Silva to lead UCI arms

Ted Silva, a former Cal State Fullerton All-American, has been chosen by UC Irvine baseball coach Mike Gillespie to become the Anteaters’ pitching coach.

Silva was the pitching coach at Fresno State last season, after spending two seasons as volunteer assistant and pitching coach at Cal State Fullerton in 2005-06.

Silva becomes the second full-time assistant for Gillespie, the former USC coach who was hired to fill the void created when Dave Serrano left to become coach at Cal State Fullerton. Pat Shine was named associate head coach by Gillespie.

Silva and Gillespie declined comment Monday, noting final details still need to be worked out before the hiring becomes official.

Silva helped Fresno State finish 38-29 last season and earn a berth in the NCAA Regionals. At the San Diego Regional at San Diego State, the Bulldogs defeated San Diego and Minnesota, but lost twice to Cal State Fullerton and were eliminated.

The Bulldogs’ pitching staff had a combined earned-run average of 4.94 and opponents batted .288 against Fresno State hurlers.

Silva, who replaced Serrano as pitching coach at Cal State Fullerton when Serrano took the UCI helm for the 2005 season, helped the Titans compile a national-best 2.73 ERA in 2006.

Silva starred for the Titans as a starter and reliever from 1993-95. He was 18-1 with a 2.83 ERA as a junior in 1995, when he helped the Titans win their third national championship. He earned two victories in the College World Series that season, including an 11-5 win over Gillespie’s USC team in the title game.

The 18 victories led the nation and are a school single-season record.

He was named first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Assn., Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball and was the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year.

After posting a combined 26-7 record, a 2.92 ERA and 26 saves in three collegiate seasons, he was drafted in the 21st round by the Texas Rangers. He spent five seasons in the minor leagues for the Rangers, then pitched one season in Taiwan and one in the independent Atlantic League.

Silva began his coaching in 2004, when he was pitching coach at Villa Park High.

The Anteaters, who went 45-15-1 last season and finished tied for third in the College World Series, began individual skill workouts and conditioning on Oct. 4. Team practices began Monday.

UCI is scheduled to open the 2008 season Feb. 22 with the first of a three-game series at Nevada.

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