Mon September 08, 2008
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August 17, 2006 NATHAN CHOATE NAMED UC IRVINE ASSISTANT COACH IRVINE, Calif. --- Nathan Choate has been named an assistant baseball coach at UC Irvine, announced by head coach Dave Serrano. Choate, UC Irvine’s Director of Baseball Operations, was promoted after assistant coach Chad Baum accepted a coaching position at Santa Clara over the summer. UCI undergraduate assistant coach Gregg Wallis has been elevated to the position of Director of Baseball Operations. “I'm elated to have Nathan Choate on staff as an assistant coach,” said Serrano. I believe he has a very bright future in coaching and is very effective in the way he handles players. He and I will team up together in working with our pitchers.” Choate came to UC Irvine after a spending a year as the pitching coach at his alma mater, Esperanza High School, where he was an all-state selection. Choate continued his playing career at Santa Ana Junior College (1998-99) before transferring to Cal Poly and spending two years with the Mustangs. Choate was awarded the “Jim Newkirk Fireman’s Award”, given to the team’s best relief pitcher in his senior season. Most recently, Choate spent a summer in the Cape Cod League, as the pitching coach for the Hyannis Mets. Baum spent two years with the UC Irvine program, where he was involved in hitting instruction as well as tutoring the catchers and serving as the first-base coach. “I'm very sad to see Chad leave after the nine years I have spent with him, first as a player and then as a coach. On the other hand, I'm extremely happy for him as he continues to advance in his coaching career. The whole UCI family wishes Chad all the best,” said Serrano. “Both of these moves allowed me to keep Gregg Wallis,” said Serrano. In my time around Gregg I have learned that he is going to be very successful in any aspect of baseball that he chooses.” August 14, 2006 OLLIE LINTON NAMED NYCBL ALL-STAR UC Irvine's Ollie Linton was named a New York Collegiate Baseball League second-team All-Star. Linton batted .336 for the Little Falls Diamond Miners to sit sixth in the league. He was second in the league with seven triples while recording 24 RBI and 31 runs scored. Linton topped the Diamond Miners with 13 stolen bases. Teammate Kyle Gibson was also a second-team All-Star for Bolivar A's. Gibson was 4-2 with a 1.69 ERA. Gibson struck out 31 batters in 37.1 innings of work while giving up just seven earned runs and walking seven. August 8, 2006 UC IRVINE’S CHAD LUNDAHL SIGNS WITH ATLANTA BRAVES UC Irvine third baseman Chad Lundahl (Thousand Oaks/HS) has signed with the Atlanta Braves organization as a free agent and is now playing shortstop for the Gulf Coast League Braves. Lundahl batted .271 last season and was fourth on the team with 55 hits and 10 doubles. Lundahl was tied for fourth with 65 RBI while totaling 26 runs scored. During his three-year career at UC Irvine, Lundahl batted .239 and amassed 102 hits, including 20 doubles. He also drove in 41 runs and had 49 runs scored. BRYAN PETERSEN NAMED ALASKA BASEBALL LEAGUE co-PLAYER OF THE YEAR Outfielder Bryan Petersen (Northridge/Chatsworth HS) was named the 2006 Alaska Baseball League co-Player of the Year last week. Petersen, who competed in the Alaska summer league as a member of the Anchorage Bucs shares the honor with Donald Brown of the Mat-Su Miners and Jake Kahauelelio of the Peninsula Oilers. Petersen was one of five Bucs to be named an all-league selection after leading the league with a .365 batting average. He also topped the league in triples with four and was tied for third with 50 hits. July 17, 2006 MICHAEL GILMARTIN NAMED TO ALL-STAR TEAM Infielder Michael Gilmartin was named a Cal Ripken Senior Collegiate Baseball League All Star and will play for the Montgomery All-Stars Monday, July 17. Gilmartin leads the Rockville Express with a .319 average and has 22 hits, 10 runs socred, two doulbes and seven RBI. Gilmartin is 2 for 5 in stolen bases and is one of seven Express players to be named to the all-star team. Pitcher Daniel Bibona, a member of UC Irvine's 2006-07 recruiting class, was named the Most Valuable Pitcher at the 30th Annual All-Star Senior Sunbelt Classic Baseball Series, held in June in Norman, Oklahoma. Bibona shut out Maryland twice, posting 6-0 and 3-0 victories. Bibona struck out 16 and allowed just two hits in the 6-0 win and fanned 10 and yielded four hits in the 3-0 decision. Christian Bergman, a prep out of St. Francis High School, is spending the summer with current UCI player Bryan Petersen, playing for the Anchorage Bucks. Bergman has made two appearances for the Bucks and allowed two hits in 3.1 innings. Petersen continues to lead the team and is batting .420 and is tied for first with 20 RBI. Petersen is second on the team with 40 hits and first with three triples. Nick Baligod was tabbed the MVP of the Josh Anderson Memoria Tournament, held in Reno, Nevada. Baligod hit .575 and totaled 10 RBI in six games. Luis Tovar went 1 for 2 for the West at the All-American Game held in Albuquerque, New Mexico last June. July 10, 2006 PETERSEN LEADS ANCHORAGE BUCKS Outfielder Bryan Petersen is currently leading the Anchorage Bucks, batting .415. Petersen tops the team with 17 RBI and three triples and is third with 27 hits. Petersen also has three doubles and has stolen 8 of 9 on the basepaths. Saturday, against the Fairbanks Goldpanners, Petersen's two-run single keyed a four-run inning as the Bucks reclaimed the lead and went on to win 9-5. Pitcher Kyle Necke is currently 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA, pitching for the Little Falls Diamond Miners. Necke has tossed 10.2 innings over five apperances and struck out five while giving up four earned runs. Teammate Chris Lopez does not have a decision in six appearances but has fanned 11 in 10 innings of work. Ollie Linton, also a member of the Diamond Miners is second on the team with a .333 average and is tied for second with 11 RBI. Linton also has a team-high