UC Irvine Baseball Roster: The Top Players to Watch

The UC Irvine baseball team is stacked with talent this season. Here are the Top Players to watch on the roster.

UC Irvine’s 2019 Baseball Roster

The UC Irvine Anteaters have released their 2019 baseball roster Here are the top players to Watch This Season

Pitchers:
-Evan Manarino, senior
-Andrewutanu, junior
– John Stilson, junior
– Ty Provencher, senior

Catchers:
-Ryan Gamble, junior
-JC Bradbury, sophomore

Infielders:
-Cole Kreuter, senior
-Jerrod Bravo, junior
-Connor McGuinness, sophomore

Outfielders:
– Matt Williams senior

Designated Hitter/Utility Player: Austin Pratt, freshman

The top players to Watch on UC Irvine’s 2019 Baseball Roster

The UC Irvine Anteaters are set to begin their 2019 season soon, and there are a few Key Players to keep an eye on. With a strong pitching rotation and some exciting new additions to the lineup, this could be a very successful year for the team. Here are some of the Top Players to watch on UC Irvine’s 2019 baseball roster

Pitcher Matt Eckelman is a senior who has been a key part of the team’s success over the past few years. He was named Big West Pitcher of the Year in 2018 and is expected to be one of the best pitchers in the conference again this season.

Outfielder Mitchellkos Calhoun is a junior who is one of the team’s best hitters. He led the team in batting average (.352) and home runs (8) last season and should be one of the leading offensive threats again this year.

Infielder Ryan Cooper is a sophomore who had a breakout year in 2018. He batted .337 with 7 home runs and 37 RBI and will be counted on to provide more production this season.

Pitcher Cole Irvin is a transfer from Oregon who will be eligible to play immediately. He was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in 2016 and should be a big addition to the pitching staff.

These are just a few of the top players to watch on UC Irvine’s 2019 Baseball roster With talent at every position, it should be an exciting season for Anteaters fans.

UC Irvine’s Outfielders

The UC Irvine Anteaters Baseball Team is gearing up for another season of Division I play. The team is set to return a core group of experienced players, including a number of talented outfielders. Here are three of the team’s top outfielders to keep an eye on this season:

1. Senior Ryan Kendle is a returning starter in left field Last season, Kendle hit .313 with four home runs and 23 RBIs. He is a patient hitter who uses his speed to his advantage, making him a tough out for opposing pitchers.

2. Junior Matt Thaiss is UC Irvine’s starting center fielder. A force at the plate, Thaiss hit .345 last season with six Home Runs and 41 RBIs. He also has good speed and is adept at tracking down fly balls in the outfield.

3. Sophomore Keston Hiura rounds out the starting outfield in right field. Hiura was one of the top hitters in all of college baseball last season, batting .358 with eight home runs and 44 RBIs. He has a keen eye at the plate and adjusts well to pitches, making him a difficult out for pitchers.

With Kendle, Thaiss and Hiura leading the way, UC Irvine’s outfield should be one of the best in the country this season. These three players will be key to the team’s success and will provide fans with plenty of highlights throughout the year.

UC Irvine’s Infielders

The top three infielders for the UC Irvine baseball team this season are junior first baseman Brenden Baker, redshirt-sophomore second baseman Ruben Cardenas, and junior third baseman Brandon HC Davis.

Baker is the returning starter at first base and is coming off a season in which he batted .266 with four home runs and 19 RBIs. He will look to build on those numbers this season as he is one of the team’s most powerful hitters.

Cardenas is the leading candidate to start at second base after appearing in just eight games last season. He is a versatile player who can also contribute on the offensive end, as he batted .333 in limited action last year.

Davis is the returning starter at third base and is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in which he batted .275 with four home runs and 30 RBIs. He will be counted on to provide some power from the left side of the plate this season.

UC Irvine’s Catchers

The catcher is perhaps the most important position on the baseball field They are responsible for coordinating the defense and handling the pitching staff. A strong catcher can make a big difference in how a team fares over the course of a season.

UC Irvine has had some very good catchers over the years, and the 2019 roster is no exception. Here are three of the top players to watch:

Andrew Ganaden is a senior who has been with UC Irvine since 2016. He has played in 122 games and started in 120 of them. Ganaden was named first-team All-Big West last season after hitting .305 with four home runs and 42 RBIs. He is one of the team’s leaders and will be looked to for his experience and production this season.

Ike Matthews is a junior who transferred to UC Irvine from San Joaquin Delta College prior to last season. He appeared in 50 games, starting 49 of them, and hit .272 with three home runs and 23 RBIs. Matthews is a solid all-around player who will be counted on to provide some pop in the middle of the lineup this season.

