BRIEFS

UCI’S ERICKSON HONORED

UC Irvine senior pitcher Blair Erickson has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assn. Preseason All-American team for the third consecutive year.

Erickson had 13 saves, tops in the Big West Conference and 13th in the nation as a junior, when he was 5-0 with a 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings and limited foes to a .229 batting average.

He was selected in the 10th round of the Major League Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, but elected to return for his senior season.

Erickson’s 40 career saves rank second in Big West history, behind only Long Beach State’s Gabe Gonzalez, who posted 46 between 1992 and ’95.

Erickson has a 2.60 career ERA and he has fanned 160 in 124 2/3 innings in three seasons with the Anteaters.

Coach Dave Serrano’s Anteaters, who advanced to the NCAA regionals last season, open the season at Cal on Feb. 2-4.

MELLO SHARES HONOR

UC Irvine junior Colin Mello has been named Co-Player of the Week in men’s water polo by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Mello scored four goals, including the game-winner with 1:57 left to help the No. 11-ranked Anteaters upset No. 4-ranked Stanford, 9-8, Saturday at Stanford.

Mello, who shares the honor with UCLA’s Logan Powell, was named MPSF Player of the Week last week, as well.

Mello leads the Anteaters with 79 goals.

UCI’S OLVERA ADVANCES

UC Irvine sophomore Laura Olvera finished third in the NCAA West Regional Championships Saturday to qualify as an individual for the NCAA Championships, to be held Nov. 20 at Terre Haute, Ind.

Olvera finished the 6,000-meter course in 21 minutes, 16.20 seconds at Blue Lake Park in Gresham, Ore.

Olvera is the first UCI runner to advance to the NCAA Championships since Kareen Nilsson competed at the nationals in 2000.

She was the runner-up in the Big West Conference the past two seasons.

The NCAA race will be competed on the Lavern Gibson Championship Course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute.

UC Irvine finished eight as a team at the West Regional.

In addition to Olvera, junior Sara Mickelson was 17th (21:51.11), junior Marie Nguyen was 42nd (22:31.18 42) and sophomore Emily Romo was 96th (23:31.35).

The UCI men’s team finished 13th at the West Regional.

UC Irvine senior Ricky Barnes placed 34th (31:14.87) on the 10,000-meter course.

Other Anteaters included: Sophomore Nick Mosey (45th in (31:37.07); senior Tom Whelan (92nd in 33:00.63); and sophomore Sky Johnston (101st in 33:13.93.