UC IRVINE BASEBALL:

The UC Irvine baseball team will attempt to reel in a couple of teams ahead of it in the Big West Conference standings, as it plays host to last-place Pacific in a three-game conference series that begins tonight at 6.

The No. 13-ranked Anteaters (31-12, 8-7 in conference) open the weekend in sixth place in the Big West.

But a sweep against he hapless Tigers (10-35, 2-16) would propel the ’Eaters past or even with at least two of the five teams that are currently ahead of them.

Second-place UC Riverside (10-5 in conference) plays host to UC Davis (tied for third at 9-6) for three-game series beginning tonight, while UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State, (both also 9-6) meet for three games beginning tonight at Blair Field.

Conference-leading Cal State Fullerton (13-5) plays host to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (6-9) for a three-game set beginning tonight.

The Anteaters will rely on junior All-American pitcher Scott Gorgen to get them off to a good start tonight. Gorgen, 9-2 with a 1.97 earned-run average, will oppose left-hander Joey Centanni (0-3, 4.97) in the opener.

Gorgen needs three strikeouts to break the career record of 298 set by Glenn Swanson from 2002-06.

UCI enters hitting .302 as a team, while UOP is batting .260 as a unit. The Tigers’ team ERA is 6.73, while the 2.84 ERA posted by the UCI staff ranks second in the nation.

UCI sophomore Bryce Stowell (6-2, 2.12) is scheduled to face Mark McCain (1-4, 4,58) in Saturday’s 1 p.m. game. Sunday’s 1 p.m. finale is slated to match UCI sophomore left-hander Danny Bibona (6-2, 3.27) against Tyler Waldron (2-5, 6.07).

— Barry Faulkner