three triples. For the Rockville Express, Michael Gilmartin is hitting .292 with 14 hits and six RBI. Teammate Ben Orloff has 10 hits, an RBI and is 3 for 3 in stolen bases. Pitcher Russel Moore is 0-1 and has struck out four in 7.2 innings. July 6 2006 SCOTT GORGEN TABBED RIVALS.COM FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN IRVINE, Calif. --- Freshman pitcher Scott Gorgen (Concord/Clayton Valley HS) was one of 16 players to be honored as a first team Freshman All-American by Rivals.com. Gorgen, who was the Big West Conference’s Freshman Pitcher of the Year, led the UC Irvine pitching staff with a 2.54 ERA while posting a 7-5 record on the hill. The right-hander struck out 87 batters, tying for 10th in the UCI season records and made 17 starts to tie for seventh. Gorgen allowed just 31 earned runs this season in 110 innings pitched and combined for two shutouts. June 30, 2006 SCOTT GORGEN SELECTED TO BASEBALL AMERICA FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM IRVINE, Calif. --- Freshman Scott Gorgen (Concord/Clayton Valley HS) was named to the Baseball America Freshman All-America second team, giving the pitcher his second All-America honor this season. Gorgen was 7-5 on the mound and led the Anteaters with a 2.54 ERA. The right-hander was second on the team with 87 strikeouts, tying for 10th in the UCI season records, and hurled 110 innings. He allowed just 31 earned runs while limiting teams to a .234 average. Gorgen earned the wins in his first two collegiate starts and two of his starts resulted in combined shutouts for the team. Gorgen was voted the Big West Conference Freshman Pitcher of the Year and collected Big West Player of the Week honors as well as earning an All-America nod by Collegiate Baseball. Gorgen becomes the second Anteater to pick up the post-season honor, joining Blair Erickson, who was named to the second team in 2004. UC Irvine made its second NCAA appearance in three years and finished the season 36-24 overall. The Anteaters posted their highest conference finish in five years, coming in third with an 11-10 mark. June 16, 2006 BEN ORLOFF COLLECTS TWO TEAM AWARDS; “BEST TEAMMATE” AWARD NAMED AFTER GLENN SWANSON Freshman Ben Orloff (Simi Valley/HS) earned two of the six team awards as the UC Irvine Baseball program handed out its annual accolades. Orloff was named Best Defensive Player and also received the HAM (Hustle-Attitude-Mentality) award. Senior Glenn Swanson was chosen as the Best Teammate and the Anteaters subsequently elected to have the award renamed the "Glenn Swanson Best Teammate" award. Junior Cody Cipriano (Agoura/Westlake HS) earned the title of Most Valuable Player while Justin Cassel (Northridge/Chatsworth HS) was tabbed the Most Valuable Pitcher. Catcher Aaron Lowenstein was named the Most Improved Player. UC Irvine earned its second NCAA Tournament berth in three years and finished the season 36-24 overall. The Anteaters posted a nine-game win streak, the longest in UC Irvine’s Division I history and also recorded the highest number of wins since 1980 (37-25-1). UCI rewrote the 1989 team record of 104 stolen bases with 107 as well as setting a new mark in sacrifice hits (90). UC Irvine’s third-place finish in the Big West is the program’s best in the five years of competition since its reinstatement. June 10, 2006 GLENN SWANSON SIGNS WITH TEXAS RANGERS Senior pitcher Glenn Swanson signed with the Texas Rangers prior to the draft. The Rangers, who drafted Swanson in the 49th round in the 2005 draft, retained his rights. Swanson finished his career at UC Irvine with a 25-22 overall record. The left-hander leaves as the program's all-time strikeout leader with 298 and threw the program's third no-hitter in history. Swanson pitched 362.2 innings to sit fourth all-time in the UCI records. June 9, 2006 SEAN TRACEY MAKES MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT FOR CHICAGO WHITE SOX Former UC Irvine pitcher Sean Tracey, 25, made his major league debut for the Chicago White Sox Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. Tracey pitched two shutout innings, striking out two and giving up a hit in the outing. Tracey was called up from AAA Charlotte after Cliff Politte was placed on the disabled list. The right-hander began the season as a long reliever for Charlotte but made nine starts and was 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA. Video of Tracey's debut can be viewed under "More Sights and Sounds" on the Chicago White Sox's official website. June 8, 2006 UC IRVINE’S SCOTT GORGEN NAMED COLLEGIATE BASEBALL LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine pitcher Scott Gorgen (Concord/Clayton Valley HS) was selected to the Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-America team. Gorgen becomes the seventh UCI player and lone Big West pitcher this season to earn the honor. Gorgen, the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, was 7-5 overall and led the pitching staff with a 2.54 ERA. The right-hander made his first collegiate start in the opening series against then-No. 25 California and yielded an unearned run on two hits in 5.2 innings to record the win. Gorgen then blanked Hawaii through 8.1 innings in his second start, striking out six and allowing two hits in the combined shutout to earn Big West Pitcher of the Week honors. Gorgen also combined for the 2-0 shutout against then-No. 1 Cal State Fullerton, striking out seven in 6.2 innings. He recorded 87 strikeouts this season to tie for 10th in the UCI records and his 17 starts place him in a tie for sixth in the program’s annals. Gorgen registered a career-high eight strikeouts on four occasions and finished second on the team with 110 innings pitched. UC Irvine ended the season 36-24 overall after its second NCAA appearance in three years. The Anteaters, under second-year head coach Dave Serrano, posted the highest number of victories since the program was reinstated in 2002 and also recorded its highest Big West in five seasons, placing third with an 11-10 mark. June 7, 2006 