Baseball Claims All-American, All-West Region Honors

Ricky Ojeda has heard his name called on multiple All-American lists including Perfect Game USA and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Third Teams this week.

Ojeda was a Freshman All-American a year ago and built on his success with a 13-1 record and two saves in 29 appearances. His 83 strikeouts were second on the team in 66 innings as he was included on National Pitcher of the Year lists and even as a semifinalist while also attaining Big West Pitcher of the Year, the first reliever to ever do that.

Ojeda was among four Anteaters named to ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region squad. All four players earned Second Team status

Jacob McCombs was the lone position player with his team-best .352 overage as he was near the top among all West Coast hitters with 81 hits, 61 runs, and 54 RBIs while tied or atop the team with 16 doubles, five triples, and 13 home runs. He also set a program record with 28 hit by pitch in a season.

Trevor Hansen joined the list as the foundation of the weekend staff. He finished 9-3 with a 3.30 ERA starting every weekend and finishing with 95 strikeouts in 95.1 innings and nine quality starts

Max Martin joined Ojeda in the bullpen pitching 27 times for 38.1 innings, picking up 39 strikeouts, and earning 14 saves to go with his 1-1 record and 3.29 ERA

NCBWA announced the list of 13 pitchers named finalist for Stopper of the Year including Big West Pitcher of the Year Ricky Ojeda

The sophomore became the first reliever to win Big West Pitcher of the Year after a season where he went 13-1 with a 3.55 ERA and two saves. Ojeda threw in 29 games, twice as a starter, registering 66 innings striking out 83 for second on the team allowing opponents to hit just .210

Sophomore reliever Ricky Ojeda was named 1 of the 16 semifinalists up for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year award.

Ojeda leads the nation with 12 wins in an unbeaten record adding two saves along with a 3.22 ERA and 78 strikeouts over 58.2 innings in 25 appearances.

Finalists will be named on June 4 with the winner being crowned during the 2025 College World Series

Junior shortstop Colin Yeaman was named as 1 of 30 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award which honors the nation's top shortstop.

Yeaman is among the Big West's best with a .352 average, 13 home runs, and 54 RBIs having started and played every game this season.

Finalists will be named on June 4 with the winner being crowned during the 2025 College World Series

UC Irvine led all schools with first First Team honorees for All-Big West.

Ricky Ojeda led the charge as the only two-time member with both honors in his two years coming as First Team status

Fellow major award winner Colin Yeaman joined him earning his first honor in his first season.

Trevor Hansen's first All-Big West honor came on the First Team thanks to his seven wins, tying teammates Ojeda for the most in Big West play. He's also the conference's innings leader and has 64 of his 81 strikeouts against Big West competition.

Jacob McCombs scored First Team honors in his first year with the program. The Big West leader in runs scored with 55 hit .339 in conference play with five of his home runs, and leads the team on the season hitting .363 which is fifth among Big West players

Long time coming for the fifth and final First-Teamer as Blake Penso was molten hot in Big West play hitting a team-best .354 in conference action hitting five of his seven home runs, driving in 28, and behind the plate played errorless ball white throwing out 42% of basestealers

The All-Big West Second Team was well-represented with Anteaters as four heard their name called.

Anthony Martinez represents the lone three-time honoree reaching Second Team heights in his junior season. He leads the team with 34 RBIs in conference play adding 40 hits to tie the team high while hitting .328 overall and in Big West play.

Chase Call scored his second career honor as a .319 hitter in Big West play along with a team-best .495 on-base percentage. He had 10 doubles and 14 hit by pitch in conference action to also lead the team, and his .455 on-base percentage overall leads the 'Eaters along with 50 runs scored and 44 driven in

Max Martin earned Second Team closer for the conference with a conference high 10 saves of the 13 he's earned in 2025. His 3.60 ERA in 13 Big West games includes just three walks over 20 innings with 14 strikeouts

Riley Kelly was the fourth Second-Teamer for the ‘Eaters, his first collegiate honor. He’s picked up three wins and struck out 47 making nine starts in 10 Big West weekends.

Three more 'Eaters showed up as All-Big West honorable mention driving the total honored to 12

Will Bermudez earned an honor for a second straight season as the team's leader in walks with 19 of his 31 in Big West action. He also laid down 10 sacrifice hits to lead the conference in league play. He also homered twice and drove in 22 while making just two errors in 180 total Big West chances

Frankie Carney came up big in Big West action for his first honor. He hit .347 adding 18 RBIs with a .430 on-base percentage at the top of the order

Ryder Brooks found his groove in Big West play for his first honor. He finished 4-0 in his nine Big West starts posting a 3.65 ERA, 47 strikeouts, and added a complete game shutout

Ricky Ojeda heard his name called by Team USA earning an invite to Summer Training Camp of the U.S. Collegiate National Team.

Ojeda becomes the sixth Anteater to earn the call joining current teammate Anthony Martinez who was on the 2024 team, and past Anteaters Scott Gorgen, Taylor Sparks, Keston Hiura, and Andre Pallante.

The roster will continue to be revealed over the coming weeks before training camp starts late June with Stars vs. Stripes games between the U.S. roster before playing an All-Star Game against a select team from the Appalachian League on July 4. The summer culminates in a trip to Japan to play an All-Star International Championship Series of five games against Team Japan starting July 8.

On Thursday, the National College Baseball Writers Association announced the semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy with three Anteaters as part of the nearly 70 players named to the list.

Shortstop Colin Yeaman was joined by sophomore pitchers Ricky Ojeda and Trevor Hansen for the 'Eaters.

The NCBWA has awarded this prestigious honor since 1987. Finalists will be announced on June 7 with the award winner named during the College World Series.

UC Irvine joins Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida State as the only schools with three players represented.

UC Irvine notched its sixth Big West weekly award from its sixth different 'Eater as Blake Penso took home the first of his career from his monstrous week.

The fourth-year catcher carried the squad to a 4-0 week that included 12 RBIs over three games at Cal State Bakersfield. He started things off with four hits, four runs, and six RBIs in Friday's win that included a home run. He added two hits and four RBIs Saturday, and then Sunday doubled three times while driving in two and on the defensive side threw out three runners trying to steal in the game, the second instance this season

Penso joins Chase Call, Anthony Martinez, Jacob McCombs, and Colin Yeaman as field players to take home hardware, and Ricky Ojeda joins as the lone pitcher for the 'Eaters.

Big West Field Player of the Week went to Chase Call after his offense and defense helped UCI to a 4-0 week against No. 15 UCLA and at Cal Poly

Call led the team hitting .462 on the week along with a .579 on-base percentage. He started the week with a two-run home run against No. 15 UCLA in a 5-3 win, and added on with two more hits in Friday's win at Cal Poly driving in two, and he reached base in all six plate appearances Sunday including a bases loaded walk with two outs in the ninth to tie the game in an eventual 10-8 win

For Call, it's the first weekly award in this his fourth year of Big West baseball. The team has collected five weekly award from five different players including four Field Players in 2025.

Another midseason watch list was announced April 23 with Max Martin recognized as an NCBWA Stopper of the Year candidate.

Martin has nine saves to his name this season along with a 1-0 record and 3.38 ERA. He's among 56 pitchers named to the list and just 1 of 2 from the Big West.

Following the impressive pitching performances from Trevor Hansen and Ryder Brooks in the series sweep of Hawai'i, the College Baseball Foundation and College Baseball Hall of Fame named each of them co-National Pitchers of the Week.

Each Anteater tossed complete game shutouts on consecutive days making it the third time its happened in program history.

Hansen started things off Friday night allowing three hits, two walks, and a total of six base runners with none of them making it past first base in his performance. He threw 120 pitches and matched his career high with 10 strikeouts

Brooks made his first venture into the eighth and ninth innings in his career throwing 107 pitches while allowing two hits and one walk Saturday. He also shattered his career high in strikeouts with 10.

College Baseball Foundation and the College Baseball Hall of Fame announced a pair of watch lists over the week with three Anteater represented.

Colin Yeaman was 1 of 100 shortstops announced to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list for the nation's top shortstop. Yeaman is in the midst of a 20-game hitting streak and entered the weekend hitting over .400 while leading the Big West in batting as well as home runs, hits, slugging percentage, and among the nation's leaders in each.

There was also National Pitcher of the Year watch list announcements with two 'Eaters among the 54 names recognized. Riley Kelly was taken over the Friday night role for UCI sitting with a 4-0 record and second-best ERA in the Big West at 2.11. Ricky Ojeda has led from the bullpen with a 7-0 record sitting third nationally in wins, and adds a sub-2.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts ranking second on the team.

Colin Yeaman and Ricky Ojeda were rewarded from their efforts last week as Big West Field Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, a first for each.

