Â
| Â Probable Weekend Rotation |
| UC Irvine |
vs. |
Kansas State |
| Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
Day |
Pitcher |
Year |
|
Stats |
| Nick Pinto |
RS-So. |
RHP |
(1-3, 3.33) |
Friday |
Blake Adams |
Jr. |
RHP |
(4-4, 3.73) |
| Michael Frias |
RS-Sr. |
LHP |
(4-1, 5.24) |
Saturday |
TBA |
|
|
|
| Cameron Wheeler |
RS-So. |
RHP |
(2-3, 5.19) |
Sunday |
Griffin Hassall |
Jr. |
RHP |
(3-4, 4.79) |
Around The Horn
3rd -Â UCI makes its
3rd trip all-time to the state of Kansas going 1-1 at KSU in 2008 and famously winning the Wichita Super Regional in 2007. UCI is 15-13 all-time vs. the Big 12 and 7-6 on the road
9th -Â To this point in the season, UC Irvine boasts the
9th-toughest non-conference schedule with an RPI of 67 and three Quadrant 1 wins to date at Oregon State and two vs. Grand Canyon
#9 -Â Anteater #9 made his Major League debut in 2022 in Andre Pallante for the St. Louis Cardinals, and added his first K the next game. He joins Keston Hiura as 'Eaters on MLB Opening Day rosters
18 -Â Justin Torres snapped his hit streak Saturday at
18 games, the
18th streak in program history of at least 15 games. He hit .354 during his streak with all five HRs and his first career 2-HR game Thursday
Â
LEADING OFFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
+ Anteater hitting slowed down a bit following the series loss and just a .227 average last week. Three extended hitting streaks ended with
Dub Gleed and
Ben Fitzgerald each reaching 10 games and
Justin Torres getting to 18
+
Justin Torres completed a brilliant hitting stretch for the program's 18th hitting streak of at least 15 games and 12th to reach 12 games. He hit .354 in his 18-game streak, hit all five of his home runs to take the team lead, and posted his first career 2-HR game Thursday.
+ Another notable week for
Caden Kendle with the team's first inside-the-park HR since 2016 giving him three HRs in his last five starts. He also holds streaks of four straight games with a run scored and six straight with an RBI.
+ Pitching did their job with a 3.25 ERA for the week with just two four-run innings staining things.
Nick Pinto scored his first win in 10 starts recording his fourth quality start of the season of the team's seven. He bumped up his numbers now sitting fifth in the Big West in ERA, third in strikeouts, and continuing to lead the Big West with 24 Ks looking.
+
Gordon Ingebritson has built up a scoreless innings streak to 12.2 IP, the longest of his career. Nationally, he ranks third in WHIP (0.69), fourth in fewest walks per nine innings, fifth in ERA, ninth in K-to-BB ratio (10.33), and 22nd in hits allowed per nine innings (5.56) along with a team-high five wins. The 'Eaters rank nationally in sacrifice bunts (9th) with
Taishi Nakawake's 10 ranking third, triples (12th), and top-50 rankings for ERA (30th), hit by pitch (33rd), walks allowed per game (45th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (48th), and just miss in WHIP (56th).
LAST WEEK
+ UC Irvine went 2-2 winning midweek vs. LMU and dropping a weekend series at home to Cal Poly, and finish up a stretch of seven games in nine days going 4-3.
+ The Anteaters missed a prime opportunity at Big West standing dropping the final two games to Cal Poly and now sit in fourth place in the Big West, 1 1/2 games behind the Mustangs and four back of conference-leader, UCSB.
THIS WEEK VS. KANSAS STATE
+ UCI heads out of the state for the final time in the regular season to play Kansas State with a 4-5 out-of-state record
+ The 'Eaters and Wildcats have met once before in 2008 going 1-1 in games that were also on April 22nd and 23rd
+ UCI is 12-7 in non-conference games with four remaining after the series in Manhattan, Kansas
+ This series begins UCI's longest stretch away from home of 16 days and longest road trip of seven games.
OPENING DAY
+ Keston Hiura of the Milwaukee Brewers returns for his fourth season as utility infielder and designated hitter
+ Andre Pallante made his MLB debut Sunday, April 10, allowing one run in one inning in St. Louis for the Cardinals as the ninth Anteater to reach the Major Leagues, and picked up his first strikeout in his next outing last weekend.
+ Pallante is 1 of 8 players from the 2019 MLB Draft class to make a 2022 Opening Day roster. Hiura was the first player from the 2017 MLB Draft class to reach the majors.
Â
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Kansas State enters as UC Irvine's conference bye week as UCI heads to Manhattan, Kansas for the second time in their history. The programs met in 2008 for a two-game midweek series that they split. It's the third trip to the state of Kansas along with the 2007 Super Regional vs. Wichita State. UCI is 15-13 against the Big 12 overall last taking on the conference in 2018 with a trip to TCU. UCI is 7-6 all-time on road trips to the Big 12
The Wildcats are coming off five straight days of games winning a series vs. No. 7 Texas followed by wins at Wichita State and vs. Omaha to sit at 19-17. K-State is 3-9 in Big 12 play with all four series against ranked opponents. KSU also made a West Coast swing losing a series at Bakersfield, winning one at LMU, and mixing in a midweek loss at Cal State Fullerton.
Since a conference title and Super Regional trip in 2013, K-State has had two winning seasons, one coming last year, and have finished sixth or lowering in the Big 12 standings.
The offense is among conference leaders at .286, 72nd in the nation, and have the fifth-most doubles behind 27 combined by Big 12 transfers Dom and Cole Johnson. The Wildcats slug .487 including 47 home runs with 11 by Dylan Phillips, second in the conference. Cannot forget the national leader in sacrifice flies in Nick Goodwin with seven along with his team-leading 31 runs batted in and 18 extra-base hits.
Pitching touts a 5.22 ERA against a stout conference foes that have them near the bottom in most categories including fielding percentage. Weekend arms Griffin Hassall (3-4, 4.79), strikeout-leader Blake Adams, and top ERA in Connor McCullough will prove challenging with McCullough among six Wildcats with a save.