Cole Kreuter is a sophomore who saw significant action as a freshman last season, appearing in 45 games, including 28 starts. Kreuter hit .255 with two home runs and 15 RBIs last season and will be expected to take on an even bigger role this year as he continues to develop into one of the team’s top players

UC Irvine’s Pitchers

UC Irvine’s baseball team is stacked with top-tier talent this season, and that talent starts on the mound. The Anteaters have a strong pitching rotation, led by junior ace Andre Pallante. Pallante is coming off a strong sophomore season in which he posted a 3.51 ERA over 98 innings pitched and he will look to build on that success in 2019.

Fellow junior John Gavin is also returning to the UC Irvine pitching staff after a successful 2018 campaign. Gavin posted a 3.86 ERA over 89 innings last season, and he will likely be the Anteaters’ number two starter behind Pallante.

Sophomore Dylan Ruedi rounds out UC Irvine’s top three pitchers. Ruedi made 14 starts as a freshman last season and finished with a 4.22 ERA over 74 innings pitched. He will look to take another step forward in 2019 and solidify himself as a key part of the Anteaters’ pitching rotation.

UC Irvine’s 2019 Schedule

The UC Irvine Anteaters Baseball Team will begin their 2019 season on February 15th with a Home game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs They will play a total of 56 games in the regular season 27 of which will be at home in Anteater Ballpark.

Some of the top players to watch this season include outfielders Andre Anderson and Jordan Hitachi, infielder Jonathan Lipton, and pitchers John Williamson and Cameron Bishop. Anderson is a senior who was named Big West Conference Player of the Year in 2018, Hitachi is a junior who led the team in batting average last year (.333), Lipton is a junior who is the returning home run leader (9), Williamson is a junior who was named Big West Pitcher of the Year in 2018, and Bishop is a senior who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018.

The Anteaters have high hopes for the 2019 season and look to build off of their success from last year when they won the Big West Conference Championship and made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014.

UC Irvine’s 2018 Season Recap

Last season, the UC Irvine Anteaters finished with a record of 36-24 (15-9 in conference play) and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Though they lost in the regional round, it was a successful season for a young team that will look to build on that success in 2019. Here are some of the top players to watch on this year’s squad:

Pitcher Darren McCaughan is entering his senior season and is coming off a year in which he led the team with 100 strikeouts. He also posted a 3.42 ERA in 14 starts. McCaughan will once again be counted on to be the ace of the staff and help UC Irvine contend for a conference title

Outfielder Keston Hiura is another senior who will be looking to make an impact in his final season with the Anteaters. Hiura is a two-time All-Big West selection and was named to the College World Series All-Tournament team last year. He hit .369 with 10 home runs last season and will be one of the best hitters in the conference again in 2019.

Sophomore pitcher Andre Pallante had a strong freshman campaign, posting a 2.48 ERA in 15 appearances (seven starts). Pallante will look to take on an even bigger role this season as he tries to help UC Irvine return to the NCAA tournament

UC Irvine in the NCAA Tournament

UC Irvine enters the NCAA tournament as one of the top seeds in the country. They will be looking to make a run at the College World Series and they have the talent to do it. Here are the top players to watch on this UC Irvine baseball roster.

Pitcher Andrew Morales was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year. He is one of the best pitchers in the country and will be crucial to UC Irvine’s success in the tournament.

Catcher Jerry McClanahan is another top player on this UC Irvine roster. He was named first-team All-Big West Conference and is one of the best defensive catchers in the country.

Third baseman Taylor Sparks was also named first-team All-Big West Conference Sparks is one of the best hitters in UC Irvine’s lineup and he will be key to their success in the tournament.

Outfielder Kris Paulino is another player to watch for UC Irvine. He was named second-team All-Big West Conference and is a very talented hitter.

Pitcher Kyle Hooper rounds out this list of top players to watch on UC Irvine’s Baseball Roster Hooper was named third-team All-Big West Conference and is a very solid pitcher who will be important to UC Irvine’s success in the tournament.

UC Irvine’s 2017 Season

The UC Irvine Anteaters Baseball team will look to build on a successful 2016 campaign in which the team won 37 games and reached the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years. The ‘Eaters will be led by a senior class that includes All-Big West performers Evan Cassolato and Keston Hiura. Here is a closer look at UC Irvine’s 2017 roster:

Pitchers
-Evan Cassolato: The senior right-hander was UC Irvine’s best pitcher last season, going 10-3 with a 2.56 ERA. He was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year and earned All-American honors.
-Keston Hiura: The junior second baseman is one of the best pure hitters in college baseball Hiura batted .369 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI last season. He was named the big West Conference Player of the Year and earned All-American honors.