FORMER UCI PITCHER SEAN TRACEY CALLED UP FROM AAA CHARLOTTE Former UC Irvine hurler Sean Tracey was called up by the Chicago White Sox from AAA Charlotte today as announced by the league office. Tracey, who pitched for UCI in 2002 is 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA for Charlotte. The right-hander made 15 appearances and worked 62.1 innings, striking out 49 while allowing 22 earned runs on 47 hits. For the Anteaters, Tracey was 8-7 with a 4.47 ERA. He struck out a team-high 96 batters in 106.2 innings and allowed 53 earned runs. He made 19 apperances, including 17 starts for UCI. June 7, 2006 McDOUGALL SELECTED BY FLORIDA MARLINS Junior outfielder Spike McDougall (San Ramon/Diablo Valley College) was selected in the 39th round by the Florida Marlins on the second day of the 2006 Major League Draft. McDougall saw action in 25 games this season, batting .246. He recorded 14 hits and eight runs scored while hitting two home runs and driving in five for UCI. McDougall recorded on edouble on the seaon and was 2 for 3 in stolen bases. June 6, 2006 UC IRVINE PITCHERS JUSTIN CASSEL, BLAIR ERICKSON SELECTED ON FIRST DAY OF MLB DRAFT IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior pitchers Justin Cassel (Northridge/Chatsworth HS) and Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) were selected in the seventh and 10th rounds, respectively, on the first day of the 2006 Major League Draft. Cassel becomes the fourth Anteater to be selected by the Chicago White Sox while Erickson is the second UCI player to be chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals. Cassel finished the season 7-9 overall and led the team with 99 strikeouts in 134 innings pitched. Cassel yielded 25 walks in 18 appearances and gave up 51 earned runs on 136 hits. Over three seasons, he fanned 241 batters and is third in the UCI career records. His 317.1 innings are fourth-best and he is tied for eighth with 20 career wins. Cassel started in 48 games to move into third place in the record books. In 2006, Cassel hurled his first complete-game shutout against UC Riverside and was his fourth complete game of the season. He struck out a career-high 15 batters in 8.2 innings in the win against UC Santa Barbara and was named Big West Player of the Week and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week for his effort. Erickson was 5-0 this season with 13 saves and boasted a 2.06 ERA. As UCI’s closer for three seasons, Erickson is the all-time save leader with 40 saves and is second in the Big West Conference career records. This season, Erickson recorded 57 strikeouts in 52.1 innings and allowed 12 earned runs while holding opposing batters to a .229 average. He made 29 appearances, including his first two collegiate starts against Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. Against the Gauchos, Erickson tossed a career-high six innings and held UCSB to two runs on seven hits while against Cal Poly, he fanned a career-high five batters in four innings. Erickson was named Big West All-Conference honorable mention for the second straight season and was tabbed preseason All-American by three publications. May 30, 2006 FOUR UC IRVINE PLAYERS NAMED ALL-BIG WEST; PITCHER SCOTT GORGEN TABBED FRESHMAN PITCHER OF THE YEAR IRVINE, Calif. --- Freshman Scott Gorgen (Concord/Clayton Valley HS) headlined the list of UC Irvine baseball players who were honored on the Big West All-Conference teams as announced by the conference office Tuesday. Gorgen was named the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year and joins Jaime Martinez (Oxnard/Hueneme HS) and Cody Cipriano (Agoura/Westlake HS) on the all-conference second team. Junior closer Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) made his third straight appearance as an all-conference choice and was named honorable mention for the second straight year. Gorgen became UCI’s second Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year after finishing the regular season third in the conference with an ERA of 2.52. Gorgen is 7-4 on the mound and holds the second-highest number of wins by a freshman pitcher since 2002. Current teammate Glenn Swanson totaled eight wins in his freshman campaign in 2002. Gorgen is tied for seventh in the conference with 82 strikeouts and has pitched 107 innings while holding opposing batters to a .229 average. He was named Big West Player of the Week after holding Hawaii to a two-hit shutout through 8.1 innings to lead UC Irvine to a 1-0 win. Gorgen also led UCI to its first conference win of the season in a 2-0 shutout over then-No. 9 Cal State Fullerton. He struck out a career-high eight batters on three occasions this season for UCI and is currently ranked 32nd in the nation in ERA. Current closer Blair Erickson won the inaugural award in 2004. Senior Jaime Martinez received his first Big West accolade as a second-team selection. The first baseman leads the Anteaters and is fourth in the Big West with 45 RBI and also is tied for sixth with eight home runs. He became UCI’s all-time home run leader this season with 21, surpassing former Anteater Jeff Malinoff’s 1971-74 record of 16 and erasing a 32-year old mark. Martinez is a two-time Big West Player of the Week, collecting both awards after stellar performances at Cal Poly’s Baggett Field in 2004 and 2006. He is third on the team with 56 hits and tied for third with 10 doubles. Martinez has not committed an error at first base this season and his walk off home run against UC Riverside last Saturday sealed the series win for UCI. Martinez also recorded his first career pinch-hit grand slam against Cal State Fullerton earlier in the season. Junior Cody Cipriano is also a first-time honoree. Cipriano leads the team with a .361 batting average and is currently third in the Big West with 17 doubles. The second baseman has four home runs on the season and he is second on the team with 16 stolen bases. His recorded a game-winning home run to complete the sweep over Oral Roberts. Most recently, Cipriano earned a Big