Win No. 800 proves big

IRVINE — It turns out Mike Gillespie will remember career win No. 800 after all. Not as a personal milestone as much as the importance it carried for his UC Irvine baseball team, which posted a 14-7 Big West Conference baseball triumph over UC Santa Barbara Saturday night in front of 1,048 at Anteater Ballpark.

The victory improved the No. 14-ranked Anteaters to 37-16, 13-10 in conference and added more justification for an ample sampling of national media that believes the Anteaters have earned a berth in their third straight 64-team NCAA Tournament.

Still, UCI remains behind four teams in the Big West standings — including UCSB (35-20, 14-9) — with just one regular-season game remaining (today at 1 p.m. against the Gauchos).

“In my view, it was the most important game and the most important win of the year,” Gillespie said. “I think we needed it desperately.”

Gillespie maintains the ’Eaters, whose Ratings Performance Index entering the week was 22 (UCSB’s was 61), need to win today to help solidify their postseason bid.

“Every win is big,” said Gillespie, who is now 800-487-2 in 21 seasons as a Division I head coach, the previous 20 at USC. “I am the most concerned guy about that and I remain the most concerned guy about that. I’ll feel a whole lot better with a win [today]. Certainly with our season record, we know that the RPI is good. But I could not feel confident or comfortable, finishing fifth or sixth [in conference] and looking up. I’m still concerned about that.

A UCI loss today, combined with a UC Davis win, would leave the Anteaters in sixth place. It is generally assumed that the Big West would get at least three postseason entries and Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State are virtual locks.

UCI would then need to win the favor of the selection committee based on RPI, last year’s postseason success [the program’s first trip to the College World Series, where it finished third] and other factors, ahead of UCSB, UC Davis and UC Riverside (21-31, 14-9).

Riverside’s overall record and lack of a competitive RPI leaves it out of the picture.

UCI left little doubt about securing victory Friday, despite facing a 1-0 deficit created by two first-inning errors.

Junior designated hitter Tony Asaro doubled in a run, then came home on Francis Larson’s two-run single to put the hosts ahead for good, 3-1, in the first.

The Gauchos pared an 8-2 deficit to 8-6 with a four-run sixth, but UCI countered with two in the sixth and six in the seventh to win going away.

Asaro finished four for five with four RBIs, while junior shortstop Ben Orloff was four for four with three runs scored to lead a 16-hit attack.

The 14 runs were more than the Anteaters had scored in their four previous games combined (12), since trouncing Loyola Marymount, 18-1, on May 14.

“It was like there was a fight at the bat rack,” Orloff said. “When it seems like every at-bat is a good at-bat with a good approach, it seems like everybody wants to be the next guy up.”

Larson was two for four with three RBIs and one run, while sophomore right fielder Dillon Bell was one for three with two RBIs and one run for the winners.

Senior infielder Josh Tavelli and senior catcher Aaron Lowenstein also had one hit and one RBI apiece as the Anteaters abused the first four of five UCSB pitchers.

“I don’t think there was a difference in approach, I think it was a difference in pitching,” Gillespie said of the contrast between Friday’s 6-2 series-opening loss. “When balls get hit that hard, they’re in the middle of the plate somewhere.

“Asaro had a great night, Larson had a big hit, and, you know, getting [sophomore first baseman Jeff] Cusick back in the lineup, regardless of what he did tonight [one for three with two walks with three runs scored] … he simply gives us more presence in the lineup and he is a tough out for us.”

Cusick got his first start in the field since April, as he had been dealing with a shoulder injury to his right (throwing) shoulder.

Cusick made a diving backhanded stab of a line drive to highlight an otherwise subpar defensive night for UCI, which finished with three errors and now has seven in the series.

Sophomore Bryce Stowell allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win and improve to 7-2.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 14, Santa Barbara 7

SCORE BY INNINGS

Hollands, Samuels (3), Edwards (5), Brown (6), McIntyre (6) and McMurray; Stowell, Bergman (6), Lopez (8), Calahan (8), Avison (9) and Lowenstein, Donabedian (9). W – Stowell, 7-2. L – Hollands, 7-3. 2B – Asaro (UCI) 2, Deragisch (UCI), McMurray (UCSB), Tavelli (UCI), Orloff (UCI), Cummings (UCSB), Zuanich (UCSB), Rose (UCSB).

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