Yeaman had a loud bat hitting .462 with team highs in hits, runs, RBIs, and home runs of which he had two. He had a hit, run, and RBI in each game over the weekend with a pair of three-hit games, and even stole the team's lone base. On the season, he leads the team with a .394 average along with 29 runs and RBIs, and is tied for the lead with 37 hits, three triples, and seven homers.

Ojeda on the mound mowed down Gauchos appearing in Friday's win to record a hold and again Sunday to snag the win. In 5.2 innings pitched, he allowed two hits, walked just one, and struck out 11 hitters for the 'Eaters. Ojeda is 4-0 on the season with a team-high 34 strikeouts and 2.31 ERA to go with a save in just 23.1 innings

UCI now has four total awards joining accolades picked up by Anthony Martinez and Jacob McCombs

The Anteater first baseman took home Big West Field Player of the Week honors as the team improved to 11-4 from a three-win week.

Martinez looked near full strength after starting the season injured as he led UCI with seven hits and nine RBIs in a win over San Diego and a series win against Long Beach State. Martinez added his first home run of the season Sunday and his driven in an RBI in each of his seven games since returning to give him 13 so far this year.

Through four weeks, the Anteaters have picked up two Big West awards with Martinez joining sophomore Jacob McCombs. The award is the first weekly honor for Martinez since his freshman year when he was honored twice.

The Anteaters earned their first Big West weekly award thanks to sophomore outfielder Jacob McCombs.

The first-year ‘Eater has hit the ground running since joining the program posting a hit in all seven games so far. Last week, he hit .526 with 10 hits and a slugging percentage over 1.000 in games against USC and at Texas Tech. He had a hit, run, and RBI in each of the team’s games in Lubbock as they took 2 of 3 from the series. He had two triples and two home runs over the weekend as well and led the club with eight RBIs.

The honor is the first for McCombs as an Anteater who was named Freshman of the Week once last season as a member of San Diego State and the Mountain West.

Anthony Martinez's preseason recognition continued with an inclusion on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.

The announcement by USA Baseball includes 55 amateur baseball players on the list with Martinez 1 of 2 Big West representatives. Golden Spikes Award will also have a midseason watch list announced on April 3 and the semifinalists and finalist announced in the postseason with the award given following the baseball season.

Other preseason watch list Anteaters have included Caden Kendle in 2023, Trenton Denholm in 2020 and 2021, Andre Pallante in 2019, Keston Hiura in 2016 and 2017, Taylor Sparks in 2014, Daniel Bibona in 2010, Eric Pettis in 2009, and Scott Gorgen in 2008.

The Big West Preseason poll and team were announced a week out from first pitch with two Anteaters represented on the 11-player squad.

Anthony Martinez and Ricky Ojeda, both All-Big West First Team honorees in 2024, made the cut. The 'Eaters were 1 of 3 schools to have multiple representatives. The 11-player team consisted of seven pitchers and four position players, and Ojeda was 1 of 5 sophomore on the list.

The preseason poll was also announced with the 'Eaters projected to finish second behind projected champ, UC Santa Barbara. The Anteaters and Gauchos received the exact same number of votes as last season, 99 for UCSB with nine first-place votes and 89 for UCI with two first-place votes.

Anthony Martinez was named a Preseason All-American for a second straight season starting 2025 on the Third Team for D1Baseball, Baseball America, and Perfect Game USA.

The Freshman Field Player of the Year and U.S. Collegiate National Team member over the summer has soared in his first two seasons for the Anteaters. He's coming off a program-record 74-RBI season in 2024 where he played in all 59 games and hit .316. He's hitting .353 over his first two seasons where he's started in all 114 games where he's added 20 home runs and put up more extra-base hits (57) and walks (61) than strikeouts (56) at the plate.

2025 UC Irvine Baseball Awards

All-Americans
Ricky Ojeda - So., RP - Perfect Game Third Team & NCBWA Third Team

ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region
Jacob McCombs - So., OF - Second Team
Trevor Hansen - So., SP - Second Team
Max Martin - Jr., RP - Second Team
Ricky Ojeda - So., RP - Second Team

National Stopper of the Year Finalist
Ricky Ojeda

Los Angeles Regional All-Tournament Team
Alonso Reyes - DH
Jacob McCombs - OF
Ricky Ojeda - P
Chase Call - OF

National Pitcher of the Year Semifinalist
Ricky Ojeda

Brooks Wallace Award Semifinalist
Colin Yeaman

Big West Field Player of the Year: Colin Yeaman - Jr., SS
Big West Pitcher of the Year: Ricky Ojeda - So., RP
Big West Coach of the Year: Ben Orloff

All-Big West
Blake Penso - Sr., C - First Team
Colin Yeaman - Jr., SS - First Team
Jacob McCombs - So., OF - First Team
Trevor Hansen - So., SP - First Team
Ricky Ojeda - So., RP - First Team

Anthony Martinez - Jr., 1B - Second Team
Chase Call - Sr., OF - Second Team
Riley Kelly - RS-So., SP - Second Team
Max Martin - Jr., CL - Second Team

Will Bermudez - RS-Sr., 2B - Honorable Mention
Frankie Carney - RS-So., OF - Honorable Mention
Ryder Brooks - RS-So., SP - Honorable Mention

U.S. Collegiate National Team Summer Training Camp Invite
Ricky Ojeda - So., LHP

Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist
Colin Yeaman - Jr., SS
Ricky Ojeda - So., LHP
Trevor Hansen - So., RHP

College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Week
Trevor Hansen & Ryder Brooks - April 22

College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Watch List
Riley Kelly
Ricky Ojeda

Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
Colin Yeaman

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List
Max Martin

Big West Pitcher of the Week
Ricky Ojeda - So., LHP | March 24

Big West Field Player of the Week
Jacob McCombs - So., OF | February 24
Anthony Martinez - Jr., 1B | March 10
Colin Yeaman - Jr., SS | March 24
Chase Call - Sr., OF | April 28
Blake Penso - Sr., C | May 12

Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
Anthony Martinez - Jr., 1B

Preseason All-Big West
Anthony Martinez - Jr., 1B
Ricky Ojeda - So., LHP

Preseason All-American
Anthony Martinez - Jr., 1B
D1Baseball - Third Team
Baseball America - Third Team
Perfect Game USA - Third Team

Myles Smith was named a Second Team All-American Friday by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Smith hit .401 in 2024, the fourth Anteater to hit over .400 in a season, and added 10 HR, 49 RBI, 50 BB, and team highs in slugging and on-base as he took home West All-Region and Big West Field Player of the Year honors.

Smith makes UCI's total 33 All-Americans all-time and six now under head coach Ben Orloff in six seasons.

ABCA/Rawlings announced their all-region teams Tuesday morning with three Anteaters making the grade

Myles Smith was named to the First Team as the only 'Eater following an impressive season hitting .401. The Big West Field Player of the Year finished with 10 HR to tie of the team best, team-highs with a .637 slugging and .533 on-base, and 73 hits, 56 runs, 49 RBIs, and 50 walks.

Woody Hadeen took home Second-Team honors following a record-breaking campaign which included 82 runs scored, 82 hits, and 62 walks. The redshirt junior stole 12 bases to lead the team and finished just behind Smith with a .524 on-base percentage

Jo Oyama completed the trio as a third baseman on the Second Team. Oyama hit .296 with 26 extra-base hits, 55 RBIs, and team highs with 26 hit by pitch and 11 sacrifice bunts.

All-time, the program has now played 38 on the West All-Region squad and seven under head coach Ben Orloff

Anteater freshman reliever Ricky Ojeda scored Freshman All-American honors as named by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Monday.

The left-hander was selected as a reliever on the NCBWA's Second Team. He finished his rookie campaign with a 6-1 record, one save, a 3.46 ERA, and 74 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.

Ojeda is the 14th in program history, sixth pitcher, and fifth Anteater under head coach Ben Orloff.

The Corvallis All-Regional Team was named with three Anteaters performing above and beyond to score recognition.

Jo Oyama was named as the top third baseman after leading the Anteaters with seven runs scored and a .385 average, and contributed a home run and four RBIs.

Caden Kendle was 1 of 3 outfielders honored after he hit .368 with four extra-base hits including a home run, a stolen base, a team-best seven RBIs, and the game-winning walk-off, two-run single in the regional opener to beat Nicholls, 13-12, in the bottom of the ninth

Myles Smith completed the Anteater outfield duo hitting .357 on the regional including a two-HR game, six RBIs, six runs, a stolen base, and six walks that contributed to his team best .786 slugging percentage and .571 on-base percentage.

For a second straight season, an Anteater brought home Big West Field Player of the Year as Myles Smith won it Thursday. The junior outfielder is the third Anteater in the last four seasons joining Caden Kendle last season and Mike Peabody in 2021. It's the program's sixth Big West Field Player of the Year and 23rd major Big West award all-time.

