Alumni festivities to be held

UC Irvine will celebrate the reinstatement of its baseball program

with alumni festivities on Friday and Saturday.

The Anteaters open the season Jan. 25 when they host the University of

San Diego at 7 p.m.

The baseball alumni will gather for a social Friday night at McCormick

and Schmicks in Irvine from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The players will have

batting and fielding practice Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. The alumni

will take on the current UCI squad in a seven-inning game at 10 a.m.

The 2002 squad will play a Blue & Gold intrasquad game following the

alumni contest. Former UCI Coach Mike Gerakos (1981-92) will skipper the

alumni team Saturday.

Approximately 40 former Anteaters have indicated they will play in the

alumni game, with another 35 to 40 in attendance.

Among those expected to participate in Saturday’s game are UCI Hall of

Famers Tom Spence, who was on the first Anteater squad in 1970, and Gary

Wheelock, who pitched on UCI’s two NCAA Division II championship teams in

1973 and 1974. Also returning will be members of the last UCI squad from

1992.

The baseball program will be recognized during Saturday night’s men’s

basketball game at the Bren Events Center between UCI and Cal State

Northridge.

Also on Saturday, former Anteater basketball players who competed

under Coach Tim Tift in the 1970s will be attending the basketball game.

The players will hold pre-game and post-game receptions at the Steelhead

Brewery in Irvine.