West Player of the Week award after batting .529 (9 for 17) with five RBI and four runs scored to lead UC Irvine to a series win over UC Riverside and clinch third place in the conference, the Anteaters’ highest finish since 1980. Cipriano is tied for first with 66 hits and has drawn a team-high 27 walks. Junior closer Blair Erickson was named honorable mention after recording 13 saves this season and moved into second in the Big West career records with 40 saves. The right-hander is undefeated on the mound this year at 5-0 and holds a 2.22 ERA. Erickson has struck out 52 in 48.2 innings and has allowed just 12 earned runs on 38 hits. He made two starts on the mound for UCI this season. Erickson’s 13 saves place him in a tie for first in the Big West and he has made 27 appearances on the mound to sit eighth among the Big West pitchers. Erickson is also currently ranked 11th in the nation in saves. Cal State Fullerton’s Justin Turner and Long Beach State’s Evan Longoria were named co-Big West Player of the Year while Titan hurler Wes Roemer picked up Pitcher of the Year honors. Dirtbag Danny Espinosa was tabbed the Freshman Player of the Year and George Horton was selected as the Big West Coach of the Year. May 29, 2006 CASSEL, CIPRIANO NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Justin Cassel shared Big West Pitcher of the Week honors with Cal State Fullerton’s Wes Roemer for his second accolade this season while UCI teammate Cody Cipriano (Agoura/Westlake HS) captured the conference Player of the Week title. Cassel, 7-8 on the season, hurled a five-hit complete game shutout against UC Riverside last Friday. The complete game was Cassel’s fourth this season and he has logged 126.2 innings on the bump. The right-hander has struck out 91 and allowed 48 earned runs. Cassel has not pitched less than six innings since February 17 against Cal State Fullerton. Cipriano picked up his first conference honor after batting .529 (9 for 17) with five RBI and four runs scored as the Anteaters secured a series win over UC Riverside clinch third place in the Big West. Friday, Cipriano drove in the game-winning runs in the shutout over the Highlanders and Saturday, he doubled in the bottom of the 10th to represent the game-tying run in the series win and he recorded the team’s 104th stolen base of the season. Sunday, Cipriano belted his second home run of the week to score UCI’s first run. May 16, 2006 SIX BASEBALL PLAYERS HONORED AT STUDENT-ATHLETE BANQUET Irvine, CA --- Baseball players Jaime Martinez, Kevin Mayer, Matt Morris, Gary Nakashima, Bryan Petersen and Geoff Thorne were among the 152 student-athletes honored by UC Irvine as 2005-06 Big West Conference Scholar-Athletes at the program’s annual banquet Monday night (May 15) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. This year’s list brings UCI’s total to 2,731 conference scholar-athletes since 1983. Requirements for this award include maintaining a 3.0 grade-point average (GPA) over three quarters or a 3.2 GPA over two quarters for freshmen. Student-athletes must also earn letters in their sports. The Scholar-Athlete award was implemented by the Big West Conference to honor those student-athletes that have maintained a high level of scholastic excellence while participating in intercollegiate athletics. UCI expanded the award to include teams that do not participate in Big West-sponsored sports. In addition to the 152 scholar-athletes, UCI also recognized several individuals. Men’s basketball player Ross Schraeder was recognized as the Lauds & Laurels Senior Athlete of the Year, the most prestigious award given by the UCI Alumni Association. Schraeder was a two-time All-Big West Conference honorable mention honoree who ended his career as UCI’s all-time three-point leader. Schraeder led the Anteaters in scoring for the second straight season at 13.1 points per game and ended his career with 1,094 points (16th at UCI). Schraeder was fourth in the nation this season in three-point field goal percentage at .474. UCI’s Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year were seniors Megan Baker (swimming) and Mike Beerer (track & field). Each conference school honors one male and one female athlete each year. Baker was a member of UCI’s 2005 Big West Championship team, helping the Anteaters to a conference title in the 800 free relay. The team won the relay in a school record time of 7:34.30. This season, Baker finished fourth in the 400 individual medley and ninth in the 1,650 freestyle at the conference championships. She is a four-time scholar-athlete majoring in psychology & social behavior with a minor in biological sciences. Beerer won his second consecutive Big West title in the hammer throw last week. He is the only UCI athlete to ever win a Big West Championship in the hammer and is the first Anteater male field athlete to earn a conference title since 1993. He is second all-time at UCI in the hammer throw with a mark of 215’9” set at the Claremont Classic this season, just three inches of the school record (216’0”) that has stood for 16 years. He has qualified for the NCAA West Regional in the hammer throw for the third straight year, competing on May 26. Beerer was named the Big West Athlete of the Week March 29 after winning the hammer throw at UCI’s Collegiate Classic. He will be graduating with a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Women’s basketball player Kimberly Martin received the University’s Academic Achievement Award from the UCI Admissions Office, while women’s distance runner Kelli Vanderburg received the UCI Athletics Leadership Award. The women’s swimming & diving team accepted the Faculty Athletic Representative Award for the highest team GPA and women’s water polo player Robyn Kaake garnered the fourth annual Robert Chichester Award. May 4, 2006 SWANSON HONORED BY COLLEGEBASEBALLINSIDER.COM, COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION IRVINE, Calif. --- Senior Glenn Swanson (San Diego/Morse HS) earned two more Player of the Week honors for his