Smith enters the postseason as the only field player in the conference hitting over .400 at .405. In Big West play, he leads the conference with a .434 average while ranking top three in on-base and slugging in addition to the fifth-most hits, third in RBIs, and fourth in home runs. Among national leaders, he's ninth in on-base percentage and 12th in batting.

Smith came on strong in Big West play after healing from an early-season hip injury as he finished off the regular season with three Big West Field Player of the Week honors in the season's final five weeks.

The Anteaters flooded the All-Big West teams with a record 11 honorees named

First Team Anteaters began with Myles Smith in the outfield alongside Caden Kendle. Kendle was last year's co-Big West Field Player of the Year and has followed that up with a .396 Big West average while standing top 10 in on-base, slugging, runs, RBIs, hit by pitch, and sacrifice flies. For Kendle, it's his third All-Big West honor and second time on the First Team, and added a Big West Field Player of the Week award.

Woody Hadeen's historic season was rewarded with All-Big West First Team breaking UCI single-season marks with 76 runs scored and 58 walks. He led the conference in Big West play in runs scored along with on-base while finishing second with 48 hits and third hitting .407 for his first all-conference honor.

The lone Anteater freshman on the list was reliever Ricky Ojeda. He finished with the top ERA in Big West play at 2.20. He's among the leaders with a .198 opponent's batting average, 46 strikeouts including the second-most strikeouts looking in Big West play at 19, and a 3-1 record.

Anthony Martinez capped off the five First-Teamers with 70 RBIs and 49 in Big West play along with 51 hits to lead the Big West. He also stands top 10 in batting, on-base, slugging, runs, home runs, double, walks, and tops in at-bats. The Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year in 2023 reins in his second First Team selection.

Second Team featured three Anteaters including Jo Oyama making it for the second time. He's again near the top of the Big West in stats like hit by pitch, sacrifice bunts, walks, triples, and runs scored and a Big West Field Player of the Week honor.

Starting pitcher Nick Pinto took to his fifth season to earn his first All-Big West honor on the Second Team. Pinto's impressive career concluded with a 2024 season where he's 9-2 with five Big West wins, top six in strikeouts, innings, and a 3.81 ERA in Big West action while taking home a Big West Pitcher of the Week accolade.

The third Second-Teamer also scored his first All-Big West honor in Will Bermudez. The hard-nosed second baseman hardly missed an inning and earned the respect despite not finishing top 10 in any offensive category except for his 12 Big West HBP that ranked second. He drove in 20 with eight doubles and 34 hits, and committed just one error in 152 chances, the second-most among Big West middle infielders and one Big West Field Player of the Week honor.

Three more Anteaters took home honorable mention status starting with Thomas McCaffrey who was honored for a second straight year. He hit .352 in Big West action with the fourth-best slugging percentage, 25 RBIs, and the fourth-most home runs with seven while hauling in Big West Field Player of the Week once.

Dub Gleed earned his second All-Big West honor playing through injury to put up the second-best Big West average at .424. He's also eighth in slugging, second in on-base, 36 hits, and 25 RBIs

The final honoree was closer Ricky Tibbett with eight of his 10 saves coming in Big West action. He appeared in 15 Big West games posting a 3-1 record, 3.00 ERA, and 27 strikeouts over 27 innings for his first all-conference honor of his career.

For the third time in four weeks, Anteater junior Myles Smith claimed the Big West Field Player of the Week award.

Smith capped a week where he hit .550 going 11-for-20 with his first career 5-hit game on Sunday. He homered to end the day while driving in three of his four runs on the week. Smith reached base 16 times in all snagging a stolen base in the process.

The Anteaters now have eight weekly awards this season, seven of them field players.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association unveiled their semifinalists for the National Pitcher of the Year award that included Anteater ace Nick Pinto.

The grad senior is 1 of 14 pitchers to make the semifinalist list as Pinto enters the final week of the season with a 9-2 record, a 3.66 ERA, and 88 strikeouts in 84 innings. Pinto has recorded eight quality starts on the season striking out 11 at his most this year. He also just made his 60th career start, only the second Anteater to reach that mark, and he leads all current Division I pitchers in career starts

The semifinalist list for the Dick Howser Trophy was announced with Caden Kendle among the honorees.

A total of 68 players were named as semifinalists with four from the Big West. Kendle stands top eight in the conference in each part of his slashline including second in batting, among a handful of players in the NCAA hitting over .400, and third in on-base while ranking top-10 in runs, hits, doubles, triples, and RBIs.

The Dick Howser Trophy is awarded to the top college baseball player according to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

For the second time in three weeks, Myles Smith claimed top honors for the Big West in his second career Field Player of the Week and the team's seventh overall honor of 2023.

Smith led the team with a .467 average going 7-for-15 along with nine runs scored. He had a two-homer game in Friday's pounding of rival Long Beach State, and had multiple hits and runs scored in each game. He totaled six RBIs as well, and even in Tuesday's win over UCLA, he went hitless but walked four times.

Junior outfielder Myles Smith took home his first Big West Field Player of the Week honor after a monster week at the plate. He hit .600 with 12 hits over four games, two 4-hit games, three home runs including a 2-HR game in Friday's win, and led the team with nine RBIs and eight runs scored.

Smith is the sixth different Anteater to win a Big West weekly award, fifth field player, and second in a row following Will Bermudez from last week.

The NCBWA announced their Midseason Watch List for the Stopper of the Year award with Anteater grad transfer closer Ricky Tibbett part of the list.

The first-year Anteater is 1 of 59 players named to the list and among three from the Big West.

Tibbett has saved eight games in 2024 to lead the Big West and rank fifth in the nation. His 19 appearances rank in the nation's top 100 and third in the conference totaling 33 strikeouts in 27.2 innings and winning two ballgames.

UCI's infielder extraordinaire had a monster week for the Anteaters who won three games, all by one run, and contributed toward two ninth-inning comebacks to win his first Big West Field Player of the Week award.

As the shortstop this week, he made every play that came to him and some that didn't. He added a scorching bat hitting .600 on the week and reaching base a total of 14 times including five hit by pitch. Bermudez drove in eight runs to move to second on the club with his most important coming as a three-run triple with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning on the road to bring UCI all the way back and take the lead at SDSU. Bermudez's bat also connected for two home runs on the week as well.

The 'Eaters have now taken home five Big West awards on the season, four to field players as he joins Jo Oyama, Thomas McCaffrey, Caden Kendle, and the lone pitcher, Nick Pinto.

USA Baseball announced the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List including Anteater senior outfielder, Caden Kendle.

USA Baseball continues the process of identifying the best amateur baseball player in the country for the 2024 season. The list features 45 of the nation's top athletes from college and high school baseball. Twenty-seven athletes have played their way onto the list since the announcement of the Preseason Watch List on February 9 including Kendle.

Kendle is currently eighth in the nation with a .452 average and is 1.9 hits per game leads the NCAA. He's also put up two home runs, 27 RBIs, and has a 63-game on-base streak intact.

He joins Andrew Morales in 2014, Brandon Lewis in 2019, and two-time list member Keston Hiura who was part of it in 2016 and 2017 as previous Anteaters recognized by USA Baseball and the Golden Spikes Award. Kendel's presence is also the only one for the Big West as a conference.

The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue maintaining a rolling list of athletes throughout the season, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before the announcement of the semifinalists on May 20. Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2024. Baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning on May 20 with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 5, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21. To stay up to date on the 2024 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter/X.

Nick Pinto was rewarded for his Friday night performance taking home Big West Pitcher of the Week honors.

The fifth-year Anteater tossed eight shutout innings allowing three hits to UC Davis in UCI's 1-0 win. Pinto was saddled with a no decision after leaving the game in a 0-0 tie. He struck out seven Aggies pushing him past former teammate Andre Pallante for sixth all-time in program history with 265 career strikeouts.

The honor is Pinto's fifth of his career after winning two each in 2023 and 2021. The Anteaters have won an award in four of the first five weeks of the season with Pinto's being the first for a pitcher joining three Field Player of the Week honors won by Jo Oyama, Thomas McCaffrey, and Caden Kendle.

Jo Oyama's monster game vaulted UC Irvine to an historic offensive weekend in Fresno and picked up his first Big West Field Player of the Week honor.

Oyama had 10 hits in five games last weekend with one in each contest adding 10 RBIs, nine runs, and seven extra-base hits. His performance Friday in UCI's 32-2 victory was one of the greatest in Anteater history going 5-for-7 and hitting for the first cycle for UC Irvine since Troy Ybarra in 1981. Oyama had multiple hits and RBIs in UCI's 9-run fourth inning and 11-run ninth inning. He tripled home three in the ninth to complete the cycle and give him nine RBIs on the game to also set a program record dating back to 1983

The Anteaters have won three of the first four weekly awards issued joining Thomas McCaffrey and Caden Kendle as UCI put out a program-best 12-0 start to the season and had a 18-game win streak dating back to the end of 2023.

