California Irvine Athletics

IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine baseball player Chase Call has been named a 2025 recipient of The Big West's annual Service and Leadership Award.
 
"As a department we emphasize leadership, responsibility and engagement – and Chase exemplifies all three," said UCI Athletics Director Paula Smith. "His involvement in efforts that benefit the entire campus community speaks volumes about his character and dedication to service. The work he has put in to support and represent his peers in meaningful ways is exactly the kind of legacy we hope all our student-athletes leave behind."

Call served as the Initiative Coordinator for the Referendum Steering Committee and was a SAAC Representative, advocating for student-athlete interests and leading campus engagement efforts. Call and the rest of the Steering Committee, which included teammate Tim Grack, Abby Binder (women's cross country/track & field), Ofure Iselen (women's volleyball), Haily Huynh (women's tennis) and Jackie Acosta (women's track & field), also received the Leadership Award at UC Irvine Athletics' second annual Zotspys.
 
Call, who aspires to be an orthopedic surgeon once his playing career is over, was an intern with Mankind Physical Therapy, and assisted the UCI Athletics Sports Medicine team. He has also volunteered with Light the Night for Leukemia Foundation, Huntington Beach Little League, Champions (special needs baseball program) and Trotters (developmental baseball program for toddlers).
 
Call is a three-year starter who led the Anteaters to a Big West regular-season championship and their second-straight NCAA Regional Final appearance in 2025. He was named to the Los Angeles Regional All-Tournament Team.
 
Call is a two-time All-Big West selection, earning second team honors as a senior and honorable mention recognition as a sophomore. This year, the 6-foot-2 outfielder hit .315 with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, 58 hits and 58 runs. He led the squad with a .472 on-base percentage, and was second with an OPS of 1.054. Call also broke UC Irvine's all-time home run record, sitting atop the leaderboard with 30 career homers. In addition, he ranks among the top-10 in school history in hit by pitch (2nd), runs scored (3rd), walks (4th), and RBIs (5th).
 
Academically, Call is a three-time Big West All-Academic selection and made the Big West Commissioner's Honor Roll every year. He is also a four-time UCI Dean's List honoree.
 
The Big West has celebrated student-athletes for the Service and Leadership Award annually, since the 2017-18 academic year. Each member institution honors a student-athlete who engages consistently in service and leadership activities that impact the campus, community, or regional levels. The awardee makes the most of the opportunities presented to them by taking on key roles and is innovative in seeking out meaningful service and leadership opportunities, while keeping their academic eligibility on their respective team.