UCI bound for Omaha

WICHITA, Kan. — The biggest victory in the Division I history of the UC Irvine baseball team was all about reversal.

The first reversal — an overturned out call at first base that set up a dramatic two-run ninth-inning Wichita State rally that tied the score — was soon trumped by a one-out rally by the No. 4-ranked Anteaters (45-15-1) that reversed the good vibrations emanating from Shocker Nation. And, also led to a fist-pumping 3-2 victory Sunday to sweep the best-of-three Super Regional before 8,153 at Eck Stadium.

The win propels UCI to Omaha, Neb. where it will make its first appearance in the College World Series that runs Friday through June 25.

UCI junior Bryan Petersen, drafted in the fourth round by the Florida Marlins Thursday — the highest of the eight Anteaters selected — drove a 3-2 fastball over the right fielder’s head for a double to drive in Matt Morris, before being tackled by teammates and submerged by a dog pile behind second base.

What a reversal, indeed.

Yet, the biggest reversal of all could be the fact that UCI, which had no baseball program from 1993 through the 2001 season, has taken only six years to go from extinction to the center of the college baseball world. The Anteaters will debut at the College World Series against Arizona State Saturday at a time to be determined.

“UC Irvine is going to the College World Series and that’s something that just doesn’t go in the same sentence all the time,” UCI Coach Dave Serrano said. “But I’m hoping that it becomes a tradition. This team has set the bar pretty high for anyone in the future.”

There were mostly highs for the Anteaters Sunday, as junior starting pitcher Wes Etheridge cruised through seven innings, blanked the Shockers (53-22) through eight, and appeared destined to finish off what would have been the Anteaters’ third shutout in five postseason games.

Instead, Wichita, which had won seven of its last eight elimination games, including four straight to win its own regional last week, chased Etheridge in the ninth. WSU then erased a 2-0 lead against UCI senior Dylan Axelrod, the designated hosts’ second reliever of the game.

Derek Schermerhorn opened the Shockers’ ninth with a line single to left. It was the fifth hit off Etheridge, but the third since the seventh, to which point he had baffled the Shockers.

Damon Sublett followed with a ground ball that would have been the 17th groundout induced by Etheridge’s trademark sinker. But shortstop Ben Orloff threw wide to first, where Taylor Holiday, stretching toward right field, was originally ruled to have kept his right toe on the bag.

At least a dozen Wichita State players bolted from the dugout, gesturing and shouting their disapproval toward umpire Jack Cox.

Cox was then engaged by Shockers Coach Gene Stephenson, who pleaded for the umpire to ask his colleagues for help.

After a brief meeting of the four umpires, Cox motioned Sublett was safe.

Serrano then took his turn barking at the umpires, but said he never received a clear explanation as to why the reversal was made.

“I hope they got the call right, because that’s all that matters,” Serrano said. “But that was just another thing this team had to overcome.”

It was the Shockers, however, who continued to overcome, after a swinging bunt advanced the runners to second and third for the first out, signaling the end for Etheridge.

Freshman left-hander Tom Calahan then got the second out on a liner to third base and gave way to Axelrod.

After a walk to load the bases, Tyler Hill rocketed a 1-1 fastball through the right side for a two-run single. The big hit ended a scoreless streak of 21 2/3 innings for the Shockers, halted a scoreless streak of 18 1/3 by UCI pitchers, and energized the gold-and-black-clad Wichita rooters.

Axelrod got the final out of the inning, then UCI, which had been 43-0 when leading after eight innings, went about trying to extend that impressive feat to 44-0.

Senior Cody Cipriano flied out to the center-field warning track to open the UCI ninth.

Stephenson then replaced starter Rob Musgrave with sophomore Anthony Capra.

UCI senior Matt Morris, who drove in a first-inning run with a safety squeeze bunt, then doubled and scored on Jeff Cusick’s RBI single in the fourth, lined a single to right field.

Morris bolted to second on a 1-1 pitch in the dirt to move into scoring position. Petersen then provided the RBI double.

“I just wanted to battle and put the ball in play so we could have a chance to score,” Petersen said.

Serrano credited Petersen and Morris.

“Bryan Petersen got the big hit, and it was huge,” Serrano said. “But it came down to a read on the ball in the dirt by Matt Morris to get into scoring position, which kind of exemplifies our style of baseball.”

Etheridge retired 17 straight after Andy Dirks led off the game with a single and Dirks was the only Shocker to reach second base until the eighth. He finished with 17 ground-ball outs and no Shocker hit a ball beyond the artificial infield surface until a single with two outs in the sixth.

Etheridge, who pitched eight shutout innings in a 13-0 regional-opening win over Wake Forest, then closed the regional with a save against Texas, allowed five hits and two runs, both unearned, in 8 1/3 Sunday. He struck out four and walked none.

Etheridge left two runners on in the seventh, when Morris made a diving catch of a drive to left-center field. Morris and center fielder Ollie Linton collided while diving for the ball, but Morris hung on and both escaped injury.

Musgrave was nearly as good as Etheridge, allowing one earned run and five hits in 8 1/3 . He fanned five and walked none.

“What we just accomplished at the Round Rock Regional [beating No. 4 national seed Texas twice] and at the Super Regional in Wichita, playing these two high-caliber programs, is something I might never do again in my career,” said Serrano, in his third year at the UCI helm. “So, I’m just enjoying it as it’s happening. Winning these two regionals, when you’ve never won a [Division I postseason] game in the history of the program, is pretty amazing for this group of young men. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t won a national championship; it didn’t matter that they’d never won a regional game. There was nothing that could have taken away their dream.”

Holiday, who extended his hitting streak to 22 games, summed it up for his teammates.

“It’s an unbelievable thing, first of all, for every guy on this team,” Holiday said. “Then, for the program, we’re going [to Omaha] and some people may not know who we are. But we’re putting a baseball team that’s pretty special on the map.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.NCAA Super Regional

UC Irvine 3,

Wichita State 2

Score by Innings

Wichita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 2 6 1

UCI 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 - 3 7 1

Etheridge, Calahan (9), Axelrod (9) and Lowenstein; Musgrave, Capra (9) and Weber. W -- Axelrod, 5-4. L -- Capra, 7-1. 2B -- Holiday (UCI), Morris (UCI), Petersen (UCI).