College Baseball: Offense new UCI calling card
The UC Irvine baseball team returned to a familiar recent formula to top Long Beach State and extend its record-setting winning streak to 15 games on Saturday at Anteater Ballpark.
The 10-4 Big West Conference thumping of the Dirtbags, which clinched the seventh straight weekend series victory and allowed UCI to improve to 21-10, 8-0 in conference, was emblematic of what has become a new method of operation for the ‘Eaters.
That pattern lately has been double-digit run production and streams of hits coming from throughout the lineup. Including UCI’s 1-0 triumph in 12 innings Friday, the formerly scrappy little ‘Eaters, for whom the squeeze bunt was arguably more characteristic than barrages of hits and runs, have scored 67 runs in their last seven games. Six times in that span, they have scored at least 10.
But with yet another offensive windfall, coming against a Long Beach State staff that entered the week leading the nation in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.54) – and led the conference in fewest runs and hits allowed and batting average against (.198) – UCI is reshaping its image.
While the weekend pitching rotation has been sound, UCI, which had produced Big West Pitchers of the Year with regularity, including Andrew Morales last season, entered the week ranked No. 6 among nine conference teams in earned-run average (4.04), last in strikeouts and No. 8 in opponents’ batting average (.289). UCI has yet to produce a conference pitcher of the week in 2015.
But the Anteaters, for whom two-thirds of Saturday’s batting order average 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, entered the week leading the conference in slugging percentage (.407) and home runs (17).
With 6-4, 250-pound designated hitter Andrew Martinez (a conference-best eight homers) leading the offensive guard that can resemble offensive guards, Coach Mike Gillespie’s batsmen are more likely to square up pitches than square around to bunt.
“It is different, absolutely,” Gillespie said of an offense led by freshman Keston Hiura, who extended his hitting streak to 17 games by going three for five Saturday. Hiura’s two runs batted in give him a team-best 28 in 31 games.
Hiura, who entered the week tied for the Big West lead with 42 hits, also ranked second in the conference through Monday in batting average, slugging percentage and total bases. Hiura enters Sunday’s series finale with the Dirtbags (18-12, 4-4) hitting .387.
“This guy Hiura is for real,” Gillespie said.
Also providing real punch Saturday was freshman Cameron Bishop (two for four with three RBIs and one run), senior shortstop Mikey Duarte (two for five with one RBI and two runs), and junior outfielder Wyatt Castro (two for four with a run).
Duarte, who hit a combined .222 with 35 hits in his first two seasons, is batting .328 with 40 hits from the leadoff spot in 2015.
Senior catcher Jerry McClanahan was one for three with two runs and two walks. He leads the conference with 27 walks. McClanahan also continues to shine defensively, an area in which UCI has flourished as a unit.
UCI, which won 15 of its first 16 conference games last season, only to finish third, is on the longest winning streak in its Division I history. The ‘Eaters enter Sunday 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place UC Santa Barbara (26-7, 4-1), which is ranked No. 13.
Junior starting pitcher Matt Esparza allowed one run on seven hits in six innings on Saturday to improve to 7-1.
Long Beach State starter Tanner Brown, who entered with a 1.54 ERA, surrendered four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Brown, who struck out three of the first four UCI hitters, and faced one more than the minimum through three shutout innings, saw his ERA increase to 2.57.
Freshman designated hitter Brock Lundquist paced Long Beach’s 13-hit attack with four doubles in five at-bats.
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Big West Conference
UC Irvine 10, Long Beach State 4
SCORE BY INNINGS
LBSU 000 100 012 – 4 13 0
UCI 000 404 02x – 10 13 1
Brown, McGeorge (5), Cruz (6), Radcliff (7) and Hutting, Banuelos (7); Esparza, Davis (7), Bishop (8), Sparling (9) and McClanahan. W – Esparza, 7-1. L – Brown, 4-2. 2B – Lundquist (LBSU) 4, Bishop (UCI), Holland (UCI), Castro (UCI). 3B – James (LBSU).