MIDWEEK

UC Irvine Anteaters (28-8, 11-4 Big West) at UCLA Bruins (13-24, 6-15 Pac-12)
Jackie Robinson Stadium (1,838) - Los Angeles, Calif.

Tuesday - 6:00 PM | Pac-12 Network ($) | KUCI | Live Stats

PITCHING PROBABLES
Tuesday: UCI RHP Tim Grack vs. UCLA RHP Luke Rodriguez
 

THE SERIES

UC Irvine Anteaters (29-8, 11-4 Big West) at UC Riverside Highlanders (12-23, 3-12 Big West)
Riverside Sports Complex (2,500) - Riverside, Calif.

Friday - 6:00 PM | ESPN+ | KUCI | Live Stats
Saturday - 6:00 PM | ESPN+ | KUCI | Live Stats
Sunday - 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | KUCI | Live Stats

PITCHING PROBABLES
Friday: UCI LHP Nick Pinto vs. UCR TBD
Saturday: UCI RHP Trevor Hansen vs. UCR TBD
Sunday: UCI LHP Brandon Luu vs. UCR TBD

Game Notes

AROUND THE HORN
#12 - UC Irvine enters the week ranked in five polls with D1Baseball.com ranking them highest at #12
45 - Caden Kendle was named 1 of 45 players to USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List
5th - UCI claimed its 5th player of the week honor and 4th field player after Will Bermudez scored the 1st of his career
186 - Head Coach Ben Orloff picked up career win 186 Sunday passing Gary Adams for 2nd in UCI history
 
LEADING OFF
+ UC Irvine continues to be ranked nationally highest at No. 12 by D1Baseball.com. They're also 13th via USA Today, 14th by Baseball America, 15th in the NCBWA poll, and 16th according to Perfect Game USA.
+ UC Irvine stands among the national leaders sitting top 50 in the NCAA in hit by pitch (2nd), on-base percentage (5th), fielding percentage (13th), runs per game (21st), sac flies (21st), sac bunts (22nd), doubles per game (25th), walks (36th), batting (38th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (39th), walks allowed per nine innings (39th), and runs (41st).
+ Anteaters among the nation's best with pitching and Ricky Tibbett fifth in saves, Nick Pinto sixth in wins, 77th in ERA, and 100th in strikeouts, Caden Kendle at 19th in batting, 21st in hits per game, 29th in doubles per game, and 46th in on-base, Woody Hadeen ranks 12th in on-base, 17th in runs per game, 31st in walks per game, and 61st in batting, Anthony Martinez at 75th in RBIs and the 88th-toughest to strikeout, and Jo Oyama placing 32nd in hit by pitch, and 55th in triples.
+ With five conference weekends remaining, the 'Eaters are tied atop the standings at 11-4 with UCSB and CSUN while just percentage points ahead of UCSD. As a team, UCI tops the Big West in batting, hits,  triples, runs and runs per game, slugging, on-base, hit by pitch, and fielding.
+ Conference stat leaders include three Anteaters in the top 10 in batting, slugging, and on-base with Caden Kendle topping for average, Woody Hadeen in runs and walks, and five 'Eaters among the top five in RBI totals.
+ Among the exciting finishes was head coach Ben Orloff reaching 186 career wins Sunday which surpasses legendary coach Gary Adams for second all-time in UC Irvine history.
+ Fifth-year Anteater starter Nick Pinto is 7-2 over 10 starts this season after putting up his third career 11-strikeout performance last week. He continues to lead active NCAA pitchers with 56 career starts which is third all-time at UCI. After starting the year 10th on the program's career strikeout list, he's moved to fourth surpassing Trenton Denholm, Elliot Surrey, Justin Cassel, Andre Pallante, Brett Smith, and Gary Wheelock now five shy of 300 for his career.
+ An improbable week featured three one-run victories, two ninth-inning comebacks, and an extra-inning walkoff:
Þ Will Bermudez connected for eight RBIs in a week he hit .600 and reached 14 times. He homered twice including one Saturday followed by a three-run, ninth-inning triple to complete a ninth-inning rally. It was good enough to help him claim his first career award as Big West Field Player of the Week
Þ Ricky Tibbett shined brightest against his former program SDSU entering in all three games picking up saves Friday and Saturday and a win Sunday
Þ Some sterling bullpen work around Tibbett helped keep UCI in each ballgame with David Utagawa taking Saturday's win after stranding three inherited runners in 1.1 shutout innings, and Max Martin bridging Sunday's late innings with 1.2 shutout frames
 
