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Matt Brown

'Eaters Host Michigan, Travel to Arizona State

February 28, 2023

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

MIDWEEK

UC Irvine Anteaters (6-1) vs. Michigan Wolverines (4-2)
Irvine, Calif. - Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark
Tuesday - 6:00 PM | ESPN+ | KUCI | Live Stats

THE SERIES

PITCHING PROBABLES

Tuesday: UCI RHP Sean Higgins vs. MICH LHP Walker Cleveland
Friday: UCI RHP David Vizcaino vs. ASU TBD
Saturday: UCI RHP Riley Kelly vs. ASU TBD
Sunday: UCI LHP Nick Pinto vs. ASU TBD

LEADING OFF

+ The Anteaters started 2023 going 5-0 for just the third time in program history. UCI's best start was 8-0 in the 2008 season, and began 2011 7-0 with those seasons ending in 42 and 43 wins, respectively
+ Pitching last week saw another dominant performance by David Vizcaino going seven innings allowing two runs to Pac-12 side Washington State to get the win. The 'Eaters stumbled against UNLV, but came back Monday to down San Diego handing them their first loss of 2023 with big games by Nick Pinto in his 2023 debut (3 IP, 2 ER), and Cooper Robinson winning his second game from four relief innings
+ UCI closers landed a save in each of the first five games. Designated closer Jacob King collected three including two on four outs. Michael Stanford retired all six hitters he faced vs. Tulane to nail down his first career save. Max Martin held USC for his first in just his second career game
+ Anteater hitters continued to stroke it averaging nearly nine runs a game in the Tony Gwynn Legacy. UCI's 14 runs Monday is a high on the season, and UCI was helped by four home runs on the weekend, two each from first-year 'Eaters Willi Bermudez and Tony Martinez
+ UC Irvine started with a series sweep for the second time in three years. Head Coach Ben Orloff remains unbeaten in season openers improving to 5-0
+ UCI's pair of shutouts surpass the 2022 total of just one, both coming in a series sweep of Tulane over the opening weekend. The last series that featured two shutouts was at home in 2019 against a visiting St. John's squad

NATIONAL PRAISE

+ Jo Oyama's three triples are tied for the NCAA lead with five other players
+ Jacob King is 1 of 6 pitchers nationwide with three saves

DIAMOND DARLINGS

+ Caden Kendle has ripped the ball this year with RBIs in 6 of 7 games including four straight to lead the squad with 13
+ Jo Oyama tops the team in all three slashline marks and has scored a run in 6 of 7 games and four consecutive
+ Tony Martinez has broken out with home runs in each of his last two games. He's put up a six-game hitting streak as well while posting six straight hits for extra bases and seven extra base-hits of the nine he's produced
+ Will Bermudez clubbed home runs in consecutive at-bats between Friday and Sunday with one from each side of the plate. Bermudez has added a hit, run, and RBI now in four consecutive contests
+ David Vizcaino had his shutout streak stopped at 11.2 innings, but is 2-0 this year and 7-0 in 11 career appearances including a 1.42 ERA in 2023
+ Chase Call has settled in after a rough opening weekend now with hits in four straight including his first career homer Tuesday and the go-ahead two-run double Monday
+ Cooper Robinson has been splendid picking up relief wins in each of his appearances. He set career highs vs. Tulane with 4.1 shutout innings and five strikeouts and matched that with a run and four strikeouts in four innings vs. USD

AROUND THE HORN

+ 5 - The 'Eaters earned saves in each of the first 5 wins with Jacob King earning 3 for 15 in his career, and first career saves by sixth-year collegian Michael Stanford and freshman Max Martin at USC
+ 3rd - UCI's 5-0 start is the 3rd time in program history winning its first five games joining the 2008 squad that was 8-0 and finished 42-18 and 2011 squad going 7-0 that finished 43-18
+ 10 - 10 Anteaters all-time have been named to Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch Lists with Caden Kendle becoming the 10th; 'Eaters have been named in 6 of 8 Preseason lists
+ 48 - The Anteaters and Sun Devils meet for a weekend series for the first time in 48 years. They met at ASU for series in 1973, 1974, and 1975 with UCI winning 3 of the 9 games as a Division II program

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES

The Wolverines are coming off a 34-28 season in 2022 that included a late-season charge winning the Big Ten Tournament and nearly winning an NCAA Regional.

The 2023 squad began in Arizona at the MLB Desert Invitational going 2-2 with wins over Fresno State and Grand Canyon and losses to rival Michigan State and UC San Diego. UCI is the fourth game of their California trip that included five games in four days due to the weather that's started with a sweep at Cal State Fullerton.

The Michigan bats are hitting .274 as a team led by upperclassmen Gabe Stores and Ted Burton each with a pair of homers and hitting over .400. USD grad transfer Cody Jefferis leads the club with five driven in, and Greg Pace Jr. adds five runs and three steals.

The pitching staff has an ERA hovering around 5.94 with Noah Rennard commandeering the bullpen with a save and 1.13 ERA in eight innings and three games. A slew of arms will look to keep the 'Eaters at bay with likely left-handed grad senior Walker Cleveland in line to start for his 2023 debut Tuesday

ALL-TIME SERIES

Michigan makes its return to Irvine after attempting to play in 2019 that was washed out. If the rain can stay away in 2023, it will be the second time these programs meet with the Wolverines taking the first matchup at Anteater Ballpark, 4-2, in 2002

SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS

Arizona State and the Anteaters matchup for a second straight season and first weekend series in 48 years. UCI made trips to ASU in 1973, 1974, and 1975 when UCI was a Division II program and the Sun Devils were near the top of the rankings. UCI won 3 of the 9 matchups. All-time, ASU holds a slim 9-8 lead in the series, but UCI is 4-3 since 2002 including wins in three consecutive dating back to 2014.

The Sun Devils traveled to UCI a year ago for a two-game midweek series. UCI found wins in both games by a single run including a 12th-inning victory in the finale punctuated by Abraham Garcia-Pacheco's walk-off single

The 2022 squad stumbled to a 26-32 record hitting just under .300 as a team, but posting a 6.76 ERA with difficult non-conference series against BYU, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, and San Francisco

The 2023 Sun Devils began with five straight wins with four at home and a win over UNLV. ASU is fresh off a trip to Mississippi State winning the opener before dropping the final two and host North Dakota State Wednesday

Leading the charge on the diamond are hot bats like freshman Luke Hill hitting .522 with a HR and 5 RBIs and a pair of home runs each by senior Wyatt Crenshaw and juniors Ethan Long and Luke Keaschall.

Weekend starters of Khristian Curtis, Timmy Manning, and Ross Dunn each tossed scoreless starts against SDSU while incurring a little more damage at Mississippi State. Brock Peery in the bullpen has made four appearances shutting out competition without a strikeout and earning two saves

DOWN THE LINE

UCI's following week will look similar with a Tuesday home matchup, March 7, hosting LMU before embarking on a trip to Spokane, Washington to play Gonzaga for three, March 10-12.

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