Anteaters draw UCLA to open regional Friday

IRVINE ? The UC Irvine baseball team acknowledged its at-large berth into the NCAA Regionals on Monday with the same collective energy it put into the regular season to make it possible.

An explosive and unified roar filled a restaurant across the street from campus, where Anteater players, coaches and supporters gathered to watch the nationally televised announcement of the regional pairings.

UCI (36-22) will open the Malibu Regional against UCLA (32-23) on Friday at 11 a.m. at Pepperdine University.

It’s the second Division I regional appearance for the Anteaters, who were swept out of the double-elimination regional in 2004 at Notre Dame.

John Savage coached that Anteater team, but will be in the opposing dugout Friday. Savage, in his second year at UCLA, is 4-0 against UCI since his arrival, including an 8-4 win May 16 at Anteater Ballpark and a 10-1 triumph May 23 at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

UCI, which finished third in the Big West Conference and has won 17 of its last 23, is the No. 3 seed in the four-team regional that also includes No. 1-seeded Pepperdine (40-19) and No. 4-seeded Missouri (31-25).

The winner will advance to the Super Regional, against the winner of the regional hosted by Cal State Fullerton.

“I’m excited for my players and my coaching staff,” said UCI Coach Dave Serrano, who helped guide teams to five previous regional appearances as an assistant at Cal State Fullerton and Tennessee. He was the pitching coach for the Cal State Fullerton team that won the 2004 national championship.

“My goal is that getting into the regionals this year is setting a precedent for what this program is going to be about each and every year.”

Serrano said he would like to set another precendent, by earning the program’s first Division I postseason win.

“It’s important to me that we continue to take steps in this program,” Serrano said. “Winning in a regional is another step for this program and we’re going in there to do something. We want to show the Big West is underrated.”

Veteran players who were part of UCI’s postseason experience in 2004, said they are looking forward to a more competitive showing.

“We couldn’t ask for a better regional to be set up in, against teams that we have faced and that we know pretty well,” said Justin Cassel, a junior pitcher who will start Friday against UCLA.

UCI did not play Pepperdine this season. The Waves, who won the West Coast Conference Tournament, beat ‘Eaters twice in three games in 2005.

“This year, we’re playing good baseball at the right time of the year,” Cassel said. “You want to be hot at the end of the year. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Senior Jaime Martinez said he is gratified to be finishing his career in the postseason.

“It definitely felt great to see our name pop up on the TV screen,” said Martinez, whose two-run, walk-off home run in a 5-4, 10-inning win over UC Riverside on Saturday helped add to the positive vibrations surrounding this team.

“I was injured in 2004, so I wasn’t able to make the trip [to South Bend]” said Martinez, who leads the team with eight home runs and 45 RBIs and is the school career leader with 21 dingers. “That makes this a lot more special for me, because I know I’m going to have the opportunity to help my ballclub.”

UCI will also rely upon junior second baseman Cody Cipriano, hitting a team-best .351 with four homers and 34 RBIs.

Pitching, however, is UCI’s primary strength. Cassel is 7-8 with a 3.41 earned-run average.

Also prominent are senior Glenn Swanson (9-4, 2.81), freshman Scott Gorgen (7-4, 2.52) and junior All-American closer Blair Erickson (5-0, 2.22 with 13 saves).