no-hit performance against San Diego last week. The left-hander was named co-Player of the Week by CollegeBaseballInsider.com, sharing the award with Le Moyne pitcher Bobby Blevins while the College Baseball Foundation also selected Swanson to its National Honor Roll, tabbing him a Player of the Week. Swanson walked just one batter and struck out a career-high 14 batters, using just 89 pitches to shut down the Toreros for UCI’s third no-hitter in history. The feat was UCI’s first in 32 years and Swanson now sits in the history books with Tad Davis, who shut out Utah 18-0, (April 27, 1974) and Dave Wollos, who blanked Cal Tech, 8-0 (March 3, 1970), as the only Anteaters to have tossed a no-hitter. Swanson then returned Sunday and picked up the win against UC Davis, pitching 5.2 innings and giving up three runs on eight hits. In his last three starts, Swanson put together 17.2 scoreless innings before surrendering a run against UC Davis. Swanson is currently tied for first on the team in wins with six on the season (6-4) and holds a 3.05 ERA. He has struck out 45 in 59 innings and moved into second in the UCI career records with 274 strikeouts, passing former Anteater Brett Smith (2002-04) who had 270. May 1, 2006 GLENN SWANSON NAMED COLLEGIATE BASEBALL “LOUISVILLE SLUGGER” NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AND BIG WEST PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Lefthander Glenn Swanson (San Diego/Morse HS) became the second consecutive Anteater to be named Collegiate Baseball’s “Louisville Slugger” National Player of the Week and Big West Pitcher of the Week after pitching a no-hitter against San Diego last Tuesday. The senior yielded just one walk and struck out a career-high 14 batters en route to a 7-0 win over the University of San Diego and UC Irvine’s first no-hitter in 32 years. The southpaw used just 89 pitches in an outstanding performance Tuesday at Anteater Ballpark, tossing his first complete game this season and the fourth of his career. Junior Justin Cassel (Northridge/Chatsworth HS) claimed both honors last week after striking out a career-high 15 batters in 8.2 innings against UC Santa Barbara. April 25, 2006 UC IRVINE’S GLENN
SWANSON HURLS FIRST NO-HITTER IN 32 YEARS; IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine senior Glenn Swanson yielded just one walk and struck out a career-high 14 batters en route to a 7-0 complete game win over the University of San Diego and UC Irvine’s first no-hitter in 32 years. The southpaw used just 89 pitches in an outstanding performance Tuesday at Anteater Ballpark, tossing his first complete game this season and the fourth of his career. UCI’s last no-hitter was April 27, 1974, when Tad Davis led the Anteaters to an 18-0 win over Southern Utah. The only other no-hitter in the program’s history was recorded March 3, 1970 against Cal Tech as Dave Wollos pitched UCI to an 8-0 victory. “It was an unbelievable performance by Glenn,” said head coach Dave Serrano. “Obviously, you set out in a midweek game to have a staff day but Glenn kept establishing himself and his pitch count was tremendously low. He did a great job, keeping San Diego off balance with his fast ball and curve ball and mixed it up with the change-up. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy,” continued Serrano. “He’s been in this program since its resurrection and he’s had to fight through some adversity with some injuries. It was phenomenal for this team and the program.” Swanson improved to 5-4 overall as the Anteaters climbed to 25-17 on the season. San Diego dropped to 25-18. UC Irvine gave Swanson more offense than he would need with a four-run third and a three-run fifth. Catcher Aaron Lowenstein singled through the right side to lead off the third and took second on Gary Dudrey’s sacrifice bunt. Lowenstein crossed the plate on Cody Cipriano’s double to center and Cipriano would come home on a single by Ben Orloff. Outfielder Taylor Holiday tripled to right to plate Orloff and was driven in on Jaime Martinez’s sacrifice fly. Orloff drove in his second run of the game in the fifth and outfielder Matt Morris brought in two runs to cap the scoring. Orloff was 3 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored while Cipriano was 2 for 5 at the plate, scoring twice and driving in one. Morris had two RBI on 1 for 3 hitting and Holiday and Martinez had an RBI apiece. San Diego starter Ricardo Pescina fell to 4-3, giving up seven runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings. April 24, 2006 JUSTIN CASSEL NAMED “LOUISVILLE SLUGGER” NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK, BWC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Junior Justin Cassel (Northridge/Chatsworth HS) was honored as one of Collegiate Baseball’s “Louisville Slugger” National Players of the Week and was named Big West Pitcher of the Week after his performance in the 12-2 win over UC Santa Barbara Friday. Cassel struck out a career-high 15 batters in 8.2 innings of work to collect his fourth win of the season and first in conference play. The right-hander yielded just one walk and one earned run while scattering seven hits and was a batter away from his fourth complete game of the season. Cassel’s 15 strikeouts matched a single-game effort by the 2002 pitching staff against Cal State Northridge. April 19, 2006 UC IRVINE RELIEVER BLAIR ERICKSON NAMED TO NCBWA MIDSEASON STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior All-American closer Blair Erickson has been named to the 2006 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Midseason Stopper of the Year watch list. Of the 30 pitchers who make up the midseason watch list, 16 are ranked among the nation's Top 25 overall relievers with at least eight saves so far this year with Don Czyz of Kansas leading the nation with 13. Erickson is second in the Big West Conference with 37 career saves and tied for fifth in the country with 10 this season. The right-hander is 3-0 and has totaled 35 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. Erickson