The UC Irvine Baseball team (14-7, 2-4) came out of the starting blocks hot to start out the 2023 season. The ‘Eaters are playing solid, fundamental baseball as they continue to pile on in the win column.
UCI was picked to finish second in the preseason Big West Baseball poll, but their early play is opening eyes and showing the rest of the Big West: they are not a team to be taken for granted. 18 games into the season the ‘Eaters are overachieving expectations with a 12-6 record, and looking to make a run at a Big West title.
UCI’s plague of injuries throughout the entire fall preseason rolled into the season. Head coach Ben Orloff reconfigured the starting infield as perceived shortstop starter junior infielder Woody Hadeen was sidelined due to a season-ending shoulder operation. Sophomore infielder Dub Gleed, a natural third baseman, made the move to shortstop while junior infielder Jo Oyama made the move from second to third base.
Pitching was not exempt from the injury bug as freshman standout pitcher Riley Kelly was also sidelined due to a stress fracture in his back. Kelly was projected to be the Sunday starter for UCI, but pitching coach Daniel Bibona has to look down the roster to see who can fill the spot. Making his life a little easier is the fact that redshirt junior pitcher Nick Pinto, graduate student pitcher Sean Higgins and sophomore pitcher Danny Suarez have all returned from injury.
On their way to a 12-6 record, the UCI offense really coined the big inning. The ‘Eaters have had six four-run innings and eight innings with five or more runs. Their success with the big inning is no surprise as the ‘Eaters are trained to take the free base. Whether it’s a walk or a hit by a pitch, the ‘Eaters have often found their way to first without swinging the bat.
UCI ranks 42nd in the nation in teams hit by pitches. Five times this year, the Anteaters have had equal or less hits than runs, emphasizing the impact that the free bases have on their run production.
UCI’s offensive attack has been led by standout freshman first baseman Anthony Martinez. The freshman is batting .378 in 82 at bats with 25 hits including nine doubles, four home runs and 22 runs batted in on the young season. Martinez was named National Player of the Week for his incredible performance against Arizona State.
Sophomore outfielder Chase Call has found the long ball for the ‘Eaters, slugging five home runs on the season. Call also leads UCI in on base percentage with a staggering .479 stemming from his team high 16 walks. As a team, UCI is sporting an insane .406 on base percentage to start the season which puts them at 60th nationally. Junior outfielder Caden Kendle is off to a hot start as well batting .316 with a team high 27 runs batted in.
Redshirt sophomore Will Bermudez and Oyama were originally both competing for the second base job prior to the Hadeen injury. Now, Oyama and Bermudez are an impactful one two punch at the top of the Anteater batting order. Both players have above average speed, a knack for getting on base and insane effort that can only be appreciated by watching them play.
Junior catcher Thomas McCaffrey was injured for all of the fall preseason, but returned to the lineup, splitting time with junior catcher Abraham Garcia-Pacheco. Both catchers are batting north of .300 with McCaffery batting .360 and Garcia-Pacheco batting .348.
Pitching for UCI has been a by committee affair, as injuries have plagued staff and affected the use of players in designed roles. Coming into the year, the pitching staff was not held in the highest regard. However, they ended that conversation opening weekend when they shut out the Tulane Green Wave twice on their way to a sweep.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher David Vizcaino has been the one constant face behind the mound in the ‘Eater rotation. Vizcaino has blossomed into his Friday night starter role going 2-1 overall as a starting pitcher, while the ‘Eaters were 4-1 in his five starts. Pinto returned from injury to flourish in his Saturday starter position going 2-0 and boasting an impressive 1.96 ERA.
Sophomore pitcher Cooper Robinson stepped up on Sundays in place of Kelly, going 2-1 so far on the young season. Sophomore pitcher Finnegan Wall and graduate student pitcher Andre Antone have both been Tuesday starters for the Anteaters. However, they have also continued to be used out of the bullpen in key points during weekend games for Orloff.
UCI has relied on a lights-out bullpen to secure their wins. Freshman pitcher Max Martin has shocked a lot of people with the success he’s had. Martin, whose fastball has been up to 93 mph, has picked up saves against both USC and Arizona State. Redshirt senior pitchers Tanner Brooks and Michael Stanford have dominated out of the bullpen. Brooks has been used as an effective eighth inning setup man posting a 1.59 ERA. Stanford is used for long relief and some closing opportunities. Stanford has a 1.35 ERA and a save on the year, as his success has already led to him being named Big West pitcher of the week.
Redshirt junior pitcher Cameron Wheeler has turned some heads as well, as the righty has been a shutdown option for Orloff. Wheeler leans heavily on a sinker pitch to keep runners off base, and his mastery of the pitch has led him to execute in some huge situations already this season. Redshirt junior pitcher Jacob King is UCI’s lone closer. King has struggled lately seeing his ERA balloon to 8.31 after a dominant start where he secured three saves.
The ‘Eaters have the talent to win the Big West Conference and make a push to Omaha for the NCAA regionals, and have been showcasing it early. However, there are still a lot of games left to play.
Zeke Bellino is a Sports Intern for the winter 2023 quarter. He can be reached at zbellino@uci.edu.