MIDWEEK
UC Irvine Anteaters (9-7, 1-2 Big West) at UCLA Bruins (13-2, 3-0 Big Ten)
Jackie Robinson Stadium (1.838) - Los Angeles, Calif.
Tuesday - 6:00Â PM |
B1G+Â |Â
Live Stats
ON THE ROAD
UC Irvine Anteaters (9-7, 1-2 Big West) at Cal State Fullerton Titans (6-9, 2-1 Big West)
Goodwin Field (3,500) - Fullerton, Calif.
Friday - 6:30Â PM |
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Live Stats
Saturday - 5:00 PM |
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Live Stats
Sunday - 1:00 PM |
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Live Stats
Game Notes
PITCHING PROBABLES
Tuesday: UCI RHP
Cade Castles vs. UCLA RHP Angel Cervantes
Friday: UCI TBDÂ vs. CSF TBD
Saturday: UCI TBDÂ vs. CSF TBD
Sunday: UCI TBDÂ vs. CSF TBD
Coming Up This Week
- The Anteaters play a road week going up the freeway to No. 1 UCLA followed by a shorter trip to Cal State Fullerton for a three-game series
- UC Irvine has matched up with a No. 1 team nine times for a total of 17 times. UCI is 7-10 all-time agaisnt No. 1 teams including 0-2 when facing a No. 1 Bruins team
Storylines
- UCI stumbled to start Big West play going 1-2 over the weekend at home vs. CSUN while also dropping a midweek road matchup at No. 20 USC
- The eighth inning was front and center in all four matchups last week with UCI tied or leading entering the eighth inning in each. UCI lost at USC after entering the eighth tied, 4-4. UCI took a 4-0 lead into the eighth vs. CSUN Friday night only to lose in the ninth. In a tie game in the eighth Saturday, UCI pulled through with two runs to win, 4-2. Sunday, the game was also tied, 2-2, as the eighth began with UCI unable to pull out the win. UCI has played it close most of the season with eight of their 16 games tied at some point in the seventh inning or later.
- Offensively, UC Irvine had one of their more consistent weeks hitting .258 as a team. Efren Ortega held the otrch hitting .500 with a hit and RBI in each weekend game, Tommy Farmer belted his first career HR Tuesday at USC and finished with a team-high four RBIs on the week, and UCI was caught stealing for the first time after 12 successful tries this year; they enter this week 16-for-17 on the basepaths in 2026
- Pitching began with the rotation registering a 1.47 ERA between Trevor Hansen, Ricky Ojeda, and Finnegan Wall. They allowed a total of three earned runs in 18.1 innings dishing out two quality starts and striking out 19 as a crew
- Additional notable performances from Anteater arms included 2.2 perfect innings from Tim Grack to earn Saturday's win, two perfect innings Sunday from Peyton Rodgers striking out three, and Tyler Foster who held down No. 20 USC Tuesday for three scoreless innings
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
- UCLA is the nation's top team entering 13-2 on the season. Their losses have come vs. Big West rival, UC San Diego, in the finale of the season-opening weekend, and a midweek loss to a team UCI has already beaten, San Diego State while also holding off Cal State Fullerton in extra innings. On the flip side, UCLA also has six ranked wins topping No. 4 Mississippi State, No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 20 Tennessee, and a sweep of No. 7 TCU
- The Bruins and Anteaters meet for the 102nd time Tuesday, UCLA leading 60-40-1. The sides met three times last year with each winning at home, and then a third meeting coming in the UCLA Regional where the Bruins ended UCI's season while they moved on eventually playing in the College World Series
- The offense revolves around potential No. 1 overall draft pick Roch Cholowsky. He's hitting .308 with 8 HR, 18 RBI so far. In 6 games against UCI, he's 9-for19, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K, and all singles outside the 2-HR game his freshman year in a game UCI ended up winning. The Bruins aren't just Cholowsky with newcomer Will Gasparino (.434, 11 HR, 30 RBI) and Mulivai Levu (.369, 5 HR, 23 RBI) just two of the big sticks that compliment him on a team with a .429 OBP
- Pitching is typically the UCLA standard with more of the same this season posting a 3.72 ERA. Top-tier freshman Angel Cervantes (7.00, 9 IP, 3 K) has been starting the midweeks while a host of relievers are at the ready led by Wylan Moss (15 IP, 0.60, BB, 24 K) and Easton Hawk (2-1, 5.23, 10.1 IP, 14 K)
SCOUTING THE TITANS
- Cal State Fullerton is 6-9 to this point having yet to win two in a row. They have series losses to California Baptist and Xavier, splitting at Stanford, and starting Big West winning two of three at Cal State Bakersfield. They also hung with No. 1 UCLA last Tuesday eventually falling in 10 innings
- The Titans and 'Eaters enter the week with 151 all-time matchups and Fullerton leading 99-52 including a series win in Irvine in 2025. UCI has fared a little better at Goodwin Field, 25-45, including a series win the last time their in 2024. Cal State Fullerton also has had losing home seasons in two straight campaigns and five of the last seven
- The offense is hitting .247 this year averaging nearly the same amount of runs per game as the 'Eaters breaking out in a couple games including 13 runs on Sunday. They sit middle of the pack in most categories while leading the Big West with 17 sacrifice hits and a paltry five steals in 14 attempts. UCLA transfer Cameron Kim leads the charge hitting .316 with 10 doubles. Other notables include Paul Contreras (.292, 2 HR, 11 BB), Andrew Kirchner (2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R), and Ty Thomas (18 H, 8 XBH, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
- Pitching is holding its own with a 4.06 ERA in the early going. Friday ace Mikiah Negrete has scattered 24 hits over 22.2 innings while allowing just four runs and two walks to 24 strikeouts. Jayden Harper has been touched up for a 5.06 ERA in four starts, but a team-high 26 strikeouts, and Dylan Smith rounds out the starters so far at 0-2, 4.43, and nine strikeouts in 22.1 innings. The bullpen has Andrew Wright on the backend (8 G, 9 IP, 2.00, 3 Sv) and high use from Brock Mayer (7 G, 11.1 IP, 7.15) and Joseph Jasso (8 G, 8.1 IP, 2.16, 10 K)