has yielded five earned runs on 21 hits for a 1.55 ERA and is holding the opposition to a .219 batting average. He has one combined shutout this season, pitching 1.1 innings against No.1 Cal State Fullerton in a 2-0 win. Erickson is one of three players from the Big West Conference to be named to the watch list, joining Vinnie Pestano of Cal State Fullerton and Rocky Roquet of Cal Poly. The 2006 midseason watch list represents 15 conferences, led by four players from the Atlantic Coast, and three from the Big West, Pac 10, and Southeastern conferences. The Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, Metro Atlantic, Patriot and Southern each have two players represented, while the Atlantic Sun, Horizon, Mid American, Missouri Valley, and Western Athletic all have one player. The award’s finalists will be announced May 31 and the winner will be named June 7. April 17, 2006 MARTINEZ PUTS ON ENCORE PERFORMANCE AT BAGGETT STADIUM; NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Two years ago at Baggett Stadium, senior Jaime Martinez (Oxnard/Hueneme HS) put together a stellar offensive performance that garnered him a Big West Player of the Week honor. Martinez repeated the feat, earning Player of the Week honors after recording his best performance in a series this season at Cal Poly. Martinez batted .500 (6 for 12), recorded three doubles, two RBI and two runs scored to help the Anteaters to their first Big West series win. The first baseman/designated hitter drove in UCI’s only run Thursday and went 3 for 4 with a walk Friday. Martinez also drove in the team’s first run Saturday with a double and scored what would be the game-winner. This is Martinez’s second honor and UCI’s fourth this season. In 2004, Martinez hit .538 (7 for 13) in a three-game sweep over the Mustangs at Baggett Stadium. In that series, Martinez drove in five, totaled seven runs scored, two home runs and four walks while batting 7 for 13 at the plate. Martinez is currently third with a .304 batting average and is the team’s RBI leader with 29. He has seven doubles and club-leading three home runs while sitting second with 35 hits on the season. He currently holds the longest active hitting streak on the team at six games. April 11, 2006 UC IRVINE BASEBALL HOSTS SKILLS CLINIC FOR CHALLENGER LITTLE LEAGUE IRVINE, Calif. --- The UC Irvine Baseball team hosted a skills clinic for the Challenger Little League. Between 45-50 disabled youth participated in the clinic at Anteater Ballpark. The Challenger Little Leaguers came from Rancho Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Rancho Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Lake Forest and the Irvine Northwood Leagues. The players and coaches set up five stations for the youngsters and took them through a series of drills that included hitting, pitching, throwing and fielding. “This is one of my favorite days of the year,” said UCI assistant coach Chad Baum, who helped organize the event. “It’s a great way to give back to the community and for our guys to see how lucky they are to be student-athletes here at UC Irvine.” The Challenger Little Leaguers, their parents and the UC Irvine Baseball team capped off the day by sharing a pizza dinner. March 20, 2006 ERICKSON NAMED BIG WEST PITCHER OF THE WEEK; CLAIMS NO. 2 IN BIG WEST CONFERENCE CAREER RECORDS: Junior All-American Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) was named Big West Pitcher of the Week after registering a win and two saves to help UCI to a 4-0 mark last week. With the two saves, Erickson became second all-time in the Big West Conference career annals with 35 saves to pass former Cal State Fullerton standout Chad Cordero. For the week Erickson pitched 5.1 shutout innings, giving up just one hit and striking out seven, which included matching a career-high four strikeouts against ORU Saturday. In the game against Loyola Marymount, Erickson entered with the tying run on deck, with no outs, and yielded just one hit. Erickson improved to 3-0 after pitching three shutout innings in the series finale against Oral Roberts and now boasts a 1.47 ERA. The right-hander has made 14 appearances and struck out 23 in 18.1 innings while giving up just three runs on 10 hits. This is Erickson’s second honor and the team’s third this season. February 28, 2006 DUDREY NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Gary Dudrey (Riverside/Arlington HS) batted .615 (8 for 13) in four games last week, earning Big West Player of the Week honors. Dudrey led the team to four wins, including a win over then-No. 8 San Diego and the team’s first series sweep of the season against San Diego State. The senior outfielder had eight hits and four RBI, including a double and two RBI triples while adding a stolen base. On the season, Dudrey is batting .529 in 10 games played with nine hits in 17 at-bats. It is Dudrey’s first honor. February 14, 2006 GORGEN NAMED BIG WEST PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Freshman hurler Scott Gorgen (Concord/Clayton Valley HS) held Hawaii to a two-hit shutout through 8.1 innings to lead UC Irvine to a 1-0 win Saturday. The right-hander struck out six and after giving up two singles in the top of the third, retired the next 17 consecutive batters before issuing his second walk. This is the second time Grogran’s pitching performance has led to a series tie for UCI and he has now hurled 14 innings pitched without giving up an earned run. Gorgen (0.00) is 2-0 in two starts and has struck out nine batters and allowed just two walks. He has held the opposition to a .087 batting average. January 11, 2006 UC IRVINE PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN BIG WEST CONFERENCE POLL IRVINE, Calif. --- The UC Irvine baseball team has been selected to finish third in the Big West Conference Preseason Coaches’ poll. Head coach Dave Serrano’s Anteaters received 42 points, edging out Cal Poly by one point (41). Cal State Fullerton was picked to win the conference title, receiving seven first-place votes, while