UC Riverside Baseball Roster: The Team to Watch This Season
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With an impressive roster, UC Riverside is the team to watch this season. Get to know the team members that make up this year’s squad.
Introducing the UC Riverside Baseball Roster
The UC Riverside baseball team is one of the most promising teams in the country. Comprised of young and talented players, the team is definitely one to Watch This Season Here is a closer look at the roster:
Pitchers:
-Titus Willman: A left-handed pitcher from Los Angeles CA, Willman is a senior who has been with the team for four years. He has a strong arm and good control, making him a solid presence on the mound.
-Steven Packard: A right-handed pitcher from San Diego CA, Packard is a junior who transferred to UC Riverside from Saddleback College. He has electric stuff and great control, making him a top pitching prospect
Catchers:
-Ryan Justus: A native of Riverside, CA, Justus is a junior who has been with the team for three years. He is a good hitter with a strong arm, making him a valuable asset behind the plate.
-Brandon Sanders: A native of Moreno Valley, CA, Sanders is a freshman who joins the team this year. He is an experienced catcher with good receiving skills and a strong arm.
The Team’s Star Players
The UC Riverside Baseball Team is loaded with talent this season. Here are three of the team’s star players to watch:
Pitcher MattEckelberry is the ace of the staff. He had a solid season last year, posting a 3.42 ERA in 14 starts. He will look to build on that success this season and provide leadership for a young pitching staff.
Shortstop Ethan Chapman is one of the best Defensive Players in the country. He has great range and a strong arm, and he’s also a skilled hitter. Chapman batted .307 last season with four home runs and 26 RBIs. He will be one of the leaders of the team this season both on and off the field.
Third baseman Vince Fernandez is one of the most exciting players in college baseball He has electric power at the plate, hitting 18 home runs last season while also stealing 13 bases. Fernandez was named first-team All-Big West last year, and he will be looking to build on that success this season.
The Team’s Pitching Staff
The UC Riverside Baseball team’s pitching staff is laden with experienced arms and includes several players who have been key contributors in previous seasons. The staff is deep and has a mix of starters and relievers, giving the team a great deal of flexibility in how they can deploy their pitchers.
The pitching staff is led by senior right-hander Dylan Carlson, who has been a workhorse for the team over the past three seasons. Carlson has appeared in 43 games, including 40 starts, and has pitched over 200 innings in his career. He is a three-time All-Big West Conference selection and was named the conference’s Pitcher of the Year in 2017.
Joining Carlson in the rotation is junior right-hander Michael Pooler, who was an All-Big West honorable mention last season. Pooler made 14 starts last year and pitched to a 3.61 ERA. He will be looking to build on that success this season as he takes on a larger role in the rotation.
Sophomore left-hander Jacob Box will also be in the rotation after making 11 starts as a freshman last year. Box had some ups and downs as a freshman, but finished strong with a 3.38 ERA over his final seven starts. He will look to build on that momentum this season as he looks to cement himself as a key member of the rotation.
Rounding out the starting pitching staff is freshman right-hander Chase Johnson, who comes to UC Riverside from Cypress College. Johnson was named the 2018 Orange Empire Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 10-2 with a 2.48 ERA last season. He will look to make an immediate impact on the UC Riverside pitching staff this season
The Team’s Infield
The infield is where most of the action happens in baseball, and the UC Riverside team is stacked with Great players The first baseman, junior Nick Torres, was recently named to the preseason All-American Team by the Collegiate Baseball News. He’s a big player with a lot of power and is expected to have a huge season. The second baseman, senior Joe Weik, is a talented hitter and a solid fielder. He’ll be leading the team at the top of the lineup this season. The shortstop, sophomore Connor Cannon, is one of the best young defenders in the country. He has great range and a strong arm, and he’s only going to get better as he gains experience. The third baseman, senior Ryan Larson, is one of the most experienced players on the team. He’s a good hitter and a very dependable fielder. The team’s primary backup at third base is freshman Matt Hardy who has impressed coaches with his potential. The team’s catcher, senior Aaron Powell, is a great leader on and off the field. He’s an excellent defender with a strong arm, and he’s also a very good hitter.
