, and even a midweek series split with Grand Canyon.
The 2021 season the Matadors were limited playing only conference games and going 21-19. The year prior they were off to a flying start at 10-5. Coach Serrano's final coaching season has him approaching 500 career wins in his 16th season getting his start at UCI going 114-66-1 including two postseason trips and a College World Series from 2005-07.
The Matadors and Anteaters have met 82 times with UCI winning 48 to CSUN's 34. UCI is 23-7 at home in the series since 2002. Coach Serrano was 7-2 against CSUN while at UCI, and in the one season these programs met with Serrano on the other side, they split, 2-2.
The offense enjoys a hitter-friendly ballpark, but are hitting .266 on the year, top three in the Big West in HR, stolen bases, hits, and scoring with 6.2 per game, and are one of the tougher teams to strikeout. USC grad transfer Bart West has flourished hitting .365 with four HR, and other notables in Gabe Gonzalez (7 HR, 21 RBI) and Kai Moody (4 HR, 16 RBI)
Pitching starts with three solid starters in Blaine Traxel, Blake Sodersten, and Ryan Wentz. The staff ERA of 4.33 has seen four different relievers earn a save, and a small core of bullpen arms like Blake Schriever, Xavier Martinez, and Lucas Braun getting it done without much help from the strikeout with just 141 and 6.4 per game near the bottom of the NCAA