Long Beach State was tabbed to finish second. UC Irvine returns 14 letterwinners and is led by junior pitchers Justin Cassel (Northridge/Chatsworth HS), Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) and senior infielder Jaime Martinez (Oxnard/Hueneme HS). Cassel was 9-4 on the mound last season, striking out 86 batters in 117 innings pitched. The right-hander recorded a 3.54 ERA and allowed just 21 walks in 18 starts while tossing a pair of complete games. Erickson led the team with 10 saves and is already the program’s save leader with 27. Erickson, who has been named preseason All-America three times this season (NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, RosenblattReport.com) posted a 1.80 ERA in 2005 while striking out 52 batters in 35 innings. Erickson allowed just seven earned runs in 28 appearances, posting a 1-2 record. Martinez batted .339 last season and led the club with 46 RBI and five home runs. The 6-5 first baseman also totaled 57 hits and eight doubles for UCI. UC Irvine opens the season Feb. 3-5 at Anteater Ballpark with a weekend series against California. 2006
Coaches Poll January 3, 2006 BLAIR ERICKSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior reliever Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) collected his third All-America title this season, earning a preseason third team honor from the RosenblattReport.com, a web-based outlet located in Texas. Erickson recorded 10 saves for the Anteaters as a sophomore last season and posted a 1.80 ERA, striking out 52 batters in 35 innings pitched. The right-hander made 28 appearances and held opposing batters to a .140 average while going 1-2 on the season. Erickson is the lone honoree from UC Irvine and one of three from the Big West Conference. The Anteaters open the season against California Feb. 3 at 6:00 p.m. February 2, 2006 ANTEATER HURLER BLAIR ERICKSON NAMED TO NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine pitcher Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) has been selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year watch list, as announced by the association Wednesday. Erickson is one of thirty to be named to the watch list and just one of two from the Big West Conference. The award is in its second year and the winner will be announced Wednesday, June 7. The junior right-hander is third among the Big West Conference career leaders with 27 saves and is a two-time 2006 preseason All-American. Erickson was the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2004 after recording 17 saves and striking out 51 in 37.1 innings. He was just as impressive in his sophomore campaign, totaling 10 saves and boasting a 1.80 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .140 average. Head coach Dave Serrano’s Anteaters open the season against No. 25 California this Friday (Feb. 3) at 6:00 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark. UC IRVINE PITCHER BLAIR ERICKSON NAMED TO ROGER CLEMENS AWARD WATCH LIST IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior reliever Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) has been named to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List for the second consecutive year by the Greater Houston Baseball Association. Erickson is one of 40 of the top pitchers in the country to be named on the initial list. Erickson is a two-time 2006 preseason All-American and highlights the UC Irvine pitching staff. The right-hander, already the UCI career leader in saves with 27, recorded 10 last season and struck out 52 I 35 innings pitched. The right-hander made 28 appearances and held opposing batters to a .140 average and posting a 1.80 ERA. The award, named after future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, will honor the top pitcher in college baseball in Houston, Texas in July. The list is comprised of all Division I pitchers who were named as pre-season All-Americans by either Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball or the National College Baseball Writers Association. Additional pitchers will be added each week when honored as National Pitchers of the Week by the NCBW and after the NCAA releases its statistical rankings during the college baseball season. UC Irvine will host its annual Alumni Day next Saturday (Jan. 28) at 1:00 p.m. at Anteater Ballpark. The Anteaters open the season with a home series against California, Feb. 3. December 27, 2005 BLAIR ERICKSON NAMED “LOUISVILLE SLUGGER” PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior pitcher Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) has been named to the Collegiate Baseball “Louisville Slugger” preseason All-America second team. Erickson is one of four players from the Big West Conference to be honored by Collegiate Baseball and the lone member on the second team. The 6-1 right-hander posted 10 saves and a 1.80 ERA, striking out 52 in 35 innings pitched. The UCI career leader in saves with 27, Erickson has been honored by Collegiate Baseball five times in two years. He was named “Louisville Slugger” Freshman of the Year, selected to the Freshman All-America first team and the All-America third team in 2004 and collected a preseason All-America third-team honor in 2005. December 15, 2005 BLAIR ERICKSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine junior relief pitcher Blair Erickson (Fair Oaks/Jesuit HS) has been named to the preseason All-America third team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The right-hander had 10 saves with a 1.80 earned-run average last season when he recorded 52 strikeouts in 35 innings. Erickson, after just two seasons, is UCI’s career leader in saves with 27. He was one of four Big West Conference players named to the 2006 NCBWA preseason All-America teams. Coach Dave Serrano’s Anteaters open the 2006 season hosting California in a three-game series Feb. 3-5. November 17, 2005 UC IRVINE BASEBALL INKS 12 TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT IRVINE, Calif. --- The UC Irvine Baseball program