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
UCLA and UC Irvine played once this year, a UCI 5-2 victory in Dodger Stadium in the finale of the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. The yearly trip to UCLA is up next where UCI has won 14 of their 38 total wins in the series with Tuesday being the 97th all-time matchup where the Anteaters have built a five-game winning streak.

The Bruins are scuffling to a 13-24 record and 6-15 in Pac-12 play. They are in danger of their first losing record since 2016 having won 1 of their last 8. They have played well at home where they are 11-10 including midweek wins over LBSU, Nevada, and UCSB. Like the 'Eaters, they've also lost to UConn, won at LMU, and have other results including a loss to Michigan and series win vs. USC.

The offense puts up just 4.7 runs a game hitting .253 as a team. Duce Gourson is the heavy hitter with 5 HR, 22 RBI, and a team-high 26 runs including an RBI in the meeting earlier this year. Freshman Roch Cholowsky has placed every game and his hitting .275 including a 2-hit game vs. the 'Eaters. Chase Call's brother Phoenix is a freshman for the Bruins and picked up his first career hit over the past weekend.

Pitching typically commands the Bruins under head coach John Savage. The 2024 staff is currently sporting a 5.27 ERA with above average marks in walks allowed and WHIP. Luke Rodriguez will start Tuesday for the sixth time this year. His 36 strikeouts in 33 innings stand out, and he held the 'Eaters in check for the most part at Dodger Stadium going 1.1 innings with just a hit batsman. Other likely arms including Cody Delvecchio (1-1, 2.42) and premier closer Rashad Ruff with six saves, a 3.47 ERA, and 47 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside is UCI's first matchup following their non-conference break. The sides have met 93 times before with UCI taking a 62-31 series lead. They ended 2023 in Irvine with the 'Eaters sweeping the series after two lopsided wins and closed out with a tight, come-from-behind effort. The Plex is a tricky place to play as UCI has a 25-20 record all-time, but have won just 2 of the last 4 series there and no sweeps since 2015

The Highlanders are heading in the right direction with 3 wins in the last 4 games which was preceded by a 15-game losing streak as they sit at 12-22 overall with three Big West wins. Their notable wins include at California Baptist, at Cal State Fullerton, an two at LBSU while winning eight of 20 at home taking down San Diego State, Nevada, Utah Valley, and Pepperdine twice

The offense crosses home plate 6.6 times a contest with a .287 average as a team and the Big West's top mark of 84 doubles. A trio of JC transfers have energized the offense in Bubba Rocha (.379, 18 RBI) of Los Medanos, Cole Koniarsky (.357, 23 RBI) of Saddleback College, and Zachary Chamizo (2 HR, 16 RBI, 30 R) of Sierra College powering the Highlanders lately in addition to usual suspects Dominic Martinez, Anthony Mata, and Jayden Lopez making this lineup ready to strike at any minute

Pitching for UC Riverside has been on the hook for 11.22 hits and 5.16 walks per nine innings accounting for their 6.69 ERA. Six different arms have shared the starting duties regularly with innings-leader Matthew Flores (41 IP, 4.61), strikeout-leader Alfredo Capacete II (31.1 IP, 36 K), and impressive freshman Kurt Marton with a pair of quality starts earning headlines. The Gebb brothers, Tyler (3-3, 3 Sv) and Jake also register their share of impact innings.