‘Eaters’ Pettis, Bibona add preseason plaudits

UC Irvine junior pitchers Eric Pettis and Danny Bibona continue to add preseason All-American credentials.

Pettis, whose 17 saves last season tied a school record and ranked second in the country, has been named second-team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball. He was previously named first-team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assn.

Bibona, a third-team honoree by Collegiate Baseball, was previously named third-team preseason All-American by the NCBWA.

Pettis was 4-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 2008, striking out 50 in 44 2/3 innings. He was named second-team All-American by the NCBWA and a first-team All-Big West Conference performer.

Bibona was 9-3 with a 3.08 ERA as a sophomore, when he allowed 97 hits and struck out 97 in 102 1/3 innings while walking only 21.

Pettis and Bibona helped the Anteaters come within three outs of the College World Series, before losing to LSU in the Super Regionals at Baton Rouge, La.

UCI, ranked No. 20 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, opens the season Feb. 20 with a four-game series at Hawaii.

— From staff reports