announced the signing of 12 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent in the early signing period. The recruiting class includes five pitchers, four infielders, two outfielders and one catcher. “Our focus was to get more physical and athletic position players as well as find pitchers that will progress and be successful at the highest level,” said UC Irvine assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Sergio Brown. “We feel we surpassed our own expectations. We have some pitchers that can make an immediate impact and compete at a high level in the Big West Conference. The position players have a good combination of speed and power. We feel we have signed the best players in California and Arizona that will enter the collegiate ranks next fall rather than sign a Major League contract. This class will play a major role in getting this program to achieve the high expectations that have been established by the coaching staff.” Nick Baligod, a 5-11 outfielder at Fairfield High School (Fairfield, CA), was named all-city twice as well as team MVP in 2004 and 2005. He also collected an all-league title and set school records in batting average (.520), on-base percentage (.625) runs scored (30), hits (39), doubles (12) and saves (5) as a junior. Pitcher/infielder Christian Bergman tossed 55 innings for St. Francis High School (La Canada, CA), striking out 42 while collecting three wins. As an infielder, Bergman hit .392 with 21 runs scored and 13 RBI’s. The 6-3 right-hander was an All-Mission League first- team choice and named All-Area by the Pasadena Star News. Bergman also competed on the Atlanta Braves Scout Team. Left-handed pitcher Tom Calahan was a 38th-round draft pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. Calahan played at Saddleback College in 2004 and helped the team to the Community College State Championship title. He transferred to Santa Ana College last summer. Infielder Jeff Cusick, a 6-2 senior at Santa Margarita High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), joined the varsity team as a sophomore and played on the Kansas City Royals Scout Team. Cusick is a three-time scholar-athlete. Nick Farinacci, a 6-2 shortstop at Agoura High School (Agoura, CA), is a four-year varsity starter and batted .340 last season. Farinacci also totaled 29 RBI, 25 runs scored and four home runs. He was tabbed All-Marmonte League and was a 2005 Pre-season All-Ventura County selection. Farinacci was also named to the Anaheim Lions All-Tournament Team and played with the Atlanta Braves Scout Team Cory Hamilton, a 6-0 pitcher at Sheldon High School (Sacramento, CA), was selected to play on the Milwuakee Brewers Area Code Team last summer. In 2005, Hamilton pitched 46 innings, striking out 65 and boasting a 1.67 ERA. He was named first team All-Delta League and was ranked the fifth-best prospect in the Team One West Showcase. Among the Team One Top 100, Hamilton is rated 37th overall and 20th as a pitcher. Hamilton also played with the Colorado Rockies Scout Team and the Dodger Elite Team. Francis Larson, a 6-2 catcher, was the All-Sunset League Rookie of the Year at Esperanza High School (Yorba Linda, CA). Larson hit .419 and was one of the 2005 Team One West Showcase Top 30 Prospects. Larson also played on the Seattle Mariners Scout Team. Outfielder Sean Madigan batted .366 with 18 RBI at Servite High School (Anaheim, CA) last season. Madigan also recorded eight stolen bases and hit .545 with runners in scoring position. On the mound, the 5-11 southpaw picked up a pair of wins in 26 innings pitched while posting a 1.86 ERA and was named All-Serra League in 2005. Madigan, who played on the Seattle Marines Scout Team, was a Team One West Showcase Top 30 Prospect and was chosen to play in the Team One National Showcase in Las Vegas. Pitcher Eric Pettis is a 6-1 right-hander at El Camino Real High School (West Hills, CA). Pettis was 8-1 last season with a 1.53 ERA and totaled 60 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched. He was named first team All-CIF after guiding the team to the 2005 CIF Championship. He hurled a two-hit complete game against Chatsworth High School in the title game at Dodger Stadium and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Pettis was an All-West Valley League first-team choice, named Daily News All-Area first team and played on the Atlanta Braves Scout Team. Pitcher Jarret Semler, out of Glendora High School (Glendora, CA), played on the San Diego Padres Scout Team in 2005. Reid Suitor, a 6-1 pitcher at Torrey Pines High School (Torrey Pines, CA) was an All-Palomar League second-team selection last season. He won four games and struck out 52 batters in 56 innings while posting a 2.23 ERA. Suitor was also a member of the Seattle Mariners Scout Team. Shortstop Luis Tovar rounds out the list of UC Irvine recruits. Tovar, a 6-2 senior at Koffa High School (Yuma, AZ) competed in the Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Missouri last season. He was named to Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospect List and the Aflac All-America Team. Tovar was rated the 18th-best prospect by Perfect Game, a scouting report service, and was a first team all-state honoree as a sophomore and a junior. He set a state record, hitting .596 as a sophomore and played on the Arizona Diamondback Scout Team. “With the direction of recruiting coordinator Sergio Brown along with assistants Greg Bergeron, Chad Baum and student-assistant Gregg Wallis, we have put together a promising class of exciting student-athletes to be part of our future success here at UC Irvine,” said head coach Dave Serrano. “We feel we have addressed our needs on the mound with some pitch-ready arms that can make immediate impacts along with the addition of an exciting group of position players. The most intriguing part of this class is that their commitment to our program is as solid as our commitment is to them as student-athletes.” UC
Irvine’s Baseball Signees
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