The second Anteater hitter was awarded in just the first three weeks of the season as Caden Kendle's monster week earned him his first career weekly honor.

The senior hit .583 for the week adding a .688 on-base percentage, and launched four of his seven hits for extra bases. Kendle had a two-double night in a Friday win vs. San Diego, followed that up with a triple and three runs scored Saturday to defeat Michigan, and saved his biggest blast for Sunday in Dodger Stadium hitting a game-tying and game-winning grand slam to help down UCLA.

He finished with seven RBIs on the week, has now hit safely in all nine games on the season, and has extended his on-base streak that dates back to last year now at 52 consecutive games to tie Anteater Keston Hiura's program record.

UC Irvine's senior catcher lifted off over the weekend as UCI swept visiting North Dakota State to open 2024. In Friday night's 14-2 win, McCaffrey launched a grand slam late to seal the victory and a 5-RBI game. He added two home runs Saturday in a 7-2 win, both two-run homers including the eventual game-winning RBIs. He completes the first weekend of the season atop the Big West in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage at 1.714, and he's fourth nationally in HR and slugging.

McCaffrey takes home his second career honor and first since the team's trip to Kansas State in 2022. The 'Eaters totaled five awards during the 2023 season.

A trio of Anteaters graced the Preseason All-Big West Team while the program was projected to finish in second place receiving two of the 11 first-place votes.

Caden Kendle was last year's co-Big West Field Player of the Year returns to the college ranks for his senior year as the highest drafted returnee going in the 10th round in the summer of 2023 by the St. Louis Cardinals. Kendle received All-West Region and All-Big West recognition, and even began 2023 as a Preseason All-Big West honoree along with Golden Spikes and Bobby Bragan Slugger award watch lists. He finished in the top 10 of the conference in multiple categories including first in outfield assists with six. His bat propelled the team with a .335 average, seven home runs, and 56 RBIs while breaking a school record with 69 runs scored and reached in 54 of the 55 games he played

Anthony Martinez took the college baseball scene by fire as a freshman claiming All-American honors and scoring Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year recognition. His .394 average led the Big West while clubbing 11 home runs and 60 RBIs. His 91 hits were among the freshman records he set, and he committed just two errors as the first baseman

Dub Gleed was passed over for many accolades in 2023 despite hitting .300 with five home runs and 49 RBIs. He played all 55 games at shortstop while he will return to his primary position at third base for the 2024 season, a place in which he played 49 games as a freshman with 49 hits and 38 RBIs

Sophomore Anthony Martinez was spectacular in his freshman campaign earning All-American and Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year status. The first baseman was just as good defensively as he was with his bat which he finished atop the Big West with a .394 average to go with team-highs in most everything else including 11 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Martinez begins 2024 on two Preseason All-American lists from NCBWA putting him on the second team and third team honors from D1Baseball.com

2024 UC Irvine Baseball Awards

ABCA/Rawlings All-American Team
Myles Smith - Jr., OF - Second Team

Freshman All-American Team
Ricky Ojeda - Fr., RP - NCBWA Second Team, D1Baseball Second Team

ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region Team
Myles Smith - Jr., OF - First Team
Woody Hadeen - RS-Jr., SS - Second Team
Jo Oyama - Sr., 3B - Second Team

Big West Field Player of the Year
Myles Smith - Jr., OF

All-Big West
Myles Smith - Jr., OF
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF
Anthony Martinez - So., 1B
Ricky Ojeda - Fr., RP
Woody Hadeen - RS-Jr., SS
Jo Oyama - Sr., UTL
Will Bermudez - RS-Jr., 2B
Nick Pinto - Grad., SP
Dub Gleed - Jr., DH
Thomas McCaffrey - Sr., C
Ricky Tibbett - Grad., CL

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF - Midseason

Big West Pitcher of the Week
Nick Pinto - Grad., LHP - March 18

Big West Field Player of the Week
Thomas McCaffrey - Sr., C - Feb. 19
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF - March 4
Jo Oyama - Sr., INF - March 11
Will Bermudez - RS-Jr., INF - April 22
Myles Smith - Jr., OF - April 29
Myles Smith - Jr., OF - May 13

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
Ricky Tibbett - Grad., RHP - Midseason

NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF - Semifinalist

NCBWA National Pitcher of the Year
Nick Pinto - Grad., LHP - Semifinalist

2024 Preseason National Ranking (Baseball America) - 25th

2024 Big West Preseason Coaches Poll - 2nd

2024 Big West Preseason Coaches Team
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF
Anthony Martinez - So., 1B
Dub Gleed - Jr., 3B

Preseason Big West Offensive Player of the Year (D1Baseball)
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF

Preseason All-American
Anthony Martinez - So., 1B
NCBWA - Second Team
D1Baseball - Third Team

Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award watchlist
Anthony Martinez - So., 1B
Caden Kendle - Sr., OF

Among the many accolades to start June, Anthony Martinez received word of his first All-American selection according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. He added Freshman All-American First Team status at the end of June from D1Baseball.com

The freshman first baseman was included on the Third Team after his impressive first-year campaign with the bat hitting .394 to top the Big West in addition to conference-bests in RBIs, hits, and on-base percentage.

Nationally, he finished 15th with 91 hits, sixth in sacrifice flies, top 50 in batting average, and top 100 in total bases, RBIs, and on-base percentage.

The Anteater defense returned to its high standard in 2023 led by newcomer Will Bermudez at second base. The junior made two errors over the entirety of the 2023 season finishing with a conference-best .991 fielding percentage among middle infielders while posting the sixth-most assists at 122.

The Anteaters have had four Gold Glove winners previously with the most recent in Taylor Sparks in 2013. Brian Hernandez and Ronnie Shaeffer as a duo earned the honors in 2009, and the only other award winner from the middle infield was UCI's first in 2009, Ben Orloff.

Bermudez is among a trio with Trayden Tamiya of Air Force and Josue Urdaneta of Indiana State that are among the finalists for second base with ABCA and Rawlings announcing the Gold Glove winner of that trio Wednesday, June 21.

A pair of first-timers earned ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region honors in junior Caden Kendle and freshman Anthony Martinez. It's the eighth time an Anteater duo made All-West Region in the same year and first time since 2014.

Kendle tied a program record scoring 69 times this season which led the Big West and ranked 45th nationally and 22nd in runs per game. He also reached in 54 of 55 games in 2023 and ending on a 43-game on-base streak and 16-game run scored streak. From his sophomore season, Kendle has reached in 92 of his last 93 games. He hit .335 with 77 hits and 27 for extra bases including eight homers, and defensively, he shone as well tying the Big West high with six outfield assists.

Freshman Field Player of the Year honors went to Anthony Martinez, just the second for the program joining Keston Hiura in 2015.

Martinez set multiple freshman records for the team along with hitting .394, one of the many categories he led the Big West in including on-base percentage, hits, runs batted in, at-bats, and sacrifice flies while finishing top three in nearly every other category. His 1.65 hits per game ranked 16th in the nation, and he also finished top 30 in total hits, sac flies, and batting average.

An Anteater co-Field Player of the Year honor was bestowed upon Caden Kendle sharing it with CSUN outfielder Jakob Simons. Kendle brings home the second honor in the last three years for UCI joining Mike Peabody, and fifth all-time along with Keston Hiura, Taylor Sparks, and his head coach Ben Orloff.

Kendle continued his torrid pace from his sophomore season reaching in 54 of 55 games in 2023 and ending on a 43-game on-base streak and 16-game run scored streak. He hit .335 with 77 hits and 27 for extra bases including eight homers. He drove in 56 runs and scored 69 times himself to tie an Anteater program record to go with a .535 slugging percentage, .43 on-base, and seven steals. Defensively, he shone as well tying the Big West high with six outfield assists.

Freshman Field Player of the Year honors went to Anthony Martinez, just the second for the program joining Keston Hiura in 2015.

Martinez's gaudy numbers led the Big West with his .394 batting average, .471 on-base percentage, 91 hits, 60 runs batted in, 231 at-bats, eight sacrifice flies, and finished top three in nearly every other category.

As an Anteater freshman, he set new highs in batting average, topping Ronnie Shaeffer's 2009 mark of .388, 11 home runs which blew by Keston Hiura's mark of seven in 2015, and set the mark with 60 RBIs, 143 total bases, 19 doubles, 91 hits, and 54 runs scored that all broke or tied marks set by true freshmen

All-Big West was announced Thursday with seven Anteaters on the squad.

The First Team duo of Caden Kendle and Anthony Martinez earned honors as well as the major awards, a first for each.

