COLLEGES:

The Big West Conference championship is UC Irvine’s to lose.

There’s plenty of baseball left to play, but, the No. 5-ranked Anteaters’ 5-1 conference start, against the only other teams still ranked in the Baseball America top-25 poll (No. 6 Cal State Fullerton and No. 19 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), has left Coach Mike Gillespie’s squad two games up on the Titans and Mustangs .

Long Beach State, which took two of three from UC Riverside to open its conference season, also appears to be in the picture, despite a 12-12 record that preceded conference play.

The unprecedented 5-0 conference start, which might have been 6-0, if not for some untimely misplays of two fly balls that allowed Fullerton hitters to collect gift hits and extend scoring rallies in the first and ninth innings Sunday, has been a mild surprise, even to Gillespie.

“I think if someone said nine days, or even 109 days ago that we were going to be 5-1 after these two weekend, we’d have felt pretty good about it,” Gillespie said after Sunday’s 5-4 loss in 10 innings. “But when you lose one and it was a winnable game, well then you don’t feel so good about it.”

Gillespie has plenty to feel good about these days, as the Anteaters’ offense (the last two weeks) and bullpen (against Fullerton) have both shown improvement.

The constant for UCI has been the starting pitching, particularly the weekend rotation of junior left-hander Danny Bibona (Friday), junior right-hander Christian Bergman (Saturday) and sophomore righty Crosby Slaught (Sunday).

The trio limited the Titans, ranked No. 1 last week, to two earned runs in 19 2/3 combined innings (an 0.92 earned-run average).

Former big league pitching mates Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain inspired the poetic axiom of “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.”

A similar refrain for the UCI weekend starters might be: “Bibona, Bergman and Slaught, and the opponent’s offense goes for naught.”

Bibona, named Big West Pitcher of the Week on Monday, is 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA. The latter leads all Big West pitchers who have more than one start this season.

Bergman (4-1 with a 2.64 ERA), ranks fourth among conference hurlers who have made at least five starts.

Slaught, whose potential win was squandered Sunday by All-American closer Eric Pettis’ second blown save of the season, is 2-0 with a 3.67 ERA.

Pettis, however, leads the Big West in saves with eight and is 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA.

 Gillespie was asked about keys to UCI’s then-six-game winning streak after Saturday’s win at Goodwin Field.

One thing he mentioned was the impact of the recent insertion of freshman Ronnie Shaeffer into the lineup. Shaeffer, who has been used primarily at designated hitter but has also spelled junior catcher Francis Larson, is hitting a team-best .447 in 11 games, all starts. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound freshman out of Pacifica High has two home runs and nine runs batted in.

 UCI junior first baseman Jeff Cusick helped beat Cal State Fullerton with his glove Friday, diving to catch a popped-up squeeze bunt attempt, then springing to his feet to double the runner off at third base.

His bat was his primary weapon Saturday and Sunday, however, as he lashed first-inning homers each game, the first a three-run shot that wound up being the difference in a 4-1 win Saturday.

He had not hit a homer since May of 2007, a span of 103 UCI games, then yanked two over the fence within 18 hours.

 The Anteaters (19-8) visit UCLA tonight, where former Anteaters coach John Savage is in his fifth season at the helm of the Bruins.

UCI then plays host to Long Beach State for a three-game Big West series Thursday (6 p.m.), Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.).

 Those planning to attend the Saturday afternoon game might want to make a doubleheader of it by sticking around for the Anteaters’ Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men’s volleyball showdown with Pepperdine Saturday at 7 p.m.

UCI, ranked No. 1 in the most recent poll, enters the week 20-4, 15-3 in conference.

No. 2-ranked Pepperdine is 18-2, 16-2.