Anteaters aim to secure NCAA bid against UCSB

UC Irvine baseball coach Mike Gillespie is one win away from the 800th for his career, but, if you listen to him, one lost series away from potentially missing the postseason.

Gillespie’s Anteaters begin the regular-season-ending Big West Conference series against UC Santa Barbara tonight at 6 at Anteater Ballpark.

The No. 14-ranked ’Eaters (35-15, 12-9 in conference) enter the series tied for fourth place with UC Riverside, one game behind UCSB (34-19, 13-8), two behind Long Beach State (14-7 in conference) and three behind first-place Cal State Fullerton (15-6).

Long Beach State plays host to Cal State Fullerton for three games, starting tonight, while UC Riverside plays host to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for another three-game set.

Should UCI sweep Santa Barbara, it could do no worse than a third-place tie, which would, most agree, clinch an invitation to the 64-team NCAA tournament that begins with 16 four-team regionals next week.

Should UCSB sweep, however, UCI would likely wind up in fifth or sixth, creating a precarious situation.

“I don’t think it will take too much of a sales pitch to convince our guys that we’re in a playoff-type deal from here on,” said Gillespie, who confessed no knowledge and no particular sentiment about nearing win No. 800 (he is 799-486-2 as a Division I head coach, including 20 seasons at USC). “ I really do think we have to treat [the UCSB series] like it is a do-or-die situation. I know not everybody thinks that way, but I’m more paranoid than most. In my view, our backs are against the wall.”

UCI junior All-American pitcher Scott Gorgen, who is likely making his final home start tonight, also feels the sense of urgency. Gorgen, the school leader in career strikeouts (307), enters with a 10-2 record and a 1.76 earned-run average. Most believe Gorgen is dueling with Long Beach State senior Andrew Liebel (8-2, 1.74) for conference pitcher of the year recognition.

Gorgen, however, is more concerned with the team picture.

“This team, mark my words, is going to jell together this weekend,” said Gorgen, expected to be drafted high in the June Major League Baseball draft. “We’re going to come together and we’re going to be like that wrecking house of Oregon State last year [when the Beavers repeated as national champions, eliminating UCI in the College World Series in the process].”

The Gauchos’ lineup includes junior first baseman Eric Oliver, an Orange Coast College transfer who is batting .329 with four home runs, 35 RBIs and a team-leading 15 doubles.

UCI sophomore Bryce Stowell (6-2, 2.91) is scheduled to oppose Mario Hollands (7-2, 3.57) in Saturday’s 5 p.m. game, while UCI sophomore Danny Bibona (7-3, 3.35) is slated to start against Chuck Huggins (8-2, 4.67) Sunday at 1 p.m.

— Barry Faulkner