Kendle came into the year as a Golden Spikes watch list member and Preseason All-Big West as he earned his second All-Big West honor. He was the team's best hitter in Big West games finishing at .380, third-best in the conference, and topping the Big West with 44 runs scored and a .474 on-base percentage in Big West contests

Martinez earned his first selection in his first year with numerous team and conference bests. His .368 Big West average was second on the team, and he finished even as the team high with 31 RBIs, 46 hits, and all with just 11 strikeouts with the fourth-most at-bats in the conference

Second Teamers were first-time honorees in Jo Oyama and Dub Gleed

Oyama locked down third base for the 'Eaters starting all 53 games he played in. He hit .319 on the year with 67 hits, team highs with five triples and a Big West-leading 14 steals, and scored 57 times including seven home runs and 44 runs driven in.

Gleed kept going with his exceptional first-year campaign and hit .300 on the nose as a sophomore. His 17 doubles were second on the team part of his 65 hits and closed strong with 30 RBIs in conference play and 27 in May alone taking over as the Anteater shortstop this year after the offseason injury to Woody Hadeen

Honorable Mention featuring a trio of first-time honorees in junior Thomas McCaffrey, sophomore Chase Call, and redshirt senior Michael Stanford

McCaffrey took a majority of the time at catcher platooning with Abraham Garcia-Pacheco and managed to hit .333 in 37 games putting up 43 hits, 14 for extra bases, and four for home runs including 34 RBIs.

Call spent most of the year as the team's DH starting all 52 games he played. Call finished tied for the team high with 11 round-trippers knocking in 43 and scoring 49 times. He led the Big West with 50 walks becoming the fourth Anteater all-time to reach 50 in a season, and reached 14 other times by hit by pitch and 47 hits.

Stanford on the mound came into his own in the second half of the season earning a starter role and moving all the way up to the Friday night starter. The third-year Anteater finished with a 7-2 mark, a team-low 3.06 ERA, 56 strikeouts in 64.2 innings, and earned a save in 20 overall appearances. His month of May alone was lights out with a 4-0 record and 1.07 ERA. He finished 5-0 in conference matchups producing a 3.80 ERA.

For a second time in a month, Nick Pinto was near perfect and scored Big West Pitcher of the Week honors as the regular season closed out.

The left-hander retired the first 15 batters of the game on Friday before a leadoff single in the sixth ended that, a second straight home game going into the sixth perfect. Pinto would continue on to pitch 8.1 innings, one out off his career high, and took a one-hitter into the ninth before finishing with three hits allowed, one unearned run, no walks, and eight strikeouts over just 89 pitches to secure his seventh win of the season.

The award is the fifth for UC Irvine this season joining Michael Stanford and Anthony Martinez, and Pinto joins Martinez who have each been honored twice this year. The honor for Pinto is the fourth of his career as he collected two also in his sophomore season in 2021.

The College Sports Communicators release their Academic All-District teams last week with two Anteaters represented.

The duo were named to the Academic All-District team as the second to be named in the same season joining Jonathan Munoz and Taylor Sparks in 2016. The organization's shift in nominations for the award allows for any student-athlete with a cumulative GPA over 3.50, have played at least one full season at the institution, and plays the minimum amount of games which is 50% for field players and 10 appearances for pitchers.

McCaffrey, the third-year catcher and psychology major, is a .291 career hitter for the 'Eaters including this his junior season at .311 with three home runs and 29 RBIs.

Rincover is enjoying an impressive second season as an Anteater after transferring from L.A. Pierce College with a 3.86 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 23 games pitched and 18.2 innings as a political science major.

The pair are the seventh and eighth 'Eaters to earn the distinction all-time and first since Konnor Zickefoose in 2020. Voting for Academic All-Americans begins later this month to be announced on June 7.

UCI's freshman first baseman collected his second Big West award of the season hitting .611 in a week.

Anthony Martinez finished 11-for-18 going back over .400 on the season hitting .408 on the year now with help from a pair of 4-hit games on the week giving him seven on the season. He homered in three straight games to start the week to give him 11 on the year to lead the team, and continues to lead the Big West in multiple categories now with team highs with 18 doubles, 54 RBIs, .479 on-base percentage, and a .662 slugging.

The ‘Eaters have four awards on the year now with one in consecutive weeks following Nick Pinto’s top pitcher nod last week. Martinez was paired with Michael Stanford as recipients on March 6. He is the only freshman to score multiple honors this year with one other freshman garnering 2023 recognition.

A near-perfect pitching outing Sunday secured Big West Pitcher of the Week honors for fourth-year Anteater Nick Pinto.

The left-hander retired the first 17 batters of the game before his perfect game and no-hitter were broken up on a base hit with two outs in the sixth inning. Pinto would continue on to pitch 7.2 innings allowing a run and three hits with no walks to secure the series win and his fifth win of the year. Pinto added 11 strikeouts for a team-high this season, one off his career high, and his third career game of 10+ strikeouts.

The award is the third for UC Irvine this season joining Michael Stanford and Anthony Martinez who each were recognized in early March including Stanford as pitcher of the week. The honor for Pinto is the third of his career with two others he collected as a sophomore in 2021.

The first awards earned by Anteaters were to a pair of first-timers, freshman Anthony Martinez and redshirt senior Michael Stanford, after the team's 5-0 week and road sweep at Arizona State.

Martinez clubbed a .556 average over five games including three of his four home runs in a four-game home run streak. He added 10 hits, 10 RBIs, four doubles, a .714 on-base percentage, seven walks, and just one strikeout. The freshman is atop the team with a .386 average to this point and one of the nation's leaders with eight doubles.

Martinez also received national recognition as the National Player of the Week according to NCAA and D1Baseball.com.

Stanford scored Pitcher of the Week love for the first time in his third year with the program. Stanford has thrown shutout ball in five outings so far including three scoreless appearances last week earning a win vs. Michigan and a hold in the Arizona State series all while allowing just one baserunner in 5.2 innings.

Preseason honors were flowing Friday afternoon as the announcement of the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll and Team as well as the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List were simultaneously released.

In The Big West, UC Irvine was projected to finish second according to the coaches. UCI did not receive any first-place votes as eight of them went to the projected champion UC Santa Barbara and single votes going to Long Beach State in third, Cal State Fullerton in fifth, and Hawai'i in sixth.

In addition to the coaches poll was a preseason coaches team for the first time in the history of the conference. One Anteater represented on the squad in junior Caden Kendle. After coming on midway through the season as an everyday player in 2022, Kendle finished with team highs in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage to boost him to All-Big West First Team honors.

Kendle added to his preseason love with the announcement of the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List and his inclusion. The junior outfielder was the only honoree from the Big West among the 55 athletes named. Kendle joins seven other Anteaters of the past that were named to this list before a total of nine times, most recently Trenton Denholm in 2020 and 2021. Kendle makes it six times an ‘Eater has donned the list in the past eight seasons and four times in head coach Ben Orloff’s five at the helm.

Just prior to Opening Day, Kendle added another accolade as he was named to the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award watch list again as the only Anteaters on a list of 35.

2023 UC Irvine Baseball Awards

Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
Caden Kendle - Jr., OF

2023 Big West Preseason Coaches Poll - 2nd

2023 Big West Preseason Coaches Team
Caden Kendle - Jr., OF

Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List
Caden Kendle - Jr., OF

NCAA Baseball D1Baseball.com / Rapsodo National Field Player of the Week
Anthony Martinez - Fr., 1B - March 6

Big West Field Player of the Week
Anthony Martinez - Fr., 1B - March 6
Anthony Martinez - Fr., 1B - May 15

Big West Pitcher of the Week
Michael Stanford - RS-Sr., RHP - March 6
Nick Pinto - RS-Jr., LHP - May 8
Nick Pinto - RS-Jr., LHP - May 29

CSC Academic All-District VIII
Thomas McCaffrey - Jr., C - Psychology
Nick Rincover - Sr., LHP - Political Science

All-Big West
Big West co-Field Player of the Year - Jr., OF - Caden Kendle
Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year - Fr., 1B - Anthony Martinez

Caden Kendle - Jr., OF - First Team
Anthony Martinez - Fr., 1B- First Team
Jo Oyama - Jr., 3B - Second Team
Dub Gleed - So., SS - Second Team
Thomas McCaffrey - Jr., C - Honorable Mention
Chase Call - So., DH - Honorable Mention
Michael Stanford - RS-Sr.., RHP - Honorable Mention

ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region
Caden Kendle - Jr., OF - Second Team
Anthony Martinez - Fr., 1B - Second Team

ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award
Will Bermudez - Jr., 2B - Finalist

All-Americans
Anthony Martinez - Jr., OF - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third Team | D1Baseball.com Freshman All-American First Team

All-West Region squads were announced Wednesday from the American Baseball Coaches Association with First Team honors for Gordon Ingebritson.