The Team’s Outfield
The UC Riverside baseball team is looking strong this season with a versatile and powerful outfield. This year’s team captain Jake Horton, leads the team as center fielder and explains what makes the team’s outfield so special.
“We’ve got a lot of speed in the outfield, and we’re all able to cover a lot of ground. We’ve also got a good mix of left-handed and right-handed hitters, so we can really put pressure on opposing pitchers.”
Horton is joined in the outfield by Left fielder Braden Molina and right fielder Cody Poteet. All three players are junior college transfers who have made an immediate impact on the team.
“Cody has a really strong arm, so he’s been able to make some plays that other right fielders wouldn’t be able to make. And Braden is just a natural hitter – he’s already leading the team in batting average ”
With Horton, Molina, and Poteet patrolling the outfield, opposing teams are going to have their hands full this season trying to get hits off of UC Riverside pitchers.
The Team’s Bench
The Team’s Roster
The University of California Riverside’s baseball team is one of the most talented and skilled in the country. This is their lineup:
Catcher- Brian Mundell
First baseman- A.J. Vanegas
Second baseman- Cole Kreuter
Third baseman- Trey Mothershead
Shortstop- Kyle Stephensen
Outfielders- David Andriese, Connor Panas, Austin Tringali
Utility player- Sam Haggerty
Pitchers- Tyler Schimpf, Zachary Quate, Michael Clarkin, Ryan Lillie, Christian Struplin
The Team’s Coaching Staff
The UC Riverside baseball team’s Coaching Staff is led by Head Coach Troy Percival. Percival, who is entering his second season with the Highlanders, has assembled a talented and experienced coaching staff that will help the team compete at a high level this season.
Assistant coaches Jordan Banfield and Aric Thomas will work with the hitters and pitchers, respectively. Banfield, who played professionally for eight years, spent last season as the hitting coach for UC Riverside’s conference rival UC Santa Barbara Thomas, who also has professional playing experience, comes to UC Riverside from Pepperdine, where he served as the Waves’ pitching coach for two seasons.
Rounding out the Coaching Staff are volunteer Assistant Coach Nate Whener and director of operations Tyler Adkison. Whener, who played collegiately at UCLA, will work with the team’s infielders. Adkison will oversee the team’s administrative duties and help with on-field instruction.
With a strong coaching staff in place, the UC Riverside Baseball Team is poised for a successful season
The Team’s Schedule
The UC Riverside Baseball team has a lot to prove this season. After a disappointing end to last season, the team is looking to redeem themselves and make it further in the playoffs this year. With a strong lineup of players and a tough schedule ahead, the team is definitely one to watch this season
The team’s schedule includes games against some of the best teams in the country. They will be tested early on, with games against traditional powerhouse programs like UCLA, USC, and Stanford. But they will also have opportunities to show their mettle against other top teams in the conference, like Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton No matter who they re Playing the team will definitely be battle-tested by the end of the season.
With such a tough schedule ahead of them, the team will need to be at their best if they want to make a run at the playoffs. But if they can step up to the challenge, they could be one of the best teams in the country come postseason time.
The Team’s Record
The UC Riverside baseball team has been on a tear lately, posting a record of 13-3 in their last 16 games. The team is currently 27-22 overall and 13-7 in conference play They are third in the Big West Conference behind only Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State The team has been led by senior second baseman Juan Reynoso, who is batting .337 with four home runs and 32 RBIs. Junior right fielder Austin Roberts has also been key, batting .333 with two homers and 17 RBIs. The pitching staff has been anchored by senior right-hander Kyle Adkins, who is 6-3 with a 2.48 ERA. The team will look to keep the momentum going as they head into the final stretch of the season.
The Team’s Fans
The team’s fans are some of the most passionate and dedicated in all of college baseball They travel well, always supporting their team on the road. They are also very knowledgeable about the game and love to discuss everything from player development to advanced statistics.