The sixth-year college reliever had one of the great seasons in program history on the mound. He finished 6-0 with 66.2 innings out of the bullpen with 62 strikeouts, all among the Big West's best as a reliever. His 1.76 ERA was the conference's lowest as he finished with the fifth-lowest career ERA at 2.35.

The All-West Region nod is the first of his career much like the one UC Irvine earned in 2021 from Mike Peabody.

All-Big West was announced Wednesday with five Anteaters on the squad.

First Teamers were a trio including second-timers Gordon Ingebritson and Justin Torres. Ingebritson led the conference in ERA in 66.2 IP and 62 strikeouts as a reliever. His 6-0 record and three saves were enough for his second honor on the First Team.

Torres earned his first selection on the First Team after a Second Team honor in 2021. Torres earned the selection as a utility player earning the conference's top honor playing first base, second base, left field, and designated hitter all throughout the year. His seven home runs and three triples tied for the team lead along with his 16 doubles. He was second on the squad in hits, slugging and sacrifice flies, third in hitting, runs, RBI, and walks, and even recorded an outfield assist on defense.

The final First-Teamer is a newcomer Caden Kendle. After taking over the starting role in early April, he caught fire with 40 hits and team highs in batting at .328 as well as slugging and on-base. He finished second with six home runs while also picking up 13 HBP, five stolen bases, 17 RBI, and scoring 26 runs in mostly conference play.

A pair of Anteaters completed the accolades with honorable mention.

Nick Pinto claimed his second All-Big West honor after Second Team status a year ago. He competed amongst the conference leaders in multiple categories finishing with a 3.23 ERA starting all 15 weekends and 82 strikeouts over 86.1 innings despite just earning two wins. He finished with 31 strikeouts looking on the year which did lead the Big West.

Troy Taylor joined the program this year and jumped right into All-Big West status. In 26 games out of the pen, he led the team with six saves that was tied for fifth in the Big West. He's posted 11.5 strikeouts per 9 innings to lead the team totaling 42 in 33 innings, and added a 2-3 record and 3.82 ERA

Big West Pitcher of the Week - David Vizcaino

UC Irvine's third weekly honor is its first Big West Pitcher of the Week from starter David Vizcaino.

The redshirt freshman has taken off since making his collegiate debut on April 1. Vizcaino has made seven appearances and four starts, and all he's done is go 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA.

Vizcaino was promoted to the weekend rotation last weekend for the first time, and after seven shutout innings allowing just two hits in his last outing on a Tuesday, he did one better going longer than any UCI pitcher has gone in 2022 with eight innings again allowing two hits without a run or walk. The Chino-native and transfer from Riverside City College returned to some usual stomping grounds pitching at UC Riverside.

The Anteaters took home eight weekly awards a year ago, and now have three this season; two Field Players and one Pitcher.

Big West Field Player of the Week - Thomas McCaffrey

UC Irvine's second weekly honor is its second Big West Field Player of the Week from catcher Thomas McCaffrey

The sophomore wielded a mighty bat over the weekend in an very offensive series on the road at Kansas State. McCaffrey hit .583 with seven hits with four going for extra bases. Entering the weekend, he had three career home runs and he doubled that in the span of four at-bats between Friday and Saturday's contest.

McCaffrey posted his first career 2-HR game on Saturday and putting up a career-high six RBIs en route to a win and 8-RBI weekend. His bat was so feared on Sunday that he was intentionally walked twice. He also threw out a baserunner attempting to steal and did not allow a passed ball or wild pitch behind the plate.

The Anteaters took home eight weekly awards a year ago, and now have two this season, both Big West Field players.

Big West Field Player of the Week - Dub Gleed

UC Irvine's first weekly honor comes precisely halfway through the 2022 season with freshman infielder Dub Gleed breaking the seal and scoring his first career Big West Field Player of the Week award.

The freshman has surged to the team lead in runs batted in with nine more last week in four games. The corner infielder also spent some time at second base last week helping the team win three times posting a team high nine hits while batting .529 that included three doubles and his first career home run in Tuesday's win over Cal State Fullerton. He put up his third three-hit game of the season, leads UCI with nine games of multiple RBIs, and extended his hitting streak on the road to eight games.

The Anteaters took home eight weekly awards a year ago including four from freshmen Nick Pinto, Luke Spillane, and Nathan Church.

Preseason honors started for the 2022 campaign in late 2021 with Collegiate Baseball Newspaper announcing its preseason poll and All-Americans, and Perfect Game USA, D1Baseball.com, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association have come out with their preseason teams in addition.

The team begins the year as the No. 14 team in the country according to CBN. It's highest preseason ranking for the Anteaters since 2015 where they were seventh and eighth in different polls following their run to the College World Series in 2014.

Since the calendar flipped to 2022, other publications have announced their preseason rankings with UCI featured at No. 18 according to Baseball America, No. 19 with the NCBWA, and No. 20 from D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game USA.

All-American teams so far feature a trio of Anteaters coming off high-profile campaigns in 2021.

Michael Frias led the charge with a spot on the Second Team with the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Frias jumped into the rotation early on in 2021 and never let go putting up one of the great Anteater pitching seasons. Frias was in contention for Big West Pitcher of the Year going 9-2 with a 3.36 ERA to lead the team in addition to a team-high 91 strikeouts in 85.2 innings. Frias landed on the All-Regional Team at Stanford form his second complete game shutout of the year. Frias claimed a pair of Big West Pitcher of the Week accolades and put up some impressive streaks with 20.2 shutout innings, 15.1 shutout innings, 11.2 no-hit innings, and 20.2 innings without issuing a walk over multiple appearances over the course of his redshirt junior season

Nathan Church has claimed two preseason All-American honors with D1Baseball.com joining this Collegiate Baseball Newspaper honor, both on the third team. He added his name to the list from a wildly-successful redshirt freshman season in 2021. After a redshirt year and the pandemic-shortened season, the outfielder was healthy and in his third year with the team producing a breakout campaign. From high in the order, he produced a program-record 100 hits. Among his other stats he led the team in was a .361 average, 24 doubles, 61 RBIs, and an NCAA-best eight triples. Church blasted six home runs and scored 61 runs to lead the team while playing in every single of the 61 games. Church was recognized as an All-American, All-Big West, and once a Big West Field Player of the Week. He led the NCAA in RBIs per game in the postseason driving in 14 'Eaters in the Stanford Regional to earn All-Regional Team status.

Jacob King earned preseason honors as well being named to the Perfect Game USA Preseason All-American Third Team and recently added more Third Team honors from NCBWA. King's redshirt freshman season saw him solidify his role as the team's closer saving eight games and leading the squad with a team-high 29 games pitched. His 1.98 ERA, 3-1 record, and 45 strikeouts in 41 innings earned him a pair of All-American honors following the season from Perfect Game USA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

2022 Preseason All-Americans

2022 UC Irvine Baseball Awards

ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region
Gordon Ingebritson - First Team

All-Big West
Caden Kendle - First Team
Justin Torres - First Team
Gordon Ingebritson - First Team
Nick Pinto - Honorable Mention
Troy Taylor - Honorable Mention

Big West Field Player of the Week
Thomas McCaffrey - So., C (April 18-24)
Dub Gleed - Fr., INF (April 4-10)

Big West Pitcher of the Week
David Vizcaino - RS-Fr., RHP (May 9-15)

2022 Preseason All-Americans
Michael Frias - RS-Sr., RHP - National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Second Team | Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Second Team
Nathan Church - RS-So., OF - D1Baseball.com Third Team | Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third Team
Jacob King - RS-So., RHP - Perfect Game USA Third Team | National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Third Team

2022 Preseason Rankings
#14 - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
#18 - Baseball America
#19 - NCBWA
#20 - D1Baseball.com
#20 - Perfect Game USA

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) unveiled its list of All-Americans Saturday with Mike Peabody adding his second All-American honor for the season and second honor from the ABCA.

Peabody was also named in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper list of All-Americans alongside Nathan Church. Peabody, the Big West's co-Field Player of the Year, ended the season reaching in a career high 29 consecutive games. He was named on the publication's Second Team.

Peabody's magical season saw him crank nine home runs, hit .353, score and drive in 57 runs each, and add a team-high 27 hit by pitch over 54 games all among the best in the conference and the west coast.

The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) revealed their All-Region teams on Wednesday with Anteater outfielder Mike Peabody cemented on the All-West Region First Team.

For Peabody, it's his first All-Region honor and 21st for the Anteaters since 2002, and 33rd all-time for the program. The Anteaters have placed a player on the All-West Region team in eight straight seasons now. Trenton Denholm was the UCI representative on the last team in 2019. The last field player to make it from the 'Eaters was Keston Hiura who made it three straight seasons from 2015-17.

Peabody's magical season saw him crank nine home runs, hit .353, score and drive in 57 runs each, and add a team-high 27 hit by pitch over 54 games all among the best in the conference and the west coast.

Head Coach Ben Orloff was named Big West Coach of the Year. The honor is his first in his third year as head of the program. Orloff led the team to its second Big West title, first since 2009, and a 40-16 record in 2021. He is the fourth conference coach of the year joining Mike Gillespie in 2009, Mike Gerakos in 1987, and Steve Hertz as part of the SCBA in 1980.

Orloff was also Big West Field Player of the Year in 2009. He is the 10th-youngest coach in Division I baseball at 34 years old, third-youngest in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. In his three seasons to this point, he's taken his team to an 85-40 record with a 49-15 record in Big West play going the entire 2021 conference slate without a series loss. The team also went 23-4 in Anteater Ballpark this season and is now 49-11 all-time at home.

co-Big West Field Player of the Year honors went to junior outfielder Mike Peabody sharing the recognition with Cal Poly freshman SS, Brooke Lee. Peabody was most recently a Big West Player of the Week on May 24.

He finished tops in the Big West with a .481 on-base percentage, and 52 of his 54 RBIs came in Big West play along with seven of his eight home runs. He hit .353 on the season, helped by a .361 conference average, and a .600 slugging percentage and .487 on-base percentage, both bests in conference games.

The award is the fourth claimed by an Anteater joining his head coach Ben Orloff in 2009, Taylor Sparks in 2013, and Keston Hiura most recently in 2017.

tri-Defensive Player of the Year went to Anteater shortstop Taishi Nakawake sharing it with Cal Poly catcher, Myles Emmerson, and CSUN outfielder, Denzel Clarke.

Nakawake is the fourth Anteater to claim the award joining infielders Brian Hernandez and D.J. Crumlich consecutively in 2011 and 2012, and now UCI has consecutive winners again after Christian Koss took the honor home in 2019.

The second-year Anteater has started all 71 games since joining the program, and played nearly every out in 2021 recording 149 assists for second-most in the Big West and a .965 fielding percentage. He turned 23 doubles plays and committed just five errors in 40 Big West games. His 231 chances were second among middle infielders to go with some sparkling defensive plays.

The Anteaters secured five first-team All-Big West honors for the first time in program history.

Peabody's co-Field Player of the Year exploits also earned him a spot on the team which also includes 24 hit by pitch to led the Big West and sit fourth nationally. He was joined by a second outfielder, Nathan Church. Church ran away with some offensive numbers putting up 87 hits and 70 hits in conference play, at least eight more than any other player in each category. He was second in the conference in total bases playing every inning of all 56 games. He's among the top 10 in batting. slugging, RBIs, doubles, second with 57 runs scored, and led the conference and nation with eight triples.

The other three spots were occupied by UCI pitchers on a staff with a 3.83 ERA.

Michael Frias took home his first All-Big West honor as he was in the running for pitcher of the year throughout the conference season. He led the team with eight wins, a 3.30 ERA, and 86 strikeouts after joining the rotation a month into the season. Frias earned Big West Pitcher of the Week following a complete game shutout and two-hitter of UC Santa Barbara in early May to help separate the teams in the standings. The fourth-year Anteaters also posted a 3.07 ERA in Big West play getting six wins, 66 of his strikeouts, and a .215 opposing batting average. He's among the national leaders with his 1.06 WHIP as well and has allowed a .207 average to hitters on the year.

Gordon Ingebritson out of the pen has come on to snag his first All-Big West honor as a relief pitcher. The submarine righty nearly went all 26.1 conference innings without allowing a walk until his final appearance, and his streak of hitters without issuing a non-IBB lasted 118 hitters. He finished with a 6-1 record out of the pen appearing 26 times, third-most in the Big West, and a 5-0 record against conference foes adding his first career save and 22 strikeouts.

Jacob King closes out first team honors, his first Big West award. In 18 Big West appearances, he posted an ERA of 0.38 allowing one earned run in 24 innings over 18 outings. He also collected all eight of his saves in Big West play walking five and striking out 26 holding hitters to a .190 average. Overall, he's 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA in a Big West-leading 27 appearances finishing with 41 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.

The All-Big West Second Team had three Anteaters in its halls.

Dillon Tatum and his impressive offensive season gave him his first Big West honor. He was Big West Field Player of the Week following a four-HR weekend at Cal Poly, and that propelled him to 13 HRs this season, second-most in the conference, with 10 coming in Big West games. Behind the plate, he batted .279 and slugged a UCI-best .672 adding 30 RBIs and seven doubles. His arm also caught seven runners stealing, all in Big West games, and he added a .309 average and 1.128 OPS in 29 Big West appearances.

Justin Torres joined Tatum on the offensive end with his first Big West accolade. The first-year second baseman came into his own in the month of May hitting .333 with two homers and 14 RBIs. He solidified his spot on the infield playing 33 Big West games with a .283 average, 18 runs, and 22 RBIs in line with his .284 average on the year. He added his two stolen bases in Big West games and reached 30 RBIs overall

Nick Pinto represented the pitchers on the second team with his first Big West honor. He was twice named Big West Pitcher of the Week as he spent the entire season in the rotation posting seven quality starts. Pinto came on late to finish with a 7-3 record, 3.33 ERA, and 79 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. In Big West play, his 2.57 ERA was second-lowest and added top10 spots in strikeouts, opposing batting average, innings, and his seven wins all came in Big West to tie for the most

The All-Big West teams finished up with a pair of Anteaters named honorable mention.

Connor McGuire scored his first honor in his second season. The freshman locked down third base hitting .286 with 35 runs, 13 extra-base hits, and 39 RBIs out of the bottom two spots in the order. His 10 sacrifice bunts rank him top 10 in the nation and tops of the Big West adding five sacrifice flies as well. In Big West play, he upped his game with a .333 average and 34 of those RBIs and both of his home runs starting all 40 games. His .935 fielding percentage in Big West play was among the top at his position

Jake Palmer finished the award-winners making the team for the second time in his career. He fought through a long injury spell and loaded UCI outfield to play 20 Big West games as a DH hitting .328 with a .494 on-base percentage, 18 runs, and 16 walks. On the year, he finished at .288 rebounding from a sluggish start, and added a home run, totaling 13 RBIs and 24 runs, and reaching base 61 times.

The Anteaters scored their second sweep of Big West awards on the season as Nick Pinto picked up his second Pitcher of the Year honor of the season and Mike Peabody claimed the second Field Player of the Year honor in his career. The team took another Big West series winning three of four at Bakersfield to remain atop the conference standings at 28-8 by three games and 36-16 overall.

Peabody has been on a tear raising his average over the season to .356 batting .400 over the month of May and .556 in the four games at CSU Bakersfield going 10-for-18. Peabody extended a streak of seven straight games with an RBI and 10 of the last 11 games until it snapped Sunday, but has extended his hit streak to 14 games which included four-hit games in the first two matchups in the series. Peabody led the ‘Eaters in RBIs over the weekend with six now with 51 on the season. He hit his eighth home run of the season in a losing effort and added a pair of doubles. He’s also the conference's leader in hit by pitch, and picked up an outfield assist on the series as well. His other weekly honor came in March of 2019.

Pinto just missed out on the honor last week after a 12-strikeout performance, but came with an equally-impressive start Saturday allowing one unearned run and striking out 10 over 7.2 innings to earn his sixth win at Bakersfield. He's now thrown three consecutive quality starts walking two in total, allowing two total earned runs, and striking out at least nine in each. Pinto's first honor opened up Big West play with eight shutout innings at UC Davis.

The honors are the seventh and eighth for the team this season from six different Anteaters. The 'Eaters have won four Field Player and Pitcher of the Week awards to top the conference.

A massive result from the Anteaters' weekend at first-place rival UC Santa Barbara seeing UCI win 3 of 4 games was rewarded with Big West Pitcher of the Week honors for Michael Frias.

The fourth-year pitcher dazzled on ESPNU in a battle of the conference's top clubs pitching his first complete game and shutout of his career Saturday night downing the Gauchos, 6-0. Frias tossed a career high 119 pitches en route to a two-hitter against the powerful offense that completed a sweep of Saturday's doubleheader. Frias also went on to strikeout 10 Gauchos in the game as he finally reached the mark for the first time in his career after four outings with nine strikeouts. He was in the zone no-hitting the Gauchos through five innings, and he retired 14 straight hitters at one point.

Frias tops the team in wins improving to 7-0 on the season. He's also the Anteater leader with a 2.45 ERA and 74 strikeouts. In conference games, Frias is 5-0 and a conference-best 1.81 ERA while sitting amongst the leaders allowing a .193 opponent batting average and striking out 54 hitters.

Frias has now taken home two weekly awards, the other coming nearly a month ago in a win at Cal Poly alongside Dillon Tatum who was that week's Big West Field Player of the Week. The Anteaters as a team have won six weekly Big West awards with three of each now in pitchers and field players.

After a week with no awards, the Anteaters returned with a sweep of Big West weekly honors as Michael Frias was named Pitcher of the Week and Dillon Tatum scored Field Player of the Week. The team took another Big West series winning three of four at Cal Poly to remain atop the conference standings at 16-4 and post a 22-11 record overall.

Tatum earns his first honor after a monstrous week with a slugging percentage nearing 2.000. Tatum went 7-for-11 mashing a hit in every game including a pinch-hit single in Game 1 Saturday off the bench. His other six hits were all extra-base hits doubling twice and cranking four home runs to put him first among Big West leaders with nine homers this season. Tatum added eight RBIs including four in Sunday's 17-1 drubbing, five runs scored on the weekend to lead the team, a pair of sacrifice flies, and just one strikeout. His crowning achievement was a two-HR game in Saturday's Game 2 win helping push UCI over the hump, 4-1, and his first multi-home run game of his career.

Frias made his start in the Saturday Game 2, and put up career highs pitching into the seventh inning for the first time in his UCI career finishing with eight innings and 117 pitches. Frias allowed two hits in total, neither leaving the infield, and one run while matching his career high for a third time now with nine strikeouts. Frias continues to lead the team now with five wins, 53 strikeouts, and a 2.23 ERA which all stand among the Big West's best and nationally recognized among their top 50 and 100 pitchers.

The honors are the fourth and fifth for the team this season after Nick Pinto started things off with pitcher of the week in the opening week of conference play, and followed two straight weeks with field player of the week honors to Luke Spillane and Nathan Church. The last time the Anteaters swept weekly awards came late in 2019 on May 20 with Trenton Denholm and Jake Palmer securing accolades.

The College Baseball Hall of Fame listed 100 collegiate shortstops on the watch list for the 2021 Brooks Wallace Award, and Anteater junior Taishi Nakawake was among those listed.

A group of 100 of the most talented athletes in Division I college baseball headline the 2021 Brooks Wallace Award watch list, the College Baseball Foundation announced Tuesday. The watch list features some of the most recognizable names in college baseball who either have paced perennial powers or led some relative newcomers to new heights comprised by co-chairs Larry Wallace and Tom Quigley.

The award, sponsored by Mizuno, honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. It is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.

Nakawake has had a standout offensive season to this point having started all 33 games at shortstop and hitting .287 with 19 RBIs, 18 runs scored, five doubles, and three stolen bases. The second-year Anteater has already cemented his place as a stellar defender for the 'Eaters.

UCI head coach Ben Orloff won the inaugural Brooks Wallace Award in 2009 and remains the only Big West player to take the accolade home. Nakawake represents four players in the Big West recognized on the watch list.

The third Big West award for the Anteaters in 2021 also came in the third consecutive week. Luke Spillane took home his first career honor as Big West Field Player of the Week, much like Church and Pinto in weeks before, from a particularly historic offensive weekend.

The ‘Eaters split the series at CSUN losing twice in extra-inning walkoffs while winning a pair of 10-run rule games that last only seven innings. In each win, Spillane finished with three hits, two of them home runs for his first four career home runs. He also drove in six runs in each game for a total of 13 on the weekend. His first career home run in Saturday's win was a grand slam, and came in a 10-run inning, something the team had in each of their wins which included a 20-3 victory in the series finale.

Spillane finished the weekend a .381 hitter with eight hits and tied for a team high with eight runs scored. Spillane had a hit and a run in each game of the series.

On the season, the second-year player is hitting .356 with 32 hits, 22 runs, four doubles, four home runs, and 23 RBIs in just 22 games. His seven stolen bases tie him for the team lead. In conference play, he's exploded for 21 RBIs in just 12 games, and scored 17 times.

It's the third straight award for an Anteater freshman, something that had not happened since 2015. Spillane is now 1 of 6 current 'Eaters with a weekly award under his belt joining Nathan Church and Nick Pinto, who scored honors in 2021, and previous winners Jake Palmer, Mike Peabody, and five-time winner Trenton Denholm.

The second weekly award in 2021 went to Nathan Church this week, a second consecutive award following Nick Pinto's win last week.

Church and the Anteaters completed their second Big West sweep dropping Hawai'i, and Church had a hand in all four wins. He had a hit, RBI, and run scored in each game upping his current hit streak to 10 games and run scored streak to nine games. Church hit .412 overall leading the team with 13 total bases from a double, a game-tying home run in Saturday's win, and his fifth triple of the season Sunday to keep him atop the national leader board.

Church drove in six runs, scored six times, and stole a base to up his season totals. He leads the team in most offensive categories including runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, and walks. He's also batting .306 with one home run and six stolen bases.

He's among the conference's top 10 in at-bats (3rd), runs (T6th), hits (7th), doubles (T5th), triples (1st), RBIs (T5th), stolen bases (T6th), and extra-base hits (T2nd).

Church is now among five current Anteaters with an award including Trenton Denholm, who has five, Mike Peabody, and Jake Palmer. He's the first freshman since Keston Hiura in 2015 to win Big West Field Player of the Week as he and Pinto have now won consecutive honors as freshmen for the 'Eaters.

The first weekly award in 2021 was secured by second-year starter Nick Pinto awarded Big West Pitcher of the Week after UCI's 8-0 shutout win at UC Davis.

Pinto posted career highs pitching eight innings and striking out seven Aggies hitters Saturday in Game 1 of the doubleheader. UCI two-hit UC Davis with Pinto allowing both hits and just one walk while tossing 89 pitches.

The win was his first Big West win in his first Big West game. His 26.1 innings ranked first on the team through 17 games.

It's the first award for UCI since 2019 as he joins Trenton Denholm, who has five, Mike Peabody, and Jake Palmer as current Anteaters with honors. He's the first freshman since Keston Hiura in 2015 and first freshman pitcher since Evan Brock in 2010.

2021 UC Irvine Baseball Awards

2021 Draft Picks

Trenton Denholm - RHP, 14th Round, Cleveland Indians
Peter Van Loon - RHP, 16th Round, Baltimore Orioles
Troy Taylor - RHP, 20th Round, Seattle Mariners (NLI signee forgoing draft)
Dillon Tatum - C, 20th Round, Minnesota Twins

All-American Awards

Mike Peabody - Jr., OF - American Baseball Coaches Association Second Team, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Second Team
Nathan Church - RS-Fr., OF - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third Team
Jacob King - Fr., RP - Perfect Game USA Third Team

Freshman All-Americans

Nathan Church - RS-Fr., OF - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
Nick Pinto - Fr. SP - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
Jacob King - Fr., RP - Collegiate Baseball Newspaper

All-West Region Awards

Mike Peabody - Jr., OF - ABCA First Team

All-Big West Awards

Coach of the Year: Ben Orloff
co-Field Player of the Year: Mike Peabody  - Jr., OF
tri-Defensive Player of the Year: Taishi Nakawake - Jr., SS

First Team All-Big West
Mike Peabody - Jr. OF
Nathan Church - RS-Fr., OF
Michael Frias - RS-So., SP
Gordon Ingebritson - Jr., RP
Jacob King - Fr., CL

Second Team All-Big West
Dillon Tatum - Jr., C
Justin Torres - Jr. 2B
Nick Pinto - Fr., SP

All-Big West Honorable Mention
Connor McGuire - Fr., 3B
Jake Palmer - Jr., DH

Big West Field Player of the Week
Nathan Church - RS-Fr., OF (March 22-28)
Luke Spillane - Fr., OF (March 29-April 3)
Dillon Tatum - Jr., C (April 12-18)
Mike Peabody - Jr., OF (May 17-23)

Big West Pitcher of the Week
Nick Pinto - Fr., SP (March 15-21)
Michael Frias - RS-So., SP (April 12-18)
Michael Frias - RS-So., SP (May 3-9)
Nick Pinto - Fr., SP (May 17-23)

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
Trenton Denholm - Jr. SP

Perfect Game/Rawlings Preseason All-American First Team
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All-American Second Team
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP

Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
Taishi Nakawake - Jr., SS

2020 AWARDS

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List

Trenton Denholm is 1 of 55 amateur players named on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List issued on the eve of the 2020 season opener. He is the only representative of the Big West on the list in 2020, and makes it back-to-back years an Anteater is on the list joining fellow starter Andre Pallante in 2019

For the 'Eaters, Denholm is the 8th to be named to this list, and fourth Anteater in the last five years. He joins fellow UCI pitchers Pallante, Daniel Bibona, Scott Gorgen, and Eric Pettis as 'Eaters to receive the recognition

2020 UC Irvine Baseball Awards

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP

National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Second Team All-American
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP

D1Baseball.com Preseason Third Team All-American
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP

Perfect Game Preseason Second Team All-American
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper All-American powered by Diamond Sports
Trenton Denholm - Jr., SP